The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-01-10
PUBLICLANDs.

PUBLIC LANDS.
The United States own an immense
public domain, acquired by treaties with
France, Spain and Mexico, and by COM
pscts with States and Indian tribes.
This domain is thus described in the re-
port of the Commissioner of the General
Land Office of November 29th, 1860:
"0f the 3,250000 Of square miles
which constitute the territorial extent of
the Union, the public lands embrace an
area of z. .265. .625 square miles, or 1, $50, :
OO0, 600 of acres, being more than two
thirds of our geographical extent, and
nearly three times IS large IS the United
States at the ratifcstion of the definitiVe
treaty Of peace in 1888 with Great Brit
ain. This empire domain extends from
the northern line of Texas, the Gulf of
Mexico, reaching to the Atlantic Ocean,
nOrthwesterly to the Canada line border
ing upon the great lakes Erie, Huron,
Michigan and Superior, extending west
ward to the Pacific Ocean, with Puget's
Sound on the north, the Mediterranean
Sea of our extreme northwestern posses
sions.
"Itincludes fifteen sovereignties known
as the Land States and an extent Of
territory sufficient for thirty-two addi-
tion&l, each equal to the great central land
State of Ohio.
SIT embraces soils capable of abundant
yield of the rich productions of the trOp-
les, of sugar, cotton, rice, tobacco, corn,
and the grape, the vintage, now = staple,
particularly so of CslifOrnia; of the great
cereals, wheat and corn, in the Western,
Northwestern and Pacific States, and in
that vast interior region from the valley
of the Mississippi to the Rocky noun
tains; and thence to the chain formed by
the Sierra Nevada and Cascades, the
eastern wall of the Pacific slope, every
variety of soil is found revealing its
wealth"
Now, however, within our present vast
domain, not only the poor, but our own
industrious classes and those of E urope,
may not only find q home, but 3 farm
for each settler, substantially as . free
gift by the government. Here all who
would rather be owners than tenants,
and wish to improve and cultivate their
own soil, are invited. Here, too, all who
would become equals among equals, cit-
(aOt subjeets) of = great and free cOun-
try, enjoying the right of suffrags, and
eligible to every Office except the Presi-
dency, can come and occupy with as this
great inheritance. Here liberty, squRli-
", and fraternity reign supreme, not in
theory or in name only, but in truth aud
reality. Thus is the brotherhood Of man,
secured and protected by our organic
Law. Here the Constitution and the peo-
pie are the only sOVereigns, and the gov
ernment is administered By their elected
agents, and for the benefit Of the peo-
pie. Those toiling elsewhere for
wages that will scarcely support
existence, for the education OF whose
children no provision is made By Law,
who are excluded from the right Of suf-
frage, may come here and be VotsEs snd
citizens, find . farm given IS 3 home-
stead, free schools provided for their
children at the public expense, and any
Office but The Presidency, to which their
children, born here, sre eligible. What
does Europe do for any ofits tOiling mill
lions who reject this munifcant offer
He is worked and taxed there to bis ut
most endurance. He has the right 10
sOorL. and pay tazss, but not to vote. IN
schooled ignorance is his lot and that Of
his descendants. If farmer, he works
and improves the land of others, in con-
slant terror of rent day, the landlord,
and eviction. Indeed, the snRnal rent
of = single acre in England exceeds the
pFice-$10 (s2 2s. 6d.)-pAyable for the
ownership Ia fee-aimple Of the entire
homestead of 160 acres granted by the
government For centuries that are past,
And for all time TO come, there, severe
toll, poverty, ignorAncs, the WOrkhOuse,
or low wages, and disfrsnchise men t,
would seem TO be his .ot. Here, fre edom,
competence, the right Of Suffrage, the
homestead farm, and free schools for his
children.
In selecting these homestead farms the
emigrant can have any temperature, from
81. Petersburg TO Canton. be can hxVe q
cold, temperate, or q warm climate, aud
farming or gardening, grazing, varied By
fishing or hunting. lie can raise wheat,
rye, indian corn, oats, rice, indigo, cot
ton, tobacco, cane or maple sugar, and
molasses, sorghum, wool, peas and beans,
Irish or sweet potatoas, barley, buck
wheat, wine, butter, cheese, hay, clover,
and the grasses; hemp, hops, fax and
fsxseed, silk, beeswax and hOney, and
poultry, in uncounted abundance. If he
prefers = stock farm, be can raise horses,