Daily national Republican., 1864-03-19
MR. JULIAN's SPEECH UPON THE
SOLDIERS, HOMESTEAD BILL.

Mr.. Julian addressed the House to-day on
his bill to provide Homesteads for soldiers on
the forfeited lands Of rebels. He first noticed
the recent assaults upon the Homestead policy
by Thurlow Weed and others, and showed by
striking facts and figures, that the. way TO So
cure an income from our lands is 10 invite emf
grafton from Europe and the old States, and
thus make them q subject Of taxation and .
source Of productive and taxable wealth. He
deprecated the legislative waste OF the public
domain by grants 10 corporations, and warned
the country against the danger Of mutilating
and destroying tho policy Of FREQ homes to
settlers. .#.rr .n......
He next proceeded TO argue the necessity of
applying the Homestead law to the forfeited
lands OF the rebels. He explained how we
are TO acquire titles to rebel lands under the
tax law, the conhscation law, and the Internal
Revenue act and argued that the great body
OF the lands in the insurrsctionary districts
must fall within our power. He referred to
the decision Of the Supreme Court Of the Uni.
ted States settling the question that the rebels
are bellIgercnts, and that, when subjugated, the
laws of war must settle their rights. Not being
bound by the Consultation in dealing with them
as belligerents, we can appropriate the lands
Of the rebel leaders, who are the chief owners
of the real estate. Congress must repeal the
joint resolution protecting the fec OF public
land owners. II not, the courts must so in
terpret 1t as to make the repeal needless. II
both Congress and the courts stand In the way
Of the nation, the cred lightning Of the peoples
wrath" must consume the recreant men who
hinder the popular will.
He next proceeded to discuss the evils OF
land monopoly, comparing the aristocracy OF
England to the shareholders Of the South and
the " sand-hillers" and "clay-eaters" TO the
English agricultural lAborers. He showed that
thousands Of acres are daily being sold to spec
ulators, and that under our present policy, un-
checked by counter legislation, a system
land monopoly In the South will be built up
scarcely less to be deplored than slavery itself.
"The future Of these rebellious States" said
he, "involving the well.belng OF millions for
ages TO come is now committed to our hands.
We can re-enact over them the political and
social domination of the past, or prcdestlnAte
them to the blessedness and glory OF grand
and eyer-unfoldlng future. Wecan build up q
magnificent constellation OF FREQ common
wealths, whose territory can support popula-
tion of moro than 100, ,OOO, 900 on the basis Of
free labor and a Just distribution OF land
among the peoples or We can again organize
society after the pattern Of Europe, and
thus spare the hideous cancer which, In the
words OF Chateaubriand, 'has gnawed social
order since the beginning OF the world
Can We hesitate in dealing with so fearful an
alternative. Shall we mock tho Almighty by
sporting with the heaVen-permittsd privilege
now placed before uS2 Shall we heap curses
on our children, when blessings are within Out
graSpl Sir, let us prove ourselves equal 10
our duty and our work. Let Us rise to the full
height Of our sublime opportunity, and thus
make ourselves, under Providence, the crea-
lures OF a new dspensatlon of liberty and
peace"
The speech was a most thorough ono, and
commanded the attention Of both sides Of the
| House.