Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-01-09
Hon. Robert y. Walkers letters.

In mastery manner Mr.. Walker exhibits
to the people Of Europe the difference in
condition one Of the working classes would
experience by emigrating. to the United
States summing up thus.
For centuries that are past, and for all
time to come, there severe toll, poverty,
ignorance, the workhouse, or low wages,
and dis!ranchiscment, would seem to be his
lot. Here, freedom, competence, the right
OF suffrage, the homestead farm, and free
schools for his children"
Then showing the variety of climates,
soils and productions offered to lis choice,
Mr.. Walker goes on:
lie can have 40 Irish OF German, Scotch,
English, or Welsh, French, Swiss, Norwc
giun or American neighborhood. He can
select the shores of oceans, lakes, or rivers :;
live on tide water or higher lands, valleys
or mountains. He can be near church OF
! his own denomination; the freedom of
conscience is complete; he pays no tithes,
nor church tax, except voluntarily. His
sons and daughters, on reaching twenty one
years of age, or sooner, if the head OF the
family, are each entitled to a homestead Of
1G0 acics if he dies, the titlc is secured to
his widow, children, or heirs. Our flag is
his, and covers him everywhere with its
protection. lie is our brother, and lie and
his children will enjoy with us the same
| heritage of competence and freedom. He
/ comes where labor IS king, and toll is re-
/ speCted and rewarded. Ii before, orinstead
/ OF receiving his homestead, he chooses TO
! pursue his profession, or business, to work
at his trade, or for daily wa5es, he will tna
them double the European rate, and sub
sistence cheaper. From whatever part of
Europe he map come, he will meet his
counlrgmen here, and from them and us
receive cordial welcome. A government
which gives him farm, the nlht to vote
and free schools + his children, must desire
his welfare
Though reasonably anticipating an i'm.
mense impetus TO emigration from the old
world To our country, on the return ol
peoce, freed from the incubus of negro
slavery, Mr.. Walker yet takes no note OF il
in his calculations OF our coming greatness
but relies exclusively on the experience OF
the past. lie shows tha: the actual increase
OF our national wealth Jy emmiYdtion in
the decade from 1850 to 1860, amounts to
! Sl,430,0 ,000, 600, n sum about equal to oui
4 present war debt. Then taking the in
creased value OF real and personal property
in the United States from the census reports
for the period from 1850 to 1860, and cal
culatlng at the same rate To the year 1900
there result the enormous sam of S423, $780,,
4a3,29S. Mr.. Walker subtracts and leaves
out OF account one-iourth " this aggregate
and then, to quote his own words
I'VE will lind that our public debt con
stilutes less than one half Of one per cent
of the increase of national wealth. This
debt, ;hen, does not exhaust our capital, but
effects only small dininGIion oi the rate
oi augmentation
Having arrived at this astounding, yet
ineontroyor,ahle result, wo await Mr. Wal
ker's next les.sg. IN which hs promises
,,hy comparing the relative progress o
our Tree and slave alsief, as demonstrate,
10y our census. 20 prove ineOnies,abiy thaI
0tolsi exclusion OF our slavery from ou
Union Will cause an addition Ia our naiiOna
wealth vastly exceeding the whole publ,
deli "I our country, and soon leave us muel
richer than before the rcbellionn