Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-04-28
The Basis OF a free CoveFnuen-ihe
views OF the President upon the
nistri burIou of PROPERTY.

views OF the President upon the
DIstrIbutIon OF property.
The ablest thinkers and reasoners our IN
s,itutons have held that their success il less de
pendent on our political forms than on our laws
regulating the descent and distribution Of prop
erty. Law Of primogenitUre. for example,
would, in tea generations sap the foundation
Of republican government. by its effect in accu-
mulztDg property 10 = comparatively few hands
THE freest governmeut." said Mr Webster, eli
IL could exist. would DOT long be acceptable. II /
the tendency OF the laws were 70 create rapid /
accumulation Of property in few hanos. and 10 /
render the great mass of the population Deepen
dent and pennless" Southern society, By rea- !
son Of the institution OF slavery. thas The Inc
quality of property, and Its consequent tendency /
10 supplant republcanism by oligarchy Ii Is /
against this tendency that Mr.. johnson has been |
hshtipg all his life, and he has the sagaeity 10
discern that golden opportunity is now pct into
his hands TO accomplish the most rooted OF all |
bis political wishes.
The bent OF bis mind on this general subject !
is we'll illustrated by his strong and persistent
advocacy, through many years, Of homestead
bill for distributing the public lands in tree farms
20 actual settlers, instead of selling them 10
spectators in large quantities TO build up a
landed aristocracy. His perception OF the poti
cal effect of this measure ia rendering voters in
dependent, l. eyiuced in the following extract
from his speech on this subject in 1850
''fy placing in the .hands OF a man the means
Of providing for the wants and comforts OF lie,
you elevate him 20 3 higher rank as a citizen.
de has a home where his vile aud children re
side; he has a property 10 defend. When the
election day rolls rouRd. he comes 20 the ballot
box and exercises his franchise with that indie
pendeDee which becomes free citizen. DE
there msintains his rights, looks bis neighbor in
the face, and then returns 70 he house where bis
affections are eentefed
IL will, beyond all doubt. lie the aim of Presi
dent johnson TO break up snd distribute the large
landed. psopert e. 10 the south, aud create COM
munities of small rec hol1ers, like those in the
north and west. There can be no question that
such communities are more favorable 10 republi-
can government than the great inequt lIty OF
property which. exists IN tie south, where de
graded and poverty -smitten Mas OF citizens vote
at the beck of their social superiOrs This object.
infer from reiterated declarations IN bis re-
cent speeches. Mr. johnson purposes 10 accom-
pliSh by a vigorous enforcement OF the cOnfsca
ton laws against the rebel land holders. The
passages winch bear this construction are so nu
merous that We need not make quotations eve
~ person who has followe ed the speeches. they
have been published, must have them fresh in his
| recollection.
In many parts Of the south nearly all the land
| is monopolized by the owners of large estates.
We are not aware that there are any statistics
which exhibit the exact state of the case; but the
general fact is easily inferred from things within
everyb0dys knowledge. In a region almost
purely agricultural, there four millions OF
slaves who own 10 land at all: which implies
correspondiDgly large landed possessions by their
comparatively few masters. The degradation OF
the great Of free laborors also implies that
| those who are poor in all things, cannot be rich
in land. The divisions OF the great southern es-
tates into small frecholds, will effect complete
social revolution in the south; and THIS is proba-
| bly, one of the objects which Mr. Johnson has
mos: at heart, and in which he will be fully sup.
| ported by the new congress which i hot yet or
| gained.
This policy OF rIgor In which the new ptesi
dent is not likely to falter is, no doubt harsh
and unreentng We presume the deceased
| president would not bsve adopted il. NOthing
short 90 the appalling crime which has filled the
whole land with horror would have brought our
! people 20 acquiesce in it. But, as il cannot nov
be successfully resisted, We may as well look AZ
| the philosophy which underles It, and the good
results that may ultimately follow, instead OF af-
| ficting our sensiblities by contempt plating only
the suffering that must attend its execution.
| Ii is our opinion that the same results might
| be substantially accomplished by more mercIiul
| methods. The destruction of slavery alone
would 60 far in that direction The freed negroes
L
cipline which is indispensable where they are col
lected in large gangs on great plantations
This is one reason WIS the plantations will. OF
| necessity, be broken up. Another is the gresI
impoverIshment of their owners by the total loss
| OF their slave property and the imm mediate losses
consequent upon the war. They would, under
any circumstances. be obliged to sell; and the
poverty of buyers would compel them TO sell in
small parcels. But the execution of the confs-
L. liah tha oluti.,
| stroke; aud Ar Johnson's old idea of giving
government lands to actual settlers may lead
| him TO ask for act OF congress bestowiDg free
homestesds apon the poor whites, and thus caus
ing the loyalty OF the southern masses TO strike
| its roots deep into the soil. vast body of small
landholders, deriving their title from the federal
government, dating their prosperity from the
re- establishment OF its authority and finding
their only security in its stability, will be strong
and solid support to the union.
Ii the difficulties of the new system can be
surmounted, the union thereafter will be strong
er in the south than in any other part OF the
country. Viewed from Mr.. Johnson's stand
point, the forfeitures under the con6scation laws
will render this sweeping revolution consistent
With the rights OF property Human kindness
relents at such severity; but rigid law cries
out, tbs just; and since il is inevitable let Us
try to believe that it is polite. 1t WILL at least
expedite the return of loyal self government in
the south. and thereby remove the greatest re
naming danger on the side of centraz ,tion.
lie must be evident 10 the reader that this ar
ticle is written unces q conviction that the coun-
Try has entered on a new epoch. and from wish
to comprehend its sentences The astronomer
who computes the orbit of a newly appearing
comet is not responsible for its visitation: nor is
the publieist who speculstes upon the inevitable
10 be held to answer for aught but the truth. or
The probability Of his conclusions --Nsw York
World.
sherman.
The Louisville Democrat, In en- article re-