Year: 1860

The opposition Of go called Democratic
Senators at Washington to the Homestead
Bill is only another link in that chain of evil
denee which goes to establish the fact that
there is an ariEtocratic element at work in
this government against the rights aod inner
ties Of the people. 1t fret found distinct
enunciation in the Senate from the lips OF Mr.
Hammond. Of South Carolina, in his mudslll
speech. he there contended that the true
theory Of good government was to have
lower and menial class in the social and
political organization. whose province 1t
should be to do all physical labor. and who
should be pinned down to that particular
sphere, by the most stringent and vigilant of
laws This same doctiin has been since
enunciated outside of Congress. by public
speakers and public journalists and now Mr.
Wigfall, Of Texas, in opposing the Home
stead bill, declares upon the floor of the Sen.
are that poverty is crime, and that the
government has no business to aid the poor
by any donations of land OF anything else.
1t is all of piece with the same old mudsill
argument If man is poor and laborer,
he must be kept so. Poor men and laborers
must work for the rich. 1t will never do to
give an honest, hard working man. with a
f,mily upon bis hands. farm Of leo acres.
for he might pretty soon become rich man.
and the mudsll theory. so far as he was con-
eerned, would be violated. One of tho work
ing class would have risen from his sphere,
aud ceased to be dependant. at was popu-
lar" Mr. Wigfall said, ito talk of the bone
and sinew of the land, Of wool hats and bro
gans. but poverty TGs a erinle!" Oh yes,
poverty is a crime according to these new
tangled theorists, and therefore it must be
perpetuated. Men who work for their living
are fit only to be the slaves Of those who do
not work The working class Of the North
ought to be legislated down to the same level
with the slaves Of the South. Such is the full
development of the half-smothered idea of
mudsill statesmen.


How we despise the sentiment How
every American feeling in our bosom revolts
against men who would thus try to warp
from their true intent the great principles of
republican liberty and equality upon which
this government is founded


Wherein do we differ from arstocratical or
monarchical governments but in the great
leading idea that there are to be no privi-
lodged. no titled, no exclusive Glasses in our
political system? Remove that corner stone
Of our political theory, and the whole fabric
Of republicanism falls to the ground


No true lover of republican form of gov.
ernment can fail to grow indignant at these
audacious attacks upon the grand democratic
element Of our unmatched government. No
true American citizen exists who would no.
rather sink his right arm to the shoulder in
blood and slaughter than see that great prin-
ciple overthrown which recognizes the full
and perfect political equality Of all the cti.
zens Of the republic, and clothes, if merit
shall demand it, the poorest apprentice boy
in the land, when grown to mans estate,
with the robe of Senator or the dignity Of
President. Cursed be the hand that would
pull down this pillar of our country's glory.
| We 60 for II homestead law, because we do
not believe in keeping men poor, merely for
the reason that they have been born poor.
We go for it, because it will make happy
homes and happy families We go for it,
because it is democratic, purely Democratic,
and because the General Government, with
its millions upon millions of acres of idle
land, is amply able to make the donation.


THE next Ponny Express will bring US news
of the duel between Roger A. Pryor of Vir.
giniN. and John +. Potter of Wisconsin,
Potter being the challenged party gave Pryor
his choice between shotted muskets at fifty |
yards or bowie knives hand to hand. Which |
class of weapons Pryor selected has not
transpired. but we presume he took the shot
ted muskets. 1t may be possible that the
difficulty was settled without a resort to |
arms but it is not probable. The duel, |
growing as it did (f it came Off out of the
clash of extreme opinions in the Halls of the
National Legislature, must have strong eff
feet upon the country, enhancing all the bad
passions and prejudices of the contending
sections. and producing other difficulties of a
like nature.