PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR 51 belongs This course I humbly conceive would be warranted by the constitution as it now stands And let the domain remain as govern- ment property until a system can be devised such as was originally intended to be incorporatrd in the constitution, under which both gov- ernment and c!aimant would have ample justice done, without the fea1· of conflict. or litigation ·And when the government parts with the fee, let it be properly vested some where If this be done, so far as the landed interests are concerned the Country will prosper, otherwise never Individuals holding legal claims against the government, no matter at what stage they may be, would by a properly digested and systematic arrangement have all their acquired advantages properly guarded and the interests of both them and the government greatly promoted If our Courts will take this stand, and I hope in God they will, they will receive and will deserve the everlasting gratitude of their country It is said that by agriculture we live, and by commerce we thrive Agriculture not only gives riches to a Nation, but the only riches we can call our own, and of which we need not fear deprivation or diminution. Of Nations as of individuals, the first blessing is in- dependence Neither the man nor the people, can be happy to whom any human power can deny the necessariei;; of life. There is no way of living without foreign assistance, but by the product of our own land improved by 011.r ~um labor every other source of plenty, is per- ishable or casual Hence in a country like ours, particularly, which from its locality and fertility invites the cultivation of its soil; the land titles should be so ·based, as to put them beyond the fear of con- flict or litigation To make us love our Country; the laws and public institutions by affording protection to person and nroperty, ought to render the country lovely The public domain if properly husbanded would yet become valuable and a great source of revenue to the Gov- ernment Our Congress however, its proper guards, seems much dis- posed to squander that, over which they should only consider them- selves supervisors I can see no good reason or policy, in the encour• agement of a set of quack empresarios, to settle certain portions of the Country with immigrants from the Lord knows where, or of what char- acter These quacks are generally without means, and frequently no doubt without character If these people succeed at all; it would be by contracting with the pauper districts of Europe; who would ship such immigrants in bulk and willingly pay their expenses to this country to [!:et clear of their support at home. Such immigrants are guarded against by other [!:Overnments and ought to be by ours I have allready seen a sample of this foreign population landed on our shores: brought from the Lord knows where: but a man would readily conclude from their appearance, their actions and totally unintelligible chattering; that they were certainly of the larger spicies of the monkey tribe par- tially domesticated whose tails had been wound up, or stamped off, while they were young: from such a population may the Lord deliver us I have heard some of those quack empresarios remark that it would be the duty of the g-overnment to appoint supervisors; such as mechan- ics and farmers to instruct their immigrants in the ordinary modes of life, so as to enable them to make a living. We have all ready a variety of crosses from perhaps the best breeds in the world, and should skill- fully guard against running into the scrub If foreign population is
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