104 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



vice and crime, than any other legislation that could be 

 adopted. 



That certainly is a blind system of benevolence which 

 robs with one hand and bestows in an ostensible manner 

 charity with the other. 



While man can he vnll. But darken every window of 

 hope — interpose an insurmountable barrier between man 

 and the acquirement of the absolute comforts of life — 

 cut him off from all resources but ivages — slavery ; reduce 

 him to this sad alternative, and at once a feeling of de- 

 spair is aroused which awakens a demon, and precipitates 

 him in the downward track to ruin. A man thus reduced, 

 with a family to maintain, (to say nothing about educa- 

 tion,) goes forth bereft, disheartened and discouraged; 

 his desire to pay, to maintain and educate his family, is 

 crushed beneath the weight of his inability to do so. 



But with a Homestead, (small though it might be) for 

 himself and family, with a position in society, his inde- 

 pendent and manly feelings would not be destroyed, the 

 soul of hope would not be darkened ; hence, he would go 

 forth to labor cheerfully, with more energy, and with a 

 far better prospect of success in retrieving his embarrass- 

 ments; at least, to do what the laws of God and human 

 society require him to do; to support, and give his off- 

 spring a moral and virtuous training. Let the Legislature 

 then be actuated by experience and enlightened reason, 

 and pass the law proposed, and it will have at once done 

 much in the cause of humanity. 



The writer imagines that he can, without any pro- 

 phetic aid, penetrate the veil of a few coming years, and 

 see the lowly and frugal cottager's little children, yet un- 

 born, smiling their cheerful smiles, and lisping with 

 praise the names of those who afforded them, by the 

 timely law, their little humble, though happy home, and 

 needful boon, the very means which would afford them 

 food and clothes, the absolute wants of life. But here, 

 perhaps, the proud unfeeling nabob will smile the con- 

 temptuous smile; but let him remember that none are so 



