Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-07-14
A VOTER.
Remarks of Mr. EDWARDS, Of Illinois,
IN THE SENATE

Upon offering MS amendment to the bill
"maklng further provision for the sale OF
the public lands" for granting the right OF
pre.emptlon 10 those persons who have
heretofore settled on, and cultivated racts
of pubic land, on which they now reside.
Mr. PRESIDENT Anbougn | am de-
cdediy oppo,e1 70 the change OF he
mode oil dlsposing OF The public lands,
which Is provided Tor by the Dill now un
der consideration, from the strongest
convictions, that, while il is calcu lated
10 operate with pecu liar hardship upon
those who have not the good fortune 10
have the present command OF money,
and to relard the settlement, and check
the prosperity, OF the state which have
the honor, III part, 10 represent, il IS also
inexpedleni, on the par OF The govern
ment Itself, TO place IFS own interest so
much ID the power Of monied capita lists,
scarcity OF money, can, by ccmoiDa-
tons for that purpose, with the utmost
facility, put down competition al the pub
lie sales, and ensross as much OF the
bes, lands 40 they please, upon the low
esl terms, or minimum price; yet II the
bill must pass, (and see no : -ospect
ofopposing it win success, III this house
/ do sincerely hope 1t will be with such
notifications as will produce The least
individual hardshlps, and he most ge-
neral satisfaction; for, whatever may
have been the zeal with which nave
hitherto opposed the measure, | can as.
sure gentlemen tina, II has been no pant
OF my object 10 exclte disconlents else
where, and that there is no man living,
who has been mere uniformly disposed
to dlscounenance local Iealousles, and
TO cherish spirit OF concord and harmo-
ny, throughout every part Of our COM
mon country, than | myself have been.
My Judgment may have deceived NE;
my personal interest, however, | well
know, cannot have misled me, for that
would have been promoted by the con-
templaled change, which cannot fail to
be beneficial 10 all those who have here
tofore purchased lands which they wish
to dispose OF, or who have money to pur-
chase with that view; and hence it is,
probably, that We have seen letters from
large land-hoders, IN the west, TO mem-
bers Of this body, exhibited as disine-
rested testimony in favor OF the proposed
change, and passing from seat to seat,
for the purpose OF convincing our minds,
not only OF It's propriety, but OF the alb
solule necessity for lis speedy adoption
MIR. Edwards contended, that the pre-
sent system OF disposlng OF the public
lands had been successfully tested, by
tho experience of many years; that OHIO
and Indiana, IN particular, had flourlshed
under It's opera ion, and, without any in
Jury 10 the Union, had increased their
population and prosperity, with unparal-
leIed rapidly. Bus, said he, like all
other human institutions, 1t seems tina,
the system had no, the necessary pertec-
ton to suit it TO all times and clrcums an.
css, and it Is alleged, as reason de.
mandIng the proposed change, that ex.
cesslve purchases were made, during
period Of univ ersal de fusion, which equal
ly operated upon every thing else, and
which no one believes is likely to recur,
for a long time to come at least But,
said he, can 1t be dictate Of wisdom to
predicate general system upon par
ticular and extraordinary case, which is
gone by, and, in all probability will ne
yer again occur! Can 1t be wise, to Sc.
lect the moment for abolisnine all credit
upon The sale OF public lands when mo-
ney is scarcer than it has ever heretofore
been, and thereby, to re,ard the settle.
ment of those lands. at the very time
when the state OF things which produce
ed the supposed evils Of the credit sys.
TEN is rapidly disappearing-which is
now most certainly the case, as far as
am informed on the subject? Can it be
just to withhold from our fellow citizens,
who have not heretofore purchased any
public lands, the opportunity Of doing SO
upon the same terms that have been al
lowed to others Can it be right, mere
1y because others have heretofore pur-
chased injudiciously, during period of
general deusion, to refuse credit to those
who may hereafter wish to purchase dis
creetly, lest they should be tempted to
in]ure themselves, in like manner, when
no such delusien exists
But, said he, il is not my purpose to
discuss, at large, the merits Of the pro-
posed change. l will, al present, con-
tent myself with an effort, merely, to
shield the present settlers upon public
lands from merciless Spectators, whose
cupidi'y and avarice would unquestiona.
bly,, be tempted by the improvements