Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-05-25
UNIVERSITY LANDS

Some mad-man whose speculations in these lands aFe about to terminate unprofiably, has appeared against of the publishers of this paper, in the Taseumbia Advertiser, over the signature ofa NorA Hester7l Biast in language sufficiently chilling to convince ns. tha he las no.charity for any wo dares to donbt his right to all that he may ask for Il does not appear hat the opinions o our distressed acquaintance have been endorsed by any one of the present Trustees nor does the editor of the Adyert- serevidience much concern for his name, presuming as we may infer, that the wrath Of his correspondent would work it's own cure. Me care as little about the name long as the writer manfests so much concern for his fread c tte Inquirer, whose cause he IS inclined to espouse with all the zeal due to good client. We are persuaded however, that this same i'll tempered man is neither Trustee nor T dsinterested occupant of those lands out of which he expects to make his fortune He may speak for himself or lis clients as the case may be- without saying whether their interest was more affected by the ordinance of the Trustees, or the collection of notes due to his iavorte editor And so far as the North Western Blast has attempted to whirl himself out ct plain contract for University lands, or to shuttle Mr Inquirer oat of trap which his own in genuity had contriyed for another, few months will serve to convince both of their error We yontur- ed some remarks a few weeks past that the ordi- nance passed by the Board of Trustees at their last meeting, granting relief to certain individuals for the'r lands, was unconstitutional, nexpedient. and unouunatei and that the Trustees were led into this error from the want of sufficient time and iniorma- ton, as well IS from mistaken notion of humanity
 One of the means by which our North Western acquaintance attemptsto prove himself absolyad from hs purchase of University lands, wlll be q novelty to people in this quarter of the State He says some tracts were valued and sold during the last year in his section of the State, at the low rate of from &l 9 to & % per acre, while the adjoining lands whichwere passed over by the commissioners aud refused, brought $5 % per acre This may all be very exact as regards the present value or condi- ion of lands in Franklin and Lawrence counties; butit is no proof whatever that they were not worth the full price at which they sold many years ago
 With all due respect to the judgement ofthose who were appointed to make the valuation, we would in quire whether the soil has not been greatly impove- rished by constant cultivation since inc day of sale and if the waste of timber was moi another item con sidered in the estimate of the appraisers7 But inde- Nt-'Si rule by which men can claim the right of being re- leased from their voluntary contracts when no fraud was praetced upon them at the time of agreement, where none ofhe conditions had been spbsequeat- iy rioiqted. If the lands valued and sold last year for two dollars per acre. were worth no more ten years ago, how does it happen that purchasers were blinded to their interest as 10 bid $l700 per acre for them, when the adjoining lands of twice their value could have been procured for less moneyl Was it owing to any charm which may have existed in the name of UnirerSiy Laads7 or was it not be- cause they better adapted to the cultivation of corn and cotton We arc inclined tothe latter opn- ion; and although the unous method of cultivation in this country may have rendered them worth less than $i7 per acre, at the present time, still we cannot admit that any government upon earth has the right to interfere far in the contracts of its c
 zens to favor the party to the manifest injury of another, The lands in question: were author iaed to be sold at certain price, and whether they worth one dollar or twenty dollars per acre. whether purchased for speculation or for settlement the loss to tue Literary Fund, if not paia for, will
 be the same. That they were well selected IS abun dantly proved by the best land hutcrs in the State and that they were worth what they sold for no one need attempt to deny at this day, worecoIlects their primitive state, and how eager the best judges were to obtain them at the sales. The misfortune ofther being taken by men who subsequently became em- barrassed can in no wise be charged to the selling party, nor should the Trustees in justice to third party so far forget themselves to release who have hadthe uninterrupted uso of their property for so many years from the Ollipnton Ia comp v with n positive provision of law. Without impnting any neglect or sinister intentions to the Trustees most of whomwe personally know to have been governed by the best intentons,.wc contend that their ordi- for the relief of certain land purchasers goes us effectuaIy towards impairng the obligation of contracts, as if it related to an agreement between two individuals for any other species of property Admit its principle and there would be few contracts but what could be set aside, and leave our citizens without the means of enforcing payment, one from another
 The writer mistakes his object in supposing the publishers of this paper either directly or ndi- rectly subsergent toany junto orfactious set ofmen whatever, ut home or abroad. We have called in question the acts of our best friends, with the same freedom that would have done those of our oppo. nents, and have never attempted to shield from cen sure the men of Tuscaloosa who have poned bad