The Arkansas advocate., 1833-08-28

ken. should deem myself as petty ty- | rant and as uselessly employed as he oi Rome. who amused himself shooting house flies, had I been guilty of assailng sNch Q man. As hunlblY as nature has gifted hum, 1 really supposed him superior to the silly vanity and absurdity of that producton.- But if he be seriously in a t2ulxotlc yem, there lives a gentleman between ne and his residence, his equal in standing, and ] 1 like himself a young man, who would seem, if half we hear be true, to demand his .ft1st attention, and would be nothing 10th 1t IS said to receive 1t.
 Mr. Leeper says, his acquaintance with me is limited'-such declaration was un- necessary to those who know me intimate Ily-ttey would know that had we lived to- gether from our birth, 1t would be always limited. The blackguard terms of reproach which he hurls at me, such as s'base llar,' land ainfamous scoundrel," l throw back upon him with contempt; of the former epi- thet, however, l really doubt his ability to be guilty, for honestly believe he has nel- ther the sense to invent a plausible false- l hood nor the address to circulate one with effect invented =bh5 another. Nc parted cwilIy but a few weeks before this abusive proauetion, and l certainly never gave him cause to plag the ruffian at my expense.--
 He is volunteer without seeking to know wh5ther had wronged him or not. have neer published a line of or about him in my life, and yet all his clustering abuse is ol the suspicion that 1 have so offended, when by delaying single week he might lave ascertained the truth. have greatly toubted whether Mr. Leeper deserved even his notice at my hands. He must attrl- sute Ii solely to my solicitude to cheer him on his road to distinction in his new voca- |tion, and to assure him that l sincerely be- lheve he has at last discovered the true bent lof his genius. We must now, however, finally separate--no good could result from our farther correspondence, as 1t would be equally impossible for him to excite either my resentment or respect.
 Having been subjected to muchreproach and falsehood in relation to the course have taken with with the presumption claims of Cloys and Bussy, adjoining this town, u brief statement Is called for. Governor Pope goes no farther than the fact, that Cloys actually leased from his faetotum Ashley, the house in which he lived on the IQuapaw Indians land, and on which resi- dence he partly bases his title to the land, to arrive at the conclusion that the claim is fraudulent or belongs to Ashley. The truth is, that Mir. Moses Austin, in Ashley's absence from the Territory, built the house in the town of Little Rock, and adjacent to the Indian line--his son s. F. Austin, being part interested in the New Madrid location, covering the town. Just after its erection, and before Ashley's return to the Territory, by a decision of the Superior Court, the Madrid locators were busted of possession, and the house being near l the line, was the night after removed across to the then Indian country. The father,
 Moses Austin, short time after died, and hls son Stephen F. Austin, took possession of what little he had here. When the lat ter embarked in his Texas speculation he gave me full power of attorney to control his affairs in Arkansas. of all and every descrptlon. have no knowledge that this i power was ever revoked; if 1t has been in favor pf Ashley, it is still Austin's proper 1 ty. fhe house was originally of trifling value, and was much injured by removal. l considered it not worth attention or re- pairs. In short time 1 found Mir. Aus tins business so complicated, that l deter mined not to act under the power. The house was occupied by any one who could obtain possession, for some years, until
 Ashley iook st ap as ala estraal, and induced Cloys, who was ignorant of all the facts, to take q lease under him. Cloys lived at the place for years, and cleared and cultiva- ted ground, and was resident there when the presumption law passed. He informed me shortly after, of the lease he had taken from Ashley, and asked what effect it would have In barring his claim. told him none ealthly-hat Ashley could not lease out the public domain, and that the person claiming must be an actual resident. I told hlm further, that Ashley's presumng to lease the house was a gross and palpable fraud, attempted upon him, as he Ashley had Uof color of title.
 as tatement there may from dis EaHee oi Hale be some immaterial errors, bpi the main facts are subject to the clearest proof l never had, and have not now, lien for one foot of this land. have Cloys' bond for the right of ferriage along the margin of the river for my professional services, and verbal promise of half acre eligibly situated, in case of success. Ihis IS all the interest 1 ever had. Tn the event of success, 1t would amount to a li- beral compensation for considerable labor bestowed upon the case.
 in relation to Mir. Bussy's claim, he ap- phed to me earnestly to sustain his claim.