Du Buque visitor. [volume] (Dubuque, Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1836-1837, 1836-09-07
ORIGINAL. COMMUNICATIONS.
S. b. CHURCHILL

ORIGINAL. COMMUNICATIONS.
! 10 the People Of Du Buq,se county
FELLow-CIr1zENs: We have late
ly seen with pleasure the proceeding
of public meeting Of the citizens Q
Des Moine, held at Burlington OH til.
Sd ult. ON the subject of of ii The -prreseu
, situation of the government lands
The interest which they hate mani.
!, tested thus early, in the common
+ cause Of the western country, is al
once spirited and honorable, and de.
serves the highest encomiuns. II
. shows the greatest solicitude for the
: welfare Of the carly settlers on the
!. western frontier, as well as the strong
est dislike to the observation-disclosures
sions of the spectators and the sys-
). tenn by which it is proposed p rob US
of our dearly bought homes. The
,, address of the committee appointed
!, on the occasion, to the people of the
new States and Territories, viii be lis
tened to with profound attention, and
find response among all true lovers of
. justice. The hitherto undisputed tights
Of the pioneers are ably advocaed.-
i The example Of the citizens Of Des
Nome will no doubt be followed
. throughout the whole west. The
!. battle cry has been sounded against us;
leagues are forming between thu rich
Spectator and some of our public
functionaries in the highest stations; a
bill has been introduced into the Senate
of the United States, calculated to sub
vert our rights by putting it ii the
power OF an unseen bidder to buy our
improvements at price we know not
what, and for cause Of which We are
ignorant.
The poor Indians have no cause Of
complaint when they look back and
bohold their fair hunting grounds in
the possession of the whites, lfar thew
have exchanged them for VII Es.heyy|
deemed valuable consideration, IN
comparison with us, when the rich
Spectator shall have become possessed
of our farms and iiresides, without our
knowledge or consent. We havemade]
our homes in the wilds Of the West.
1t is4the land of our choice, though be-
set with dangers and hardships I'M
known to the soft-handed though iron
hearted gentleman speculator. We
have chosen it too under precedent
established iii the settlement OF all the
Western States, and the agreement
between our government and
the articles Of session Of this part Of
the public domain. We have, by our
industry, made not only our own, but
the surrounding land, valuable; and,
after years Of toll and privation, will
have, under the action Of what is Justly
termed the .secret speculator's bill,''
yield up our improvements, our homes
and fresides, to the yellow dross ofthe
eastern capitalist. Yet the pioneer
loves his country with a patriots zeal;
and while those fine fed gentlemen
were reclining on their cushions Of
down, enjoying every luxury Of life
that wealth can purchase, or perhaps
secretly aiding the nulliHers Of thei
south, and openly dcriding our free
form OF government, he whom this bill
proposes to rob, was defending the1
frontiers, and showing the American
eagle 10 ttiIs terrified Sac and Fox In
dams, in their deepest woods. But
now he must remove, and leave his
hard rd1 bought earnings, settle another
frontier, undergo other perils, and
finally have his improvements again
purchased BY other licensed sDecula-
e tors, until he will at last look back. to-
gether with the Indian, from the yery
waves Of the Pacific, Ocean, over the 3
fair ground he has left behind. ,Tho,,ob
the recollection Of his wrongs stillll
bleeds in his bosom, though the thorn I
q disappointed hopes IS still rambling
there, yet, as ! have said before. hel
owes . hlb country, and can only de- II
pIore the tyrant spirit Of speculation II
Which we fear has crept into the county
nils OF the nation. But let "a hfn,l ]
hat 1 our confidence in the iastiice sofl
government will not Be thus destroyed. tf
nd that Congress will tsnd 70 as theal
anne liberality that has fhsrto beenaS
to other portions 81 lale is vest- 4
II
I i change - made ~ all III TIE a
md syst tenn, 81 il the manner Of cont I
ucting the sales, in the name of hea-
,,en, let II be for the better, The bill
Ehich 1he charms %. the Senate CON- con,- n
nittec, Mr.. aiker, has reporter MS e