Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1837-12-23

hNl me finPi9l taAt1l 81 " NiA- - t-+ ~ --i-
are ol rasi extent snd should they result unior-
iuusisy. de interests q Individuals may BE- deep
D. compromised. Nahoui undertaking 70 DECIDE
how lar. % IL visi FORM Il any. Toe trustee could
be made liable for ucies uhich o9uiaru 20 Obj
guiiou on rs psri Or De Old bank, ioT such a.
are put ID clfcalahon after DE expiration q Iis
charter. aud vTtho8i is authority; OF the SoF-
eminent for indemnify. 20 case d loss, the cues
ton siill presses itself upon your consideration.
whether "a Is consisirni with outy and good faith
on tie part Of the Government, 10 witness tins
proceeding without a single efiur 30 sHeS, Il
The reDor4 81 he Commissioner II The Gener-
al Land ofice, phieh psll BE- lad before you by
the Secretary Ct the Treasury. ~i show how De
aHairs Of that uiiiee have been conducted for ihe
pas year The disposition d The pubic lands Is
one Of The most lmporSui trusts cOnhded 10 Co =
gfsss The practlcabllny u retaining the title
and coniro Of such extensive domains N the Gs.
neral Government. and at The SaDe time adtnh.
ting the Territories ernbraeing them into the Fed
eral Union as c.eqaals With the original States,
was seriously doubted by many II eur Ni-esl
statesmen. AZ feared that they would become a
source Of disco,d. and many carried their Sppfe-
hens.ans 50 iar as to see IA them the seeds VI
future dissolution of The Coniedracy. BW hap
ply our experience has already been suiie ,enl 10
quiet, 10 great degree, al such approximations.
The position, at one time assumed ibai the ad-
mi~san Of new States into the Unlon on The same
fooang wuh the original States, was incompatible
with righ, OF soil in the United States, AID ops.
rated a. a surrender thereof, notwithstanding tlo
terms u the compaets hy Nh,eb ten ,4dui~s,,B
was designed 10 be regulated has b,ea Ni,eh
abandon"d. Whether M the pew ~ TIE cid : ates.
oil now agree thai the right Of sod 70 be pubic
lands remains "a the Federal Government. aud
that these lands constitute common property, 10
be- disposed Of for the common beDeiIt OF ali the
States, old and new. Aequiescence III this JUS,
principle BY the people Of tue States has nat
urally promoted u disposition 10 adopt the most
liberal policy IN ths sale Of the public lands. A
polle, which should be limited 10 the mere OBJ
lect Of selling the lands FOR the greatest possible
sum of money, without regard 10 higher consId-
erations. finds but Few advocates. On the con-
lrary, Il is generally conceded, that whilst the
mode of disposition adopted by the Government.
should always be prudent one, yet lis leading
object ought TO be the early settlement and cult
yalion sflhe lands sold and that II should dis
eounienance, il il cannot prevent, the accumula-
ton of large tracts IN the same hands, which
mus, necessarily Ieard the growth Of the new
States, or entail upon them dependent tenantry.
and il attendant evils.
A question embracing such important interests,
and 50 well calculated 10 enlist the feelings OF
the people 10 every quarter Of the Union has very
naturally gwen rise 10 numerous pans for the Inn
pFosemeni Of the existing system. The distinc-
tive features Of ihe policy that has hitherto pre-
vailed. are 10 dispose Of The pubic lands al mod
crate prices, thus enabling greater number 10
en,er into competition for their purchase, and ac-
comprising double object Of promoting their
rapid settlement BY the purchasers. and al the
same time increasing the receipts Of the Treasu-
nv: 10 sell for cash, thereby preventing the dis
larbing influence ola large mass Of private ciii-
zeos Indebted 10 Inc Government, which lhey
have = voice IN controlling; 10 bring them INTO
market no faster Than good lands arc supposed TO
be wanted for Improvements, thereby prevent ne
the accumulation Of large tracts infew hands
and 10 apply The proceeds Of the sales TO The &C.
neral purposes Of The Government; thus dimn-
ishine The amount to be raised from the people
Of the States by taxation, and giving each State
lis portion of the benefits TO be derived from This
common fund il manner The most quiet, and at
the same time, perhaps. the most equitable, tbai
can be devised. These provisions, with oeca-
sional attachments 10 behalf Of special Interests
deemed entitled 10 IT. favor ol the Government,
have. in their xe.uion, produced results as ben
eiirial upon the whole as could reasonably be cx-
pected in matter 80 vast, 50 conpiicnled, aud
so exciting. Upwards oil seventy millions OF
acres have been Sold The greater part OF which is
believed 10 la been purchased for actual settle
ment. The population Of The new States and
Territories created out Of the public domain, III
creased between 1901 and 1880 from less than
sixty thousand 10 upwards ii Two milllUus three
hundred thousand souls constituting, at The latter
period, about one fifth Of the whole people OF the
United States. The Crease since cannot be
accurately known, but the whole may now be
safely estimated at over three and hall millions
Of souls composing nine States. the representa-
lives OF which constitute above one-third OF the
Senate, and over one-sx,h Of the House oil Rep
tesenlaliyer 81 the United States.
Thus has been iurned a body Of free aud inde-
penden, landholders. with fapidny unequalled M
lhe history OF mankind and this great result has
been produced without leaving any thing ior 10
ture adjustment between the Goyeln EN- and is
ciiizens. The system undst WHICH 80 much has
been accomplished cannot be InIrinscaily bud,
and with occasional notifications, % correct
abuses and adapt ], 10 chonges Of circumstances,
NAV, think. be safely trusted for the future
There is. in the management, Of such extensive
interests, much virtue in stability, and although
great and obvious improvements should not be de-
cIiued, changes should never be made without
the fullest examination, ind the clearest demon
slralion Of their practical utility. In the history
OF the past, we have an assurance that this safe
rule oil action will net be departed from IN Tela-
ton to the public lands, nor is il believed that
any necessity exists for interfering with the fun
damenta principles Of the system, or that the
public mind, even in the new States, is DESTROYS
Of any radical alterations. On the contrary, the
general disposition appears 10 be, TO make such
and additions only as will the more