Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-03-28

!"
i A press Of other matter has prevented our
giving his last correspondence an earlier IN
serion.J
Il Major Downing.
To HE Editors ef0se .isw York Erpe.-,hs
same paper. nry old friend Mr.. Dwight
printed spell sgo.
Il WAsHIrsroN, FEB. 13th, I63A
II GGNTLEMEN,-.aLsiihon matters being now
pretty considerably put on the same track
with .anh Masonry, .7nimut Mcgnetism, end
other matters Of tho san,e nstur, we'll leave
them then to dry for space, and look into
the natur OF some measures that have been
working their wey under the Jog bnrh, sn,l
would have got a strong foothold If it hadn't
been for an eye that has never been blinded,
and q name that has never been shacken--
and that On, going 10 tell about.
Ii law had been proposed In Congress tn
tax every man in the old thirteen Sates, on0
dollar q head, to pay over TO the folks in the
new Staies. my notion is that all the folks,
both in the old and neW Sfates, would have
got their dandcr up right Off One set suying
1t wurnt just TO pay, and tolher saying u
warnt just " receive, and don't know which
would make most noise about it--f that 10
jist tie natur Of our pcople-if they only nf-
dcrsland the matter, they will gr0wl jist -
sharply at paying what they think 10 unjust,
as to receive what don't belong to 'eu.
| Now this is Tho uatur Of the great Land
Bill that has been alore Congress of and on
for over FIVE ycurs.
i There amt more than ono man In fhy,
Dating the politicians and speculators.) that
have given themselves any coBsarn about il
I--and yet no measures has been afcro Con-
gress for many years, that is more important
to every man, woman, and child, IN tie
country, or hereafter to come into 1t, than
this,-snd what is il ? Ill tell you, O,tcts
Sam owns a considerable of farm-I can't
without my slate figure Up exactly how many
acres, or how many Dollars 1t is worth, at
any rate it is a whdpping farm-nigh upon
he has come by honestly, aud better land dont
lay on, doors any where's. iIe says it bo.
longs to his people share and share alike, and
naturally SO, because all the people have paid
for it--he has handed this farm over to Con-
grcs and tells 'em-"there, you are the rep
resentatvc Of the hull peopie-now set as
good trustees and take care out for them. IL
any honest man wants part ont 10 cultivate,
let him have il, on his paying as low price
as it ought to go for, and as any honest man
I is willing and ought to pay, and give him q
deed, and take care you don't put II 80 low
,aat the rascaly speculators will slip in and
grab the hull ont and then turh round and
make the rale settler pay higher price,
well-thls was done--and Congress puzzled
along for years betwixt the rale settler aud
/, the rascaliy spcculator and did the best they
could-and things went on pretty we'll
considering.
\ About FIVE or six years ago, howscver, jist
in the hight of my old friend, The Ginerdd's
popularty-a rale hungry set of chaps took
a notion to make grab, and make two for
tunes at once-d political anda Dollar for.
fune-and so they set to work Citing upa
skeme to twist Uncle Sam out of bis farm
oil this was so suger'd round and Iook'd 80
sweet and sounded so well that good many
folks was quite taken in by tit was 80 like
Frenchman's pie no ono KNOWN except
the cooks what the .fliia in was-pdrrots or
pntridges-cats or capons. But there was
was one man, and the first letter of his name
is Henry Clay had during enuf to lft the lid
and when the pie was served up he opend it
and teIld the folks oil about h,-but still a
good many were willing to eat it. Tho
Cineral got a notion it was all right, and his
glory and popularity at that time was enuf to
make almost oil creation believe that NUT
| ton g. Goldfish was pritty much oil one,-but
! MIR. Clay stood firm and thrash'd round-ho
! said he had sworn to act az faithful trustee
| for the hull people in this matter-thut he
was willing to let every actual SELLER have as
! much land as he could work and little moro
! besides for his children at price jist enuf 10
| pay expense of surveying and buying paper
enuf 10 write the deed Oh, and also 10 givo
literally to all good rail road companies WHO
run roads through these lands, and also to
i D.
specuator he wouldn'i"-(and some do say
on this pint be took another considerable onth
on his own hook jist to let folks know ihero
was no mistake about it)-howscver, Glory
and popularity und party out voted him apa
his other faithful trustees, and seeing how
things working he brought in n Bill, saying
ns al the public lands belonged TO the hull
people, and as Congress didn't seem able 10
protect it, he was for letting the States oil
and n.io come in and take care ont themstives
and wishing to secure as much MS possible
for useful purposes lie hitch'd on to this Bill,
tha, each State should, out Of the proceeds
of these lands, give so much Tor public schools
and roads, and so forth. This Bill struck tha
sktniers all aback- they knew tho people
would like il, as it was just and righf-but
then it wouldn't do to let II pass, for fear that
!Nr. Clay might put his foot on an upper rung
OF the ladder aud possibly treaa Oh Their hn-
sers-and SO the Ginerdi took a sotion to
| Teto it II it past,-not because It was wrong
To give the Lands to al. the States who own'J
liz, but because the Dill disrectcd the States
how to use part ont-snd so tho Veto was
made out and the Gineral put il in his breech-
cs pocket and went up TO the Capitol. II
was nigh upon the last day Of the session.
there was no time To bring in new Bill or
write a new Vcto-thc Bill was expected TO
pass and the Grcrul had his plaster ready
lior n-but il turn'd out that Mr. Clay got
notion of what wss cunning, aud wishing TO
save tho bill even without that part out
that directed the States to use a certain por-
ton for schools and coed roads--hc struck
D,ai part out aud The BIZ past but this voto-
ed Tie p,io, for il took the inside intruils right
out ont, and the Gineral bad no time To-
write another ycto--apd so he was detsrmin-
I'd the Bill should not psss--no how and nv
way IN the world that lfr. Clay could Gx it,
he 8, put il IN his pocket elong eide tho
voto and took both back TO tho White House
and III biz pipe with cm--ihis as nigh as I
can remember was the history Of that matter.
aud if aiut right ] Amt very far wrong.--