, 1840-05-09

closet. and were it an indictable offence. he
would be found "guilty in the first degree
Being as he would iain have you believe. a
man of some little intelligence, and as l
shrewdly suspect. a ca Ldidate for public IA
vor, he must and does know that the Post
Office Department is not only the /" medium
thr )ugh which all freemen Of all parties
might freely communicate with each other,
but that every e~xertion has been used not
only TO keep it squire and indebted. but
that its means of disseminating correct lnior
nation shonld at least keep pace with the Im-
provement and wants Of the country. ii Is
a fact known 10 every newspaper reader,
that the number of trips made by the mail on
The larger routes have not only been greatly
multiplied and their speed increased. but that
the same progressive improvements have
been extended west and southland IN Il
word. that there is scarcely n settlement IN
tie union which does dot feel and appreci-
ate the count. SIS blessings of this depart
ment. The people know-'Dulne' knows
that it is the great ~artcrial system of the un-
ion upon whose healthy action depends our
existence rs Il nation. and that il it were So
diseased. so corrupt as he. in his plircnZy. Is
pleased to style it. our happy unlon would
have been long since severed. Then IN view
of these facts. is it not strange TT he should
make such grave charges? Does it not evil
dence that the man is lost TO reason if not to
honor? Upon the subject of the public
lands, "Duane" is peculiarly unfortunate
First. in having moderated the cost of the
lands purchased under Mr.. Adams admins
tration. Secondly. in being guilty of incor-
rectIy stating not only the quantity but the
amount paid for lands purchased under the
administrations of GeIl. Jackson and Mar
tin Van Buren,; and thirdly. in endeavoring
to create the false impression that all the
lands purchased were equally valuable, and
that as Genl. Jackson and Mr.. Van Buren,
paid more per acre for the lands purchased
by them. it should be proof conclusive of their
utter disregard of d" the peoples money
! happen to be in possession OF " cables" and
other documentary evidence. showing all the
purchases of the public lands up TO the pre-
sent period and shall avail myself Of them to
expose the contemplate trickery of Duane
During the four years of Mr.. Adams adj
ministration there were purchased rs 'Du-
observes. 92.455.O60 acres of land. but
rs he saws sat 4 cost of S8.936.889 49,"
but at a sum exceeding nine millions Of dol
During the eight years Of Genl. Jack
sons administration. and the two first years
of Mr.. Van Buren's administration. there
were purchased 1l7.3il,577 acres OF land.
and not ll4.O7O,637 acres as stated by .Du-
ane'--for which. there were paid S72.3IO.-
594. and not S7O.4OI.6i rs our veriia5iie
writer would have us believe. Thus it will
be perceived that all Of .Duane's' statements
IN relation to the purchases of lands from the
Indians, with the smGle exception of the
quantity purchased under Mr.. Adams ad-
ministration, are unsustained "by authority
and as he Processes to base his assertions up
on authentic evidence, it is reduced TO n GER
tainty, that he has either suffered himself to
be led into error by false statements, or that
he, having proper and authentic tables before
him. has stricken out whatever did not suit
his views or might conflict with his unbound
ed charges against the late and present adj
illustrations Yet this is not all his COM
parison of the prices paid by the different
administrations is still more illiberal, or evil
dences greater ignorance. Il is true, that
the prices paid per acre by General Jackson
and Mr.. Van Buren,, were greater. than those
paid by Mr.. Adams, and if'Duane' had been
actuated by honorable motives, the sincere
desire TO disseminate truth or had possessed
the requisite information, he would not have
attempted TO use this shallow pretext against
the friends of democracy. but would have ac-
for the difference in prices by say
ing that the lands purchased by Mr.. Adams
were literally wild lands. remotely situated
and comparatively valueless, whilst many if
the most of those purchased by General
Jackson and Mr.. Van Buren,. were reserved
tracts of choice I'm Is situated in the most
fourishing portions of the west and south
west, and that many Of them have been since
sold by government at prices varying from
ten to thirty dollars per acre, whilst the lar
gest portion Of the lands purchased by Mr..
Adams yet remain unsold, and are considered
as of little value. Upon the subject of the
our veritable writer seems to congratu-
late himself as having found proof positive
that my friend "Cincinnatus" has deviated
from truth, and he heraIds his charge with a
loud trumpet. Unfortunately for 'Duane,' he
has here again pretended to confinc himself
to " tables"-has given his charges ga local
and has thereby AGAIN subjected