Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-01-23
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, SATURDAY, JANUARY 3d. 1871.

the Indian tribes who had been collected the from
tier once combine in attack upon the country of
the whites, the whole military force OF the United
States could offer but feeble resistance to their in
cursons but would be driven before them like chaif
before the wind. The gentleman from Kentucky on
the left (Mr Critendcn) had spoken OF these Indians
as set of poor naked, halt-armed savagcs and had
Insnuated that there not the slightest danger to
be apprehended from any thing they could do But
was il not the duty Of that gentleman to have nvesti-
gated somewhat further the actual state of the facts
before he spoke thus sghtingy OF the dangers OF an
Indian invasion defenceless women and children:
On the frontier of Missouri and Arkansas, chiefly west
of Arkansas there was al this hour body of 900
Indian warriors prepared at any time TO take the held
They now, it true, receiving annuties under
treaties with the w. s. but let these annntIes be paid
off, and then the only chain which bound them 10 US,
or rather which held back their savage thirst oil slaugh
ter end revenge, would he gone What restrained
them now In part the receipt of their annnliies, ana
IN part the dread Of the whites But would tins always
be sufficient, All who knew the Indian nature knew
that their element, their rride their Chief de-
light Nothing awaited TO keep Indians quiet but VI
sihe force. Ii vain to tell them Of force they did
not sce it must be before their eyes-vIsble and tan
gblc people like this, with 10000 warriors on the
lines, and many thousands more within striking DIS
lance they be restrained BY the 800 or 1000
troops which the Government had on that frontier -
The idea prepostcrous. Besides, suppose our DIS
pue with Great Britain, or some dispute with another
foreign power, should III war-had they no access
to those Indians? And when organized Tor war, would
they not form the most efficient body of men o The KIND
ever brought into the field They most assucdly would
Those who doubted this knew little of the matter.
What had been past experienced All the Ian
guage in which INDUCED about Indians beng
towards was al error great error Had our settle
ments found them cowards' The truth was that, man
TO man, these Indian warriors were equal 10 any
troops upon earth in bravery and determined re-
solution, in deXterity, in facility OF movement, III
willy siratagem, in the power Of successful amhus-
cade, they were superior, far superior Exposed ~
neighhors like these, was it unreasonable that The peo
pie of Missouri and Arkansas anxious TO Invite
nmcng them all the settlers they could gc-tat ihey
should be in favor OF pre-cmps;on laws especially
when il remembered that those laws dad bat carry
out the grea. and pervading principle on winch inc en-
tire continent had been in the FIRST instance settled
The French and Spanish Governments ASKED no mo-
uey from the settlers, Of their wild lands-al they de-
manlcd was rehabilitation and cultivation They want
ed menfamcrs cultvators Of the soil. Aud then, 10
encourage spirit Of devotion TO the public good, they
rewarded merIto.ous services by additional land grants
Many Of their colonies had thus been planted Even as
Il financial measure, the present bull would do
much towards filing the Golfers OF the coming Admin
istration. The lands the River Platte district
alone, when brought into market, would bring into The
Treasury million and q half Of dollars
There another point 10 which tie honorable Sc
nator from Kentucky (Mr. Clay had alluded, VIZ; the
duaon Of their price. Look NJ the much Wanted
land system, and what had been lis practical opera
ton. The amount Of land which l settler could take
up was at first 100 acrcstrom this It had been rcd-
ccd TO 50 did this lessen the land sales: Not
had greatly increased them The principle had been
pushed still further, and the quantity reduced to 10
acres. And did not similar result follow: Were not
the sales increased; And this had been the effect oil
essening The quantity, why should 1t he doubled mat
reduction OF the price Of ncrior lands long neglect
IitnS soma r
seems TO think il very unreasonable, ridiculous, TO
hold such IN opinion-t his opinion. lie be-
lirved that the result, fever the experiment IS made
will prove it. lie considered the opposite opinion
supremacy ridiculous General Harrison was held up
in Missouri and elsewhere in the West and Southwest
as presumption man. Votes claimed tor h'm
expressly on that ground. lie spoken OF by ms
friends as "a log cabin man, and We were told that NJ
would extend his favor 10 the inhabitants OF log cabins
all over the United States If left to hmscll-i per-
mittcd 10 act from the prompngs OF his own judgment
and according his personal knowledge Of Western lr
IL is probable he may but it seemed 10 HIM from what
he could gather ofhis sayings and dongs, and they
seem something Ike the nartIcuate whispering oil the
ancient prophetic shrnes that it very hard to con-
lecture what his in this any other respect VIII
be- We shall soon see.
lie knew they were under great disadvantages at the
present time for bringing forward this measure or any
other of liberal nature in regard TO the public lands
Missouri. Louisiana, Wisconsin, Arkansas, and few
other States and Territories, are LETT to night ths great
battle alone as the States are rapidly becoming
old States, in relation to the public DOMAIN. IL is inc
interest OF the old States they seem TO think 10 ad
vance the price of the public lands Presumption may
suit their temporary purpose BY filling the exhausted
Golfers of the Government but their abiding, permanent
interest is TO hold up these lands and get high price
for them. :
Blu, looking 10 this question in an enlarged point oil
view, il seemed to him that every reasonable encou
ragement should be given TO the extension OF our settle
men,s 10 mid in the development Of our resources
Under the invitation of the Government adverted TO,
the extensive and fertile regions in upper Illinois, WIS
kousan and Iowa were rapidly peopcd. Inc liou.
rishinp and popuous towns OF Galena, Dubuque, ana
many others, sprung into existence like mage, ana
in few years The wilderness was naue ~ ss,,
like garden Look for one moment at the results
This peoplc dug from the bowels of the earth hidden
riches and from that time have increased the produc
lion Of lead until il amounts TO fifteen or twenty m
lions Of pounds annually; being enough, perhaps, TO
render Ms independent of foreign powers for this IN
porant article necessary TO defence IN time OF war
And sir Massachusetts and other manufacturing states
upon the Atlantic border where labor IS cheap are as
mucb or more interested in thus producing national
wealth as we are, they furnish manufactured afces
in return for raw material His own constituents She
said had also contributed in this way TO the sum
of national wealth by the annual production OF Sc
veral million pounds of lead, much OF which au Deeh
made from the public lands or private property ac-
CURED under different presumption laws They were wei:
now turning their attention, with energy, 10 TIE cu
walton of hemp and such was the value OF the ar
,ce for lis neness sickness, and strength that com
manded in the Boston market $50 per ton more 'han
Kentucky, and was egnning TO be imported 'h'o
The State of Kentucky for the purpose OF beng
wrought into cotton baggng e understood 'T ,ha
nndoubted authority, that 1t IS stronger 'ha' .ue
best Russian hemp. This hemp was raised upon lands
the tile most of which acquired under the eo ope
ration of the presumption laws, or by sguaers VINO ARE
now awaiting the passage of one. How was it tina.
Daniel Boon commenced the settlement of Kentucky;
There were then such laws as our pre-emp,on Jaws,
taking from the settler 81 p per for his lands no
law TO restrain him from the wilderness re roameo
and sqaed where he pleased and one
rssnl,s Driven from Kentucky by injustice, and I'M
PEELED by bis love of danger he sought lonely sp0t1
Missouri, on the extreme frontier OF cv'lIza.on anu
souated on the public lands and contributed TO ITS DE-
fence II seemed as if his fearless spirit stu hoveIea
over what was once his iavoTe haunt and pointed ms
descendants to the shores of the Western Ocean; ana
thes descendants are now requesting Mr. Linn t" use
his influence to get them appointments IN any exped
l. IN IN