Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1841-04-16

rur Huutington's] requiring an oa''' =, - sav
vent fraud; but he must De p e'ss; ofchar-
that there have been amos. an, a., settlers on our
oes Of fraud brought against inc des,;,ne Of
wastern lands which were neaf'y ue ano,oh
"es'. ..:1 '. There was scarcely grouna enough
loonoa'o". nan 10 plant the sole OF his ioot
u lac. Ill Eliminating the thunder OF uen"h-
uPon I'D abuse which have been heard mere
'"J Jheleve rsaid he there is more false swear
:. tho custom-house of one OF our large
i"s !, ono 6ay. than would be sulhclent 10
1l'ss ,he whole world-certanly thousand
ua'A" saora than exists on the whole line OF
'.n f,.n,i.r in relation to pre-emptlon right, IN
w. |, has become almost proverblal to
ye1 tho ,eopIe Of the new states with want
s.a, sepse. | fling back the charge on
~ '"o' ',ho make it. know it TO be untounded.
tnoss I hare oueny to deny il, and aver that,
ls..G -; rery few cases, the charge OF frauds
nholIv without foundation. How was this
:, "n Of accusation employed agains, Louis
:'n;a, II was said that the spectators there
had seized upon the latest and most beautiful
land in all the country, and by fraudulent prac-
,jces had appropriated il TO themselves. Well,
The Government employed an agent OF charac-
,sr and experience to go TO the spot and search
into the truth of the charge. lie did so; ana
what does he report TO you ! Thafhe always
hoard reports in relation TO some other neigh
h,rbood, bu, never was able to light on a spot
where the existence Of fraud was found. as
ha onproached the ground the charge receded
before him. it vanished. it evaporated, and
never proved to be tangible, except IN very
few cases. And he would venture to say, that
;fsimilar charges, which have been made else
where, shall be ubjecied to thorough inves-
iteration, gentlemen will almost feel ashamed
,nat they ever entertained even a suspicion OF
their truth.
do not deny that fraud may have been
nerpetrated, but | do say that it has occurred
IS seldom as ever will be possible under
merely human law. The system of floats did,
admit, give occasion to much wrong to the
United States, aud the Government, by that
means, lost some of its best lands; and yet 1t
was not fraud, but all originated from con
struction given to the law by the land depart
ment here. He said he was opposed to that
construction at the time, and should be still.
The object Of the pre-empuon system Is, that
the new states may get an accession OF good,
moral, Industrious settlers. And here must
be permitted to say, on the subject OF land steal
ing that, while very little has bfen committed
against the General Government, the United
States have been guilty Of no small amount OF
il, as regards some OF the United States. by
the treaty Of Paris Of 1865, you acquired pos
session OF the magnificent territory OF louisa
ma, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico TO the
sources of the Mississippi, and by cotlguity OF
the great Western Ocean. With the country
was transferred into the bosom Of the Ameri-
can family many thousand souls, mostly igno-
rant of our laws, customs. and manners. This
Government was bound by that treaty to
respect that property. But did we not see
that they refused for many years to confirm
any tract over one league square, or any tract
Containing a lead mine or salt spring. Was
tins just or hight! And, sir, have We not seen
taese same lands sold and the money pocketed
b. the Government, and title still refused to
The claimant! and when taken from him and
afterwards confirmed, you force him to take
the same amount from your pocket and refuse
public domain subject to Sale at private entry.
his you call carrying out solemn treaty
IN the spllit i'll which it was made. But, sir,
do not charge this Government with Inten-
uona wrong In this matter, notwithstanding 1t
did steal some Of these strangers lands. But
DO say that more rank IN u,tlce has been COM
United by the Government, and by gentlemen
WHO stood here and saw it done before their
eyes, than has ever been committed by the
people of the states in relation to your public
domain.
When the whole Of the state, during the
last war with Great Britain, between the Mis-
soa' and the Mississippi rivers, was left TO
deiend itself by population who had settled
Oh the lands IN defiance eff your laws, these
very squaters proved 10 be your best soldiers,
aad such they ever Will be. And when the
Cd states shall be sunk in folI;es and crimes,
and shall have become government Of mere
property, there will still be found on the ron
Tier gallant baud Of hardy agriculturists,
amone whom the love Of liberty viii still snr-
we, and whose virtue and patriotism will be
the preservation of our free Institutions. God
forbid that any unkind feelings should be ex-
Cited In my bosom by the acts Of this Govern
ment in reference to Missouri. am an Amer
lean citizen, thoroughly and truly such, as my
votes will prove; but confess | do feel net
Ned, at times, when | hear my constituents
charged as they have been on This floor; and
II ain driven to carry the war Oh this side the
mountains, In their defence, promise it will
De In measured terms. And if the question is
'9Oe made OF comparative morality and of SIM
PIE republican Integrity, well do know on
which side the balance will rest