Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1842-10-18
SPEECH OF HIR. CLAY,
OF KENTUCKY,
La the U. :. Senate, January 90. ISIS.


ment which had just been received. \
lHere Mr.. G.. read extracts from the held notes
Of Messrs. Lucas and Bggs, who were employed
IN the survey of the Black Hawk Purchase, stating
that the land was generally se.tled by armed IN
trulers, and complaining that their progress was
interrupted by the opposition and threats oil TINS
desert pton OF persons.
lie supposed, said Mr. Cay, that all this was |
iase-noihiug trus IN 1t. | dase say, he continu-
ed there members in this, aud the other House,
ready 10 pronounce that Il more honest. deserving
sci Of men, than these '.cub law men" does not cx
lst, men who openly violate the aws-fnen whose
moral sense would be violated by enforcement oil
the existing laws, they had been told ~ Scna-
tor on that floor. UhoSe moral sense my NE
moral sense IF these club faio haeH cho band hem-
seires together and orerace and set at dcfance me
effccrs Of The goreramehi. WHAT PRE- FENCE
HAD THESE LAWLESS MEN FOR koN-
ING ABOUT THE COUNTRY AND SElH-
ING BY VIOLENCE OK The CHOICE SPOio
OF LAND!
lie read = statement, by which it appeared tia;
there were in the State of Illinois millions OF acres
of as fine farming lands as the sun ever shone upon
that could be entered by any man wiling 90 pay ms
dollar and quarter per acre Tor II. Anu a" u.
new States contained abundance OF Tue oes'
land which could be Obtained by the seu,e's sEN
same easy terms. THE HONORABLE SENh-
TOR FROM MICHIGAN Mr. Lyon IN
MADE TIE NOTABLE DISCOVERY ~ !
II WAS THE SETTLEMENT OF LA ~
WHICH CONSTITUTE TED IFS VALUE. NJ,
SIR. said NJ c., IT Is TIE FERfl'lri
OF THE soil. THE NATURAL ADvAN-
TAGES OF TIE TRACT. AND IT'S CAPA. !
Jerry To YIELD \ PROFITABLE RETURN
FOR THE CAPITAL And LABOR tx.
PENDED On II. WHICH GAVE VALUE
TO THE LAND; and there were millions upon
millions OF acres of such land that would readily
find purchasers II not for the practices INTRO
duced by this pre- .emp.lon system. lie had had oc-
casion to say that prior to 1870 there was no pre-
emption law. The laws OF that description. pass
ed before that time, were all founded upon particu-
lar circumstances limited 10 the territory and
limited as 10 their duration. THE FIRST PRE-
EVPTION Law ORIGINATED IN 1870.
AND U.IS ONE or TIE F.1T.4L SERIES
or EXPERIMENTS UHiCH GREW UP
J'NDER TIE LATE .4D.HINIS TRi TION,
md BEEN FOLLOWED BY THE PIKE
SENT AND THE EFFECT'S or WHiCH
:, He FEARED WOULD BE FELT FOR
/, YEARS. But this system expired two years ago.
; and owing to the abuses and corrupt'ons winch
: sprung from it. 1t come into general disr'pnte.
WHY said Mr.. e.. do you not rccollect the scenes
enacted at the Chicago sales ! The moment the
sale commenced there were persons present recdy
to oppose the sale of every tract offered, crying out
"settler's claim, settlers claim" and the sale was
INTERRUPTED IN the most disgraceiul and outrageous
: manner.
I'm consequence of the abuses that had been prac-
tised under this system became odious that II
could not have found vote in either House to sup
port il. No one ever thought of ever reviving 1t
until the las, session. and all tie luaHtorised SET
HemeAfs ftat hare been mtte on ne public lands
. haze been made IL collation. not only Of The kao'0n
Iatcs but IN rioisioH If The treU dScefdined sense
of Congress. lie had shown that there were one
hundred and fourteen millions OF acres OF lard al
ready surveyed, and IN Innrket-tnat there was no
y want of elbow room-no want of good land for the
= settler to choose from paying Tor 1t and there
tcas therefore why the settlers should more
= off. and seize upon lands not get Surveyed. The
~ Senator from South Carolina had correctly said
lc that he himself was aware. how vain 1t was to re
sst these practices. There nine States will
lie their eighteen votes ready to 90 for this system
Sc IT WAS AN ADMINISTRATIONS MEASURE
~ ALSO. SUPPORTED BY TIE FRIENDS Oh
at THE ADMINS rRATION, ruth one solitary eI
ne cepiion and that was able and high minded re
IN preventative OF of the old states cho cas cor
e. In, of his DISTINGUISHED sire and has grand sire
Id There was a combination the re.ore OF the friend
of the Administration, and the members iron
the new States, the President hlmseV (Nir
Van BUREN, taking The lead and he found fur
Their with the greatest pain and regret, that tin
system found support from another quarter fror
gentleman (Alr Webster.) who had been hl
powerful and efficient ally in opposing the exper
ments of tins and the last Administration and VIII
was so doservedly celebrated as the able expounC
err of the CONSTITUTIONS and the firm and unwaver
inc supporter of the laws.
That gentleman stated one of the s;rnDge
reasons why he should for this bill, that stat
of things with regard 20 these settlers existe'
which could not be met--tha. encouraged by 70
mer pre- .cmption laws. they had gone and settle
upon these lands, and could not be removed. 81
SAID Mr. Clay. Will meet them with the laws
the country Let the lands be exposed - publ
sale. and afterwards at private sale IND THE
PUT IN FORCE, If NECESSARY. TIL
EXISTING Laws, AND REMOTE TIES
LIVLESS LNTRUDERS FRO.U tn
PROPERTY THEY HAVE FORCTBL
lPPROPRLlTED TO THEIR OWN Us
WHAT RIGHT HAD THEY TO tn
PUBLIC DOMAIN MORE THAN IN
OTHER DESCRIPTIONS or PLU-NDE
ERS TO TIE GOODS THEY .Hif SEfZ
UPON An auctioneer has his warehouse brok
open by awless body of armed men, m
ezes upon "A bale. another upon hamper and al
Their upon something else, and he says he ha
right to take !. at his price. When other purch
ers come to auction, and say TO Mr. Auctlone
why not give ne these goods OF as cheap terms
thesc gentlemen who have broken open your wa
house obtained theirs. Uhy. tck4t sort 81 an
s,oey tcouid be TO say that these geatiemeH are p
enipiioaerS. their moral seaSe has CeeH outraged
lacking up these goods, and keeping them ii
their use. and as they particularly tssshed for
bats or hamper al their otcn price, and are hon
al industrious men, icho unable 10 gice The real
- ne for the goods they hare taken this natural
,irr harmless method 81 getting possession Of Item
~ country like this where there one hundred
fourteen millions of acres Of good land open to
~ the lowest price, you tnd (Salc MI ~ tn
lions men, in opposition To the llws, ard III oppos
TcO 70 the known sense of the Leg stature. gong
v,on hf, To The Hest, sei-ing from t1fHGe 10 At"Hde
on ne choicest spots Of the Puttc tsads. and q
moral sense IS 50 uounied BY he nation ristit
about ,, >, non. o,ct hnuds mat fhey
n hare them at their olca price. IND THIS "
ONE or THE EXPERIMENTS or III