The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-07-26

culyators of the soil--tbe defenders of the coun-
try against Indian aggression. twas to them, in
a great degree, that the West was indebted for its
early advances in settlement cultivation, and civil
lied comfort They had made the wilderness bios
som as the rose-the desert smile with gladness and
Joy. Was it proper to denounce such men as
heatless trespassers, fraudulent Spectators, rob
5ers cfhe public lands, as they have been de-
nounced by the Senator from Kentucky (Mr
,Clay')
Appendix to Cong Globe, l29,
Mr. YoUNG Of Illinois said, ''Yes, Sir, it has
been emphaiically said by an honorable Senator,
(Mr. Clay of Kentucky,) that they might as well
"seize upon your forts and arsenas, your ships up
on the ocean, or piuuder the money in your Treas
ury, as thus to seize upon the public lands, and
appropriate them to their use in violation OF law,
and against the just rights of the nation" Sil, the
honorable Senator much mistakes the character OF
this people. There is not, Mr.. President more
peaceable, orderly, industrious, hospabe people
to be found in any country"
App. Cong. Globe, Page 1871.
"Senate Jan 20, 1888 Mr.. LYON. Yet these
settlers have been denounced by the Senator from
derers,' s'robbers," Do they deserve such epi-
thets' Whom have they robbed: Certainly not
the Government They are ready TO pay for the
lands they occupy, all the Government could have
sold them for, had the policy of the Senator from
kentucky been adopted, and the settlers kept oft
those lands. They have committed no waste, in
jured no one, either the Government or any indi-
vidual. They have in truth been ofservice to the
Government, by giving additional value 10 lands
lying in the neighborhood Of their improvements,
and thus enabling the Government to sell those
lands at an earlier period than it could have done
had their improvements not been made"
App. Cong. Globe, Page 1873.
Mr.. CLAY, followed Mr. Lyon and did not de-
ny that the terms "LAND PIRATES" opium
DERERS'' and "ROBBERS," expressed the
ideas he intended 10 convey as to the character OF
the settlers on the public lands. part of what
he did say is thus reported viz.
Mr. CLAY of Ky. followed Mr., Lyon) s'Sir,
said Mr.. c.. 81 will meet them with the laws of
the country. Let the lands be exposed 10 public
sale, and afterwards at private sale, and then put
in force, if necessary, the existing laws, and RE-
MOVE these LAWLESS INTRUDERS from
the property they have forcby appropriated to their
own USE What right had they to the public do
main more than any other description of PLUM
DERERS to the goods they may seize upon?-I
An auctioueer has his warehouse broken open by
a latcleSs body of armed me'r one man seizes up
on bale, another upon hamper, and another up
on something else, and says he has right to it at
his own price. When other persons come TO auc-
ton, and say, Mr.. Auctioneer, why not give me
these goods on as cheap terms these gentlemen
who have broken open your warehouse obtained
theirs Why, what sort of answer would it be to
say that these gentlemen pre-emptioners, their
moral sense has been outraged by locking up these
goods, and keeping them from their use, and as
they particularly wished for this bale or hamper at
their own price, and are honest, industrious men,
who are unable to give the real value for the goods
they have taken this natural and harmless method
of getting possession of them"
App to Cong. Globe, Page 139.
Here the Settlers are directly compared to a
band of ARMED ROBBERS,
Senate, Jan. 80, 1888. "Mr. WALKER
Were the Settlers more meritorous then (lS3O)
than they are now; or is it only OF late that the
Senator from Kentucky has become willing to en-
dorse the lbels of the British reviewers in regard
to the American settlers of the West? Why, if
these settlers are, as the Senator from Kentucky
procaims, LAWLESS INTRUDERS, PLUM
DERERS ofthe public property, as criminal as
those that r0uld seize the pujhc ships, or stores,
or arsenalS, why was not all this announced in
1884, when the act was passed without opposition
in the Senate, to legrlize and sanction all these
proceedings? And if it be indeed just as the Sen
ator from Kentucky proclams, that these settlers
should be driven by force from the public lands,
hope that the Senator from Kentucky will be per-
mitted to lead the army which is to perform the
work of expulsion and desolaton; that he will lead
the forces which are to drive from their homes and
consume the dwellings of these hardy pioneers,
whose only crime is this that they desire to Sc
cure, at the Government price, the farms they
have selected and cleared, and cultivated, against
the overbidding ofcapitalsts and speculators. And
when the Senator from Kentucky unfurs his BAN
ner, and calls for recruits for such purpose, can
he obtain one, even in the State of Kentucky, for
a service so odious and detestabe'"
App Cong Globe, Page ll2.
Mr. CLAY followed Mr. Walker, but denied
nothing he said
A portion of what he did say, is thus reported
viz. -F
Mr. CLAY said awe have been told of the ex-
tent of the evil, of the number of squatters who
have got on the public land and the difficulty of
removing them; and that therefore there was ne
cessity for passing this law, to give them the lands
they have unjusAy seized on Do we, said MIR. c. 9
live in country of laws or not'" s
Il s'How was it with that White House, now so
amply furnished-with that famous east room, and
the little man who occupies so small part oft?
Suppose pre-emptoner was to go there and say, I
Mr.. President, this house is too large for you;
am an industrious cutivator, one of the bone-and
snew men. and claim apre.enption to part of this