Hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1843-1845, 1844-02-29

a diversity OF talent that Is truly WIZ
derful, he gives tina. talent and all the
energy of his character. right dlrec.
ton in behalf Of every good word and
work. He is Christian, philanthro-
pist and patriot, and although oppos,
ed to US politically, we love him-all
mus. love him-and well may Bloom.
ington and the people Of the second
District be proud of him. Would TO
heaven that we had many such men in
our Territory.
ssLct Harry Of the West be the
WatchWOrd 80
| We have flung out the CLAY banner to the
breeze, and Harry OF the West, is indeed to
be our watchword. The first blast from the
bugle has been sounded, and the gallant
wings of Iowa are everywhere rallying to
the Standard. They are ready, aye eager
for the battle in August, and with that name
to fire their hearts, and nerve their arms,
they are resolved to conquer. To see such
spirit and resolution among our friends, is to
us most gratifying it bids US hope for bet
ter days md 10 an earnest of the speedy
triumph Aruth and principle, over trick
cry and deception. And better still it has
alarmed the locofocos, who, true to their
calling, have already begun the work OF
calumny and detraction. Witness the con-
duct of the Gazette in it's last number. In
stead Of a fair and candid discussion Of prin
ciple, it panders to the ejudicss of the
people, and declaims against Mr. CLAY, as
the enemy of their interests, and the inter
ests of the great west.
We detest all such illIberality and mean
ness, and yet, we checrfully accept the issue
it has made. The Gazette will repent Of its
folly, and its loco foco friends will blush at
the impudence and effrontery Of their or.
gan, before we are done with it. We have
the record before us,-by that test we in
tend to try HENRY CLAY and MARTIN VAN
buren,, and show who is, according to the
Gazette's rule Of judging, the most hostile
to western interests And il we do not con-
vict MARTIN VAN buren, on the charge, then
we know not the force of evidence. But let
I the people iudee,--we shall be satisfied with
| their decision.
The first allegation of the Gazette, is
that Mr. CLAY denounced the settlers upon
the public lands. as "robbers, land pirates
and plunderers." 1t is false he never
used such epithets, in reference to them, and
let the assertion be made by whom it may.
i lie alike uEgencrous, uni ust and truthless.
Every man coEversant with the PORTUGAL
events Of the day knows, or should know,
that the charge originated with JUDGE You've
GLOBE and that Mr. CLAY from his seat in
the Senate. face to face, with the Illinois
Senator, pronounced it false and slanderous
in every particular. And yet, the Gazette
and its conductors in this Territory, are SO
careless Of fact, and so forgetful Of truth as
to persist in giving it publicity. We have
letter before us from Mr. CLAY himself,
| written to a gentleman of this place. on
this very subject. The Lee County Demo-
crat, containing the Globes report Of his
speech was sent to him, and he declares it to
be a gross caricature. Let the farmers Of
Iowa. the settlers on the public lands, read
his letter--let them preserve it, and with it
meet the slanderers and revilers of HIM,
whose fame and character are the common
property ofhis countrymen. Here it is.
ASHLAND, 25th Sept. 1913.
nr.u roco;vcJ xyour fnvor frouc
hitting a number of the Lee County Demo-
crat, containing copy of what purports to
be speech Of mine delivered on the pre-
emption bill in the Senate on the 29th Of
January, 1888. 1t is a gross caricature Of
what said, and so pronounced it in the
Senate. regret that / have no copy Of
| the correction by me, but it was published
at the time in the National Intelligencer.
| / was opposed to the presumption policy
by itself. l believed it iraught with injus-
tice TO the public, that it occasioned great
irregularity in the settlement of the public
lands, and engendered controversy and
dispute among the settlers. When with
out the authority Of law, the public lands
were settled, l considered and treated
such settlements. as trespasses on the pub
lie property. So did President Van Buren,
in bis Message to Congress. But never
| uSe0 the epltnets, WHICH were put iHto my
mouth, against the pre-emptioners them
selves, many of whom knew to be respec-
table and my friends. l was willing. on a
general adjustment of the land quest ion, to
combine the presumption and distribution
principles together. And accordingly you
will find i'm the Senate's Journal of 1910,
1S41. (pages 1859 that voted for such
combination Again, l voted for the Dis
tribution bill of the Extra Session of 1S41 in
which the presumption principle is incorpo.
rated, and large and liberal grants Of land
u1c made to the new States.
Accept my best wishes for your health
and prosperity,
| Your friend and OBJ. serv't,
| II. CLAY.
| Mr. ]. II. CLAY MUDD.
Again, il Mr. Clay is hostile to the settlers
on the public lands, why did he vote for the
redemption law of 1871, which, let it be
remembered, is the only permanent, prospse-
tiue la,o, eper passed by Congress? Why
die he vote large and liberal grants Of land
to the new States, and why has he devot-
ed the best years of his life, to his favorite
Il