Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1844-06-14
WHOLE NO. lss.

bers
The report in the Globe varies very lit.
tie from that in the In,elligencer. |, in>
cludes the public ships in Mr.. Clay's
comparison and represents him saying
that the whole pre-emption system pu,ri-
fed and corrupted all i. touched.
Mr.. Clay's abuse of the settlers created
grea, sensation, and was severely COM
men,ed on by the friends of the bill.
Mr.. Clay of Alabama, said : he did no.
know TO whom the Senator from Ken
lucky alluded but, if that Sea,or escaped
the denuncia.ions of the hardy pioneers Of
The West, whom he had charged as viola
tors of the law, trespassers who had sei>
zed upon the public property, and whom
he had sligma,ized as perpetrators of the
most disgraceful frauds, in terms so injuri-
Gus to their characters and feelings, he
would be fortunate indeed
See Cong. Globe, 1878 Page l43.
In the Senate, Jan. 81, ls36.-Mr.
Norvell said, the Senator from Maryland
seemed TO suppose that this bill proposed
to give bounty to the pre-emp,ion set
tiers upon the public lands. This was
mistake. The bill gave only preference
to actual settlers upon these lands. They
were obliged to pay the Government for
them. They were pioneers of the new
S,ates-the cul,iva,ors Of the soil-.he
defenders of the country against Indian
aggression. 1t was to them, in a great
degree, that the West was indebted for It's
early advances in settlement, cultivation.
and civilized comfort. They had made
the wilderness blossom as they rose--,h.
desert smile with gladness and JOY. Was
it proper to denounce such men as heart
less tresspassers, fraudulent spectators.
robbers of the public lands, as they had
been denounced by the Senator from Ken.
lucky (Mr. Clay.)
Appendix to Cong. Globe, 1923.
Mr.. Young of Illinois said. Yes, Sir.
it has been emphaticaly said by an hon
orable Senator, mi: Clay of Kentucky,)
that they might as we'll seize upon your
forts and arsenals, your ships upon the
ocean, or plumber the money in your
Treasury, as thus to seize upon the public
lands, appropriate them TO their use in vi.
o!ation Of law. and against the just rights
of the nation Sir, the honorable Sena-
tor much mistakes the character of this
people There is not, Mr.. President
more peaceable, orderly, industrious, hos
pitable people TO be found in any coun-
try
App Cong. Globe, Page l3l.
SENATE, Jan. 20, 1888 Mr.. Lyon
We. these settlers have been denounced by
the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Clay,)
as land pirates, pIunderers,' robbers!'
Do they deserve such epishes Whom
have they robbed Certainly not the
Government. They are ready to pay for
the lands they occupy. If the Govern
meat could have sold them for, had the
policy of the Senator from Kentucky been
adopted, and the settlers kept off those
lands. They have committed no waste.
injured no one, either the Government or
any individual. They have in truth been
of service TO the Government, by giving
additional value TO lands lying in the
neighborhood of their Improvements, and
thus enabling the Government to sell
those lands a. an earlier period than it
could have done had their improvements
not been made.
Appendix TO Cong. Globe, Page. 1873.
Mr.. Clay, followed Mr.. Lyon and did not
DENY that the terms Land Pirate Plum.
derers,' expressed the ideas he intended to
convey as to the character of the settlers on
the public lands. A part Of what he did say
is thus reported viz.
Mr.. Clay Of Ky. following Mr.. Lyon.l
Sir, said Mr.. G.. i will meet them with the
laws of the country. Let the lands pc expos
ed to public sale, and afterwards at private
sale, and then put in force If necessary, the
existing laws, and remove these lawless intru-
ders from the property they have forcibly ap..
propriated to their own use. What right had
they to the public domain more than any 9th
er description of plunderers TO the goods they
warehouse broken open by a lawless body OF
armed men; one man seizes upon bale, an
other upon hamper, and another upon some
thing else, and SAYS he has right to it at his
own price. When other persons come TO auc-
ton. and saws Mr.. Auctioneer, why not give
me these goods on as cheap terms as these
gentlemen who have broken open your ware
Rouse obtained thers9 Why, what sort of
an answer would it be to say that these gen.
,lemen are pre-emploners, their Laoral sense
has been outraged by locking up these goods,
and keeping them from their use, and as they
particularly wished for this bale at their own
price, and are honest, industrious men, who
are unable to give the real value for the goods.
thew, have taken this natural method o. get
ting possession of them."
App. TO Cong. Globe, Page l39.
Here the settlers are compared to a band
armed robbers.
"SENArE. Jan. 80, 1888. Mr.. Walker
Were the settlers more meritorous then (l83O)
L. <,x,lss II lofo that