Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1844-04-20

pronounced ii in the Senate, and because
he wrote the following letter, conradicting
it, in September of last year, which has
been passing round in the papers ever
since, and which was published in the
Times" but three weeks ago:
ASHLAND, 25th Sept. 1913.
DEAR SIR: i received your favor transmitting
number Of the Lee County Democrat, contain.
ing copy OF what purports to be speech Of
mine delivered on the pre- caption bill in the
Senate on the s9Lh OF January, 1888. 1t is a
gross carricature OF what said, and so pro-
nounced it in the Senate. regret that have
no copy OF the correction by me, but il was pub.
lished at the time in the National Intelligencer.
| was opposed 10 the presumption policy by
itself. believed it fraught with injustice 10 the
public, that it occasioncd great ilregularity in
the settlement OF the public lands, and engen.
dered controversy and dispute among the set
tiers. When, without the authority of law, the
public lands were settled, | considered and
treated such settlements as tresspasses on the
public propery. So did President Van Buren, in
his message to Congress But never used the
cpithets, which were put in my mouth, against
the pre- emptoners themselves, many Of whom |
know to be respectable, and my friends. | was
willing on general adjustment Of the land
question, to combine the presumption and distri.
button principles together. And accordingly
you will find in the Senate's Journal OF 1910,
and 1871, (pages 155 g. that voted for such q
combination. Again: ! voted for the Ds,ribu.
ton bill OF the Extra Session Of 1S4l, in which
the presumption principle is incorporated, and
large and liberal grants Of land are made to the
new States.
Accept my best wishes for your health and
prosperity.
Your Giend and ob't servant
II. CLAY.
Mr.. J. II. CLAY MupD.
The editor Of the Democrat must have
seen the above contradiction before his
last paper was issued, in which he published
the extract Mr.. Clay pronounces "gros:
carricature;" he must have known that the
extract which he selected for his paper, DII
NOT contain the views of Mr.. Clay-tha
he was doing that gentleman injustice, gross
injustice, in publishing as his sentiments
what lie knew he never expressed. Why
then, this injustice! Why not act fairly
honestly-giving to his readers correct in
formation, and leaving them TO Judge
whether Mr.. Clay was worthy ofthcir sup
port or mott
The increasing popularity of Mr.. Clay
so terrifies the democrats, that they are
beginning even to doubt the success o
Mr. Van Buren, in Missouri; and use thi
unfair means to array the inhabitants o
E the new States against Mr.. Clay, by repre-
senting him as being opposed TO the pre-
emption system; Mr.. Clay has ever beer
in favor of granting prescriptions to actua
settlers, and has advocated and voted TO
pre-emption blls--which we believe j
, -, more than can be said, with truth, for Mr.
6 Van Buren,; but he was opposed TO the set
Element of the public lands, without th'
authority of law, and so was Mr.. Van Blu
rem, and so is every body. In his first an
nual Message, Mr.. Van Buren, speaks of thu
settlement of the public lands, by squatters
in the absence of laws on the subject, a!
an ENCOURAGEMENT on the RIGHTS of til,
United States" And further, speaking o.
the settlement of the public lands, by set
tiers, with the expectation that prc.emp
r ton laws would be passed for their benefit
in the same Message, he says--"Thi
course of legislation tends TO impair pub
"lic respect for the laws of the country
EITHER the laws to preccm INTRusIoNs 0,
, "ihe public lands should be executed, or, i
shat should be impracticable or inexpe
"dient they should be modified or repealed
eff the public lands are to be considere,
"as open to be occupied by any, the,
, "should, by law, be thrown open TO all.
! And he further goes on to recommend t
) Congress to remove as far as possible, TIT
> causes which produce "mtrnSiOnS upon tht
! public lands" A considerable portion O
the Message is devoted to the subject o
the public lands, and the settlements mad
thereon, without the authority of law, ant
Mr.. Clay has never went further than this
. and the attempt 10 render him odious t,
the settlers will prove an abortion, and a
is generally, and very properly, the case
will recoil on the heads of its originators
= We will publish Mr.. Van Buren's vote o.
the subject of presumption rights shortly.
OTWill Mr.. HALL publish Mr. Clay
t letter contradcting the extract publishe
T in his last paperl Will he do him the jus