Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1844-06-14
BLOOMINGTON, IOWA.. FRIDAY, JUNE IS, 1914.
From Kendalls Expositor.
Henry clay .Ag0tnst the Frontier Settlers.

member of the Kentucky Legislature, the
new settlers in the southern part of that
State, asked indulgence in the payments
for lands which they had purchased of the
State and then occupied. Mr.. Clay oppo-
sed the indulgence with such bitterness
that he excited against him the uncompro-
missing hostility Of the people in tina. re-
gion. So high did the feeling rise, that
when Gen. Green Clay. some time afier>
wards, travelled through the Green River
country, as it was called, eleclioneering
for the Office of Governor. he found it ex-
pedient to disavow all relationship with
Henry Clay.
This hostility to the frontier settler has
been frequently and decisively manifested
by Mr.. Clay both in votes and speeches
while he was member of Congress. s.
We shall give few of the proofs which,
if necessary. could be multiplied almost
without number.
At the commencement of the session
of Congress in December 1887, Mr.. Van
Buren, recommended the passage OF a pre-
emption law 10 enable the settlers on the
public lands to secure their homes by pay
ing the minimum price for the land, and
also law reducing and graduating the
price, SO that emigrants might purchase
the second and 3rd rate land at less than
81 % per acre.
A bill ito grant pre-emption rights to
settlers on the public lands was accord
ingly introduced of which the following
was the leading provisions viz:
BE it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives Of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, That ev-
cry actual settler on the public lands, be-
ing the head of family, or over twenty
one years, who has in possession, and a
house keeper by personal residence there
on. on or before the first day of Decem>
Der, eighteen hundred and thirty-seven,
shall be entitled to all the benefits and
privileges of an act entitled AN act to
grant pre>emption rights to settlers on
public lands approved May twen,y-nin,h
eighteen hundred and thirty and the said
is hereby revived and continued in force
two years.
While this bill was under consideration
on the 9th, January 1898. MIR. Merriclk
Wing Senator from Maryland, moved
the following amendment, viz:
provided that the right of pre-emption
granted by this act, or the act hereby re-
vived, shall not accrue to any other per-
sons than those who were, on the first day
of December, 1897, citizens of the United
States; and such citizenship shall in all
cases be established by legal and compe-
tent testimony. to the satisfaction of the
Register and Receiver of the Land Dis
trict in which the lands may be, prior to
any entry thereof, by virtue of the pro-
visions of this act
The amendment was rejected, yeas Is
nays 20. Among the yeas stand the name
of Henry Clay. See Senate Journal 1887
81 page lol.
On the same page The following record
appears, viz
:On motion of Mr.. Clay of Kentucky,
to amend the bill by adding thereto the
following section, viz:
..SEc. 2. And be it further enacted,
That all settlements, on the public lands
subsequet to the first day of Dec. 1887,
shall be. and the same are strictly prohib>
tied and the President shall be and here.
by is au,orized and required to cause all
persons who may settle on the public
lands subsequent to the date aforesaid 10
be removed ,herefrom.'
This amendment was also rejected FL
to %, Henry Clay of course voting in the
affirmative.
Page 1873, Mr.. Prentiss moved the fol-
lowing ament, viz:
Nor shall any person have any right,
or be entitled TO patent, under or by vir.
tue of this act, without paying, in addi>
ton to the statute minimum price, at least
one half OF the real value of the land above
that price, not including Improvements, to
be ascertained by three judicious and dis
interested appraisers, under oath, 10 be
appointed by the Register of the land Of
fee in the District where the land is stu
ate.'
Rejected, yeas 10, nays ~ !; the name
| of Henry Clay being at the head of the
yeas. ..,,
Page 1911, the bill passed the Senate,
yeas 80, nays ls, the name of Henry
Clay being among the nays.
The bill passed both Houses, was ap-
| proved by Mr.. Van Buren, and became
| law.
Thus, Henry Clay voted to exclude all
| men born out of the United States from a
privilege proposed TO be extended TO the
| native born.
He voted in favor of requiring the set
tiers to pay more than the minimum gov