New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-11-26
Er.sdom or,bc Public Lands.

ANAL daily paper entitled the Sentinel devoted 10
the cause of wha; was called byits own suPPor'ei'
! The Working Mems Party and by its opponents
The Fanny Ur1ght Working Men. vi iha' par
- we have little personal knowledge, but al Tue
head of the paper, among several good and many
objectionable avowals OF Principle was oorne 'Ae
following: - u,,,.
Single Districts for the choice Of edea Se''0' A'N
| Der Of Assembly ..;or q, ,ba
We gave this proposition some attention At inc
"a oar,s ~ the conclusion that II was aiike
- oa i,,,ortant 1, ma,,ered little 10 US that II
named and surrounded by others that we
could no, assent to, and was propounued " p1i'S
with which we had no acquaintance ana niue III
n,,bv. We are accustomed to welcome rum irom
,vbs,ev.r quarter it may approach us, and on "hal
.ver FAC it may be inscribed. Subsequent expert
.rcc has fully confirmed our original impression
and nov, we have little doubt that this principle
,vb;cb WINS utterly sighted when presented under
,rnonular auspices will be engratted on our Re
formed Constitution without serious opposition
We are reminded of this by proposition re-
Gently started by new party styled National Re
formers composed of like materials and in good
part of the same men with the old Working Mems
Party Their idea is that No more Public Lands
should be sold by the Government but rather that
the whole remainder being surveyed into quarter
sections of 60 acres each, should be left open and
free 10 actual settlers TO be held by them and their
descendants until the Government shall decide
otherwise, OF probably. until our population shall
have become go numerous that there is not 60 arabic
acres for each family when it may be decreed that
farther division shall be made on the demise OF
any occupant. No man who owns or holds one tract
shall be entitled 10 take another or to acquire II by
purchase or otherwise. An occupant may dispose OF
his RICH, 10 any landess man, but cannot be dispos
sessed bv the Sheriff. as the land is not his and the
right TO land enough TO live on is deemed inaIiena-
ble-Such is substantially the plan Of the National
Reformers It's objects are the securing to every
man, as nearly as may be, chance to work for and
earn living; secondly, the Encouragement OF land
monopoly and speculation and the creation OF
universally landholding People such as has not been
since the earlier and purer days Of the lsraeliie
Commonwealth These objects are not merely i'm
portant; they are most beneicent and desirable;
and since the project contemplates the taking from
no man of any thing he now has or can justly claim
we think it deserving of the most candid and earnest
consideration.
Yet we are not prepared TO give 1t our unquall-
fed approval. The consequences of such change
must be lmmense who can measure estimate
them Some of them may very possibly be evil ;
one objection strikes now that of injustice 10
the Old States We are not absolutely and in all
respects Commonwealth; we have State interests
and State rights The blood and treasure Of the
Old Thirteen has been freely poured out in obtain
ing these lands-from Great Britain, from France
from Spain, and from the Indians Will it be quite
fair to make such disposition of them as will tend
absolutely TO depopulatc and impoverish the Old
States without rendering them las States any recon-
pense whatever These points to be considered ;
and there are doubtless more such. In the precise
shape given it by it's originators we doubt whether
it ever can or should pass. But details may be mod
flied and equivalents for injuries suggested. There
really seems so much of beAefcence much Of
promise in the elementary idea of letting every body
have ground to five on out of the land which now
belongs to every body that we cannot consent 10 see
i, lightly condemned and rejected.
Will not those journals which have indicated
hostility 10 this project oblige by some real
discussion of its merits7 Calling it 'ASraran' and
its advocates Empire Club'men and Butt End
ers untrue, by the way; we have not heard OF one
of the Empires favoring the new party does not
satisfy ua nor will ii satisfy the people. If the ad
vocates Of this scheme have very crude or bad no.
tons on other Political questions it is much the
more important that they should not be allowed the
exclusive possession of any good idea, since this
would be likely to give popularity and success to
their errors Let us see what are the strong objec
tons to this new project that, if they outweigh
the reasons for its acceptance, we may be able 10
oppose it with effect
The following letter, from Of the late Wing
candidates for Assembly in City, land ardent
and thorough Wing as any in the City, we copy
from Young America II will explain itself.
NEw-YoRK Oct. 81 1915.
Alrau E. Boray, Esq-Dear Sir Your note ofinquiry
as 10 NV views respecting the proper disposition 10 be
made OF the Public Land OF the United States, have
carefully considered and shall reply to it fully and
frankly.
For the time that have been American citizen aud
a voter. nearly quarter of century. the name OF
Henry Clay has been polastar ofPoitcal truth
had learned to honor and conde in the Statesman be-
fore il was my privilege know and love the Man and
surely there has rarely been who either as states
man man, embodied the affection or better JUS
tilted the confidence of those who proud to ac-
knowledge him leader and champion. By MS Re
port of 1882 and subsequent speeches was my attention
first distinctly directed TO the subject OF the Public Lands
and by the facts therein adduced and the arguments
there enforced led the conviction that the
sent mode of consuming the proceeds of the National
Domain in discharge of the ordinary expenses and re-
sponsbii,ies of the Federal Government is most waste
full improvident and indeiensble.
Regarding the Public Lands great patrimony Sc
cared to the American people by the wisdom and waller
of the Sages and strots who achieved our lndepen-
dence and by held in trust for the beneht OF future
generations well of the present perceive no better
moral right in Government 10 sell of this patmo-
ny by millions Of per annnIn and expend the pro
cceds the payment of its ordinary expenses, than the
holder OF leased entailed would have 20 sell
off all the timber buildings and fences and devote them
to the payment of his annual sco-e at the neighoorns
tavern 1t is most clear TO my mind that an imperative
moral obligation the American people TO SO hus
band these lands that the benefits thence resulting shall
enure to their descendants through all coming time.
Thus believing have rarely lost opportunity to
oppose the present mode the Public Lands
whether in public private. have for years urged
within my humble sphere OF action and influence, that
the Lands should be disposed OF, that if not they
themselves least their proceeds should be secured
against annual coniscaton have steadily advocated
with what little ability possess. such disposition of
these Lands that their Proceeds should be annually
divided fairly among all the States of the Union 10 be by
m in