Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-07-27
WESTERN LAND ASsOCIATION.

purchase and sale OF Pubic Lands, IN certain
Western States and Territories of the Union ac-
cording to certain articles of agreement bear
ing said date, and signed by said parties; and
that is proprietor of
thousand dollars of said capital
whereof the aggregate sum specified in the UNI
derwritten certificate has been paid; the said
thousand dollars being portion of
the capital originally assigned to said
IN said articles OF agreement. and subject to a
deduction of one third part of the profits accrn-
ing thereon, and the payment of proportional
fraction of the necessary expenses of the CON
stituted Agent Of said Associat ton, and to no
other deduction.
Be ii known, also, that said stock is transfer
able in whole or in partsnot less than one thou
sand dolars,by an assignment of this certificate
by said or his Attorney, and
record thereof being made by the Secretary in
the transfer book of the Association.
Washington City, 1886.
President.
Secretary.
This Association for purposes of land specu
lation was formed when Lewis Cass was .Sccrc-
tdry of War under Mr. Van Buren,. Cass him
SELF the chief of the spectators, paid in $780,
600, and Others paid in 100000, making to-
tai of $4,000. The contemplated capital of
100000 was not obtained The plan of the
association was to enter lands in the West and
hold them up for vast increase of value. Cass
being Secretary of War and, in virtue of his
official station, having important advantages
over private Individuals, the Association gave
him the control of the whole business. He APP
pointed the agent TO make entries of iand-se-
lecting his own agent and agreeing to be respon-
sble for his acts. Theagent went to the West
and made purchases, all under Casss direction,
and the latter, directly, and through his agent
continued to have the management of the
lands.
After several years delay, the members Of the
Association begau % have strong suspicious
that there was little or no probability of their
ever getting anything for their money. All
their applications to Cass for information were
of no aveil. Nothing satisfactory could be
learned After consultation with each other
they appointed the Hon, Henry Hubbard, one
of their number, and then or since U. S. Sena-
tor from New Hampshire, TO look after theil
interests and ascertain if Cass and his agent
had dealt by them fairly and honestly. Mr.
Hubbard opened correspondence with Cass
but, failing in every effort to get any satislac-
ton from him, hh wrote final letter inform
ing the Aon. Secretary of War that he was q
rascal and the Hon. Secretary was quiet and
silent under the charge. Mr.. Hubbard chorged
him with swindling his associates. and the
Hon. Secretary, instead of exhibiting resent
ment OR attempting to prove his innocence
admitted by his silence the justice of the accu
sation, and even TO this day the Associa
ton has not been able to get anything out o
him.
i We are authorised to make this statement BY
member of the Association, gentleman who
} paid $4,000 into the hands of Cass or hi.
J agent and has never received anything weat
ever in consideration of his money. Our in
formant requests us, the villainy is denied, &c
call on the Hon. Henry Hubbard for Statement
of the truth--to demand of him a publication
of the letters that passed between him and Cas-:
particularly the letter 10 the Hon. Secretary o
: War, charging him with villainy in all it:
forms. We shall enclose copy of this paper
+ to Gen. Cass, and, if he hrs anything to say LEI
him speak out or authorize some of his organ:
to speak out for him. Mr. Hubbard, the pub
lie are aware, is prominent Locofoco and was
} the man tina t nominated Mr.. Polk in the Balti
more convention four years ago.
1t was bad enough in all conscience for the
! head of the War Department 10 become q
member of an association for specializing in
lands--to use the advantages of his high office
one of the very highest in the Government, fol
monopolising lands, through the use of an i'm
mense capital, to the great disadvantage and
detriment of the poor emigrant. Such an op-
Grafton on the part ola Secretary of War would
have been in the EXTREMIST degree censurable
even if there had been nothing dishonest or un-
fair.in his treatment of his associates; but if il
is a fact, as charged, that, TO the monstrous i'm
proprietv and shamelessness Of entering into
sueha speculation, the Secretary added the
crime of cheating or oyerreaching his asso-
ciates, he deserves an immortality of infa-
my. a
The man who, as Secretaryof War, specu-
lated so extensively in Western lands, and whC
by that and other means, has accumulated pro
perty TO the amount of a million OF dollars, is
now candidate for the Presidency. If, with
a high office and salary OF $4,000, he coul6
operate thus largely as land-speculator, wha
might he not be expected to do with still
higher office and salary of $4,000? If nj
sense of property could restrain him from con
Meeting himself with secret association 70
the monopoly of publiclands when he was
member of the Cabinet, what could be relied OF