The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-01-12

and remember that it was chiefly by means
OF the labor, the suiltrugs, and toll If the
hardy pioneers and their descendants, that
the wilderness has been transformed into
fruitful fields, and cities and towns built up
where the beasts Of the forest were wont to
range, it is certainly but small compe rs alton
that they should be permitted to purchase
their homes and farms at the price fixed by
the Government, without competing with
the greedy Spectator for the fruit Of their
ownlabor. Certainly the Government can
not desire to increase its revenues by the
pittance that might be obtained at public
sale for the Improvements of such settlers;
and AS those Improvements alone enhance
the value of such lands, it is n matter of
strict justice and equity that ever settler
should be permitted 10 purchase his lands at
the maximum that they would yield if they
were not improved. Il would therefore ri.
commend that the pre- emption laws be 50
amended, and that provision be made to pre-
vent the'injnstice now frequently suffered
by settlers, under the act of 4,h September,
1871. who may not have filed their declara.
tons within the time prescribed by that act,
and consequently lose their improvements
by emption rights acquired by suisse
qnent settlers. Aud also to require the set.
tiers upon lands subject TO ''prirdie cntry,"
with the view Of procuring the right Of pre-
emption under the 18th section Of the act, to
file with the register Of the proper loo al Ia nd
Office, III lieu of the declaratory statement
how required by law, and within the time
now limited by that act, an affidavit that he
has actually made settlement upon the land
claimed, by personal residence thereon
that it is his intention to purchase the same
from the United States, in good faith and
that such settlement and clam are made for
his own benefit, and not for the use or in
trust for another; the said affidavit TO be ac-
companied by the corroborating testimony
Of two credible witnesses, who shall also
state in their allidavits the number coinpos-
ing the claimants family, the nature and ex.
tent of his improvement upon the land, and
that he continued to reside thereon.
This precantion has become necessary
from experience in numerous eases, TO pre-.
vent fraudulent declarations and pretended
settleme nts, with view to speculation only
where there isno apparent intention to pur
chase the land from the Government.
In reference to school lands, the commits
sioner, in view of the fact that the 10th sec
ton is frequently valneless, recommend.
that authority be given, in such cases, 10 Sc
lect other lands in lieu Of the 18th section
and regarding the intelligence and virtue o
our people as the foundation of our free in
stitutions, he recommends additional lber
tera! grants for educationl purposes.
The report closes by again urging upo,
congress the propriety of graduating and re
ducing the price of the public lands to actu
al settlers, and the cession Of swamp an,
other refuse lands to the states in whicl
they lie. These measures have been so Of
ten recommended, aud their justice and.pro
priety is So generally conceded, that it j
difficult 10 account for the tardiness of con
gress in enacting them into laws.
For the Free Trader.'
Education.
| NO. III.
The term Educ alton is often used omea
only the intellectual instruction which chill
dren and youth receive at school. He j
considered educated in this sense, who ha
tent according TO the views of him who use
the term. This is the sense in which tn
word educ alton is used by those Of WHOM
we wrote last week, and to this they objec
unless to themerest smattering or to so rnuc
as can be applied 10 the increase of thei
wealth and physical qualifications. But ed
ucation means much mere than these world
ly wise ones infer in their objections. Tho
children will be educated whatever ths,ho
with them, wherever they place Their sbon
question to be settled is not so mr. aJ,,.
they be educated, as hor shall tb.. ous and
Gated? The inmates Of urnfamv. the
alms-houses; Of our houses Youth fro,n the
gambler, the beguilers of ted are still in a
paths of virtue are eSngh they may new.
process Of educational il technically term.
er have been into The miserable wretch
ed school'hGrh. the victim Of his appe.
HIms In III '..'JJ,npeted his education"-he is
WIS, mas It Is related Of two wine. bbbers
iho, untir sense Of taste was so nicely cdu-
cat,,, that, on drinking wine from hogs
I'D full, one tasted leather and the other
on. When the hogshcad was emp,ied
there was found in it an iron key with lea
Their string attached tou! lsit thus thatthe
youth Of our land shall be educated Shall
It be as animals, as mere butterflies which
llutter from flower to flower, suck the sweets
and die; shall it be as hewers Of wood and
drawers Of water only shall It be only foi
this brief life which passes away as the
morning cloud and as the early dew: orshal
il be a. rational, intelle ctual, moral beings
ss heirs of glorious Immortality? These
are serions aud most important questions
! They claim the serious, earnest attention o
every parent, of every lover of his race
especially do they claim this attention in thi'
active, progressive age, in this land which
bids fair to Lc the greatest, tho most con
trolling among all the nations of the earth
To you, fathers and mothers and patriots o
this young thriving west, these question
come with q force which you cannot evad,
without r,in to your country and the world
What shall he the fate Of the rising genera
ton? Tina, fate depends upon the intlnen
ees, the training under which they shat
grow to manhood and womanhood. Ami
what influences then, they shall be placed
,pl,o shall guide them and ho,c, becomes
subject of n,omeptons interest. Werropos
to consider school education especially. IL
MS not forget however, that education be