Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1849-09-26
TO THE ELECTORS OF THE
Third Congressional District.
NO. III.

In my last l endeavored to exhibit Mr.. Har-
manson's swamp land bill in what | conceived
to be its true light. | endeavored to show to
you this law in all its glazing, though partially
concealed, deformity. If the coming Legisla-
ture of our State be true to the interest Of the
state, they will refuse this donation of the Ge-
neral Government, at the hands of Mr.. Harman-
son. 1t is such Il gift as the Greeks gave-one
which the state may well fear to receive.
For what purpose, fellow-citizens, was the
passage of this bill by Congress, and its appro-
val by President Polk, procured by John II.
Harmanson! What end had he in view? Mr..
Harmanson might enlighten us, by answering
these questions; but he is silent. 1t is for you'
electors, to put construction upon that silence.
But for what purpose was this law created -
Was it for the purpose of furnishing to MIR.
Harmanson political capital for the present can
vass? To give to him the necessary q~uantan
of thunder to secure his reelection? If it
were. it was unworthy Of an independent repre-
sentative of a state-it was unworthy of a high
ullIitlcu GiIu ulnlbiS PoitiCAIi, t"N INV
man who would for such purposes SO prostitute
his position and high station, is unworthy of
your sutfrages and support. That this law was
| not passed for the benefit of the state OF Lou
isiana. is evident from what have already writ
ten-that so far from being a benefit, it can ne
yer by any possibility be any thing else than a
positive injury. In any and every event the
| state must be the ared looser. Was this law
passed for the exclusive benefit of the land spec
ulator? From all that has been said, it would
really seem so. If it be true, electors, how can
you countenance and support a man who would
thus specially ~legislate at your expense, for the
advancement of this class of men, land specu-
lators, who have been justly termed a greater
curse upon the land than were the locusts OF
Egypt. Iwarn you-you are forewarned. Is
Mr.. Harmanson a land speculator? He admit
ted at Port Hudson that he had purchased one
thousand acres of swamp land, vihin The mean
ing of his scamp bill, and that he had entered
the same since the passage Of that biN* Mr..
Harmanson may put upon this whatever con-
s%truction he ~pleases; / say that he is thus, by
his " confession, a land speculator-a land
Spectator, too, under his own act, passed, pro
tanto for his oun benefit! He thus stands con-
victed-convicted upon the highest species of
testimony known to the law, his own confess
sion-made at the bar Of his country-made
to you, electors, you, his jurors, and made with
Al.4 IA, 10 Load ,-o, 70 r>pne fbof
this most serious charge was only worthy of
his contempt and dcrision. This is the last spe-
cies of argument to which guilty man resorts.
1t is the common argument Of the criminal,
when conviction stares him in the face, and no
other resource remains.
But is this all? Is Mr.. Harmanson alone as
a land Spectator under this bill? Was this
bill passed only for his individual benefit Wa
it not also intended to benefit Robt. ]. Walker,
of Mississippi! Was it not also intended to
benefit other land spectators? Idon't charge
this. 1t has, however, been intimated that such
mas the tact. If they be not facts, let Mr.. Har-
manson show it. He must necessarily be fur
nished with all the means and appliances to do
so. In all fairness the anusprabondi is with
him. Lethim shoe, then, that, in procuring the
passage of this bill, his intentions were honest
and his motives pure. Let him show if he can
| that his error herein was an error of his judg-
ment alone, and that he was actuated by no
mercenary motive of gain, and that to him at
least the language Of the %satirist has no appli-'
cation, "Oh! cires, Clues, querenda pecunia pri-
mum est" If he be venal, it may be that he
has sold himself to the designs of this body
of land spectators. If he be not, let him show
it. Let him declare himself. He is before your
tribunal, electors, for your judgment. He must
appear there with clean hands. Least of all,
let him not be permitted to take Advantage Of his
wrong.
am now done with this swamp land bill
If you can see any benefit to be derived from it
If you can regard it in any other light than
as a bane and curse to the state, and %fattening
to the land spectators, l am free to confess
that / cannot. If you can draw any good out
of it, or can regard it in any other light than
that in which I have endeavored to place it be-
fore you, | shall be much more inclined to be-
lieve you infatuated than to believe myselftrou-
beld with an obscurity Of vision; and as | can
never be persuaded to believe the former, | have
a consequent firm reliance upon the judgment
which you will render at the ballot box in No
vember next. That You will place a seal of
condemnation upon the political acts of John
H. Harmanson,I do not for a moment permit
myself to doubt.