New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-11-06
LAND AND PEOPLE.

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to our readers.
Ii is already well enough known that Con-
gress has seen fit to grant Bounty Lands to
each surviving soldier who has fought for the
country in any Of our past wars. IL is not so
generally known, but not the less true, that
most Of the Warrants for these Lands went
directly into the hands of spectators, who at
an early day traversed the country hunting up
old soldiers and buying up their chances as
thew termed them, for some $50 or $50 cash
in hand for each right to a quarter. section of
public land; though we have heard that good
many we're sold as low as $40, or at the rate of
ten cents per acre. True, these Bounty War
rants. or claims to receive them, were express
" made unassignable or incapable of trans
fer; but the spectators were glad OF that-it
only reduced the price and enabled them TO Sc
cure richer harvest They knew how to
knock the spots out of the non-transfer
clause at the proper time; and so, when they
were all ready, fresh act or resolve of Con-
gross, making all these non-assignable War
rants assignable, was introduced and passed, as
was foreOrdained from the beginning. If
100000 would not have secured this, they
could richly have afforded to pay S300,000
and then their Land Warrants would have cost
them less than $50 in all for each quarter
section-now bringing $40 to Sl5Oready cash
Nov for the next step:
The Law firm aforesaid wrote us inquiring if
capital could not here be found to embark in
Western land business under the state of
facts as follows
In their section of Wisconsin, settlement
has preceded the offering of the lands for sale
the lands being deemed particularly inviting
Now they are Cor recently were) up for sale;
and the squatters must buy and pay for them
or they viii be bought over their heads by
others. But they did not expect the sale to
come so soon, and are unprepared with cash
as most of them would doubtless be if the sale
were postponed to this time next year, or the
year after Yet they must secure their lands,
which they have considerably improved and
lawyer correspondents wrote to inquire if We
could not find capitalists here who would buy
their lands in their behalf, paying for each
quarter-section Bounty Warrant, costing, say
SAG and taking mortgage or absolute title,
but with an understanding that the squatters
may each redeem hishomestead by paying 5000
in cash, say at two years end, with interest at
twelve per cent. thereon. In other words
the squatters want to borrow $li6 each on
ample real estate security, and pay $lO2 for
its use two years, or something over 80 per
cent. per annum However our last letter
apOlogized for the darkening Of the prospect,
owing to the recent influx of spectators, who
had cheapened the market so that our legal
friends thought that any Eastern capitalist who
might now embark in the business could not
expect 10 realize more than - TO % per cent.
clear Of ali costs and contingencies
just consider moment:
The Government receives nothing for these
lands-absOlutely nothing-but makes pres
ent of some SIG to $50 each to sundry volun-
teers or drafted militia who were called into
it's service in some one or another OF our past
wars. But the rugged pioneers who hcw out
tie first paths through the wilderness, and
bring the stubborn earth into subsection to the
uses ofcivzed man, will pay for their querter-
section each ar least $245 in hard-earned cash,
if they shall be able to pay al two years end, as
contemplated; if not, Gas will TOO often be the
ease,) then S24 per annum more with costs and
contingencies, until they shall be able to refund
the principal-not the actual cost OF the land
warrant to the last Spectator, but the $500
which they are very glad to buy it for And
this they must earn by rugged labor, rarely ay-
eraging then 80 cents per day while living IN
log cabins, often out of reach of schools and
churches-their children ragged and their men,
tai wants even worse cared for than their phys
ical
One Of these days there will come on end to
all this The poor man needing a spot of earth .
10 cultivate will be welcomed to choose any one
not already chosen as freely as he may now
drink Of the mountain stream or bask in the
summer sunshine. 1t will not be possible very
soon to establish the vital principle that no man
shall take 20 himself any more Of the Public
Lands haa one man can really need or use, be-
cause Slavery stands in the way of this as of so
many other essential Reforms, and Slavery is
practically the higher law Of this country
Free Labor does not need more than quarter
section Of land to each freehold cultiyator, with
liberty TO as many as see fit to combine their
several holdings in joint stOck--but Slavery
requires plantations Of five hundred to twelve
hundred acres, and will have them Yet the
proposition that every landless man be legally