The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-30


la ors by the soldiers land warrants; before that il
more than half devoured, the Same fell spirit de-
manas another huge feast, in the bill which you
bring before me; and If successful in that, they
will take the whole as the next swallow Fifty ak
millions of acres, equal to seventy two millions of
dollars, TO be thrown into The old States, WHICH
ADDED TO the (near) fifty millions yet remaining OF
the soldiers warrants, will amount to one hundred
and millions OF dollars; all to be in the hands
of SPECTATORS! and constituting them, Gao ;ord,ng
to the computation Of the general land oice) mono
pozers OF the land sales tor twenty.six years. II
Is tho duty OF every upright man In the United
States to oppose this enormous iniqu.y, and the
duty OF every State to demonstrate against it;
and you have rendered great service to the lntry
by bringing the subject before it,
The public will be taken by surprise by your
letter, The manner in which the bill was passed
through the House Of Representatives, under the
gag Of the previous question having stihed ali dis
cussion, and concealed all view Of il from the
o. the people, 1t was fragrant abuse of the pre-
question to apply it that way, and its appi
cation and success implies an understanding outside
OF the House 10 force the bill through without
giving The country char ce to know il, its iniqul
ties to be exposed The previous question was only
invented to put an end TO inteImlnabe and useless
debate; here it was applied to prevent all dsbase,
and that upon measure of the greatest possible
consequence, and evidently upon concert, and to
II from the exposure which honesty and pttri-
olisn would have gwen it.
To seouee the new States into this fatal Measure,
I they are offered pittance to themselves, and on
4 the most Unequal terms. For example: your own
ate which has all eady, perhaps, received larger
federal grants than any other state, is to got three
millions OF acres without deduction OF the amount
spe has received other new States are to receive
! the same, subject 10 u deduction This is clearly
an attempt to seduco Iowa and detach her from the
other States 10 whose sy stem she belongs Thig
favor 10 the new States-ths slice 70 themselves of
Of themselves before they are swallowed up by the
old S,ates-is on the principle OF the favor winch
was granted TO the man on whom the lot fell to be
killed and eaten in the starving ship at sea-
who allowed a slice Oil OF himself
before his body was cut up among his companions
L. is insulting che at to the ms States depriving
them of their i've per centum on the sale OF the
lands if sold by the United States and which would
amount to four millions of misunderstanding
their railroad grants down to the minimum OF the
land scrip, (ssy % to-50 cents and sending thor
land, instead Of buying from the federal govsra-
ment, and paying these spectators, some years
hence five or ten dollars an acre, after they had
monopolized the scrip as 70 or 90 cents
The distribution to the old States is made upon
the basis OF $50 600 TO the constituency of eAca
member, which, if fairly divided, would only come
to two acres apiece. But 1t will not be fairly di-
vided. 1t is to be made into as ngnabe scrip, aud
in that form will be nothing bat so much pabnlnm
to the stock j0bbiog herd !" Spectators will
nopolize it, getting laws passed in the Stae Legs
latures to suit themselves, then combining to siuk
the price till all is bought up, then combining
raise it ten or twenty fold to tie cutivators.
Dreadful would be the scenes Of corruption to which
it would give rise in the State Legislatures, aud of
Surely, if this scheme goes on, there ought to be
limitation on the assgnability causs-a Limitation
which would prevent any member OF Congress, or of
\ State Legislature, or any Of their relations
within the evitical degrees OF prohibited marriages,
from becoming assigntes Of any scrip on which they
had voted. This would help to guard, in aigh; de-
gree the purity Of legislation
You have well and forcibiy touched many Of the
ipiquities Of this scheme. To explore them all
would require weeks of fearless debate in Con-
gress Your letter, and the statement from tho
general land office, ought to be universally repob-
hshed can add but little to them in this brief
letter Of reply.
l consider it a clear breach Of the ,ompacts with
the States, thus to make Spectators the sole
sellers of the public lands tor twenty six years.
might say forever; fer ii this amount Of pabu goes
to the jobbers, they will soon have the rem snder.
Armed with the additional power which THIS pun
der would give them, they would quickly take the
remainder 1t is only the first step in any crime
or enoImity which costs the difficulty. That
6rst step taken, the rest follows, of course. The
(uear) one hundred millions Of acres of soldiers
rather specuators warrants, ID the incentive, aud
the motive power TO this new scheme Ifitissuccess
full il becomes the incentive aud the motive powerfo
the of a the rest of the public lands to mil
liolsry Wall street jobbsrs Already these specu-
lators are nearly masters Of Congress legislation
in relation the pub c lands and besides their own
scbemes of plumber, and besides allyng themselves
win every other scheme Of plumber, place their veto
upon every land bill for the benefit Of the people
tie Stgtes-upon railroad bills, homestead, AID all.
Every part Of this scheme is iniqui.ous, and it,
oeyas, with reipect TO the old STATES, seen TO DO
founded in total ignorance of their history in re-
lstion to the public lands, total disregard Of
justice among them Thus New York and Pennsyl
vsnia, which gave no lands TO the federal govern.
meut, receive three four times as much as Vlr-
pnia aud the other Southern sates, which were tie
r. al oolos: Mas sachusetts and Maine, which KEEP
their pubic lands and sold them Tor their own
benefit, share equally With those who gave;
and Connecticut, which had a reserve OF two
millions Of acres in the State of Oaio, is sub.
jected to no port OF that deduction which il
imposed on all the new States except Iowa,
These are iniquities which just legislation Soad
svoid, but which plunder legislation embraces as
Of creating interest strong enough to carry
the easure through Certainly If Congress Is 60
irg to sbdicate rs trust" over the public lands,
give them away, there are two classes OF States
which are entitled TO preferences IN the d)nssi9n-
first, Virginia and the o.her Southern States which
gave the lands; and secondly the new States whose
labor ard III proyements have given them value.
But there is nothing which can Justify Congress in
tti abdicaton Of its 'trust"in this corruption it
would Introduce into Congress and the State Ligisla
tur,s-in this emission OF seysntytF so millions of
peper money scrip 70 pazper speculation, and sub
isct ne cultiyator 10 Wall street exs0rtion.
Win was in Congress opposed all schemes OF
distribution Of lands or moGey-whether in the form
II soldiers bounties, or OF the land
money tself al er tbe sales. Ny plan was to take
ali the disposable means to pay of the public
debt. sl d reduce the expenditures 70 the mos eco
lem cal amount, ahoishing duties on articles not
made nj home, por coming ia competition WIN oar
Idustry; and leaving as much money possible in
the pockets Of the people, the safest and cheap
est Of all treasures, and wbence the government,
when ding it, could obtain all the necessary sup
ply in the foim Of loans and tsxcs. This vas my
llan then, and is nov And with respect to tho
publ; lands, the danger Of their being squandered,
snd the best OF disposing of the n, gave my
opinion in speech to my cons isuents few wssks
ago, and Of which enclose an extract
The Romans, in the better days Of the republic,
encouraged their young men to the attack o, great
abuses and great criminals, and by that means 10 z
preserved the purity uf the government. If titne
Of what We hear Of legislative corruption la our
CorgIess, (and Of the conduct of agents aud Job
bers) be true, there is crying Deod Tor our young
men to initiate the conduct of the young Ro mans
in the earlier ages Of the republic, and 10 entle
themgelvts to the gratitude Of their couutry In
srrestirg abuses, exposing criminals. aud plrfy log
.ha 10 MI ri from the Ia nnItti which he