Washington telegraph., 1853-06-08
A False note from the Organ.

nor's position with regard to the Railroad
grants, the tone and temper of which, re-
minds us of an anecdote of hog-shearing,
where, it was universally conceded, there was
more noise than WOOL The Editor of the
True Democrat having endorsed the
Governors policy when he published his
higly interesting letter to the Commission
er of the General Land Office, claiming
all the lands entered on the line of the
proposed road since the passage of the act.
sticks to his text like hungry tick to
lean sheep; and swears by all the saints at
once, that His Excellency is wisdom and
perfection personifed, and that the ga
zette q Democrat and Telegraph" are
a couple of Hybrids for daring to express
an opinion in opposition to that promulga-
ted by His Excellency in his Interestingly
sagacious epistle to the Commissioner
The Editor charges us. in connection with
the Gazette & Democrat" with having
"rcsorted to every Misrepresentation and
detraction' to defeat the Governors elec-
tion. As far as this charge relates to us,
we deny having resorted to any such means.
We opposed the election of Gov. CONWAY
for two reasons,-the first was, his oppo-
sition to Railroads, as expressed in his cir
cular, and the other, was for the same cause
that we should object to placing journal
for the diffusion of useful knowledge, or
correct principles. under the charge of the
Editor of the "True Democrat on the
ground of ncompetency-and the Cover
nor's course since bis election has proven
the correctness of our position. The truth
was humiliating enough in all conscience,
there was no necessity for resorting to mis-
representation or detraction. SO much for
the Editors personal accusation.
In relation to the course pursued by the
Governor with regard to the Railroad dona-
tons to this State, one would suppose, from
the self-satisfied, and inflated tone of the
True Democrat" that the Commissioner
of the General Land Office, the Secretary
of the Interior, and even the President
like Captain Scott's coon,-had quietly
yielded to the unanswerable arguments of
his Excellency s first letter, and acknowledge
ed the correctness of his views But such
is not the case. Instead of sustaining the
Governor in his ridiculous pretensions, the
instructions of the Commissioner to the local
Land Officers, completely divests him of
any pretext or semblance of an excuse for
the unjustifable and do-nothing policy which
his excellency has seen proper to adopt.
By reference to the Commissioners let
ter, which we publish in another column,
it will be seen, that the lands for about thir-
ty miles in width, along the probable lines
of the proposed roads have been reserved
from sale by order of the President until
the 9th of October next, in order, doubtless,
that the State may have an opportunity of
definitely fixing the different routes, provi-
ded for by the act of Congress making the
donation. and securing the benefits of its
provisions; but nowhere, is the Governors
claim to the lands already sold. recognized
The reservation, instead of being from the
Sd of February, the date of the approval
of the law making the donation, is from
the 9th of May, the day on which the or
der was issued; and instead of extending
over the term of ten years, the time allowed
for the completion of the road. only extends
to the 9th of October xt,-showiDg plain
ly, that the reservation is an act of courtesy
on the part of the President, and not con-
ceded right to the State. Had the Cover
nor's position been correct, there would
have been no necessity for limiting the res
ervation to the 9th of October. When
once ordered, it would have been suspended
only, after the requirements of the act of
Congress had been fully complied WITH or
by the arrival of that period, when by
failure of the State to build the road, the
lands, by the provisions of the act making
the grants, would have reverted to the G en-
eral Government. 1t is evident from the
language used in the Commissioners letter
to the local land officers, instructing them
to reserve certain lands, that BARNEY's sur.
vey has not been made the basis of the re-
servation as stated in Col. Rax1 DoNrs letter
to the Governor The local land officers
are simply instructed to reserve from private
entry until the 9th of October, the lands