Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-10-25
WASHINGTON sxws ARD GOSSIP.

WASd1NuIUSs = SN5 AtS y 6OoS1I.
Speculation in the Public Lands.-We hear
that desperate effort is being made to defeat
the intention of the Delawares in placing in
the hands of the Government to be sold for
their benefit, the body of 500, 900 acres Of land,
coded to be sold to the highest bidder on their
account The scheme Is for spectators to
squat on it, and then claim presumption rights
The Attorney General, some time since, de-
cided that such lands were not subject to pre-
emption Nevertheless, we are daily hearing
of high-handed proceedings of squatters,
backed, in some cases, by men who, from
their experience in public affairs, must know
that ,squatting on such lands can give no
earthly valid pre- emption claim to them,) with
the view of frightening off purchasers willing
to give fair value for the lands. The trick
is usually to threaten personal violence to any
one who will offer more than dollar and
quarter for the lands-though, unmolested, at
the sale there may be persons present willing
and anxious to get them at from ten to thirty
dollars, per acre. We hear, that opposite Fort
Leavenworth something similar is.now in pro-
gress upon the new town site of the contem-
plated town of Leavenworth, in which a pay
master and quartermaster in the army are
said to be dabbling. 1t will be we'll for the
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of
War to keep sharp lockout upon what may
be going on in that quarter, as it is more than
| likely that their authority only can prevent
| the Indians who made cessions Of lands to be
| sold only for ,hair hena6t. under the treaties
confirmed at the last session of Congress- from
| being defrauded out of all the substantial
| benefits which were guaranteed to them in
| those conventions.
We deem It to be our duty thus to call the
attention of those high officers to the efforts of
the spectators to defeat their sincere inten-
tons of protecting the Indians in all their
| rights, guaranteed to them by the treaties in
question. The conduct of the bogus squatters
at Fort Smelling reservation should be warn
ing to the Government, as, when persons who
have been in Congress and Governors of Ter
ritories, &c, go to staggering in crowds club
in hand, threatening to brain any man who
'intefferes with squatters rights''-claiming
themselves to be squatters-in order to prevent
lands which would otherwise bring fifty dol
lars PEI core, from realizing more than 81 Is
per acre Tor the National Treasury, it is high
time that the military force of the Government
should be used to put stop to such state of
things.
By the by, nothing was sold at the Fort
/ SnellInO sale tho A.
east side of the river. The General Land Of
fee have been informed that the sales in uues-
ton were made while combination of armed
men were standing around in squads of ten,
each squad under an officer, who threatened
to have any one killed who would bid for the
lands sold, which was claimed by his gang of
rufhans as squatters under the pre-empton
law, which did not apply to the land in ques-
ton We understand that the Land Office au-
| thorities are causing thorough investigation
| to be made, with the view to ascertain the
truth of these allegations, which, if verified
| will OF course cause the sales made under
| such intimidation to those present desiring to
purchase at fair prices, to be declared null and
void. The worst feature of the whole bust
ness, is the fact that United States officers some
of them occupying high positions, are said to
have been active promoters of this most infa-
nous attempt to swindls the Government and
oitinons. We can promise them instant dis
| missai, on the moment that satisfactory proof
of their completely with this disgraceful affair
reaches Washington.
osbo
ries
Political Slang.-We make the followin 9
extract from letter in Mondays New York
| Times:
"Col. Mitchell w1tily remarks that Pierce
| made mistake, and for once appointed an
| honest man and gentleman And YOU
may confidently assure the readers of the
Times, that in no way will the Governor be
exercised to prejudice the interests and rights
| of Freedom
This remark of Col Mitchell was mad
| with reference to Gov Reeder, of Kansas. It
embraces an aspersion on James Buchanan.
John Y Mason, John A. Campbell, and, in
deed, On every one but Gov. Reeder, appointed
to Office by President Pierce, all of whom are
thus denounced by Col Mitchell as dishonest
loafers. We need hardly say, that the " witt
OF the remark is mere low blackguardisn
such as passes current in the politics Of the
times, rendered more glazing IN its imperti-
nence, by the history of the fracas in the bar
Der shop in this city, so well known to all in
Washington, in which the witty asthor of
this wholesale SANDER upon hundreds Of gen
tlemen in all respects his superior, Jared 80
badly 1t will be remembered also, that the
real facts in the case wore disguised by the
press here in pure charity towards Col. M in
the belief that his conduct in causing his head
to be smashed, was an exception to his general
use Of his tongue. This "wit'' about Gov.
Feeder and all the rest of those appointed to
office by Pierce, however, proves that popular
sympathy for him under his barber shop in.
Fiction, was, to say the least of it, signalIy
misplaced