Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-07-29

| Paul, to the mouth OF Lett HAND river VIII DC
taken up by wealthy spectators, TO tbs great
detriment of the two States and tho Territory
interested in the construction OF the said rail-
| road.
ave would suggest that the lands be with
drawn from sale until the end of the present
| Congress, rs the bill may not be passed at the
| present session.
ave are respectfully, your ob't ser'yts.
GEO. w. JONES,
JNO. P. COOK,
H. M. RICE.
"To Hon. ROBERT McCLELLAND,
Secretary Of the Inferior"
| Now, sir, it was upon these applications that
| this withdrawal was recommended, and In doing
so, / maintain your epistle to the contrary,
that was seeking to advance the best interests
of the States affected by the measure.
In recent publication, ! was charged, by
an Honorable Representative, with being
| friend to the west That charge is true-the
rest of the article was so absurd, preposterous,
and erroneous, that did not deem it worthy
Of notice. But am friend TO the west, and
to her interests, and in this feeling, cannot
| give place to you, though you are western
man. Yes, sir; / regard my countrymen
as more enterprising than those of any
other nation on the face of the earth,
and that those of them most distinguished
for that characteristic are the people of the
west. Hence, sir, in shaping the policy of the
land system so far as have had any agency
in that matter, / have endeavored to do JUS
tice to the whole country but certainly not to
the prejudice OF the west. regard the public
lands as rendered valuable in the first instance,
chiefly, if not entirely, by the persevering in
dustry and indomitabe courage and endurance
of the pioneer settlers sqnatters, or preemptors,
as they are variously termed. And hence |
have always endeayored to have secured to them
the most liberal justice. The system of with
drawing lands, with which you now find fault
for the first time is one of the measures to ac-
in detail, in your remarks, as they are kind of
special pleading not suited to my taste nor
will adopt yolr version of the line of policy
pursued by this Office, in these matters, but will
take the liberty of giving my own, and the rea-
sons for it.
The system Of extending plank and railroads
through the different sections Of our country,
has done more than any other measure that
has been devised to enhance the value of the
public lands and Of the products of those
lands to the tarmer-to promote agriculture,
and the arts and sciences, and to bind our peo-
pie together, socially and civilly. Where the
settlements are sparse and these roads will not
consequently pay profitable dividend on the
entire cost they cannot be constructed without
aid from the government. The government, as
the owner O most of the lands along the
routes of such roads, can, with safety and adj
vantage, under wise legislation, make grants
of alternate sections, to limited extent, in aid
Of the construction of these roads. For these
grants the government will be remunerated by
| -, L. of tho
served lands On the cash investments, ne
cessary for tie construction of those roads, in
addition to he grants, the trade and travel,
though limited, will pay fair dividend. In
this way these roads can and will be construct
ed and supported. The farmers in their vicinity,
and for NAM miles around, will have ready
market and air prices for their produce. Ag-
| rculture will prosper, mechanics and the arts
flourish, fruitful fields viii cover the country,
towns and villages viii spring up, and Plenty
everywhere bess the sons of toll.
These are the results of the policy pursued
by this office and in attaining them the settlers
are uniformly protected, and permitted to prove
up their pre-enptions, and pay for their lands,
precisely as though those lands had not been
withheld from market. But if the course re-
commended and urged by you should be
adopted; if bills were introduced into Con-
gress for grants of this character, and the
lands left oEcn to entry, spectators would
enter all Of item of any value, before the laws
T would be passed, and there would be none left
for the construction Of the road the work
could not be lone, the bona tde settler and
the men of limited means who desired to pur-
chase land for actual settlement and cultiva-
ton would be LIFT TO the tender mercies of those
, spectators; their crops would be valueless,
for they could rot send them to market, and
they would be eft ungarnered, as have seen
them, to rot on the stalk. Poverty, distress,
and desolation would follow.
/ These would lie the results Of the policy you
, advocate. Now il you please, look at these
, two pictures ano say which would be the more
, acceptable to yolr constituents, and which as
! their representative should be more agreeable
to you.
In the concluding part Of your letter, you are
, pleased to indulge in sneer at the impair
TALLY Of membe Of the cabinet and at my
sincerity. This, sir without the slightest shadow
of foundation in fact, comes with an i'll grace,
and in bad taste, from one of the honorable rep
resentatives of a sogereign State. The gentle.
man to whom slluson is thus made, has, in no
! instance in the slightest manner, interferred
with the recommendations of this office, on this
4 subject. He has sanctioned those views in all
S"ocS HutiC hc udu chSOu W bcht'c shos snS
road would probably be constructed, and in
those only; and L an say with perfect sim
certify that have never met with gentleman
! more sensitively fastdious than he is, in sug-
I costing, or In any manner interfering in matters
relating to or affecting the interests of the State
from which he halls, or of her citizens
: You have been pleased to criticize freely the
action and policy Of this Office, and TO sug-
gest the line Of duty that should be pursued
: BY it on this subject, You cannot be offend
0 ed, therefore, if should hold the mirror up
0 before you, for the like purpose. If you
. were apprised Of the course pursued by this
Office, in these matters, and believed as stated
: in your letter that il was pregnant with mis-
r chief and may be made the means of OPP
. preston against tie bona tide settlers" &c,
|. was il not your duty, as the representative of
those bona fdc settlers, to protest against that
! course, giving your reasons for so DOING and
If that protest was not effectua was it not your
duty, further, TO bring the subject to the atten-
ton Of Congress and obtain from that body an
II a - - "A H.