The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-08-11
Republican Candidate for Delegate,
VIM. r. MARSHALL
The Land Sales.

We adverted yesterday to the fact that tn
President had proclaimed for sale all the sur
veyed lands on the west side of the Mississippi
during the months of October and November
Our views in regard to Offering these land
for sale until the &C fual settler has had an op
portuuity of making his home upon them an,
has also had time to quietly and industriousl,
earn the money from the lands to pay for tina
home, must be fresh in the minds of our read
ers. About one year ago. when portion o
these lands were proclaimed for sale. we tool
occasion to express our sentiments fully upon
che subject. and those sentiments now come
home to the people with double force.
This movement of placing these lands in
market at this early day, is a SPECTATOR
movement. A new batch of military land war.
f&hts are being issued. The moment after the
fertile acres on the west side have been offered
for sale at the Land Offices. all the lands not
entered by presumption will be subject to entry
by these warrant. 1t is needless to aliude to
the disastrous consequences which must inevi-
hably follow. Spectators from the East, the
South. the North and the West will crowd into
Minnesota, thick as the frogs and locusts of
Egypt in the days Of the plaques. and with a
ten-fold more blasting curse upon the land
they visit. The whole country will be singled
over with land warrants; and next season
when the tens OF Ii ers sands of immigrants wish
to flock i1to Minnesota in search of land to
build homes upon, they can procure not an
acre except by paying therefor to the specu-
lator two or three hundred per cent advance
The consequence will be that the tide of emf
grafton will be turned from US. and the people
will go to Kansas or Nebraska, even though
they have no desire to mngle in the exciting
controversies which are dividing the people of
those Territories.
But there is another decided objection to
these sales coming off this year. There is not
sufficient money in all Minnesota, and will not
be a. the time of sale, even were every man
in the Territory 10 disgorge and hanl over his
all to the present actual settlers, to pay for the
lands asw ia possession of these settlers Hun
dreds and thousands of them have but Just set
tied upon their claims, and to compel them at
TINS tlme to prove up and pay for their lands,
and that too at season of the year when ev-
cry dollar OF their means will be needed to
carry them through protracted winter, in
this rigid climate. is an outrage. and an act
unprecedented in the history of the General
Land Office. These settlers have not yet been
able TO raise crop since they migrated hither:
they Will be compelled to buy at enormous
rates, provisions aud provcnder to sustain
themselves and their stock, during a five
months winter. II they are forced to attempt
the business Of proving up and paying for their
lands this fall, thousands OF them will be com
peited TO abandon their improvements; and
those hard earned fruits of their summers toll
will thus fall into the hands of The gold. orged
speculator in land warrants
damn your West-I wish the Devil had
of Congress who visited him during the last
Congress to procure his assent to a certain
Western measure then pending before the
House. He can certainly damn one of the
fairest portions of it by going ahead with these
land sales at the time he has advertised. We
hope however, he will relent. and not blast the
growth and prosperity of our agricultural gar
den with the curse of the SPECTATORS war;
rants These lands we want devoted to the
Industry of the husbandman, not to remain for
long, long -ears in wild state, in order that
the purseproud nabob of the Eastern cities
may swell his millions 10y speculatious therein
We are glad to find the Democrat taking
correct q ouLd upon this question. know.
however. that the several land officers through
out the Territory. who are the main spokes
in its wheel, are anxious that the sales should
come ofand will dOutless use all their influence
TO that end. The Democrat intimates that Mr..
Rice will use his exertions to have the salts
postponed. We hope he will, and that be will
be more successful in this operation than be
was in some others he recently undertook at
the White Hose.
Petitions praying the postponement of these
sales should be generally circulated among the
people Immediately.