New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-19

the pine on sandy plains, which, ouf Tor this
would be deserts cannot be LEFT at the mercy OF
spy WHO might choose at ssy time to cut 1t. The
common good often requires that all these bs
placed under the guardsnsbiP aud projection oil
individual interest The patch OF Priuit've lore"
attached to the squstteri, the hu'oihdmaa's
farm il an indispensable resource for timber aud
fuel: allow all VINO zee ft to rsvage, waste and
destroy IT, and his farm may soon become worth
lea, and uninbsbitable Hence, Necessity die
tstes and Wisdom enforces very general pirti-
ton and surrender to private Ownership OF all
lands which already have become, or which
~ any time may become. desirable for settle
ment and cultiva alton. Land-partition is, in fact,
one oftbe essential bases of that social state We
term Civilization. And the State, or political
sovereignty, is universally accepted ss the proper
distributor or sllotter Of Public Landslide srb-
FER of all questions of title therein which may at
any time arise.
But on what principle shall the allotment or
distribution be made What end shall 1t con-
template
To these questions two answers are practically
Feudalism. 1t virtually regards the Soil as an
appsnsge of the Prince or Sovereign, to be ap-
portionsd in such manner as shall tend most ef
fectually to strengthen the governing power.
Thus provinces, counties, and smaller districts,
are allotted TO the rulers chief instruments or
supporters-his ministers, bishops, marshsls,
generals, colonies, captains, &C., who thence be-
come dukes, marquises, barons, esrls, knights,
sqIires, landlords, &c.-of whom the common
people bold IS tenants, peasants, serfs, Evil
'leins," or by whatever designation. To be the
nominal owner Of farm, yet hold 1t under an
onerous mortgage, is q somewhat more hopeful
condition; otherwise it amounts to very nearly
the same.
We have supposed that the American, the
Democratic idea, as to Lsnd Distribution, was
radically different from the foregoing. We have
supposed that the one great end to be kept in
view by our statesmen, in dealing with the Public
Domain, is the speedy, constant, compact acquisi-
ton and Improvement Of our now Public Lands
by actual settlers and cultivstors. We have sup
posed that whatever tends to interpose class
Of nonresident prOprietors landlords, specula-
tors, monopelists, between the public ownership
and the freehold settlement and cultivation of
those lands was at war with Republican priuci-
pie, benehcent policy, and American ideas.
Hence we have steadily resisted all Graduation
and Bounty Land bills, of whatever name or ma.
ture and urged the passage Of an act proffering
quarter section or some smaller area to every
bona .fde settler aud improver, to be secured BY
preemption at frat and by cession so soon as
be shall have been resident thereon for brief
term of years.
Are we mistaken ia all thisl Is not the grant
ing of Public Lands to non residents, whether as
bouptes for alleged military services or other
wise, at deadly war with the principle tia. the
owners ard the cultivators of lands should so far
as possible, be identical Does it not belong to
the European and Aristocratic as con.r,distn.
euished from the American and Democratic sys-
tenn Who does not see that the Two Hundred
Millions of Acres just squandered by Congress,
under the pretense of rewardlng all manner of
Military servi,e, must inevitably operate as q
fearful obstacle to the adoption Of the Free
Land Policy Who does not see that every
holder or expectant Of one of these new Bounty
Warrants will benceforth have personal inter
est in defeating OF fighting Off the passage Of any
bill which shall make the Public Lands Free to
Actual Settlers Who does not see that the 10.
cation of these Bounty Warrants will throw the
average frontier Of the Public Lands still open to
preemption and allotment some two hundred
miles further toward the Rocky Mountains, and
so compel tens Of thousands to buy Of the mo-
nopolsts rather than dive SO deep into the path
less wilderness for Free Land Who does not
see that the claim agents, attorneys, brokers
and speculators, who will soon own nearly all the
new Bounty Warrants, and who in any ease will
pocket most Of their proceeds, will form pow
erfu and disciplined army in opposition to the
Freedom of the Public Lands Ia short, who
does not know tina. vote for the Bounty Land
bill was a vote TO postpone Land Reform indef-
Ditely Whoever does mt see this ought not 10 be
trusted to 90 to Washington and back without
guide.
The extinction Of Indian title, the survey and
transfer of these Lands squandered by the late
Congress, will cost no more than If they had been
allotted to Actual Settlers; but the adjudication
of claims, scrutiny of muster rolls &C., IN
der this act, will cost many Millions Of Dollars
where Free Land would have cost nothing, while
the amount of perjury which this act will tempt
is fearfully great. He who served ten days, or
six in any Of the favored wars, will think he has
as good right to a Bounty Warrant as he who
happened to serve forsnight-and will try to get
one. But enough.
NICHOLAS JUDGED BY HISTORY.