The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-12-23

lerior is worthy Of grave consideratien.-
1t treats of the numerous important, and
diversified branches of domestic admins
tration intrasted to him by law Among
these the most prominent are the public
lands and our relations with the Indians.
Our system for the disposal of the public
lands, originating with the fathers Of the
republic, has heen improved as experience
pointed the way, and gradually adapted to
the growth and settlement of our West
ern States and Territories. 1t has work.
ed we'll in practice. Already thirteen
States and seven Territories have been
carved out of these lands, and still more
than a thousand millions of acres remain
unsold. What a boundless prospect this
presents to our country of future pros
perity and poweri
We have heretofore disposed of $685..
S62.464 acres of the public land.
Whilst the public lands as source of
revenue are of great Importance, their i'm
portsnce is far greater as furnishing homes
for hardy and independent race of hon
est and industrious citizens, who desire
to subdue and cultivate the SOIL They
ought to be administered mainly with the
view of promoting this wise aud beneve-
lent policy. In appropiating them for
any other purpose, we ought to use even
greater economy than if they had been
converted into money aud the proceeds
were already in the public treasury. To
squander away this richest and Doblest
inheritance which any people have ever
enjoyed upon ohjectsiof doubtful constitu-
tionality or expediency, would be to violate
one of the most important trusts ever COM
mitted to any people. Whilst do not
deny to Congress the power, when acting
bona fde as proprietor, to give away
portions of them for the purpose of in
creasing the value Of the remainder, yet,
considering the great temptatien to abuse
this power, We cannot be to cautious in it's
exercise. e7o sssz9-seq hes lgs
Actual settlers under existing laws are
protected against other purchasers at the
public sales, in their right of preemption
to the extent of a quarter section, or l6O
acres Of land. The remainder may then
be disposed of at public or entered at
private sale in unlimited quantities
Speculation has of late years prevailed
to a great extent in tho public lands.
The consequence has been that large por-
tions of them have become the property
of individuals and companies, and thus
the price is greatly enhanced to those who
desire to purchase for actual settlement.
In order to limit the area of speculation
as much as possible, the extinction of the
Indian title and the extension of the pub
lie survey ought only to keep pace with
the tide of emigration
If Congress should hereafter grant al
ternate sections to State companies as
they have done heretofore, l recommend
tina: the intermediate sections retained by
the government should be subject 70 pre-
emption by actual settlers.
1t ought ever to be our cardinal policy
to reserve the public lands as much as may
be for actual settlers, and this at moderate
prices. We shall thus not only best pro.
mote the prosperity of the new States and
Territories, and the power of the Union
but shall secure homes for our posterit,
for many generations.
The extension of our limits has broughI
within our Jurisdiction many additiona
and populeus tribes Of Indians, large
proportion of which are wild, untractabI.
and difficult to control. Predatory anc
warlike in their disposition and habits, il
is impossible altogether to restrain then
from committing aggressions on each 9th
er, as well as upon our frontier cilizenl
and those emigrating to our distant State.
{ and Territories. Hence expensive mill
tary expeditions are frequently necessar,
to overawc and chastise the more lawles.
| and hostile. tshilssl ''Rt E-91o
/ The present system of making then
valuable presentsato influence them to re
main at peace has proved Intellectual L
is believed to be the better policy to colo
nize them into suitable localities, wher,
they can receive the rudiments of educa
ton and be gradually induced to adop,
habits of industry. So far as the exper.
iment has been tried it has worked well il
2
less expensive than the present system.
3 The whole number of Indians within
? our Territorial limits is believed to be
I from the best data in the Indian Depart
iment, about s25i0eO. sisflm>sai aila -
The tribesioof Cherokees,a Choctaws
Chickasaws and Greeks settled in the
territory set apart for them west IF Ar
kansas rapidly advancing in educa.
Il tion and in all the arts of civilization and
self government, and we may indulge the
j agreeable anticipation that at no very
4 distant day they will be Incorporated into
the Union as one of the sovereign States
i 10 II will he seen from the report of the
Postmaster General that the Post Office
4 Department still continues to depend on
the treasury, as it has been compelled to
do for several years past, for an important
portion of the means of sustaining and
extending its operations Their rapid
growth aud expansion are shown by de.
cennial statement of the number of post
oG m, ord ~ lnu~th &c ,,o,& 1901.