The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-12-18

Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Economy, utili-
ty, and efficiency combine to recommend them
as almost indispensable. Ten Of these small
vessels would be of incalculable advantage
to the naval service, and the whole cost of
their construction would not exceed tive mil
lion three hundred thousand dollars, or $780,
The repok Of the Secretary of the Interior
is worthy grave consideration, Il treats
Of the numerous important, and diversified
branches Of domestic administration entrust-
ed to him by law. Among these. the most
prominent are the public lands and our rela.
tions with the Indians.
Our system for the disposal Of the public
lands, originating with the fathers of the Re-
public, has been improved as experience
pointed the way, and gradually adapted to
the growth and settlement Of our Western
States and Territories. 1t has worked well
in practice. Already thirteen States and
seven Territories have been carved out Of
these lands, and still more than thousand
millions of acres remain unsold What a
boundless prospect this presents to our coun-
try Of future prosperity and powerl We have
heretofore disposed Of 36S, s62, AGA acres of
the public land.
Whilst the public lands as source Of reve.
nue. are of great Importance. their Importance
is far greater as furnishing homes for hardy
and independent race Of honest and industri
trious citizens, who desire to subdue and cul.
tivate the soil. They ought to be administer.
ed mainly with a view Of promoting this wise
and benevolent policy. In approprating
them for any other purpose, we ought to use
even greater economy than If they had been
converted into money ana the proceeds were
already in the public treasury. To squander
away this richest and noblest Inheritance
which any people have ever enjoyed upon OBJ.
jects Of doubtful constitutionality or expe.
diency would be to violate one Of the most
important trusts ever committed to any peo-
pie. Whilst do not deny to Congress the
power, when acting bona tide as a proprietor,
to give away portions of them for the purpose
of increasing the value of the remainder, yet,
considering the great temptation to abuse
this power, we cannot be too cautious in it's
exercise. Actual settlers under existing laws
are protected against other purchasers at the
public Sales in their right Of pre- emption to
the extent of a quarter section, or 100 acres
of land, The remainder may then be dispos
ed Of at public or entered at private sale in
unlimited quantities.
Speculation has of late years prevailed to
a great extent in the public lands The con-
sequence has been that large portions of them
have become the property of individuals and
companies, and thus the price is greatly EN-
HANGED. to those who desire to purchase for
actual settlement. In order to limit the area
of speculation as much as possible, the ex-
tension of the public surveys ought only to
keep pace with the tide of emigration.
II Congress should hereafter grant alter
nate sections to States or companies, as they
have done heretofore, I recommend that the
intermediate sections retained by the Gov
ernment should be subject to presumption by
actual settlers. 1t ought ever to be our car
dinal policy to reserve the public lands as
much as may be for actual settlers, and this
at moderate prices We shall not only thus
best promote the prosperity of the new States
and Territories and the power of the Union,
but shall secure homes for our posterity for
many generations
The extension Of our limits has brought
within our jurisdiction many additional and
populous tribes Of Indians, large proportion
of which are wild, untractable, and difficult
to control. Predatory and warlike in their
disposition and habits, it is impossible alto
gether to restrain them from committing ag.
gressions on each other as well as upon our
frontier citizens and those emigrating to our
distant States and Territories Hence expen.
sive military expeditions are frequently ne.
cessary to overawe and chastise the more
lawless and hostile.
The present system Of making them valua-
BILE presents to influence them to remain at
peace has proved Intellectual. 1t is believed
to be the better policy to colonize them in
suitable localities, evhere they can receive
the rudiments of education and be gradually
induced to adopt habits of industry. So far
as the experiment has been tried it has work
ed we'll in practice, and it will doubtless
prove to be less expensive than the present
system.
The whole number of Indians within our
territorial limits is believed to be, from the
best data in the Interior Department, about
$4,000.
The tribes of Cherokees, Choetaws Chick
asaws, and Creeks, settled in the territory set
apart for them west of the Arkansas, arerap-
idly advancing in education and in all the
arts of civilization and selfgoverDment; and
we may indulge the agreeable anticipation
that at no very distant day they will be in
corporated into the Union as one of the SOW
ere;gn States.
1t will be seen from the report Of the Post
master General that the Post Office Depart
ment still continues to depend on the Trea-
sury, as it has been compelled ts do for sew
eral years past, for On important portion of
the means ofsustaining and extending its ope.
rations. Their rapid growth and expansion
are shown by a decennial statement of the
number of post offices, and the length of post
roads, commencing with the year 1927. In
that year there were 1900 post offices; in
1887, l1,l77 in 1s47, l5,l46; and in 1857
they number 28,5s6. In this year 1925 post
offices have been established and 70t discon-
tinued, leaving net increase of l,02l. The
postmasters of 1858 offices are appointed by
the President. The length of post roads in
1927 was l05, $3.50 miles; in 1887, l4l, 242 miles;
in 1847, 158SlS miles, and in the year 1857
there are 242,604 miles of post roads, includ-
ing 22,6S0 miles of railroad on which the
mails are transported.
The expenditures of the Department for
the fiscal year ending on the 30th June, l 57,
as adjusted by the Auditor, amounted to
Sll,607,670 To defray these expenditures
there was to the credit Of the Department on
the LIST July, 1856, the sum Of S7s9,599; the
gross revenue of the year, including the an
nual allowances for the transportation of free
mail matter. produced 5000, 95l; and the
remainder was supplied by the appropriation
the act of Congress approved August IS, 1856,
and by the appropriation of S666,sSS made
by the act of March 3, 1857, leaving $685.
76S to be carried to the credit Of the Depart
ment in the accounts Of the current year. |
commend to your consideration the report Of
the Department in relation to the establish
ment of the overland mail route from the
Mississippi river to San Francisco, California.
The route was selected with my full concur
renee, as the one, in my Judgment, best cal
culated to attain the important objects con-
templated by Congress.
The late disastrous monetary revulson may
have one good effect should it cause Doth the
Government and the people to return<to the
practice ola wise and judicious economy both
in public and private expenditures. An over.
Nom;nor Treasury has lad tn hahits of prodi.