The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-08-08
ne Tsrt saelllng Rsssrsatisn.

GED II woupi.
s~p HIRAM FR1sF
-
ne Fort saciliag asssrsatten.
Dsmoerastc Speculation ia Lands Cor
raptiaa. Ia high Places.
Under the aLnyc head, tie Chicago Pr
diacusses the sale ri the For, Smelling Re.er-
walton. A. rich and beautiful land. a. there n,r
in the West, and heretofore held J., Govern
ment. The telegraph has announced thai
the Secretary Of War has issued orders f.i
putting Mr. Steele in possession of tins val
liable property, which j., a. the Press say.
situated at the junction Of the Mimncso,.
and the Mississippi River, nearly md
way between St. Paul and the Falls of 81
Anthony, and embraces an entire township
or 23,040 acres. The land il high, rollin.
and fertile. The junction ot the two riycI-
mAkss IL the natural site for great city
and ST. Paul would unquestonsbly haye
been built there had not the Government
held tho point for military purposes. Man,
. speculstor'- eye has rested upon 1t with "a.
much coyctous desire as filed the breast ii
Ahab when looking upon the vineyards II
Naboth; and the time was looked forward
TO with great interest by that class 81 peo-
pie when il should be thrown upon the mar
ket. Take it all in all, there j. no other
point in Minnesota that has excited 40 much
interest - thi. same Reservation and II
put up for free competition il would brin,
o price far in advance Of anything that has
ever been paid for town stc- in that Terri
tory.
The Press alludrs tothe efforts which have
been made by private individuals 10 pur-
chase portions Of this property, when IT Wa
rimored that il was soon to be offered lni
salc, and their disappointment At recciyin.
no replies whatsoever from the Department
But now it appear. sale has been mad,
privately, upon which the Press remark.
that this transaction, from first TO last, il
illustrates the extent to which corruption
and favoritism have made their way into ,Lc
high places Of our federal government. unr
readers doubtless have not forgotten tbs
magnificent speculation which certain leadin.
politicians made At the head Of Lake Super
ior during the administration of Franklin,
Pierce. That whole thing was managed II
Washington City, with the connivance u
government authorities, and the lcadln
men in the speculation "fcathored their
nests" 20 the tune of some hundred or NOR
shostxa nd dalIar. zach n,t ,.-a.. al a.
Facts brought 10 light respecting tie sale II
the Fort Smelling Reservation, We doubi
not il would prove Co be n much more r,-
gantic fraud upon the people than the sn.
perior Speculation. We should not be a.
touished, moreover, II some Of the par.ics g.
the former, arc deeply interested in tine In,
ter. Several leading Democratic member.
ii Congress have visited Minnesota durins
the present season. If we mistake not
acorgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and otL
or States have had representatives Of TIN.
character there since the opening Of nayiga
ton. We would like TO have certain prom.
incnt Democrats of those States, ~ well i
number from tho West, some from New
York, and certain banker OF Washington
City, whose association with politicians il,
other famous spcculation- il well known M.
on the witness stand for bret period
We think their statements under oath would
reveal degree d corruption in the govern
ment Of which the honest msssc- have M
conception
If submitted 20 free competition an al,
open sale, the Fort Smelling Reservation
would have brought an immense sun, 81
money. We were on the groanL last June
and heard It's value var.ously estimated al
from one hundred to one hundred and fit,
dollars pr are. AZ tie former rate the
whole property would have brought ~, 3ol
W., 1t the latter S3,45G,OOO The people
Of the United States, who Mere the owner
u the soil, have doubles. been swindlcd
out Of the bulk q the Iaboye sum. II ha-
gone 10 swell the possessions ~ blatant ami
corrupt demsgogues, whose rasoality is IN
proportion TO their professions Of honesty
and oflovc Tor the dear people The whole
Transaction will doubtless he 81 covered up
that the names OF these fellows will never
appear in connection with IL, but facts sufi-
Gent for their identification cannot fail 10
lssk out in due time. Let the people who
have been swindle.l keep sharp look ont,
and when the parties are generally known,
brand them with the iniamy they 50 richly
merit. Let the federal authorities who
have sanctioned the swindle, rcceceiye their
just desert also