The Washington union., 1857-09-15

echoes, backed by few know-nothing sheets Of
about equal reputation for truth We know not why
any statement coming from such quarter should be
believed. even If it stood unconradcted. But we do
contradict il most epphaticaly. We pronounce il
false, and we can prove it SO. We do not avail our
selves Of the advantage TO which our defensive atti
tude entities us of calling the other side for the
proof for we know the other side has none TO give
We will furnish the evidence ourselves
What we mean by the value of government land is
that price which the government can reasonably e1
pect to get for it, not the price which settler would
take after he has bought and improved it still less
the price which specuator would ask after he has
laid out ''e,tg" upon it and pulled il in the eastern
papers for two or three years. The arts which job
bers use TO raise their lands in the market are
always employed 10 depress those OF the govern
ment The speculator is a bear before he buys and
a b,ai afterwards. Combinations to keep down the
price of public lands universal and 50 ire,
sistibe that the richest and most desirable Of them
arc continually, and every day sold al the minmuu
price.
The influence of these combinations is felt, per
haps more sensiby the sale of reservations than
it is in other cases. They have never been met and
manage ed with as much skill and wisdom or com
petely defeated as they were in this very case Of
Fort Smelling and that accounts for good deal of
the outcry.
The slanderers of Gov. Floyd say that he ought to
have set up the land at public auction and given all
a chance of free competition. Do they not know
that public sale is the very place where no compe
tition is likely to exist Are they ignorant enough
not to see that this would have rendered fair sale
altogether hopeless?
What we assert is, that public auction Of these
lands either in small separate lots all together
would have caused them to be sold at mere nomi
nal price to combinations of spectators. TWAS,
therefore, wise and proper in the War Department
to appoint special agents to sell them at private sale
if re easonable price could be got for them in that
way In consequence of this being done, The depart
aent effected the best sale that made Of public
lands under similar circumstances, and aUed to the gov
ernment at least EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS
The proof of this is to be found in the record Of
every previous sale.
In 1850 portion of the 1884 acres at Fort
Jessup in Louisiana, sold Though it was
smaller body of better land, in an older country than
Fort Smelling, it sold for only three dollars and forty
cents per acre.
In 1853 Fort Winnebago was put up for SALE The
number Of acres was 4,034, and the whole sum real
lied was $2l 1875, fraction beyond fue dollars per
acre. This land was worth ten times much as it
brought 1t was believed to be 30 at the depart
ment, and the combination which had been made to
Init
no help for it. The spectators were satisfied, and
tho abolition press was silent.
Soon afterwards Fort Howard was offered. Secre-
tary Davis, determined to prevent re-enactment of
the scene at Fort Wnnebago, took measures to resist
the combination But the buyers on the ground so
efectually checkmated him that he did not get sin,
gle bid
In 1854 thirty-one thousand acres was sold Oft
from this same reserve at Fort Smelling. 1t was far
more valuable than the portion recently sold. It was
not only much better for agricultural purposes, but
it included the present site Of Minneapolis, all the
waterpower of the falls of ST. Anthony and the falls
of Minehaha, the government mill, houses, and
other improvements of large value. Gentle reader
of the black-republican papers, would you believe
This vast and magnificent estate sold for little
more than hnty-nine thousand doars--just exactly
one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre And oil of
it went alike. A dollar and quarter was the
price that ran horizontally town site and farm
lands, mills and prairics, water-powcr and dry
ground
1t is little remarkable that this WATERPROOF
er, which was sold three years ago for 81 25, is the
very same water-power which Gov. Floyd is accused
of selling this summer at $12. 1t was necessary TO
put the falls into the last sale, since nobody
could otherwise be made to believe the extravagant
tale about wild land in Minnesota being worth a
hundred and twenty or thirty dollars an acre Seeing
this necessity for cataract the black republicans
did not hesitate to move st. Anthony down the
river.
The instructions given by Governor Floyd to the
agents of the department are to mind, altogether
creditabe to his head and heart He directs them
to proceed to the place where their duties to be
performed-to make the sale of the lands in forty
lots at public auction if there be any prospect
of getting fair price in that wayand if the usual
combinations to cheat the government be formed then
to defeat them by private sale, provided pur'
chaser can be obtained who will give what the CON-
missioncrs may consider right. These instructions
were carried out. 1t was well seen that the combt
nations would be made; but they were defeated, and
the land was well sold. The spectators raved like
,l,o,o tl1, baab