Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-08-19
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

making political capital out of the recent neces-
sary sale, by the Government, of Fort Smelling
and the reservation adjoining it, 1t may DE wen
to expose, promptly, the very little ground they
have to stand on in this matter to show, from
the record, that their tremendous cutlery con-
corning it, means neither more nor less than an
effort to malign the character of the gentlemen
they assail on the subject-the Secretary of
War and the agents conducting the sale on the
Governments behalf-in order to strengthen
the Republican party cause" bleeding Kan
sas'' being no longer a winning card. A stand
ing law makes it obligatory on the Government
to sell all military sites such parts thereof
become useless for public purposes. Fort
Smelling having become simply an incumbrance
to the War Department, flor it is no longer on
the frontier, it will be remembered,) Maj. Seth
Eastman, U. S. A, and Mr.. W. X. Heiskell, Of
this city, were not long since selected as agents
to make the sale, under the following letter Of
instructions-the details of which, as the candid
reader will perceive, do infinite credit to its
authors cautiousness in the transaction Of the
public business, as well as to his determination
to throw around the sale every conceivable safe
guard:
"wAR DEPARTMENT., May IS, 1851
"Gentlemen You are hereby requested and
instructed TO visit i'm person the military reserva
tiOn made by the Executive at Fort Smelling, in
the Territory of Minnesota, and examine and as
certain how far il has been made valuable by
Government Improvements Also, whether there
are any actual bona fde settlers upon the reserva-
tion who have made valuable Improvements
the con, and who settled there with the expecta-
ton, superinduced by the action of the Govern
ment agents, of having the presumption right
extended to them; and whether, under all the
circumstances they should be allowed to pur
chase not exceeding 100 acres each, covering
their improvements, ut the Government price Of
81 25 per acre.
'UpOn the above points you will report to this
Department as soon as practicable after you have
obtained the desired information, SO that you
may receive further instructions in regard there
"You will sell all that part of the reservation
not included in any tract to which an actual set
| tier may have a just claim, either at public auc
ton, after giving due notice in the principal pa
pers in the Northwest, at private sale, in tracts
or lots Of 40 acres each to enable persons of
small means to purchase or in whole, whichever,
in your opinion, may be deemed best; but in nei-
ther case at less than $3.50 per acre.
"fou will examine Fort Smelling. with refer
ence to its being retained a military depot for
the use of the Government If you should deem
il necessary for such purpose you will reserve
from sale the buildings and such lands as you
may consider suitable, not less than 4O acres.
- You will not expose to sale that part of the
reserve which extends over a graveyard and
church, belonging to and claimed by the Catho-
lie congregation worshipping there, not exceed
ing % acres, but allow the same to remain in the
possession and under the control of said congre-
CATION, with the understanding that it is not to
be used or disposed of for any other purposes.
:" am, respectfully, your obedient want,
John B. FLOYD"
"Major SETH EASTMAN, U. :. A, w. X
HEIsKELL.n
Acting under these admirable instructions, on
the 10th of June last they reported the sale as
having been made to Mr.. Franklin Steele, long
the settler at the post, for 100000. That is, at
rate per acre-SI2. 0O-much larger than was
ever before obtained by the Government for any
considerable military reservation; the highest
previous sale of the kind having been at
$3.50 per acre. We proceed to quote portions
of their report showing how they carried out
their instructions and the difficulties they had
to contend with, growing out of the intermin-
able disposition of spectators to combine to
prevent the Government from realizing more
than its minimum price for ordinary Govern
ment lands, for this property.
Thus, they say lin the course Of their report:)
ssAgreeaby to your instructions of 18th MAY
last, We have visited and carefully examined the
military reservation at this place, and the i'm
prOvements thereon, made bv the United States
and citizens. We find that those made by the
Government Were for military purposes, and
mostly OF such Il nature as to render them almost
valueless for any other. The fort and out-build-
ings upon the reserve were erected many years
ago, and, owing to its isolated situation, they
could not have been built with any great degree
Of Permanency; which, with the great lapse of
time since their erection, leaves them now In a
very diapidated condition."
So the improvements made by the Govern
ment (Which, by the by, were erected many
yEh th. for
north Of the settlements, and were therefore
originally rude indeed) gave no earthly addi-
tional value to the property as property, and as
a military post its value had departed before it
was directed to be sold. In truth, it is valuable
simply for agricultural purposes, and being
situated in the heart of the great public lands
Territory Of Minnesota, our wonder is that 80
high price was obtained for it, in the face of
the fact that within convenient distance any
quantity Of the public domain is to be had for
Sl.2j per acre, or very little more indeed, and
| in tracts Of far more convenient size for the
settler.
As great stress is laid by the Republican party
press upon the fact that the sale was not made
by public auction, it may be well to show from
the report that to make it in that way was i'm
possible. So, we quote it (the repOrD further,
as follows:
"With view to the best manner of dsposing
OF this reservation, under your instructions, we
came to the conclusion that, unless sold the
same at private sale, il would in all probability
be sold at little, If any, over 81 IS per acre.
Because, the commissioners 60 on to say:
First, by an act of Congress- approved August
26, 1852, the reservation-of which the present
Fort Smelling reservation was a part-was re-
duced, and the land sold at saltwater in 1883 II
brought only 81 25 per acre. Second, informa.
ton in regard to the sale Of other reservations
collected, and IL was ascertained that they seldom
brought over 81 IS per acre. Third, 1t was dis
covered that combinations were being formed to
purchase the lands at the ordinary Government
price, and thus defeat the object the Secretary,
which was to obtain, at the very least, 81 50 per
acre.n
One of the commissioners, Mr.. Heiskell, in a
letter to the Secretary of War, bearing date
June 18th last, says, in further explanation OF
the difficulties surrounding the due protection
of the public interest in making this sale n: