Bellevue gazette. [volume] (Bellevue City, N.T. [i.e. Neb.]) 1856-1858, 1858-03-18
JUDGE FERaUsoN's ~PRE-EMPTIoN
SUSTAINED
Decision Of the Commissioner Of the
General Land ONCE
CHAPMAN's LAST DODGE!

General Land Office had decided the
case Of Judge Ferguson's pre-emption,
sustaining the Judges pre-emption A.;
who ever expected any other decision
The testimony in the case, in the frs, in
stance, in the Judges favor was sufficient
to have driven any decent man from fur.
Their prosecution Of the ease had it not
been prosecuted as all know it was for
the purpose of rejecting upon the repu-
,a.ion Of Judge Ferguson, and for the
further and most rascally and despicable
purpose of prejudicing the Judges claim
to his seat in Congress. To wha: measure
would not this man Chapman resort, 10 ad-
vance his W ends of corruption, and to
further his wicked and vile objects of self
aggrandizement7 To say nothing of the
fair fame and un,arnished reputation Of
n of our purest and best public men
which he has so maliciously and unscru.
pulously labored to destroy /; for only q
temporary effect, he has shown the hon
est pioneer settlers of Nebraska, that his
threat made during the canvass, 10 the
effect that "if he was not, elected to Con-
gress he would use his influence TO de-
feat every appropriation for the Terri
tory" was perfectly consonont with his
character, and in perfect keeping with
those ~treacherous acts of duplicity and
double.dealing which have characterized
Chapman's conduct in an eminent degree.
And in the case Of the pre.emption he
cared not for the best interests and most
sacred rights of the squatier, who left a
state of plenty and comparative ease to
pioneer and settle a new Territory tina,
they might by the early and judicious ex-
ercise of the right and privilege granted
them by Congress, secur a competency
for themselves and families, toiling anc
sweating beneath a burning prairie sun
enduring the chilling winter blasts, tc
avail themselves Of this pre.emp,ive BOOB
while he was ~promenading Pennsylvania
Avenue, with his pockets crammed with
Dakttah shares, Browville lots, Nebraska
City blocks, and 40 acre school lots, brigh'
with thoughtful expectation Of where h,
would next to farm out the in
terests Of Nebraska, (himself and hi
brother -in-laws And again after hav
ing raised the hue and cry about the pre-
emption Of Ferguson for no other purpos
than 10 cast q most false and foul impu,a
ton upon the reputation of the Judge, an
finding three men base enough to ASST:
him, prompted by personal luminosity an
a bitter vindic,ive spirit of revenge, an
grossly ignoran, of the consequences {
srch a d~isrep6,able course of eonduc
) They make affidavi,s to the effect that a
they know of Ferguson's pre.emption i
tina, they know nothing about il; wher,
upon MI. Chapman employs a lawyer
l Washington City. and leaves his brother
: in-law, Lockwood, n Omaha City to a
! tend to it here, (having failed, be it sat
= TO the credit of the lawyers of Omat
o City, to find any one bu, the brother-il
I law who would descend from their his
: calling, to dabble in this low and disr
. putable affair and with his little s%oulles
niggardIy iIliberali,y, refuses to pay
lawyer in Washington.
The case is sent back 10 Omaha for
v r~e-hearing, where the bro,her.in-law
Chapman can appear as counsel, al
where he did appear as such, and after
long and tedious trial, with the usual d
!" gree Of small, practical consumma,e mea
J. ness, the prosecution refused to pay d
a clerk his usual fee for writing down ties
mony. Having satisfied himself Ii
\ there is now no possibility of getting
= seat in Congress, he has taken the Il
l. dodge he will most likely eve be in a :
si,ion to take. With the Douglas me
I, he is with them on the Kansas questic
l. and with the friends Of the AdministI
5: tion, he is with them, of course. II
he does hoping to secure votes enough
err the sequel to get his mileage and p
.. salary; whether this will win we sh
see.
ri "
Tha sa.-o u q