Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1858-05-13
FORT SMELLING.

HG Inc committee appointed Dy the Rouse OF
Representatives to investigate the sale of the valua
BILE Indian Reservation at Fort Smelling, Minnesota
have made voluminous Report, in which they sus-
tain the charges of fraud made against the sale, and
affirm that the post needed for military purposes,
and sold without consulting the military author
tiles who had control of the matter that it was
sold much below its value that it surrepti-
tiously and unfairly solo, beneftting one but the
secretly contracting parties-that it sold in the
lump, seven to ten thousand acres when the laws for
bid such sale THAT it sold credit when the
law requires that all public lands be sold for cash.
and lastly no security was given for the payment.
Rev. J. L Seymour, who has been spending few
weeks in Ltchfeld, and who was pioneer mission
ary in Minnesota, sends us the following commun-
cation in relation to this transaction and parties in
terested in it. The signature attached is the Indian
name of the writer.
| MRssRs EDrfoRs, you permit old Mime
sofa pioneer and Indian missionary, who loves God
and all his works. but is heart sick of that policy
which binds the affections of any man to any part of
or party in the universe of God to, say word on
this mooted question.
| The Great Holy Builder of Heaven and Earth has
finished our little world the merest speck amid his
works, with ten thousand times ten thousand touch
| es of beauty among the most charming of which is
that garden Of Jovelincss the Font Smelling Reserva
ton, respecting FIJI aud in the disposal Of which SO
much Is being said and written at the present time
Mr.. Steele, the ostensible purchaser, is old
quantance Of mine and SO far as one who loves this
world more than God. and seeks its wealth more
than the glory d God, be the friend of another,
he is my persoaa friend. Next to GOV. sibaey, he
was first among prominent men who commenced bu-
sness in that region. He is an ardent speculator,
but far have had any deal with him, is frank,
intrepid, generous and upright. I think he would
scorn to take advantage of ordinary in trade,
and much sooner show kindness to "a poor man than
knowingly Cypress him. If he could adroitly bleed
Millionaire of few thousands, he might take
pride in doing it. Possibly he might do the same
thing for Government, and probably very much
worse thing for his Maker, and feel no great COM
fpunctions Of conscience course of conduct that
neither he his compel rs will find profitable,
when they summoned to settle their accounts
face to face with God.
| Ny own impressions are that Government received
a much larger amount from the private sale than it
would have done had the sale been public while at
the same time the purchaser or purchasers did not
give ene-haf Of what they considered the land to
be worth, or one-tenth of what they expected to
aze from it. How their expectations at the outset
will tally with their accounts in the end wait to
If the contract is broken and the land offered
at public sale, it will not bring ne-tenth of what
the Government are now under contract to receive
hp ffad 70 tho nf 40
agent, who should sell it privately to individuals in
parcels not exceeding one hundred and sixty acres
to one person, they would probably realize more.
1t is not however, to the merits of this particu-
lar transaction that would call attention, but to
principle highly injurious to the nation, that is
operating therein.
The wisest of all teachers has said, ga house di-
yided against itself cannot stand" Our Govern
ment in all its transactions, is simply an individual
and all its transactions should be performed with
the simplicity economy, integrity, and regard for
the mutual good. that should characterize two per-
sons DESTROYS of bene6tting each other, with that
cution on the part of each that win prevent itself
rom being injured
But orr Nation has conspired against our Govern
ment, to prevent any such transaction. If
Government sells, it must sell for 1.-THE of the
| salue-2if it buys, it must pay many values. / do
not change this conspiracy upon any political par
ty, but upon the whole nation though it docs
seem to me- the crimes of the party now in power,
are fragrant beyond any thing hitherto known, ow-
ing. perhaps, to the general development of the
spirit in all parties. individuals who sell to the
Government, demand two many prices, and
those who buy, demand many times the value OF
what they give. The individual who does this,
may think he loves his country but his conduct is
blind aud suicidal. Tried by the law OF Heaven,
BY which law he must be tried, he will be found a
conspirator and traitor. The Government, borne
down by such hearts, must be broken, must be-
come bankrupt. and the nation itself stand before
God, guilty of theft, robbery and suicide.
Yours truly, KANoliT.