Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1858-01-07

Whist the pubic lands &c |
source Of revenue are Of great impor-
lance. their Importance is far greater
Jas furnishing homes for a hardy and
and ihdspendant. race of honest and
industrious citizens, who desire to
|subdue and cultivate the sod
They ought to be administered main
lY. with a view Of promoting this
wise and benevolent policy. In APP
Forthcoming them forsany other pur.
pose, we ought to use even greater
economy than if they bad been con-
verted into money and the proceeds
we're already 10 the public treasury.
To squander away this richest and
noblest Inheritance which any people
have ever enjoyed upon objects
of doubtful constitutionaity or ex-
Ipediency. would be to violate one Of
the most important trusts ever COM
Ritted to any people. Whilst / do
not deny to Congressthe power which
acting bona fde as a proprietor,to give
away portions ofthem for the purpose
of increasing the value of the re-
mainder, yet considering the great
temptation to abuse this power, We
cannot be to cautious 10 its exc fcise.
Actual settlers under existing laws
are protected against other purchas-
Iers at the public sales, in their right
of presumption to the extent Of a
quarter section, Of leo acres Of land.
The remainder may then be disposed
of at public orentered at private sale
| in unlimited quantities.
Speculation has of late years pre-
vailed to great extent in the pub
!, lie lands. The consequence has
been that large portions OF them
have become the property Of indisid-
uals and companies, and thus the
price is greatly enhanced to those
who desire to purchase for actual
settlement. In order to limit the
area Of speculation as much as pos
sibie, the extinction of the Indian
title and the extension Of the public
surveys ought only TO keep place
with the tide of emigration. -
Ii Congress should hereafter grant
alternate sections to State compa-
MES, as they have done heretofore,
! recommend that the intermediate
sections retained by the government
should be subject to presumption by
act nal settlers,
1t ought ever to be our cardinal
policy to reserve the public lands
as much as may be for actual settlers,
and this at moderate prices. We
shall thus not Gully best promote the
prosperity of The new States and
Territories, and the power Of the
! Union, but shall. secure homes for
oursposterity for many generations.
The extension of our. limits has
brought within our jurisdiction many
additional and populous tribes Of
Indians, large portion which are
wild, nntractable, and difficult to
control. Predatory and warlike in
their disposition and habits,it is i'm
possible altogether to restrain them
from committing aggressions on each
other, rs well as upon our frontier
citizens and these emigrating to our
distant States and Territories
Hence expensive military expedi-
tions are frequently necessary to
overawe and chastise the more lawless
and hostile.
The present system Of making
them valuable presents, TO influence
them 10 remain at peace. has proved
Intellectual, 1t is believed to be the
better policy to COLOMBO them in
suitable localities, where they can
receive the rudimcnts of education
aud be gradually induced to adopt
habits Of industry. So far as exper.
iment has been tried, it has worked
we'll in practice, aud it will doubtless
prove to be less expensive than the
present system.
The whole number Of Indians in
our territorial limits is believed to be
from the best data in the Interior
department about $4,000.
The tribes OF Cherokees, Choc-
taws, Chickasaws, aud Creeks settled
in the territories set apart for them
west Of Arkansas, are rapidly adj
vancing in education and all the
arts of civilization ana selfgovern-
ment; and we may indulge the
agreeable anticipation that at no
very distant day they will be incor-
porated into the Union as one of
the sovereign States.