St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1860-10-25

lwisAds~al aon narhs, 81 Is, pubi,
nd1t1 tn SoasD ~ aaaysssissa . B,
-; Md TT 1ilh u ndls - -
1eaalsl lGesvstl alisiss snd s;rSpul
Ise1ns0 e ~ iassps q sAoSsAss, astlls.i
f4 ~ aaveEkipsd Lands vh vill n
nslk ss1ioss1 a1satea siy'lhe IL, s,e ri
not oDr,setly undesstood By the Govern
fnsat II Offering the kinds u this time:
/ 4 am aware that certain Of the Ppblik
Lands within the State, were last yer "a.
tyestioed fer-sals, and that. the sales-xera
Afterwards Withdrawn by the Prssident.-
! That AcE which / be6eve % have b>ensol
tound discretion, ~ ven ID aiberal policy,
Wa, I conceive based upon these and other
considerations: that at. that time the set-
Tiers were almost wholly unable to pay for
their ,lanSs at even the minimum price ;
that the time Wa unpropitious forsthe sale
of any property, particularly at the West,
and yet more 20 Of Western lands; that
the result Of sale would be to place part
OF the NOR, valusble lands in the hands If
speculators With money, aud to open the
reat to private en'ry, whereupon the rest
would b Rr,srcd, mostly also by specula-
to,s with land warrants; that while the re-
suit would thus be ruin 70 many individu-
ais and families, bringing want and misery
upon helpless women aud children, and {.
most severe blow At tia; prosperity Of =
young State. already struggling with many
burdens Of debt and onerous taxation, it
would be Of small advantage TO che Gener-
Al Government 20 measure Of revenue,
and would even in thar regard, be in,poli-
tic, 40 in effect opening to entry 1T the
minimum price and in military; warrants,
some Of the finest aud most valuable lands
yet belonging to the United States. .1..:.~
Undoubtedly it was anticipated at TINT
time by many here and elsewhere, that
those reasons would cease to Lave force in
atwelvemonth i; and presume the Govern
,uen: supposes the anticipation Of last year
is uow actually realized -: r.rt'.@>>' -
am compelled in truth to assure you
that such is not the fact. The past year
has indeed greatly improved the condition
IT the agricultural population Of some of
the older settled counties, but it il to he
remembered that last year was the first
year Of importation Of any considerable ex-
tent from Minnesota, and though scme Of
those Who would have been affected bv
the sale Of the lands, were undoubtedly
producers Of a small surplus yet the great
majority were lately settled: upon their
claims, aud in consequence were without
.uy marketable crop u sell. .,: liz, H.
/: ~ true that the crops Of the present
season have been far more extensive than
II the last year, and boun.itul, by Heav-
ems blessing beyond our most sanguine
hopes but they are, as yet, scarcely har-
vested, and a yo'' are aware our facilities
Tor reaching the market with them, are
confined to the Mississippi River and its
Havigable tributaries. This fact alone
demonstrates that the surplus Of produc.
lions u 1859. are, except in compare
lively insignificant degree, unavailable as
means Of income to the producers before
the next year. And. may say further,
that the exception just made, relates to the
regions near the navixable rivers. particu-
iarly the Mississippi below this point, aud
that those regions were, on account o. that
very circumstance. among the first settled
portions Of the State, and leust affected by
bringing the lands into market. i. ',:':t',
: l have no doubt, and I speak herein not
without knowledge, that many whose crops,
just harvested, would he sufficient to paw
tor their claims if they could but be made
available, will lose the land they have till
ed, and their. Improvements of years, if the
sales be permitted to take place as adver-
tired: l know that many are driving their
stock cattle, even their working oxen, and
their horses, from their tarms, and selling
them for mere fraction IF their value, for
the purpose Of saving the land they occupy
and the appurtenances their labor has
erected upon it. I know that many more
are unable even by these and I'LL other sac
riices to raise the money for their pre-
emrtions, and that nothing remains further
out to surrender their all to any specula-
tor who will venture to bid for it. or who
has land warrant with which to secure it
by private entry. ' ~" 81 " -
/ have no hesitation, therefore, in saying
that tho same considerations exist to-day,
and with equal or perhaps greater force,
tOS p0etpOheueut VI Tie safes, tOaC we're
properly so efficient in inducing your with
drawal Of the land at that time. I earn
estly hope that you will, while the causes
remain the same, renew, or rather continue
the liberal policy which before gave such
satisfa ton 49,. e the people Of the whole
country 49,, ','.,'., ': .., a.. ~ - =
Il is worthy Of, consideration, also, that
besides the deeolation of families, and the
misery and suffering to the wives and chill
dren #. the settlers, which an i'nn'edi4,e
sale will occasion, large portion Of the
settlers are Of foreign birth, unable. frvm
ignorance Of our Language and laws, to
know how To- act properly and for their
interests in an emergency Of this kind =
81 F....ho. AhnA e .,,a., Ia II .na.na &c