, 1866-10-14


Nj. Harian, OF Iowa, lately Seeretary OF
the Interior, and now United States Senator,
has always borne character for strict inter-
rity, and the public has been both surprised
and batned at the rumorB which have freely
circulated for some time past, that he Ind
Government and not creditable to himself.
A letter from the Attorney General to the
5pes psssE1t Sston2 Sssts.sf & 4hs the esa;s
Cherokees. ID trust, Certain nusuryeyed
lands in kansas, and authorized thelr sur
vey and sale as public lands. The body Of
the act orders the Secretary Of tho Interior
time to time, as such surveys and np-
p.afsments. are approved By him, amer
due advertisement for scaled bids, to sell
such lands to the highest bidder for cash, In
SIXTY aeres, aud at not less than TIC apprais:
ed va1ue''-giylng to actual settlers tho usual
opportunlniiy to buy At the appraised rateA-
But IN n section added to the bill before It
was passed, the Secretary was authorized to
sell the whole body Of land "to any reapon-
thau Que dollar per acre"
This psoviso, which permitted 50 cnormons
q body Of valuable land a. eight hundred
thousand ncres TO fall into the hands of a
single gentleman OF company, ID contrary to
TseS sas rniea ap he 81 apos 1s pfs
ruhlse lands. It waa contrary to the
plain intention Of the original bill
which admitted Of sales only ii guam
titles OF one hundred and sixty
acres or less To give up the public lands IN
fall into the hands Of a few owners Of enor-
NOUS tracts, has been found so injurious
policy In States which, like Texas, suffer
from the evil results Of Ii, that 1t would. per-
hsps, be difficult to find any public man Of
character TO defend It.
tosney General, that Mr, Harlan did not even
attend to The statute. That authorized
sale after survey; he sold be-
fore surrey. That authorized = sale
We do not see wlLat cscnse he can offer for
violating the letter af thu lA~ ii such case.
He Is a Western mal., ~Li: knows, ty the ex-
petlence Of his own State, the Injury which
Is done to community By the ownership Of
a vast body Of fvalnablc land By non.resldcnts.
] d sale Of eight hundred thousand acres to Il
single company or man: aud tue Secretary, Is
! the custodian Of the public interests, ought
! TO hare Insisted most strenuously on the let
| ter Of tee Law, against oil such applicants As
de''5ed red t. by tie whols T. one Parcel We
pRP:ey pePpsss Of that sat arc rte tes
may hare designed great col
ony-but In that case they could easily hare
entered and purchascd for each member q
plot Of one hundred and sixty acres, and
thus hare properly acquired sufficient
amount Of land.
We hope Mr., Harlan will be able to e1-
plain his share Of the transaction In such a
n amer Is to preserve his own character for
integrity md wAtchfulnees over the public
interests. But We take this occasion once
/ more 10 urge 4 thorough inSestfgatfou OF
the affairs Of the Indian Bureau. There Il
reason to believe that that Bureau
has been so corrpptiy managed for
could know of but q small part Of II.
secrets, q storm Of Indignation would be
| raised. Every objection which hr. John.
son made to Tue continuance beyond next
year Of the Freedtnen,s Bureau, sppiiea
l: has become, in thu course q years, the
eeat Of enormous eorsnrtlon, The fruitful
Government. Justice to the Indians and
economical government require thorough
investigation OF Its affairs, which NE hare
for several years rainly demanded.