Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-03-27

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the editor Of f,he New Orleans Republicsn.
then IN CHS city, aud. who is personally
known 70 soue members Of this House. .
The .Clerk read as follows: ~, 49,.
ut viii, perhaps, be. Of value to yon 10
know something Of the nature and quality
Of the land through which this road runs
On the map you will observe that from
0peIousas the road runs north, bearing
vest to town three south, range one, east
where Il turns to the west. running north
70S west, crossing tho numerous little
streams that from tho Mermentcau and
Calcasieu rivers. The streams rise in q
sandy ridge covered with pine timber, the
land being Of bur little value. But along
the base Of this ridge is a belt Of fertile
land about twenty miles 10 width, through
which the railroad is projected, and al
most all Of il is taken by this grant. As
you descend these streams from this belt
the land becomes fiat with white clay
soil entirely worthless for cultivation. On
the. Calcpsieu river there is some pine tim
Der that Is valuable, but all. the land of
any value has been selected by the State
a. oyeffowed lands. Of the three million
acres of Government lAuds In this State
about nine hundred thousand acres are
heldby this grant, and | think ] can safe.
Is say that there are not one hundred
thousand acres Of Government land ft for
cultivation outside Of this grant The
conGscafion OF the State lands would open
about half million acres OF land to entry
that could be made available for settle
ment for freedmen.
/ III have written particularly In reference
TO the New Orleans, Opelousas, aud Great
Western railroad because the Vicksburg
; and Shreveport railroad. which Is inclu
ded IN the same grant has but an incon.
siderable amount Of good land within lis
hmits Ii sce,nsio me very inconsistent
ior Congress that talked OF eonhscating
plapiatious Tor the bcuch' OF. freedmen TO
{ give away the only available land to a com.
pany Of spectators. under, the ,pretoxt that
northern capitalists are Interested iu il,
"It would, perhaps, be &C no avail for
me TO detail TO you The difficulties attend
ing tho settlement OF ireedmen on homo
s,eads. Many poor people are living on
these New Orleans aud Opelousas railroad
OF the original grant, but being ignorant
Of the course TO pursue 10 secure their
homes they we're thrown out of their pre-
empiion claims. Almost all 6f these peo.
pie have been throughout the war uuion
people, resisting secession aud conscription
often 10 death, flying to the swawps for
protection. aud when cur Army came
through the country eagerly gave valuable
iufwmatl0D, and many Of them joined
the Army. have placed some freedmen
upon those. lapds, supposing that the limi-
tatlon Terminated the grant, aud opeLed
The land for entry. / consulted an aitor-
ney, who gave il NJ his opipion that the
land was subject 10 entry. think Con
gress will not. at least, refuse this act OF
justice TO these people.
"Ihe fact that northern capitalists are
interested ia thc.road is no good reason for
renewing the grant.
III Is the northern capitalist as well as
y she southern planter that the poor freed
man has to contend against now. Under
the present contract system he is 10 a worse
condition, in many instances. than when
in slavery. lie gets fifteen dollars a
month aud one ration Of live pounds OF
4 pork and one peek of meal per week. The
planter sells him the food for his family,
and 1.-THE end of.ths year. the freedman
is in debt. Aud assure you that it is
not. onty tho rebel planter that does this
but also the pretended Republican that
comes here aud reuis the plantation.
Working underthe auspices OF the Bureau
of Refugees. Freedmen, aud Abandoned
Lands, (but without pay | have spent a
years time aud about three thousand
dollars In efforts TO get freedmen upon
J honesteads. | am free to say that the
greatest and most effective opposition that
: have met wi h has esn in part from pro
fessod Union men and those interested,
directly or indirectly, in the planting in
terests, politicians. &c. And when l went
to the editors OF the Republican, suppos.
ing, Of course, that they we're interested
a in the welfare of the freedmen, l discov-
! cred that they were interested in the 0pe-
g lousas railroad speculation and opposed to
: giving the laud to the freedmen, as they
] wished to speculate upon it, Officers Of
I colored regiments would sometimes dis
5 suade their men from going upon home.
stcads aud induce them TO contract with
planters, receiving for each man five dol
= ii~rs. The case is freedmen rs. capital.
Il Mr.. yrLIAS.l Mr.. Speaker, the charac,
ter OF that testimony corroborstes what
said the other S,sy respecting the need Of
homesteads in these regions, sad especially
the need ofopeniug up the lanos aow wties,,"!o
: in the hands Of this rebel corporation, so isst
the landless poor there may be enabled to
acquire homes. In the concluding pass
} age of the paper just read the case is prop
erly presented as that of ';,he freedmen rs.
capitalists" aud hope this Congress will
take the side of, loyal and homeless, POOR
In opposition TO tho capitalist, whether
rebel or loyal, !, and whether in the North
or the South. There are mon in tho North
(and | have confessed II oflen) who bc.
ieye that the almighty dollar" Is the
fonly living and true God, aud who have,
10 fact, as little sympathy with the poor
aud for huusoi;y as the rebel plaoter
himself. stand opposed to both Of these
classes aud on the side Of those who are
struggling in their poverty aud helpless
ness for homes and Independence. "a
i need only add that the editor Of the
New Orlesns Republican, who is referred
TO In the paper just read, informs me that
this road viii be built, whether we renew