New-York tribune., 1869-06-26

road known as the BOrder Tier Road" fought the b Dy
senator's whose ideas OF economy adverse TO any
purchase the failed after a three months de
ermined siege On the refusal OF the United states 10
act the settlers they had permitted TO ntrude upon
lands all right interfere in their favor againstth juss
rights OF the Cherokees debarred.
Various offers were then made 6y seEeTa @ companes
he agreeing 70 pay the Cherokee Nation o. per acre.
si0OOOOO and, in addition an expenses incurred IN
survey appralsement, &c. This was approved by Nj.
Browning and President Johnson but questions as 70
the power TO sell were still entertained the agreement
Fremont represented the Southwest Branch Missouri
Pacific Railroad. and these negotiations were made oe
BY its terms the settlers as under the treaty.
to have the land at the appraised price Manest
lust although this treaty was 10 defeated IN the
Senate by rival railroad interests who would not Did
that much for It, but hoped TO get 1t for less from COM
on the failure steps were taken for the immediate ap-
pTaeehs e ana sale protest was nled WITH t1e seere
for less than had been offered for it, namely 81 25 per
over all expenses. He gave assurances that ~
would not be sold for less and probably not sold in
The apprasement progressed Meantime the Secretary
Drowning, without advertising or giving notice. and in
defiance Of the protest In October 1867 sold the land TO
j. f. JOY in the interest Oh certain railroads for u per
stll dc ultes in the way. BY the 18th Article
OF the Treaty. with the amendatory clause the Secre-
tary only had the right TO lsel all the lands. ceded
in Kansas in body Along the southern sou % boundary OF
dred miles long, including nearly sOOOOO acres more
This the purchasers dd not mean 70 ahs, @ lH9
Connecticut company stu clamoIed as purenases s
further the clause forbddng credit stared them IN the
delegation Ia Washington trying 10 get tne piece OF .s
land OF 96o which the Treaty OF 1866 made tnem
agree to sell To induce them grant such terms as the
recent purchaser desired tc0 treaties were made ono
by which Mr.. Joy TO get the Neutral Lands on the
same the Connecticut Company, which former
purchaser was recognized aho cOhsoHualeu. Ing
had been appraised ut an aggregate OF u 90
sacrifice OF several hundred THOUSAND dollars BY the
second treaty the neutral lands be taken by the
Government rather the proceeds OF them from JOY
and the Government was TO pay the Cherokees the
original 100000 with interest which would be sl4Oo 600
pio Of he
Government ought to have the disposal OF them as t
pleased By the second treaty also the lands west OF
$50 including from 900 TO 100000 acres, OF it
valuable and some of 1t poor were bought outright at
Soo@O w. Ethsr IN % socoSd trsay Roth were ere sd b
Commissioners Secretary and Andy johnson, and sent
to the Senate The JOY treaty ratified once,
and the other was postponed" All last Winter the dele
gates vainy tried to get attention to the second part OF
this cunning bargain No beng interested IN 1t, it
sckened The very officials who had signed it refused to
recommend its prompt passage more clever piece o,
sanction Even the Indian Office Outdd itself in this
shabby trick.
Then the latter part Of this little piece OF maneu-
yerng. When the lands appraised those who were
prove that they occupied at the date of tho
treaty had the privilege OF paying for them at the APP
praised price They, however, unwilling TO do so
IN many cases They still hoped that Government would
buy It, and that they could get 1t at 81 20 per acre. ana
insisted considering II public land, and de-
manded that they should get it homesteads The Gov
ernment could in all probability, better afford to buy
than do what ii did; but alas it sold already An
drew Johnson had patented 2OOOO acres OF IT 10 JOY
Under his wretched government his Secretary elected to
sell it corporation rather than the settlers and
Government TO mindful Of the interests Of the people)s
but in doing 50 deluded and cheated his wards.
Many of the settlers the neutral lands worthy
persons Those who since the date OF the treaty
had idea their ella inns would be so ignored 10 Is true
that all the settlers and early had right there in
law. 1t is scarcely probable that many OF them were
ignorant OF the condonpf the lands when they went on
them. Frem my observation should judge that
they had rather vague idea that their numbers would
compel the Government TO do something for them Secret
societies formed or had existed from the first as
claim leagues An appeal was made TO public sympathy
Those who had right buy OF the Cherokee nation.
demanded time, and that without interest Nothing
could be clearer than that the Government had honor
fully execute the treaty The land they had refused to
buy and Mr. Joy had acquired legal right to IT, from
which he could only be dpossessed at risk by the Gov
ernnent of all losses occurring to him, compared 70
which the price they could have originally bought them
When Joys agents offered his land for sale there
terrible clamor The old administration had gone 99s
Cabinet might think OF the bargain, there was some
influential parties still led the settlers hope that Con-
gress might stl be induced 10 break the JOY odrRaD'
and buy It, and give 1t to them. Hopeless as ths APP
| peared Is evident that the violence nat has ehsued
WAS chiefly caused by a determination 10 force the
Government action. That this at the bottom OK
There are grave questions lying behind all this There
the question If 1t be wise TO place the domain no
matter who it, covered by these United States, in
the hands of great corporations Railroads are very
e OI be 'I9 land Of these giant mopopoes Wh1S
shall think then of the statesmanshp seduced into
or beguled by IL. But there may be small land specu
ators well great Petty dealers IN inchoae titles
who from tract TO tract OF the public lands build
rude 1Ox12 shantes on them, and wait IN them Ike
spider in his web TO catch purchaser They may have
sold in their time from two claims" to twenty:
improve It, II there is reserved tract OF land not here
tofore open, an Indian reserve likely to be opened
they rush on it, often the shrewdest OF them hold
many claims at time. on theseyery Neutral Lands"
there existed bands, or " secret land leagues THAI
allowed man TO hold two claims "a prairie and
timber Oneand deal In many more he could buy
and pay for A dozen men could thus in community
and hold all the valuable land, and quiet indus
trous settler had to buy OF them, or have his house
burned about his ears If he ventured to jump Had
been public lands neither law, equity or the Dess
interests of the community could sanction this These
organizations elected the local officers Probably they
were in a minority but they had organizations
When Joy attempted TO assert the right OF his purchase
he encountered these. When quiet settlers were willing
TO buy OF him, and thus get ute ana eD1 tnelT u-
cues, these secret organizations said they should not
Men who ventured 10 dc SO were driven from their
homes and IN two cases put TO death Ihen pub
lie sympathy turned against the settlers.
The number OF settlers on these Neutral Lands has
generally been exaggerated Some 200 occupants at the
date the treaty proved up A year ago there was as
least many more families To-day therels Ikeiy thIss
times many. II there were hve 10 family that would
give 1900 souls but IN community where there ara
many young squatters that estimate Is too large
Onethrd Of these have gone ON since the land was ap
praised. They have all gone these lands when there
was plenty pnblc lands in the State TO be had for
homesteads The OF this was doubtless the IDEA
that because IL surrounded by occupied country or
for other reasons, the naked soil had greater yaue
which, by occupancy, weuld thus inure TO them .
This is not the first and 1t will be surely not the last OF
these occupations Of lands already decided by the Gov
ernment In all probability when there are no Indian
lands to seize railroad lands will be jumped on as the
unOccuped lands OF private speculatorS ana secret
leagues formed make good the possession Jhese mat
tiers are worthy the early and grave attention OF the
Government IL there an evil III land speculation, let
who dveo6 new territories are worthy Of the fostering
care of Government Tney should never De IeI as prey
TO mercess speculaors but let us hrst carefully and
honestly examine what are their real claims 20 sympa
thy and remember that must be Just before we arc
generous great nation can never AFFORD 10 oess her
poor suuatters but never for moment it afford
to 20 back Of It's word render It's deeds and
parchments scott and bywOrd
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UNwIsE CHAMPIONS.
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