The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1870-12-14

OF Congress reducing the army,
renders army Ulcers Ineligible for
civil positions. Indian agencies,
being civil Offices, determined to
give all the agencies to such reli>
gious denominations as had estab.
IlisI,ed missionaries among the In.
dians, and perhaps, to some other
denominations, who woulL under
take the work on the same terms /;
that is as d missionary work. The
society selected are allowed to
namo their own agents, subject
to the approval of the executive,
and are expected to watch over
them, and aid them rs missionaries,
to christianize, and civil,ze the In
dian, and to train him in arts of
peace. The Government watches
over the official acts of these agents,
and requires of them as strict an
accoun, ability as if they were ap
pointed in any other manner. I
entertain the confident hope, that
the policy now pursued will, in a
few years, bring all the Indians
upon reservations, where they will
live in houses, and have school
houses, and churches, and will be
pursuing peaceful and self sustain.
ing avocations, and where they
may be visited by the law-abiding
white man, with the same impuni,
ty that he now visits the civilized
white settlements. l call your spe
cial attention to the report Of the
Commissioners of Indian Affairs,
for full information on this subject.
During the last fiscal year, $685.
Alb acres of public lands were
disposed of. Of this quantity, s..
69S,915 acres were taken under
the homestead law, and 2,159,515
acres sold for cash. The remain
der was located with military war
rants, college, or Indian scrip, or
applied in satisfaction of grants of
railroads, or for other public uses.
The entries under the homestead
law during the last year, covered
96l ,545 acres more than during
the preceding year. Surveys have
been vigorously prosecuted to the
full extent OF the means applica-
ble to the purpose. The quantity
of land in market will amply sup.
ply the present demand. Tie
claim Of the settler under the home
stead, or the pre-omption laws,
is not, however, limited to land
subject to sale at private entry:
any appropriated surveyed public
land may, to limited amount, be
acquired under the former laws if
the party entitled to enter under
them will comply with the require.
ments they prescribe in regard to
the residence and cultivation
The actual settlers preference, in
the right of purchase, is even
broader, and extends to lands
which were unsurveyed at the
time of his sediment; his rights
were formerly confined within
much narrow limits, and at one
period of our history, were con-
frmed only by special statutes.-
They were enacted from time to
time to legalize what was then re-
garded rs an unauthorized intru-
sion upon the national domain.-
The opinion, that the public lands
should be regarded chiefly as a
source of revenue, is no longer
maintained. The rapid settlement,
and the successful cultivation of
them, is now justly considered OF
more Importance to our we'll being,
than j. he fund which the sale of
them would produce. The remark.
able growth and prosperity of our
new States and Territories attest
the wisdom of the Legislation which
invites the tiller of the soil to Sc
cnre a permanent home, on terms
within tie reach of all. The pio-
neer who incurs the dangers and
privatiOns of frontier life, and
thus aids in laying the founda-
ton of new commonwealth,
renders signal service to his
country, and is entitled to it's
special favor and protection
These laws secure that object, and
largely promote the general well
fare They should, there, fore, be
cherised as permanent future of
our land system. Good faith re-
quires us to give full effect to ex-
isting grants. The time honored
and beneficent policy, of setting
apart certain portions Of public
lands for educational purposes, in
the new States, should be continu-
ed. When ample provision shall
have been made for these objects,
| submit, as a question worthy of
serious consideration, whether the
residue of our national domain
should not be wholly disposed Of
under the provisions Of the home
l.