The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-03-10
Savery on Harlan.

j. q. Savery, owner OF the Savcry
House at Des Moines, and President
American Emigrant Company of
New York. writes to the New York
Sun, the following statement in vim.
dlcation of Mr.. Harlan, which will
interes. our readers.
SIa: Yesterdays Sun contained a
letter, dated Washington, February
10, headed "Official Robbery" which
reproduces the old scandal of the
"Indlan Ring" about the sale of the
Cherokee Neutral Lands by Sccreta-
ry Harlan to the American Emigrant
Company. Your correspondent
says:
sUn the very last day Of his SER
vice as Secretary he contaminated
two immense land sales, which, in
comparison with the contract that
signalized his first day, arc altogeth.
or worthy Of it.
First-The sale of the Cherokee
Neutral Lands. These comprise
100000 acres of valuable land, in
Southern Kansas, and were wanted,
at a nominal price, by the American
Emigrant Company, 10 which sever
oil of Harlan's Iowa friends were
chief managers"
The statements followiu. this uce-
laration undertake to make two
points-frst, that these lands were
sold ut q mere nominal price," Sec
ond, that Secretary Harlan was in
terested with the purchasers, or re-
ceived a bribe therefore.
The writer hereof, as the Land
Director of the American Emigrant
Company, made the bid and person
ally negotiated the terms and condi-
tions of the sale, and is personally
responsible for this so-called "giyan-
tic swindle." The facts are briefly
these:
Immediately upon the ratification
ofthe treaty | proposed in writing
to take the whole of these lands in q
body, at one dollar per acre, subject
to tho reservations Of the treaty. I
stated openly what the bid was,
which was freely discussed by capit-
alists operating in Western lands,
and, Notwithstanding the sale was
kept open to competition up to the
very day that Secretary Harlan's
resignation took effect, no party
raising the bid.
The fact that the sale was not
closed until the day before such res
ignation lin order to invite further
blds) has been made to appear to the
public that the whole transaction
took place in one day, and that the
day Just preceding his retirement
from Office.
Mr.. Harlan had no interest, direct
or indirect with the purchasers, nor
was any inducement or promise ex.
pressed or implied, or any expecta-
ton intimated by him or expressed
by myself whereby he was to be
personally benefited, in any manner
whatever, by this transaction; nor
has he ever to my knowledge been
benefited by this sales in any way
excepting the favorable effect pro-
duccd by these libels in strengthen
ing public opinion in his own State
as to his immovable integrity.
1.-THE REAL VALUE OF THE CHEROKEE
LANDS, AND THE EXTENT OF THIS
swINDLE.
As q practical business man-noth
ing more, nothing less--a resident Of
tho West, engaged for nearly twenty
years in the purchase and sale o.
Western lands, have to submit The
following statement to business men
of like experience and standing rs tc
the value of these lands, and am will
ing to rest upon their verdict.
At the time this purchase wa'
made, the same amount of lands coulc
have beon purchased, equal in every
respect to these, ut less price, MOI
in tho Indian country, whero these
lands were situated, but in the settle
ments Of the border States of Nilsson
| ri, Iowa, and Nebraska.
The cause which made these landl
more valuable to this company wa
tho very reason that rendered then
less desirable us an investment tt
toher companies or individuals, viz
they werc remote from settlements
and they were purchased with viey
to founding Scandinavian colonies.
Tho fact that this iscompany-whicl
is the only one over organizcdhin thi
country, practically engaged in co
onizing settlers upon its own lands
had such an organization iu Europ
as to enable it to settle these land
rapidly, gave it an advantage POI
sesscd by no other corporation or il
dividuals. it was a wise mcasur
for the Government to open up th
pnblic domain free TO settlers, thel
was at least something OF wisdom
| . n,Io ,,l;nl, oonproS al fha nhinntc ,