The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-03-24
From Harper's New Monthly Magazine.
OUR PUBLIC LANDS.

Three times IN our national history has this
country been nearly ruined by owning too much
land. In the very infancy of our existance, be-
fore the Constitution had Graded us into nation
ahty, the ownership Of the broad, illimitable
acres OF the West was the chief obstacle to un-
ion. The question was, however, settled in a
manner most magnauimous and creditable to
the Owning States that hastened to present
their outlying lands as baptismal gift to the
young confederacy. New York took the lead as
early as 1871, relinqushing all her rights to ter
ritory lying beyond her borders. Virginia fol-
lowed her example in 1884, cedlng the great
Northwestern territory. Massachusetts, relin-
quished her claims in 1885. and Connecticut in
the subsequent year. The modern States Of
Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama have oil
been carved out OF lands ceded by the two Car
oliAas and Georgia. And thus the first danger
to the nascent commonwealth passed away.
Thirty years later when the thirteen original
states had converted their wild lands into arabic
farms. and when their crowded population was
spllling over into the adjacent territories, new
difficulty arose in the form Of government TO be
public lands be slave or free was the great poiit
ical question Of the beginning OF this century.
The Missouri Compromise, soothing the nation
al conscience into quiet settled the question
for one generation. But before the nineteenth
century had half rolled away it was found that
I'll governmental character OF our dawning
States needed another change After bitter
|
ter sovereignty ruled IN our national councils
and the compromise was repealed. Our third
and lastdangerfrom owning too much territory
thus disappeared below the national horizon.
! Since that day the questions that once agltated
! the political mind of the natien concerning our
public lands have been settled by an appeal to
the stern arbitrament OF war. And now these
lands arc passing too rapidly into private pos
session ever to be likely to evolve another quar-
rel. Every settlement under the pre-emption
or homestead laws, and every railroad grant, s
an argument in favor OF peace. BY the defni-
tive treaty of peace wth England in 1888 our
western boundry was fixed at the middle of the
Mississippi. Freedom found us in the posses
sion OF two hundred and twenty-sx million
acres OF uninhablted land belonging 10 the
states in severalty, aud not to the confederacy.
Tho colonial charters given by crowned heads,
''Who never said foolish thing,
Nor ever did wise one"
had made the Pacific the western boundary OF
colonies lying on the Charles or the Merrimac
In some instances the boundaries OF the differ
ent colonies overlapped each other, and thus
threw the same territory within different State
llmits.* Conflicting colonial sovereigntles HIM
dered the organization of an effective system OF
Western migration, just as the claims Of rival
nationalites to our Western prairies had pre-
viously plunged the civilized world into war.
The English charters gave to each colony the
coast line Of the Atlantic and it's northern and
southern limits; westward it extended to the
ocean. The French charters on the other hand
bounded their colonies on the St. Lawrence,
and allowed them to run southwark to the Gulf
of Mexico. In 1853 these conflicting theories
met in open contest on the banks of the Ohio.
The English emigrant, slowly moving west
ward, found himself hemmed in by the French
emigre slowly moving southwark. Lieutenant
Governor Dinwiddle, of Virginia, sent young
engineer Of grave demeanor, but OF somewhat
more than ordinary promise, named George
Washington, as his representative, to demand
that the French should retire to their northern
fastnesses. But the young ambassador failed
70 convince the subject OF King Louis that il
was his duty to respect the charter Of King
George. The French troops took possession OF
| the rich valley of the Ohio and young AmencS
rallied to drive them out And here it was be
fore small fort Of Western Pennsylvania. nov
the city of Plttsburg, where thousand-armeC
Industry hammers out the mightlest works o
the forge, that George Washington fired the
first shot Of war destined to last over half s
century; which was to roll over all OF his owl
country, and desolate nearly all OF Europe
which was to elevate the colonies into national
, ity, and to take away their american possession
from both France and England; and was onl.
to leave fame and greatness for that young en-
gineer who fred the first shot. After the return
Of peace to this country the several states cadeC
to the confederaey their title to the lands lylni
without their boundaries; and then tie younl
nation rapidly began to expand Its borders
BY the treaty with France in 1903, whereby w
acquired one million square miles OF territory
on which we have since founded ten States, tw'
Territories, and portions OF two more states
by the treaty Of 1919 with Spain, whereby W
obtained Florida OF 1876, when Texas entereC
the nion retaining, however, the title to he
own lands: OF 18iS and 1858 with Mexico, whel
we received the auriIerous grants Of California
y New Mexico, [ tab, Nevada, and Montana; al
e Of 1867 with Russia, that gave us snow-boun
i Alaska-we increased our public lands seven
: fold, adding over one thousand six hundre
! millions OF acres TO the national territory. w
thus became lords of 1884, ,99S, ,i00 acres Of land
domain sufficiently capacious to be carved nj
into twenty-four countries each Of the size o
England, Ireland. scotland, and Wales com
bined; capable Of supporting population o
seven hundred and twenty millions of people
the average density OF Great Britain, or NOR
than half the population now living on the globe
- tho