Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-05-28


A Chicago lawyer has been lecturiug on
Abstracts Of Titles" and, after tracing land
title TO the United States, remarks that 4" we
are usually satisfied with these sources, but,
If we demand complete chain, we should
have the proclamation Of discovery, the
grant Of the king and council, the treaty Of
peace, &C." A correspondent of the Ohica-
60 Tribune very appropriately suggests that
il would be we'll for the legal gentleman 10
inform us what title the king and council
had to the land. Hc says The fact is,
our titles, If we 60 behind Uncle Sam. will
not bear a logical examination" which is
true but then he goes on to reason that the
government should not give clear title to
public lands. He says;
"The title Of the Indians has never been
recognized as anything but possessory title.
So far, so good. That is all the title they
had. The more serious question is, whether
the government, having induced or hired the
Indians TO vacate, and in some cases having
used strong persuasive means for that pur-
pose, has itself any right in the land, except
as guardian or trustee for the people who
should occupy aud improve it, under such
general regulations as congress should pro-
vide"
The question is at present in allegiance,
but the time will come when the country is
more densely populated, when the right Of
any man to hold thousands of acres Of unoc-
cupied land, while hundreds Of poor families
are ready to occupy and cultivate it, will be
very seriously questioned"
Unless the writer Of this quotation takes
the Communist stand that it is crime TO
hold property, it looks to us that his argu-
ment stands on a pretty small foundation
In the first place title given by the United
States Is recognized not only by our laws
but by those of all other nations, so that
nothing-not even war and conquest-cau
invalidate it; so not only can there be nc
better title possible, but nobody wants bet
ter. The objection that we cannot trace the
title to land back to Adam, or even to Noah
and his family, is good deal like the tray
eler's criticism of log hut in which no took
refuge during thunder shower. The occu.
pant professed to be perfectly satisfied with
his dwelling, at which the traveller surprised
ly exclaimed, "What satisfied with thi
little room Why, there isn't room Il
swing cat in it," The answer was a set
ter "Well, nobody wants to swing cat il
it."
In view of the fact that the right to owl
property is conceded and defended in thi
country, and that as the government repre-
sents the people those who have bought gov
eminent land have once paid the people
price for it, coupled with the other fact that
there are still unlimited quantities of equal,
fertile land to be had for nominal prices, W
don't think " the right to hold thousands o
acres of unoccupied land while hundreds o
poor families are ready to occupy and cult
vate it, will be very seriously questioned
by persons Of average mental caliber. Tn
; time when the country will be more densel
populated than are the countries of Europ
is so far in the future that the Tribune
correspondent must have very exalte
opinion Of his own power if he thinks any
> thing he can say in this nineteenth ceutur,
of the Christian era will be remembers
3 then. We didn't suppose there was geuiu
in America who hadn't 4 more magni6e
: idea Of the extent Of " this bounteous birth
land of the Free than to presume to peer $
= far into the future as to see the coming ma
jOstliug his neighbours elbows for want
c room.