The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1875-02-26
A GRAND LAND SCHEME,
shreveport Tines.l

recorded in the history of the world;
them we call to mind just now,
one in which Queen Elizabeth con-
ferred upon Humphrey Gilbert the
to discover and take posses
sion of heather countries, and to tex
ercise rights, and royalties, and juris-
diction, in such countries and seas adj
joining" That was also very con-
siderable land transactian III which
Pope Alexander vi, parcelcd out the
unknown countries ofthe earth between
Spain and Portugal. But the largest
and coolest land trade we ever heard of
being attempted, was that in which the
Devil, without the shadow of a title to
the property, proposed to sell to its
real owner, the whole of creation.
This job of old Ben Buffers patron, it
is hardly necessary for us to remark,
proved Il dead failure. His agents are
in the market again, however, and are
now putting up a somewhat smaller,
though very considerable job.
We find the whole scope of this last
proposed transaction embodied in Il
letter, written by some carpet-bag thief
in New Orleans, to the Boston Conn
monwealth and reproduce in full, with
tlattering editorial comments, in the
"Thieves' Own" commonly called the
New Orleans Republican,. The scheme
proposed is the colonization of LOUISE
ana, with New England farmers,
through Il system of emigration socic-
ties, such as those which colonized
Kansas. a glowing but accurate ac-
count Of the wonderful fertility Of the
soil of the State, the mildncss and salu-
brity of its climate and the richness
and variety Of its staple products is
given to tempt the New Englanders
and arouse their cupidity. Then, they
are told how the lands of this Eden are
to be obtained for Il nominal price.
The correspondent of the Boston paper
tells the New Englanders that the Louis
lana landholders, with rebellion in their
hearts against ''the best government
under the sum-" and refusing to recog-
nize the beneficent local government,
which General Grant, at the point of
the bayonet, has provided them with
in the persons of w. =. Kellogg and Il
band of white and negro thieves, are
refusing to pay the eXorbitant and ruin
GUS taxes that have been levied upon
their property, and that, consequently,
within 4 few months, over twenty
millions worth of real estate will be
offered for sale to pay taxes on it. No
decent or honorable man in tho State,
they are told, will bid on this property;
consequently there will be little COM
petition and it will be knocked down
for Il very small price. The assurance
is given the New Engl;lnders that the
State and Federal governments Will
protect them fully in the possession of
the property thus obtained, and that
fortune awaits them if they will but
come for it in colonies.
This is the latest, but to us, not an
unexpected development of the recon-
struction policy;the readers of this paper
will remember that time and again we
have warned our people that cOnccS-
siOns to radicalisn would avail nothing,
because their plan was to drive out
from their homes the propertyho !ders
of the South; and that we have adinon-
ished the negroes that this scheme Of
plumber was not for their benefit; that
they were the itiiotic tools III the hands
Of the carpct-baggers; that the property
holders We're to be ruined by bad gov
eminent and taxation, their property
sold out for taxes and bought up by
just such rings as this correspondent Of
the Boston Commonwealth appeals to
in the guiSc of cmigrant aid societies.
The proposal of this scheme is, how
ever, chiefly significant as showing: that
the policy of reconstruction is reaching
its highest and final development. II
is part and parcel of the third term
movement, or plan for Il dictatorship.
If the latter is successful, very likely
this raid upon the land owners Of Lou
islam, will also be.
But our opinion is that the Now
England farmers who come out TO colo
nize Louisiana under this system, like
those who colonizcu Kansas, Will have
more need of Sharp'S rifles than OF
money to pay tor their tux titles.
When that time comes the rifles will
very likely settle the posscssorship of
the land more certainly than receipts.
mortgages and recorded titles. We
presume that Sir Humphrey Gilbert,
in the absence of sheri1s and recorders,
found no difficulty i'll pcr!rcting his
titles to the lands of the hclthcns, aud
that Cortcz in Mexico, and pizarro, in
Peru, troubled themselves very little
about title deeds from tho AZtocS, or
tho Children OF the sun. Trur, the
banditti, rs Phil Sheridan calls them,
or the rutlians, as the Republican calls
them, of Louisiana, might not be As
easily plundered of their property as
the tribes with whom the worthless we
have spoken of had to dcal-stili the