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AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
expectation filled up-Regular Troops except on the line of De- marcation will be unnecessary- The Citizen, will then feel himself, bound to answer the call of Government, to remove unauthorized Settlers, the banks of the Mississippi secur'd from bo.nditti, the Treasury of the United States replenish'd by the sale of. Lands-the Lead Mines, the riches of which are but imperfectly known will furnish an abundant supply for the United States and yeald an increase, to the Public Chest, which no common Calculation cnn reach-Such I am confident will be the system founded on the principal I have pointed ou~But should the contrary [be] adopted, should the destroying System, prevail and the government attempt to depopulate the Western banks of the Mi~sissippi as has been declar'd by Govr· Wilkinson, was the object of the Executive, the United States will have cause_ to regret, the moment they became possessd of Louisiana, such a project can never be effected but with immense expence and trouble and after all the exertions of the Government would prove abortive-- Louisiana under such a system would become a Nest of Robbers and the outcasts from all Governments, would seek an Assylum in this extensive Wilderness, and in a short time, the energy of Gov- ernment, would be unequal to controul them, the Navigation. of ·the Mississippi would become more dangerous than to Traverse the wilds of Arabia- In addition to what has been observ'd respecting claims I ought to have Noticed the situation of the Inhabitants of the French villages. It [is] a fact well known, that, these people have regarded the Title to Land, of little consequence, and that the Spanish Gov- ernment, su:ffer'd them to Cultivate such Lands as they thought proper and that any piece of ground inclos'd by an inhabitant or occupyed as a Sugar camp, has been consider'd as the legal right of such Inhabitant, and when such piece of Ground or Improvement, has been taken by Execution, the Validity of the Sheriffs sale has always been considered us indisputable. It is also proper to observe, that those Villagers commonly Culti- va.ted Lands, a little distance from the Village, which Lands, are not immediately attach'd to thier Dwellings, and therefore cannot be considered as coming within the second Section ·of the Law of Congress, I therefore think a Special Law of Congress, ought to be made securing to the Villagers such Lands, as they have been in the custom of Improving and also all Town Lots, whether they have been built on or not so as they come under the Denomination of Town Lots-
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