SOLON ROBINSON, 1842 339 



and that is our annual fires, which will continue to bring 

 destruction upon us as long as there is such a vast 

 amount of prairie that must and will remain uncultivated 

 until we are willing to adopt a more "benevolent and 

 patriotic" course towards the thousands of emigrants 

 that are constantly passing by because there is no more 

 room. Yes sir, you may place it if you please upon this 

 narrow basis, that alone of "benefitting the poor settler, 

 and I will still advocate the measure. 



Unless some plan is devised to obviate the calamity, 

 the dread one must fall upon the State, of seeing thou- 

 sands of children grow up without the advantage of 

 schools, churches and many other of the benefits of civi- 

 lization. For in the isolated locations and sparse settle- 

 ments these advantages cannot be had. But, allow the 

 land to be tilled without fence, and how soon would 

 neighborhoods fill up and all the other advantages of 

 social life follow. Is not this something "tangible, that 

 can be fairly understood?" Then let the "gauntlet" be 

 taken up, and let the chivalrous knight bring forward 

 facts and arguments that will tend to show that the 

 present plan is better than the proposed one, and that a 

 greater number of human beings enjoy a greater amount 

 of happiness, under the "mauling and hauling system," 

 than they would under the system of universal benevo- 

 lence that would invite every poor man who had nothing 

 but a spade to help himself with, to come and settle along 

 side of us, and plant and eat, and no man's hog should 

 make him afraid. 



There are several other persons whose objections I had 

 intended to notice, but I fear I should be squatting upon 

 too big a claim in your columns, and therefore I will 

 quit mauling for the present. 



Solon Robinson. 



Lake C. H., la., Nov. 7, 1842. 



