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Gerrit Smith

Gerrit Smith image
Parent Issue
Day
25
Month
September
Year
1847
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The more this gentlemnn's fcelings and views comes befare the public, the more fully ever}' unprejudiced uiind must be convinced t ba the is at heart one ofnature's nob'emen. Ilis wisdoui, discretion and consistency on every occasion, however, may stül be open for canvass. In replying to some assartions in an Albany paper, Mr. Smith siys: "I see tha! you inform your readers, thnt I "threaten my tenants with hnrassing litigntion if they refuse to pay laxes." Doubtless you have so heard; and I feel no unkindness toward you for believing it. Nevertheless, what-vou have heard is utterly uutrue. My invariable rule is, to forgive the man the debt, who owes me a few dollars, and is too poor to pay il: - and in the case of the man who owes me a few dollars, and is able to pay it and will not, to retain it asa just claim ngainst him, but never to enfurce it by law. Your representaron tfrat 1 am a great land-holder, is but too true. Notwilhstanding, [ think it somewhat to my credit, that, having fuund myself after my lather's death, the owner of from threefourths of a million to ajnillion of acres of land, I have, n ways, the suitableness of which each peison must judge of for bimself, disposed of it so rapidly, that 1 hope to enter on the coming year, the owner of less tlian fifty thousand acres. Much of these rifty thousand acres nre too poor to give awav to poor men; and I am unwilling to make gifts to rich men. Paradoxical as it mny nppear to you, tliat I, wlio have held so much land, slmuld cherish sucha hope - nevertheless it is true, thnt one of my warmest hopes is, that an age will come, when lra(üc in land will be no more practiceJ than traffic in air or water."

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News