Please read my post #126 above to learn how it is that 28% of all US territory belongs to the Federal Government.
The answer is, the Federal Government owned this land from the beginning -- i.e., Louisiana Purchase, Mexican War, etc.
That land was Federal land before there was a territory, or even Americans there, much less a state.
So the Federal Government did not "lay claim" to land which previously belonged to states.
Rather, the Federal Government granted some of its lands to form territories and eventually states.
So, I'll ask again: what law, principle or prior practice requires the Federal Government to sell off, or give away, all of its property?
As for possible Federal seizures of private property (i.e., for roads or military purposes), I'm certain that all laws applying to eminent domain and just compensation apply to Federal as well as state and local governments.
If you can cite examples where the Feds have seized private property without just compensation, then I certainly agree that is overstepping its limits.
Indeed, I'm pretty sure that many environmental regulations amount to unlawful takings without just compensation -- just the kinds of things states should oppose and courts should be striking down.
The original 13 States existed before the federal government. Texas was an independent republic before it joined the Union, through the efforts of it's citizens, not the US Government. Supposedly the States that came from purchased US territory entered the Union as sovereign States, with all the Constitutional protection of the original 13. You seem to be under the impression the States were created by the national government, not the other way around.
Under the "Tyrant Lincoln" (at least according to the Lost Causers who infect this site like freak'n Bed Bugs with their non historical nonsense) the Federal government ceded million of acres owned through both the Homestead Act (which the Slave Power opposed for 20+ years) and then the Land Grant College Act, which ended up with more millions of more acres sold off and the proceeds used to establish most of the schools that are now called 'Something or Another State University.'
Without the sale of Federal Lands, those schools would have never been created.
The Feds still own way too much land, and perhaps it is time to sell the rest off to pay off this horrendous debt we have. My only concern is the the Chinese might be the only people able to afford it. ;~((