Du Buque visitor. [volume] (Dubuque, Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1836-1837, 1837-01-11

Ol0Cs OF UaS ulGiI OSSu PAASS nOAsSsAt Il
hat possesses the same local advanta-
Is necessary for seat of government
5 the town Of Du Buque? Situated on
he bank Of the father Of water in the
cry centre Of the population Of the
erritory, with salubrious climate,
critic soil, mineral wealth, an abun-
lance Of every thing necessary for the
Of buildings, and Of easy
at all times, from all parts
If the territory. Place the seat Of 60,
at Dl Buque, and hesitatev
not to assert, that all our contemplated
improvements will be commenced and
ten years at least sooner than
they will be il this bill passesin it's pre-
sent shape. Make Du Buque, sir, the
capital Of your territory, and an impe-
tus is at once given to the removal Of
the distractions to navigation at the ra-
pids Of the Mississippi, direct COM
munication withthe seat Of government
and Green Bay by the Fox and Wis
consin rivers will soon be opened, and
the grand connecting link vi the was
tiers Of the Mississippi and Lake Mich.
igan may be soon looked Tor. 1t will
do more to unite the interest 9! east and
west Wisconsin; ((ss gentlemen call the
Country east and west Of the M'sslsslP-
,pi river) than any other measure which
they can produce. On the other mana ,
sir, place the seat Of government at
Madison, and what, ] ask, have you
got? whatsingle advantage will the ter
ritory gain by that act? It's true, SIR,
commissioners may lay out 20 or %
thousand dollars in erectingpublic bull
dings, the legislature may meet there,
but when that is done, it isall, the bull
dings will be deserted and the grass and
weeds grow rank on your streets; there
is no inducement for commerce or the
arts TO settle there, still less for the a.
griculturalist, as the land fit for agricul-
ture is all now in the hands of few
spectators; and the poor farmer will
not pay ten or twenty dollars per a
ere for land there, when he can get
much better for dollar and twenty
five cents, and the rich man will not
live there.
Sir, the gentleman from Iowa has
said much in favor Of this place Madi-
son, he has referred'us tothe governors
message, and tells us that the governor
recommends the clearing out Of the OBJ
structions Of Rock River. l go as far
as the gentleman from Iowa, or any o.
ther, for the improvement Of our ma
vigable streams; l envy them not the
advantage of Rock River, but on the
contrary, wish they had as many
more; but here is the rub, it is to be
connected with the Wisconsin by means
Of a canal, and Madison is to be a link
in the chain to prove how easily this
can be done. He again refersus to the
governors message, and what does that
document prove? Why, sir, it proves
what we have all along asserted, that
this great city site is placed in the midst
Of a swamp. The message says that
in high water Indians have descended
from the fourth lake to the Wisconsin,
a distance of l6 miles, in canoes. To
do this, sir, theground for miles around
must be overaowcd, and this is the
place where disinteresfed gentlemen
ask us to place the seat Of government,
to expend the public money, to enrich
a few spectators at sacrifice Of the
public good; yet these gentlemen chal-
lenge US to come forward and meet
their arguments, and what do their ar
guments amount to? but only trying
to prove that Madison is not swamp,
and that east Wisconsin is Of right en-
titled to the seat Of government, and to
theappropriation. This latter, part sir,
Ideny. ! deny that east Wisconsin has
any better right to it than west Wis
consin. The act of congress which Gre
ated this territory, with the privilege
Of self-government, knows no east or
west Wisconsin; we are but one terri
tory, with the Missouri on our west,
The lakes on our east, and the Missis-
'ippi in the centre, with the privilege
IF placing the public buildings where
he public will be best accommodated /
or the present.
Gentlemen say they came here with
heir minds made up to place the seat
Il government in Wisconsin proper.
; they are pleased to term it, with a
lew to the interest Of the future state
+ Wisconsin. Sir, ! deny that this is
ny part Of our duty. l deny that we
'ere sent here to legislate for the fu-
IRE state Of Wisconsin, or for the Pc
uliar interest Of Wisconsin proper. l I
m sorry to hear such sentiments ut
srcd or this floor, and that too, by ]
entleu,en from the west side Of the RI 4