Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser., 1842-09-24

llevc 1t was an attorthouRht.
'.la reading the act ofCongress or1e20
and our constitution, j, always seemed to
me that both the grammar and the sense
plainly indicated the line, above mention-
e. Besides, Sullivan's north line has. I
oe'le :. no reference to the rapids Of any
r'ver' ~, 70 any fixed object, nor to any
llne OF .as''.1e. Its only call. as under.
stand. Is post ono, hundred miles due
north OF point o. .hcsNiissouri opposhc
the mouth of Kansas, thence east 10 tha
l)es Moincs river; 81. n:f do not cores.
pond with the parallel Of fl..;tude which
passes through the rapids OF no r:vcr
Des Mones, it would, on the plain ,-;nci-
pies Of reason and adjudsed lrw, be =.
jected, as repugnant and nonsensical.
IL remain. with great respect.
sir, your obedient servant,
.EDW'D BATES. y
| s:To BEVERLY ALLEN, Esq, Member Of
Assembly"
am glad, however, Mr.. Chairman,
that the gentleman from Missouri has in
! troduced this letter Of Mr.. Bates; glad,
because it affords me an opportunity to
repel the slander which it contains upon
the people of Iowa.
Tie remarks Of Mr.. Bates respecting
the origin Of our boundary difficulty with
Missouri, and the desire Of the early in
habitants Of Iowa to contract the limits
OF the talf.breed tract, BY encroaching
upon those Of his State, are as gratuitous
they are .unfounded in fact. But sir,
as Mr.. Bates has seen fit to 1rag this mat
ter into the controversy, will now say
kthat which should no. have said before
that, in my opinion, the converse Of
Mr.. Bates proposition is true; and that,
but for the spectators in St. Louis, New
York, ndelsewhere, (of whom | think It
more than likely Mr.. Bates is one,) who
have purchased these half.breed lands we
should nevar have heard word said
about extending the boundary Of Missou-
ri.
Should the Missouri claim succeed,
(Which God forbidHit will, according TO
MI. Bates's reasoning, have added double
the quantity Of land to this hall-breed
tract; thereby enriching (if | may use the
express,on) these ha!f.breed spectators.
Can | not retort, sir, and say that the
cupidity OF these land sharks was the
mainspring by which the authorities cf
Missouri were induced TO attempt an ex-
tension Of their boundary beyond tho
good old Indian line; which, it is now
very certain. gives them u considerable
strip Of territory to which they arc not
entitled?
The gentlemen informs US that nothing
whatever is to be gained by the passage
OF the bill now under consideration; that
his State will not permit this Government
10 interfere with her boundaries. Con.
gress(he says) may do what it pleases
with Iowa; and the only way in which
this matter can ever bo settled, in his
opinion, is either by decision Of the
Supreme Court Of the United States, or
by permitting Missouri to extend her
| jurisdiction over the country in dispute.
Again. sir, is tho odious and unleeling
doctrine .dvanced-that the citizens Of
the Territories have no rights; that their
soil and inhabitants are to be parcellod
out, and attached to any State whose ava
rice may prompt her to coset them?, II
lis true, Mr.. Chairman, that, in strict le.
gal sense, you have this right; that,
being under age, you may do with us
what, in yonr wisdom, you deem meet and
proper. But stop, and let us enquire
whi.h Of the States it is that asks this
boon at the hands Of our common parentt
Il is Acknowledgements, ayaricious,
grasping Mssouri-whose surface, nc
cordine 10 the northern boundary line
laid down on the printed maps, Chat IL
the old Indian line,) is estimated at 60,
7eO square miles to which add that mag
! nifinent addition Of 3,240 square miles
upon her northwestern border, called tho
latte country, bestowed by Congress II
1887, and she contains $1,000 square
, miles within her presentlimits.
) This makes her considerably larger
) than any other State in the Union, and
!, much larger than the six New England
States together. Give her the strip pow
in dispute with Iowa, and she will ON.
I brace within her limits nearly 10000
squire miles.
5 She, then, contend sir, is the last
State which, under these circumstances,
I should claim more territory; and surely
the last to which any portion OF the peo-
i ple Of Iowa should be surrendered.
g For myself, sir, knowing as do the
9 wrongs which we have received at her
b hands, cannot talk upon the subjec.
5 without becoming excited. As an Amor
g ican-one who is ardentiy attached e
$ our glorious and happy Union--l depre
}, cate sectional divisions and local nnimos
d itics. | would that the recollections o.
e this unfortunate collision could be effac
ed from the memory Of all. In my opia
o ion, sir, decision by the two Honses0
! the American Congress--the highest Az
1t thori,y known in the land (unlesa sit y
y the Supreme Court) carryMEith i !
d degree Of moral power, which VIII foTev
y. er put this matter 70 rest.
u = ! =. d; uiullis .llIa
= Administr ocSs Notioa4 -