Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser., 1842-09-24
EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS.

l"es,.o,ea % =, any one. The following
IS letter 'ro'" y upon this subject.
SUPERINTENDENT 1, .rr,,.s
.sf. Louis, Ja..l INDIAN NJ d. . '1fa!ss' ,one
sSlR: have received, ~. 49, ,at,.. &c
the e3d Of December. aud tyr IT, on'aa 1e.'e' ~
letters Herewith OF the 9th ana !n.h ~ o,.
October, 1887, to Governor Boges .nd
myself In your letter of the 10Th :
October. you request me TO commun cate
all the information | may posses, or can
collect, respecting the constructor placed
on the first article OF the constitution ol
the State of Missouri, relating TO the
boundaries, at the time it was formed;
aud, also, my views as to the true construc-
ton Of the same, aud Of the meaning OF
these words used therein, making It cor
respond with the Indian boundary iine.'
''Since the recelpt oi this letter, have
cndeavored. from my own recollection.
ard such iniormatioa was within reach.
to answer satisfactorily on the matters to
which you refer. but.appsehend | can af-
ford little positive information OH the
pon. in question. In the year 1916 Il
think it was) Colonel John G Sullivan
was employed by the United States sur
yeyor general, William Rector, run,
ana he did run and mark, the line which
has since been used in most, 1t not all, the
maps, as the western aud northwestern
boundary OF the State Of Missouri.
(whe,her properly. or not, cannot under
take to say commencing at the mouth OF
the Kansas river, and running north one
hundred miles, and thence east to the
Des MONIES river. The language-in the
frs, article Of the constitution expressly
refers TO so much Of this line as runs
north one hundred miles from the mouth
of the Kansas river; andsthe Impression
was very generally prevalent, alter the
adoption OF tie State constitution, that the
survey Of Colonel Sullivan not only de-
sianateu a part Of the western, but also
the northern line of the State; and, in
fact, that both were synonymous with
the Indian boundary line. How these
views came to be SO generally entertain
ed if the convention did not really intend
to adop, the survey in question through
out. i, is, perhaps, impossible now to de-
termine. have always been Of opinion
that the rapids Of the Mississippi, Just q.
boye tho n1oath Of the river Des Moines.
(Which where, at the period when the
convention was held, as they still are.
called the Des iioines rapids,) were the;
rapids contemplated by the convention it
being understood, as presume, that the
line run by Colonel Sullivan, east from a
point one hundred miles north OF the
mouth Of the Kansas. If continued, would
strike some point in those rapids. As
early as the year 1894, foilr years ,.altst
the constitution was framed, and when the
subject OF boundaries was still fresh in
recollection. treaties were made with the
Iowas, aud Sacs and Foxes, in which the
northwes, corner oi this State IS express-
lly referred to; and in Que Of them Col.
Su!livan's survey is mcntlened. In 1925,
the treaty with The Kansas again refers
to the northwest corner OF the State; and
so late as 1880 the same term is used in
the treaty made with various tribes at
Prairie du CHEN. From all which.
iwhetner erroneously or otherwlse.) 1t IS
evident an impression existed that Col.
Sulliyans survey OF 1916 marked a part
| of the boundaries Of the State in the north
as we'll as the west
.'Respeclfully, your obt. servant,
| "WM. CLARK. s l. Al.
! &c. A. HARRIS, Esq, Commissioner In
dian Affairs
The letter Of Mr.. Edward Bates,
which the gentleman has read with such
an air Of confidence, is 50 erparie aud
preiuliced in lis character, that do think
1 but little importrnce Should be attached
to it. II is as follows:
.sNEw TRIAL, ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
January 10, 184l.
ssDEAR SIR: A few days ago, and only
a few. received your printed letter "a
circular, suppose, TO the Individual
members of the State convention OF 1920
requesting me TO state my views, ane
those OF the members oi the convention
at the time Of ,he adoption CT tho State
constitution, sas TO what rapids wer
meant by the rapids Of tic river De
lloines, and what Inc it was that was I
be made to correspond with the lndia
boundary line
ssit is amazing TO me that there shoul
be serious difference Of opinion ON tina
subject. That difference is Of recen
growth, and think itprobably had it
origin, not in the exercise Of any rea
Judgment upon the north boundary Q
Missouri, but in the desire OF the earl
: settlers Of iowa 20 contract the limits {
: the hali-breed country $50 callea) in tn
forks between the Des Moines and tn
Mississippi. by the treaty Of 1874 wit
}, the Sacs aud Foxes, the hall breed land
were to be bounaed on the no:th by tn
;, northern line Of Missouri, produced acros
;, the Des Moines to the Mississippi. Hence
10 marrow the limits OF the halt-bree
= lands it was necessary to strike at II
J. Missouri boundary.
= SIN answer TO the first point, have
say that, while member Of the conve,
!, ton. Mor sinco,) never had a doubt th'
: the rapids of the rirer Des lM,ines, mel
l. toned in the act Of Congress o. 1920. al
e in our constitution, meant the rapids
. and IN the river Des MoInes, and of al
u IN no other river whatever. And it
70 nv confident belief that every rrombe
y Of the convention en;eriaine the san
70 opinion. At that time there was mue
L tt~