The Yazoo Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1842-05-13

our Eastern brethren to say that the WEsT is
her citadel, where the giant, Enterprise, has
done his rhightiest work.
Before / undertake TO sketch some of the
circumstances attending the developmentsin
wealth and civilization of the "Western
Country" as is my present purpose very
briefly to undertake, permit me, Mr.. Presi-
dent, 10 notice hastily, a few instances Of the
early diplomacy of our government and civil
condition of the West, which stands in COM
nectiOn with, or rather fotlns the basis Of my
subject.
At the time of the liberation of this country
from foreign dominion, and the establish
ment of new government, the extent Of our
domain was comparatively small. The APP
palachian spine was looked upon as our west
ern boundary, though the treaty with Great
Britain coded to US a large territory beyond
the mountains. OF this region of country,
however, very little was known, and even
where discoveries had been made, very little
importance was attached to them. And not
only so, but large portion of this Western
region was claimed by another European pow
er, as will explain.
In March, 1875, Georgia sent q delegate
to the Continental Congress. and in July fol-
lowing, her State Convention sanctioned the
thereafter, by the celebrated Declaration Of
our National Independence, received the
name of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. -
Vermont, though as brave and patriotic as
any in the struggles Of the revolution, did
not join the confederacy until after the war !;
and then her legal entrance into the Union
was postponed bv the claim of New York, to
what was called the New Hampshire Grants.
This matter being settled, however, in 1871
on the 4th of March of that year she became
the fourteenth member of the Federal family
| The we'll known fourteen Old States, then
constituted our government and covered our
domain, except the claim to territory in the
North West. The treaty of the 23rd Of Sep
TENDER, l783, gave us the Mississippi river
| for our Western boundary, extending to the
Lake Of the Woods in the North, and the 3Isi
Il degree Of N. lat. in the South. Spain dis
puted the right of the Mother Country te
convey the western. and by far the largest
portion, of that immense and now exceed.
ingly valuable country lying between the
Ohio and Upper Mississippi, and also claim.
ed the EXCLUSIVE navigation Of the .Nissis
siPpi, the possession Of The FlOridGs. and th'
lands on he LEFT bank Of the .HississiPpi.
Fortunate indeed was it for the West, and
for the Union, that these claims were 81
4 w
that in 1871, Mr.. Jay, our Minister at tbs
Court of Madrid, among several propositions
for the adjustment of our Southern anc
Western boundaries, submitted to Spain thu
following, by order of the General Govern
ment:-'The United States shall reIinquisi
to his Catholic Majesty, and in future forbea
to use, or attempt to use, the navigation o
the Mississippi from the 3Ist degree ofnortl
latitude, that is, from the point where
leaves the United States, down TO the ocean.
This extraordinary proposition, relinquish
ing as itproposed to do, the very vitals of tn
, West into the hands Of Spain, was rejected
But in 1895, 'his Catholic Majesty after be
!. ing weakened by his connection with tn
| French Revolution, and discerning on thi
side of the water, disposition and ability (
f rectify mistakes, which showed him that h
) could not now obtain what he had but so re
/ Gently refused, after long and tedious ne
gociaiion with our ministers, concluded
3 treaty which marked our Southern and West
/ ern boundaries. The line of the former lei
r the Mississippi at latitude 81, and ran East
f the middle of the Appalachicola, down tbs
!. river to the Flint, thence to the head of s.
: Mary's, and thence down that river to th
Atlantic, and the latter was the middle Of th
e Mississippi from the aforesaid point lat. 81
i to its source or the northern boundary of tn
i United States. This treaty contained mos
singular clause in relation to the navigatio
e Of the Mississippi.-And as it has go intimat
d a connection with the subject before US,
+ have cited in full the 22nd Article, which
e as follows -
i " And in consequence of the stipulation
i contained in the 4th Article, his Catholi
il Majesty will permit the citizens Of the Un
: ted States, for the space of three years trol
n this time, to deposite their merchandise an
effects in the port of New Orleans, and
i export them from thence, without paying an
e other duty than fair price for the hire I
v stores; and his Majesty promises either
II continue this permission, If he finds durin
), that time that It is not preiudicial to The II
e terests Of Spain or if he should not agree
n continue there, he will assign them on AZ
all other part of the banks Of the Mississippi,
! equivalent establishment. /"
Il This treaty was ratified BY Congress on d
= Srd Of March, 1885, and although i tixe
) the boundaries between as and the SPANS