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


they are now called; and. under thi:
grant and settlement; the heirs of Red
dick claim he track at the head OF the
Des Moines rapids as the legal represen
tatiyes OF Honore The reports of bott
Messrs CLAYTON and Huntsman are favor.
able to the clam--imply yng that. in the
opinion OF those gentlemen, and OF the
committees VIII IN they represent. 'the
rapids Of the river Des Moines' and 'the
Des Moines rapids are The same thing.
81 also refer you 10 the letter of Pierre
Chou,eau. r. (marked ~ for the name
! by which the Des Moincs rapids have
ever been known by the early French
settlers and their descendants. 1t is. in
deed, notorious that the name by which
these rapids have ever been known
among the French, is 'les rapides de Ia
riviere Des Moines;' and that the trania
ted name has gradually assumed the more
familiar English form Of 'Des Moines rap
ids And in the French translation OF
the constitution of Missouri, sanctioned
by the convention, the phrase 'the rapids
Of the river Des Moines,' is rendered lies
rapidcs de la riviere Des Moines'-the
precise phrase used habitually by the
! French inhabitants OF the country to
mean the Des Moines rapids on the Miss
issipp Were there any other rapids at
that time generally known by that nama!
answer, No; for, MS has been already
stated, there are various rapids in the
Des Moines river, Of similar character;
and they are. a, this day even, dlstin
guished from each other among the in
habi'ants Of tie country by some add.
tionaI qualification as tho rapids
at the Great Bend and 'the rapids at
Appenoose's village" &c.
When the commissioners OF the State
4 Of Missouri went to run their line, ionly
eighteen mpn,hs since. they mad to ex,
plore the river before they could deter
mine which Of its rapids should be selec-
ted; and there is still Il diversity of opin-
ion among those claiming to run to rap
| ids in the Des Moines, as to which rapids
were intended by Congress. Bu' the use
of the definite article '.the rapids, Nc
seems to imply some rapids we'll known
aud distinguished by that name; which is
evidently not the case in regard to any
rapids in The Des Moines. 1t is proper
to observe, also. that the phrase used is
s.the rapids of the river Des Moines; and
not the rapids In the river Des Moines;
that it is a name merely, not designating
geographical position; and tha. it is as
applicable to rapids in the one river as in
the other The rapids in the Mississippi
were so much more notorious at the time
i OF the formation Of the State constitution
Of Missouri. tha. many ofthe members of
the convention were not aware.that there
were any rapids in the Des Moines river
ut all; and, Of course, have always believ-
! ed the Des Nloines rapids to be those in
| tended by Congress. Among the mem
bers of the convention who have thus ex-
pressed themselves, may be mentioned
his txcellency Henry Dodge; Captain
/ Nathan Boone. United States Dragons
and Judge Emmons, OF 81 Charles coun-
w, Missouri. Yet there are others who
appear to have hada different view of the
matter at the time.
Henry Dodge, whose testimony as a
member ofthe convention that formed the
constitution Of Missoun,is referred to by
Mr.. Lea, is now present as delegate from
Wisconsin, and is ready to say, upon the
floor of this House. what he has so often
before stated in his letters and messages
whilst Governor Of that Territory-that
his recollection is, that the rapids in ques
tioJ are those in the Mississippi river
And he would further state, as he has in
formed me, that although upon the Miss
ouri frontier during the years 1912, 1913
aud 1914, he never heard Of any rapids II
the Des Mnines river until the year 1886
4 The gentle nan has imposingly read L
i the House extracts from the letters Of the
honorable John Scott, Edward Bates, ant
other members Of the convention tina
framed the constitution OF Missouri. Th'
u tcstimo sof these gentIemea is in con
aict with that Of the other members o
the convention named by Mr.. Lea. The,
3 testify that their recollection is, that tn
rapids named in the &C. Of Congress, an,
ia the c16slitu,ion Of Missouri, arc rapid
in the Des Moines river, and not thost
called rapids Of the river Dss Moines il
the Mississippi river. The first name
gentleman, Mr.. Scott, was the delegat
!. from the Territory Of Missouri, and drew
ms he states, the act Of 1920, for her nc
mission into the Union. His evidences
the gentleman therefore thinks, is bette
than that Of any one else, and, takea te
gether with that Of majority Of the SUI
viving members OF the convention, whol
; he alleges have testified in behalf Of Mis-
;. ouri, should, he thinks. be conclusive
favor of her CAIN. Mr.. Scott is a g,
! tleman whose -vcracity know to be vi
!, questioned, and for whose opinion an
: recollections entertain the most pr
!. pect shut to show that it is higl
II plo6able, from the lapse Of time, ar
various other circumstances, that he is
: error, will read short quot ,tion fro
/ his letter TO Nj. Lea upon the subject
J this disputed boundary:
AT the time the act Of the 9th Marc
3 1890, was passed by Congress. au,hori
{ ing the people Of Missouri 10 form u co
slitutim and State Government, &c,
Z general geography was bu. little. and u
i. topography Of that part Of the State st
q less known. |, who represented q
i country, knew so little, that had to re
on the information Of others in regard
e the lines. / applied to several tor
). formation, but more particularly to Ge
"a eral William Clark; Major A. L. Lar