Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1843-11-24
IYEUT. PREMonrT,s RE PORT
From the Natchez Free Trader.

RI, Far West-Lieut. Fremont fertility ct Me
vest facility of reoching Oregon-Brit'sh
Understandable popular pnlse--Ssnators
Benton. Walker, and Linn, The great adro.
cntes of The Western Settler, the champions q
the Presumption policy.
We are much indebted to the Hob.
Robert ]. Walker for Lieut.. Fremonts
ReDort of his expedition to the Rocky
Mountains, printed by order of the Senate.
r i illustrated with beautiful engravings
Of mountain scenery. and is by Tar the most
entertaining work we have read tor many
\ dav. Its author, the son in.law OF Ihom
a. n. Benton, is one Of the most scientlhc
and promising officers Of the Topographic
cal corps. and was sent out to make rec.
onnoissance Of the valley Of the Platte and
Sweet Water to trace those streams up to
their sources, and particularly to examine
the South West Pass by which emlgrants
cross.in,o the Oregon Territory. The ex'
nedi,ioo had in view the future occupation
Of the territory. The establishment OF
chain of posts and the general capacities OF
the country. A vast deal of solid and au-
,hentic information has been collected on
ali those points. The intervening coun'
rv. far from being the desert heretofore
sunposed. has all the elements Of fertility,
being generally based on lime and mari.
Timber is scarce, but enough exists on the
water courses until it can be produced.
The materials for hedging every where
abound, and in every direction stone suita.
BILE for building. BY avoiding the old
route and trailing along the river Platte
level road. and water in abundance may
be had. The South West Pass is found
10 be within the limits Of the United States,
some 20 miles North Of the Mexican line.
It does not resemble the passes through
the Alps or the long, winding defiles
| through the Allegheny or Blue Ridge; in
stead of Pass, it is depression of the
mountain ridge of most extraordinary char.
acter. The ascent commences on the cas-
tern side at distance of some $50 miles,
| and is 80 gentle that when Lient. Fremont
reached the summit level and beheld the
waters Of the Colorado flowing towards
the Pacific and the Sweet Water winding
its way 10 the Missouri, he was scarcely
conscious that he had gained the culmna-
TING point! Lieut.. Fremont assembled one
of the highest peaks Of the Wind river
mountains, and found it to be some $500
feet above the level of the Gulf of Mexico.
His account of that ascent, its desolation
and sublimity, and the grandeur of all the
features of that spring Of mighty rivers.
with his passage through the rapids of the
Sweet Water, where that stream narrows
itself to a channel Of ten feet diameter,
and dashes for seven miles through nigh
" chasm Of rock rising on each side five
hundred feet above, is one of the most
picturesque and dramatic specimens Of
composition IN our language.
The whole work reflects honor on the
scholarship of its author, and its details
bear ample testimony Of his unsurpassed
perseverance,. fortitude and fertility of re-
sources as an officer. 1t should be in The
hands of every one. II will give a new
and mighty impulse to the Oregon emil
gra,ion.-A thousand fancied difficulties
vanish upon its perusal. /. could be wish
ed that the expedition of this most accom-
plished young officer. had been continued
TO the Pacific. Indeed we hope the War
Department may ye. detail him for that
service. although we learn from Senator
Walker that an elaborate account of late
exploration of iha, region by SEMITIC de-
tachnlent under the orders of Lieut.. Wilkes,
is in progress Of publication. There is a
great thirst in the public mind for every
| species of information relative 10 that in
teres.ing country. The people are impa>
tient at its equivocal position. They see.
with manifest reluctance, the British flag
waving over American soil; British goods
introduced in British vessels up the Colum.
ba river free from duty British monopo-
lies harvesting the golden fleece Of the
whole North Western trade, and estab-
fishing influences north and south of us,
and on our very territory, it may require
years to remove. Such stale of things
| is dishonorable to us as Nation, and as
Government in free country is little else
than the echo of the popular will, it can
not long be permitted. A charge must be.
Yet the public voice calls for no lavish ex-
penditure Of money-no extraordinary dis
play Of military power.-Let our govern
/ ment give notice to Great Britain that its
conven,ial occupation Of the Oregon must
cease let Fort Vancouver be garrisoned
and port Of entry created; let two or
three small military posts be established
between the upper Columbia and Fort
| Laramie TO be subsisted chiefly by hun
ters more than all let Congress pass the
pre-emption bill Of last session granting
section Of land to every bona.fde settler,
and Oregon. and California too, will soon
be colonzed by the boldest spirits in the
world. We look to Col. Benton and his
able colleague, and TO our distinguished