The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1843-04-14
From the Democratic Review.
OREGON.

From the Democratic Review.
OREGON.
Boundaries and Extent Climate and Produc-
TONS.
The importance of the Oregon Terri
tory has not been duly considered, nor its
value properly estimated by the people OF
the United States. In fact. until late,
very little has been known of its common
est geographical features, and less of its
topography and immense resources, which
have hitherto lain in obscurity, or been
stealthily carried off by the graspng cupi-
dily OF foreign monopoly. President
Monroe did indeed refer to it in his late
message to congress, and recommended
the establishment Of a military post at, or
near, the mouth of the Columbia river,
as protection to our whale fisheries and
our commerce with the Indians; and
President Adams, at the commencement
of the succeeding congress, reiterated the
same recommendation for the same rca-
sons, adding the suggestion thata general
exploration of the northwest coast was
expedient: but neither of them limited at
the still higher importance Of adopting
measures for the settlement of the coun-
try by offering encouragement and protcc-
ton to colonists. Little attention was
paid to their suggestions by the congress
es to which they were addressed, nor has
there been since-eXcept an occasional
resolution, report, or speech upon the
subject. Within a few years, however,
some definite measures have been propo-
sed, and able reports and arguments been
made in reference to the great value and
political advantages to be attained by TAX
ing immediate possession Of our Pacific
frontier, and thereby atIiording a safe and
easy protection to our commerce, and
offering an inducement for private enter
prise to direct IFS attention that way. But
even now our people seem reluctant to be
awakened to its great aud growing agri-
cultural, as well as political and CONNER
cial importance or to the daily agrees
sions there made upon the treaty-riehts
and honor of our nation by that mighty
creation and secret engine, of the English
aIstocracy, the Hudson Bay Company.
which for power and disposition to do
evil is second only to its elder sister. the
monstrous East India Company.
The vast extent Of unoccupied territory
lying between the Allegany and the Rocky
mountains has occupied so much attention
that little thought has been bestowed upon
what lies beyond. Parents have severely
enough chided the rowing disposition of
their sons and daughters who were not
content to remain for ever within sight of
the old homestead, but resolved 10 try
their fortunes on the praries of Illinois,
or among the openings Of Wisconsin and
Iowa. 1t is not long since a resolution to
settle on the banks of the Ohio was ridi-
culed through all enlerprising New Eng
land as dreamy and preposierous in the
extreme. The good old Puritan mothers
were active in circulating pamphlets and
caricatures, depicting in the most glowing
colors, the poverty and Indebtedness Of
those iool-hardy emigranis who left the
hills and rock-hound shores Of their early
homes to dwell so far away in the savage
wilderness. We remember to have seen
one, published within the past thirty
years, which presented a family returning
from the barren and desolate West" so
starved and forlorn that they could with
difficulty retrace their foolish steps. The
wife, with half dozen sick children, was
bolstered in rckety cart, into which
was harnessed, with cords and straps, an
old raw-boned horse which was irving to
feed at some low dry mullen stalks by the
waysde; while the father, leaning on a
crutch and staff. was directing some rag
ged boys to 60 into a wretched log cabin
to beg for food. The German Flats. on
the Mohawk, in those times, were so far
away from home, that whoever settled
there could never be expected to return
more than once in lifetime. The Gle.
nesee Valley and the Holland Purchase
were quite out Of the known world. Blu
those clouds are all dispersed, and with
them the huge bugbears which they
Swallowed. a few days of agreeabl,
travel, at a triaing expense, now bring
the once unapproachable West into next
door neighborhood with New England
itself. Another quarter of century, a
abe same ratio Of advancement. will Sc,
4 mr. frontier settlements NJ tho base nj IN