Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1845-04-11

THE WEST THE NATURAL GUARDIAN or
THE UNoN.--Mr. FiutOH. Of Ohio, in ar able
aud patriotic speech before the House Of
presen.atives, on the question of the al
mission OF the States Of Iowa and Florida
into the Union, takes a sensible and manly
stand in regard to the position Of the West,
az the natural guardian Of the Union.-
His views, to us, are striking, and, in ma
ny respects, original
Mr.. Vinton objected TO the admission Of
Iowa because the limits Of the State, as as
signed in the bill, were too large, compri-
sing a territory one-third larger than the
State of Ohio, itself one of the largest States
in the COniederacy.
Interviewing the policy of the Federal
GoVernmentin regard tOthe western States,
he charged that that policy was founded in
jealousy Of the Atlantic States towards the
growing strength and influence of the west,
that jealousy being manifest in the design,
Systematically carried out, of diminishing
| the number States to be creRed out OF the
western territory.
lie suhstantiates this position by assert
ing, that by the original act of cession OF
Virginia in 1898, the condition was impo-
sed that the territory thus ceded should be
formed INTO States, mot less than one hun
dred, nor more than one hundred and fifty
miIesSquare," Had this principle been car
ried out, the country west of the Ohio rlv-
er would have made from twelve to four
teen States; to which would have been ad-
aod Kentucky, then known as western Vir-
cina, and Tennessee, known as western
North Carolina thus giving to the States
west Of the mountains majority in the
Confederacy, even without any accession OF
territory beyond that fixed by the treaty Of
peace with Great Britain in 1893.
At an early period, the opinion manifest
ed itself in the east and south, that the in
teress of the western States would always
lie adverse TO those Of the Atlantic, and in
1885 Congress recommended the State o.
| Virginia to revise its act Of Cession, so a. tC
do away with the provision prescribing the
limits OF the new States to he formed out
Of the territory ceded, and TO substitute
therefor general provision that the cOun-
try north and west of the Ohio, should be
divided Unto distinct nctrepubIican States, not
more than five, nor less than three" &c.
In 1888 Virginia gave her consent to the
proposed change in the act Of cession.
The consequence Of this change MI. Vim.
ton declares is "thaL the vast and fertile re-
gions between the Ohio, the Lakes, and the
Mississippi, has been reduced from twelve
or fourteen States to five at the most
States fitted for Empires have teen formed
there; and with prospective population
of not less than fifty millions, it can never
have but two votes in the Senate OF the u
nited, States"
Continuing the argument, Mr.. Vinton
contrasted this policy Of creating States in
the west unreasonably large, with that Of
making States on the southern Atlantic Dor.
der unreasonably small; for, accompanying
the bill for the admission Of Iowa with the
imperial capacity of sustaining fifteen mil
! lions of inhabitants, was one for the admis
sion of Florida, with the provision tha
whenever east or west Florida should have
a population of35, eco il might be di0idedm
10 too Siates' This provision was subse
quenty struck out, but Its introduction
coupled with the fact that there was no sim
liar provision for the division of Iowa, ever
though it should contain millions, seems tt
give strength to Mr.. Vinton's argument.
From these premises, Mr.. Vinton draws
the conclusion, that this policy towards the
western States is both unjust and lmPolI'
tic, and that sin the long run, the power
of controlling this Governmentin all Its de-
partments may be more safely entrusted to
tbe west than to any other hands"
This position Mr.. Vinton supports in a
mastery manners and declares that "there
is silently and ste4dIy growing up i. the