Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser., 1845-04-19

L = Ess
Terf1foHys q -
IL prppouision throw 4. cut BY The Du::
bnqse pspers. that such change shah b
made in our northern boundary line as will
exclude Dubuque and several other Of the
upper ssganixsl essatiss from the State
limits, has not escaped our notice; but re-
garding the consummasssn Of ssea : result
as among the remotest Of an possibilities,
/. and doubling whether more than . few
were seriously welded to the project, we
have refrsinedf from alluding toit. Itwould
appear, however, from an article in the last
Express, which, with the view Of advising
our readers Of the ground assumed, We ap-
pend to these remarks, that w': treated the
intination too lightly; for we are told BY
that print, now that the constitution is re-
jected, that il is expected Of the members
ofthe Legislature elected from the northern
counties that they will spare no efforts to
carry the proposed change into effect.
! The proposition, it will be seen, Is TO
adopt the 42d degree Of north latitude, ex-
tending from the Mississippi to the Mis-
souri,, as the boundary; or, il it be prefer
red, to follow a line passing between town.
ships 81 and "a Of the government surveys.
These lines are 50 nearly identical, that
they may be set down as one and the same.
It would commence on the Mississippi at
the dividing line between Clinton and Jack
son counties, and passing through Linn,
would cut off from the State about two
thirds Of that fertile and populous county.
Extending on, the line would cross tile
Des Moines short distance above the Rae
coon fork, and would touch the Missouri
At a point laid down BY Mr.. Nicollet al
sPratte's cut Of" about two-thirds as high
up as the boundaries called for by the con.
stitution. This would give us State jasi
oboh half the size Of that marked oa for us
BY Congress, as an examination Of The map
will show; and as it has been assoertained,
from actual computation at the Topographic
ical Bureau at Washington, that the con.
gressional boundaries embrace an area d
44,ooo square miles, it follows that by
adopting the line proposed by our northern
frien!s and advocated BY tie Ha,rkeyc rrin,
Of this place, we should go into the Union
ask State with the magnificent dimension,
Of Twenty rwo-rHousAxD SQUARE MILES!
just one third as large as Missouri, and
less than half as large as any other West.
ern State, with perhaps the exception o.
Ohio!
Butgreat as is the curtailment Of terrific.
~ involved in the proposition, there is an.
other light in which it is 10 be viewed o
equal importance. The adoption Of the
line in question would exclude popnla-
tion Of not less than $1,000 from the State
limits, and in this proportion would dimin-
ish the ability Of our people to defray the
expenses necessarily appertaining to The
organization Of State government. The
country proposed to be cut Off embraces
the whole ofthe organized counties Of Jack.
son, Dubuque, Jones and Clayton, and
about two-thirds Of the county Of Linn
counties densely populated. and being sec
ond to none in the Territory in point ol
fertility Of soil and general commercial and
agricultural advantages. Jackson is de-
scribed by those who have been through il
a. the best timbered and best watered coun-
ty in Iowa; and the reputation Of Linn az
the FIRST wheat growing county is well es-
tablished. Dubuque is celebrated for its
mineral resources, its exports in lead prob
ably exceeding in value the entire exports
Of any other FIVE counties Of the Territory.
In addition to these there ere several other
new counties laid off and attached, bat not
organized, containing at present many in-
habitants, which would also be left north ol
: the State boundary. This region and these
people We can never consent to cede away.
! We like our northern neighbors too well
TO give them up in exchange for a few
thousanI. O.toe and Pottawaiamie Indians
on the Missouri; and we place too high q
value on district Of country already highly
improved and cultivated, snd containing
many thriving towns and villages, to sur
render It for wild and savage inhabiisd
region Of no greater extent, and lying on
distant and less safe navigAbls stream. The
Missouri river should be our western boun-
dairy, and we are in favor Of making an.
other effort to induce Congress to recoe-
nize it As such; but we would not pur-
chase the line 1t too great price. Il is
not necessary, in order to 60 10 that river,
that we should dismember any portion of
the Territory a At present ofganixed, ne;;-
thsr viii our people Be willing to do so.-
Il, instead Of the 42d deg. Of N. latitude,
the people Of the North win unite in ask
ing for the 43d, little doubt can exist but
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