Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-04-05
SPEECH OF SAMUEL F. VINTON,
OF OHIO,
On the bill to admit the States Of IoUa and Fiori
da into the Union.

The House being Commee Oh the mole on the statt
of the Union and having under consideration the bill to adj
init Iowa and Florida into the Union States Mr.. VINTON
of Ohio, addressed the committee as follows
Mr.. CHAInmAS The question Of the formation Of new
States and their admission the Union has always
regarded and must be as often as arises Of
Importance Few questions upon which Congress is called
act can exert vital and abiding influence upon the Con-
federacy than the introduction into it Of member with
share in all time come in the Legislative and other de-
pamens Of the Government 1t proceeding that gives
new identity Republic, and fail have greater
or less influence upon the ultimate destiny and stability Of the
Union itself When such question presented it becomes
us to consider il and its influences grave and with the eyes
of statesmen the when done is fixed and evoca-
be whatever may be the evils flowing from it. In laying
down the extent Of States attention ought to be id
making them of suitable and convenient size for the purposes
of Government the geographical antes and dependencies
of its parts ought be consuted and in marking their
limits due regard should also be had to the convenience
raj relations form and extent of country surrounding ada
the State that States be thereafter formed
may have like advantages far practicable The bill now
under consideration assigns to the proposed State of Iowa
extent of territory larger than the State of Ohio by than
one-thd, and possessing soil in degree inferior in fe
y to that State whe at the tme the country both
north and west Of it from which two other States ought to be
formed, left in very nconvenent shape for States On
each side the lions share is given to Iowa.
The motion Of my colleague (Mr. DuNcAs,) which is the
pending question before the committee proposes alter
these boundaries by reducing the State of Iowa to the size of
the State of Ohio In my opinion the amendment ought to be
adopted. am the socous this subject and par
cuay anxious that State OF unsuitable extent should not be
made that part of the Western country, consequence Of
the unwse and mistaken policy towards that section OF the
Union which has hitherto prevailed in forming Western States
which the great valley of the Mississippi has been deprived
and irrevocaby So of its due share the legislation of the
country propose goback into the history Of that egsla
on and while do it must bespeak the attention of gentle
from all parts of the country and particularly the Of
Western gentlemen for apprehensive that they
familiar they should he with the early promises
that were made the West this important subject
with the pledges that given OF future and prospective
power and consequence the Confedeacy of the withdrawal
Of these promises and pledges and the substitution in their
stead Of policy designed deprive it Of just share in the
Federal Councils policy conceived and carried into execu-
ton when had power to resist when it had none to
stand up here vncate its rights when power prejudice,
of opinion combined together make subserven
in all time to come to Atlantic policy and rule. The first le
gislave history this subject dates back early the
American Revolution. 1t is well known that Congress at
that time exceedingly DESTROYS of obtaining cessons OF the
Western country the Confederacy Among other induce
ments held the States having Western lands
make cessons of them to the United States Congress- the
10th of October A. d. 1880, passed resolution making
promises respect to the country that might be ceded
and among them the promise that the lands coded
should
BE settled and formed into distinct republican States which
shall become of the Federal Unon have the
States that each State which shall be formed shall contain
suitable extent of territory, less than hundred
than hundred and fifty miles square, there
circumstances will admit" poL Ldps u. g. b. AIS.
Influenced by this resolution the Commonwealth of Virginia
the Goth of October 1888, passed cedng the
United States her claims to the territory beyond the Ohio river
on various trust conditions, the first of which is in these
| words
and formed into States containing suitable extent Of territory
less than hundred than hundred and fifty
miles square, thereto circumstances will admit
and that the States formed shall be distinct republican
States and admitted members OF the Federal Union, having
same rights OF sovereignty freedom and Independence as
On the 23d of April next after this of cession by Virgil
MA Congress proceeded make provision for the execution Of
the aforementioned condition in respect to States BY
ordinance of that date the country laid out into States
rectangular form, lying between certain parallels OF la
ue and certain merdans of longitude The ordinance de-
cared that from and after the sale of any part of the territory
within any of the States herein marked out that ordinance
should thenceoh I've revocabe but by the joint Of
the United States in Congress assembled and of the particular
State within which such alteration might be proposed to be
made. And here Mr.. Chairman let remark that the
country beyond the Ohio river, when laid out into States OF
not more than hundred and fifty miles square, according
to the conditions Of the Virginia Of cesson, would contain
from twelve fourteen States In addition to these, it was
expected State would be formed in that part Of the then
Virginia which constitutes the present State Of Ken
lucky and that the then western North Carolina and
State Tennessee would also be formed into
States The necessary effect of these arrangements, carried
out would have been ultimately give the country beyond
the mountains majority of States in the Conlederacy, if
accession of territory had been acquired beyond the original
limits of the United States fixed by the treaty Of peace with
/ Great Britain in 1893.
Shortly after the conclusion Of the with England very
serious difficulties between Spain and the United States
respecting the navigation of the Mississippi Our settlers in
Kentucky and Tennessee who had planted themselves this
distant wilderness regarded the Aeghanes forming i'm
passabe them and their Atlantic brethren and
naturally looked the Mississippi and the outlet through the
Gulf OF Mexico their only road market and region
to which they by nature ndssoluby united. At the
time opinion to have sprung up in the Atlantic
States that the interests of the country would
always be adverse theirs while it seen with little
apprehension that by the then political arrangements the
Of the Conederacy would ultimately pass from the TO the
side of the Alleghanies TO prevent this Congress
began think of reacing its steps and OF adopting such
would in all future time the ascendency to
the Atlantic States. Accordingly the 7h Of july 1885,
Congress passed resolution recommending to the Legislature
of Virginia take into consideration their act Of cesson and
revise the same so far the United States in Con-
gress assembled make such division Of the territory Of the
United States lying nohey and westerly Of the river Ohio INTO
distinct republican States than five lesshan three
the situation Of that country and future circumstances may
| require. "-(See VOL !, p 495, Laws U. 8
In the following year 7s the Convention assembled that
formed the Constitution of the United States; Virginia had not
then given her the alteration Of her act of cesson
proposed by aforementioned resolutions of Congress Of
1856 The state of things this subject therefore, still re-
NAMED such has been already described The Convention
met in May Of that year, and while still engaged in the
work Of forming Constitution Congress- which was also in
session. the 18th Of July passed the celebrated ordnance con-
monty called the ordinance of 1887, for the government Of
the territory northwest Of the Ohio river In this ordinance
cctan articles and among them that prohibiting slavery in the
territory introduced and declared to be articles Of con-