Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-04-05

BEING the state Of the law respecting the formation Of new
States on the northwest side of the Ohio river II not Ill
the 30th Of December 1888, little than two month
before the first Congress assembled under the new Const
tion that Virginia finally acceded 10 the proposed change
her act of cesson
And now, Mr. Chairman what has been the effect Of hi
change and Of the withdrawal OF the promises made TO tn
West on this subject The vast and fertile region between
the Ohio the Lakes and the Mississippi has been thus
duced from twelve fourteen States to five at tue most
States fitted for empires have been formed there and with
prospective population of less than fifty millions
never have but in the Senate OF the United States
Il Here Mr. c. T. IssERsoLL said :. But they will have
Representation in this House according to their population
Mr. VrNroS resumed Sir, what laws can this House pas
without the consent the Senate which, for there
time state must always be the controlling body
in the Legislative department Of the Government The act
1884 provided that State should be formed east OF line
drawn from the mouth Of the great Kanawha river due north
Lake Erie crossing the Muskngum river at or near the
present of Zanesve making two States OF the present
State Of Ohio each of which would this time contain
population equal that of Massachusetts, North Carolina OF
kentucky, and capable when fully peoped, OF sustaining
from four to five millions EACH Under this arrangement
the great difficulty has been make five States large enough
to use up the territory without violating all the natural rela
tons of the country For this end the limits OF Illinois, when
regard is had the fertility Of her SOIL were enlarged to an
unreasonable Nature marked out State within the
peninsula of Michigan but the necessity forced her
boundary across Lake Michigan and assigned her territory
large enough for State between that Lake and Lake
Superior thus dividing the State Of Michigan in manner the
most announcement and Imaginable separating her
into great divisions between which for one-half Of
the year communication almost impossible And at last
territory remains, which, under this arrangement, can only
be formed into State, containing, by estimation, eighty
five thousand square miles, stretching from north to south
six and half degrees Of latitude, and bounded on the
Mississippi river full thousand miles As equitable COM
pensaton the Western country for this fragrant injustice
would make series Of small States the opposite bank OF
that The United States formed by Nature into two
great divisions Atlantic and the Western country the
frhn
former all the Atlantic slope north and east of the waters OF
that In forming the western divisions into States this
Atlantic policy has not been confined to the country beyond
the Ohio river States with great extent Of territory have been
formed both sides of the Mississippi from its mouth up
Of them and especially Missouri being Of unreasonable
dimensions and the bill under consideration proposes TO
another empire from what remains of the Western
country be formed into the State OF Iowa, giving to an
extent of territory which, with its known fertility capable,
when fully peopled of sustaining not less than fifteen millions
of human beings while the time, conformity to the
old policy the bill contains provision that when either
East West Florida shall contain population OF
thousand inhabitants may be divided into States that
is to say when either division of Florida shall contain popu
about equal one-hd part of the county in Ohio repre-
scented by my colleague who offered the pending amendment
into the Union with two votes in the Senate OF the
United States.
If Florida were ready to-day for admission this basis it
would give there much power in the Senate OF
the United States possessed by forty men IN Ohio for
Ohio has than forty times thyve thousand inhabi
III.
peal to Western gentlemen say if they will give their
this injustice, and to gentlemen from other sections OF
the Union if they will lend their counenance to It, am Tor
voting the amendment of my colleague reduce the boun-
DIARIES of Iowa. and then, Florida be divided would
bisect Iowa again one-haf of Iowa will always contain
twice much population the whole of Florida But
sad sir that this policy thus early begun has not been
fined that portion of the West lying between the Ohio and
the Mississippi but has been steadily pursued in respect to
the whole Of that great division of the United States and
cried into execution time when the West had not the
of making eectua stand against In this or the
other branch of Congress Let how the account stands
in point of numbers between the East and the West My
colleague say there country enough north Of Iowa for
State and of for another before you reach the great de-
this side the Rocky Mountains and Wisconsin, with
her huge proportions will in Also making, with Iowa,
four States in that quarter Counting Louisiana and all
the States north of both sides of the mississippi and all
of Ohio that State inclusive and have in all eleven
States The four States added will give the western
dvs this side the Rocky Mountains fifteen States while
there north of the States of Louisiana and Msss
spp and of the Aeghanies sixteen States Fordaw will
make seventeen and if divided eighteen the Atlantic d.
vision fifteen in the Western While the latter division is
destined ultimately 10 contain twice three times many IN
habans the former, that great fertile valley of the upper
Of the Mississippi which spreads from the
of the Monongahea and Allegheny to the head waters
of the Missouri will always contain the heart and seat OF the
population of the Union. If this be So would inquire,
just between the divisions Of the country, polite
deprive the West of its due share of power in the Senate
Of the United States Jus, il certainly is not that need
not argue. Is polite ask again That propose to dis
cuss And here let remark Mr. Chairman, that if there
any great principle OF free Government univer
sally assened to than any other it that the viii OF the
oy shall govern II is principle that ought not to be de-
parted from except in Of overung necessity Is there
here such overung necessity II the interests the West
stood out prominently and duraby in opposition those of
the East fathers thought they would when they set this
policy foot, is freely admitted that in such the
weaker interest the Atlantic should have controlling check
somewhere against the cupty injustice and oppression of
the stronger power for all history and all experience prove
that the justice equity and magnanmiy Of communities
be safely relied upon when their interests in conflict
with each other If had lived in the days when this opinion
prevailed and had thought fathers did this subject
should have acted they did, from conviction of its
ruling necessity. But all know that in this respect
they abored under very great mistake The for the
policy having ceased TO exist the policy itself not only ought
to be carried further but practicable should be correct
ed in the future legislation Of Congress.
hold the opinion Mr. Chairman, that, in the long run,
the power Of controlling this Government in all its depart
may be safely entrusted to the West than
other hands will proceed sir, to assign for
what gentlemen may regadas very bold declaration, and
is believe novel one on this floor If the West be per-
med to give shape, FORM and direction to the policy of the
country its legislation WILL the MAN, approach the
wants. the social condition. the interests and the equitable
claims of the whole Unon than be attained by vesng
that control any where else This will be So because
the people of the West any any less Trustworthy
than the people Of any other portion Of the Unon but be-
cause their geographical position and her commercial depen-
dences such ndssoub to unite them In interest both
to the North and the South And If the West be its
ntereswhch, itmny be presumed il will always con-
sult take Of itself and promote its prosperity
without the time taking of and promoting the
prosperity and advancement Of the whole country Look
Mr. Chairman, oil the great markets Of the Noh-at Bal
tmo Philadelphia, New York, and Boston and you