Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1846-05-02
BY s. R. THURsTON 4 JAMES. T1zzARD.1

set OF artificial lines imposed upon u.
which, until then, we had never dreame,
OF, and TO which the people Of Iowa are on
posed. Well, sir, what may be the result
Of this act2 And to that wish to ask tn
attention Of sOestern gentlemen, and tn
friends Of Oregon every where. II rumo
De not sadly at fault, l say to them tina
they have, BY depriving themselves Of tw,
votes from Iowa in the other end of thi
Capitol. periled the fate Of d most impor
tant portion Of the American continent
they have incurred the risk of losing Ore
gon' with her six hundred thousand squar,
miles OF territory, or large portion there
OF, while squabbling with Iowa, their young
est sister and neighbor, for few hundred
One among the many gratifying result,
which | anticipate from the certain posses.
sion Of the whole Of Oregon by our Gov.
eminent is, that the people Of Iowa viii
be allowed the boundaries for which they
are so anxious. l tell gentlemen that
whether we want elbow-room in Iowa o,
not We are in ernest in desiring State.
room.
But, sir, to return to the question i'm.
mediately under consideration. regard
the notice to Great Britain Of our intention
to dissolve the convention of 1918, which
was indefinitely continued by that of 1927
as highly expedient and proper. 1t is, a.
we would express it in the West, renov.
ing the underbrush, which is in the way
Of the buildings we intend to erect. These
conventions have worked great benefits Ia
the English, and nothing but injuries to
us. But for them, the English would not
now have the shadow Of foundation upon
which to rest their unjust and ridiculous
pretensions to the ownership of the terri
tory in question, or to any portion of it.
Mr.. Chairman, the whole of Oregon is
ours ours from first discovery and from
first settlement, strengthened BY q cession
to us Of all the claims of France Spain.
and Russia. But it is not my purpose to
discuss the title. am willing to let it
stand upon the impreenable grounds upon
which Ii has been placed by our present
talented Secretary Of State, Mr.. Buchan-
an, and BY his able predecessor, TMr.
their arguments in support of
eur title, with those which have been made
in both Houses of Congress during the
present and previous sessions, for more
than quarter Of a century, have never
been answered. and in my humble estima-
ton never can be by the advocates Of the
British title.
The truth is, sir, that no other Govern
ment in Christendom than that of Great
Britain would have the hardihood to stand
up and press claim to territory, resting
upon pretensions so flimsy as those upon
which hers to the country in question are
based. And in the name of God and the
people | represent. l say, let us neither be
tricked nor bullied out of our territory
Let US then move forward. The eyes of
The country are anxiously turned towards
The present Congress; and l tell gentlemen
unless this notice is passed and follow ed
by the other measures recommended TO us
by the President that those who shall as
sumo the responsibility Of defeating them
will find, too late, that they have incurred
he lasting displeasure Of their country.
Mr.. Chairman, very large proportion
If the population Of Oregon has gone thi,h-
r from Iowa, and have, from sympathy
md ASSOCIATION, feeling of strong attach
nent for them, and for the pioneer in what
ever part If the country his lot may be
cast. You may imagine, then, sir. the
feelings Of establishment and regret, not to
say indignation, with which listened to
The extraordinary, unjust, and unjusiifiable
attack ofthe gentleman from Virginia, Mr..
Pendleton, upon the people Of the west
ern States and Territories generally, and
those Of Oregon in particular. l allude to
The sneering manner in which he spoke Of
President Folks recommendation to ''facil-
tate emigration to Oregon" and to protect
our "patriotic pioneers who are there"
The gentleman from Virginia calls these
pioneers restless and hayward wander
ers." He says:
Gentlemen tell us of the attachment Of
these people 10 their dear native land
Why do they leave it, sir? Why is it that,
with instructive aversion, they retire be-
fu e the advance Of civilization, preferring
the wild excitement and the rugged dis
Of the wilderness 10 the repose,
the security, and the re6nements Of social
and cultivated life? They manifest their
by disregarding the influences
that bind ordinary men to the places of
their nativity, BY swapping recklsssly the
lies Of blood and kindred aud social con-
nexions and calmly and Of their own free
choice, deserving generous soil and ge-
NAL cline. Abandoning the hearths and
The affairs Of their childhood and youth, they
Toll thru ugh vast and cherries wilder
ness, TO gain home so inhospitable and
rude, that, according 10 the learned gentle
man from Philadelphia, it takes the genius
Of Shakespeare to do Justice to its horrors. -
= IL is not the policy Of our Gov
eminent to be running over the world look
ing after citizens whose allegiance is man
Tested only BY acts Of expa,riaiion.''
Again, the same gentleman .aye: 81 pro-
test against their right (the western States }
to decide when we are to 20 to war for
this miserable and ,Corfhless tesrloyy."-
The attack upon the value Of Oregon is,
sir. but repetition Of the federal slang
which was applied to the whole Missis-
sippi valley when il wac purchased under
The name Of Louisiana, in 1908, BY Mr..