The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-07-22

to the early history of the Great West
Communicated
GENERAL CAss AND THE CHICAGO CoSvENrIoN in
the accounts OF the proceedings of the Chicago
on as furnished by the partisan writers for the federal
press there appears to be an attempt TO create the I'M
preston that the brief and letter OF General Cass,
IN reply TO an invitation to be present at the conyen
hon, was received with coarse marks of dsapprohaon.
whether there were present some malignant partsans OF
federalism imported Tor the purpose Of making political
capital Tor the federal party who dsgraced their body by
futile attempt to insult far above the reach of the
shafts OF their malice or whether the ndiscreon OF the
elter writers has led them TO perpetrate base libel up
on the good of the convention, declaring them
little
With those who have read the history Of THE WEST
and especially those who have been reared in its wlds
and suffered It's prvaons and tos-such articles will
only excite indgnaon where they are not treated with
contempt and Long before these men were born
Gen Cass was THE FATHER OF THE WEST. He purchased
from the Indians the ground which the late
ton was held He explored those rivers, traversed the
prares surveyed the harbors, and in his birch canoe
boldly navgated the great lakes, where the voice OF the
white unheard and unknown in their borders.
Gen. Cass defended that country in war; and governed
II IN peace He issued atons TO the starving settlers
the time OF their prvatons and peril He the friend
of the immigrant, the pioneer, and the poor He
purchased from the Indians, and added TO the great ag
cultural purposes OF the country all that vast territory
He founded their cities laid out works OF internal i'm
provemen instituted colleges and schools, and built up
the commerce OF that vast region, now forming sover-
egn States and teemng with popuous cities.
There are many incidents connected with his early
ploa,ions OF that country, which form thrilling passages
in its history and strongly illustrate the excitement and
danger of frontier life. have in my mind which
occurred at the then village of Chicago he seat of the
late conventioD0 and which was related to me by an
actor in the scene It occurred soon after the last war
with Great Britain, when Gen Cass the governor of
the Territory OF Michigan, and agent of the government
with the Indian tribes in that region. Chicago then
settled BY few whites, consisting mostly of traders and
their families The settlers had suffered severely from
the hostlities OF the Indians Their village had been
burned, and many Of their people tomahawked Gen
Cass was on an exploring voyage upon the Upper Mis-
sssippi Numerous reports in circulation OF the
hostites OF the savages and the destruction OF himself
and his party The apprehension OF the people OF Chca-
go was excited to the utmost for their own safety AT
the close of beautiful day, just the evening had set
in, they alarmed by the distant sound OF human
voices Surprising them TO be Indians, the terrified in
habiants seized their arms and prepared for defence
The sounds grew upon the evening air they approach
ed and In terror the citizens awaited Their
coming. A bend in the river brought them to vew and
in place OF the fierce war-whooP OF the saw
age they recognised the cheerful strains of the UoyageS
chanting their evening songs they padded their bark
bearing back in safety the beloved and veneraed
governor OF their Territory The transition from terror
Joy be imagined only by those who have witnessed
the burning cabin and heard the appalling warcry OF the
savage.
Then it was long before Col Benton even had lcritten
upon the subject that Gen Cass aversed the route and
marked out the great project OF uniting the waters OF the
lakes with the Missssippi-a measure since undertaken
by the State of Illinois in her magnificent canal, which
WILL ere long, become great national avenue OF COM
MERGE and wealth
The position of Gen. Cass upon all questions relating
to western interests is well known He has been
identified with them The West is emphatcally his child
No paren. abandons his offspring Neither will he
nor ever has he When rights at stake, and
others altered, from whom better things expected,
he stood firm.
His opinions were not asked upon the subjects 10 be
brought forward by the convention. When they ask
ed, they will be given and they will be given not for the
purpose of conciliang sectional influence subscribing
political purposes but they will be the enlarged and lbe
raj views of great statesman upon great national ques
ton, and which the friends ef sound constitutional
policy throughout the Union will sustain This is all
that is asked by the western people. This is all that
they expect to be advocated by him who has been
the champion of the West well the champion of the
constitution and the rights of the uhole Union.
Let add important historical fact bearing
on the Improvement of the western harbors. Du-
ring the sessions of the twenty seventh Congress,
when the federal party were in full power, with
President and Cabinet of their own, and with over
wheming maiorities in both houses OF Congress, in
time of profound peace and with no heavy drain upon
the treasury, dollar appropriated for the
provement of western harbors
| warn my western friends, therefore, not to be
humbugged BY the false professions of the federal
party, who, should they again unfortunately succeed
in getting into power, will be too much occupied,
in 1871 and 1912, in the establishment of national
bank protective tariff &c. to regard the commercial in
eresis OF the Great West OF which they try
ing 10 form hobby to carry them into power.
ILLINOIS.