Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1847-08-31

with his early explorations of that country
which form thrilling passages in its his
tory, and strongly illustrate the excitement
and danger of a frontier life. have in
my mind one which occurred at the then
village OfChicago, (the seat of the con-
Yention,) and which was related to me by
an actor in the scene. 1t occurred soon
after the last war with Great Britain,
when Gen Cass was the Governor of the
Territory of Michigan, and agent of the
government with the Indian tribes in that
region. Chicago was then settled by a
fewwhites consisting mostly of traders
and their families. The settlers had suf-
fered severely from the hostilities OF the
Indians. Their village had been burned
and many of the people tomahawked.
Gen Cass was on an exploring voyage on
the Upper Mississippi. Numerous re-
ports were in circulation ofthe hostilities
of the savages and the destruction of him.
self and party. The apprehensions of
the people at Chicago was excited to the
utmost for their own safety. At the close
of beautiful day, just as the evening
had set in, they were alarmed by the dis
tant sound of human voices. Surprising
them to be Indians, the terrified inhabi.
tants seized their arms and prepared for
defence. The sounds grew upon the
evening air as they approached nearer
ed their coming. A bend in the river
brought them to view, and in place ofthe
fierce war whoOp of the sblood thirsty
savage they recognized the cheerful strain
of the royGguers chanting their evening
songs as they padded ii bark canoe,
bearing back in safety 4 beloved and
venerated Governor Of Territory.
The transition from terror p joy can be
imagined only by those who have witness
Sed the burning cabin and heard tho aP-
palIing war-cry ofthe savagee
Then it was, long before Col Benton
had 'Orittcn upon the subject, that Gen.
Cass traversed the route and marked out
the great project of uniting the waters
of the lakes with the Mississippi: meas
ure since undertaken by the state of Illi-
nois in her magnificent canal, which will,
ere long, become great national avenue
of commerce and wealth.
The position Of Gen Cass upon all ques
tions relating to western interests is well
known. He has ever been identified
with them. The West is emphatically
his child. No parent abendcps his own
offspring. Neither will he, nor never
has he. When western rights were at
stake, and others faltered from whom bet
ter things were expected, he stood firm.
His opinions were not asked upon the
subjects to be brought forward by the
convention. When they are asked, they
will be given; and they will be given not
for the purpose of conciliating sectional
influence. or subscribing political purposes
but they will be the enlarged and liberal
views of great statesman upon nation
al question. and which the friends of a
sound constitutional policy throughout the
Union will sustain. This is all that is
asked by the western people. This is all
ahat they expect to be advocated by him
who has ever been the champion of the
West, as well as the champion of the
constitution and the rights Of the ,choIe
Union.
Let me add an important. historical fact
bearing on the improvement of the West
ern harbors, During the sessions of the
twenty seventh Congress, when the fed.
eral party we're in full power, with a
President and Cabinet Of their own, and
with overwhelming majorities in both
houses ofCongress in time of profound
peace, and with no heavy drain upon the
treasury, not one dollar was appropriated
for the improvement of western harbors
warn my western friends, therefore
not to be humbugged by the false 2rofes.
siOns ofthe federal party, who, should
they again unfortunately succeed in get
ting into power, will be TOO much occu-
pied as In 194l aud 1912, in the estab.
lishment of a national bank, protective
tariff, &C., to regard the commercial in
terests ofthe Great West, out of which
they are now trying to form hobby to
carry them into power. ILLINOIS.