Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-06-10
LANCASTER WISCONSIN, SATURDAY., JUNE 10, ISIS.

well the feeling of the people of Wisconsin
on that subject. If it were out of self-re-
spect alone, and just regard to the digni-
" of the State, the very men themselves
who had in convention been most in favor
Of southern line, would now vote against
il. No; Wisconsin would never come as a
heggar TO the door Of this House, and sue as
boon sor that which was her right. Her
people would place themselves in no such
degrading attitude. Mr.. II. and those as
sociatcd with him had labored with the peo-
pie day and night for two weeks to prevail
with Them 70 wait and consent To the boun-
Diary proposed hy Congress in the new con-
stifution; they had had the utmost difficulty
ia holding back their friends from Insisting
on the rights of the State. They had PLAN
ted themselves on the ordinance of 81
But at length, with great reluctance, they
had consented to waive for the present
what all held to be their right. But they
came not as the people of a British province
suing at the foot of the throne for privilege
Of self-government If they came into the
Union at all, they would come into il on a
footing of perfect equality with the other
States Wisconsin must come m as sister,
or not at all. On this point men Of all par
ties were as one; every soul in the State was
of but one mind Ii was vain for gentle
men to try to bring them to any other terms.
As to the two northern lines which had been
spoken of, gentlemen might fix on which
they pleased The people of Wisconsin
PREFER ed Rum river as their boundary; but
If the 81. Croix route was fixed on by the
House, shev were ready to acqniesce. He
would say that he had been instructed TO
advooate the first of these boundaries, and
he believed il would carry
And now as to some other points which
the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Cola
mer) had stated with so much clearness and
fairness. That gentleman had perfect ac-
quaintance with the whole subject OF the
public lands; and, after having thoroughly
examined all the resolutions of the Wiscon-
sin convention, he found none TO object
against bur the fifth. MIR. L. presumed
there would he no serious objection in the
House 10 any other. That resolution re-
ferred to repeal of the provso ~ the act
granting alternate sections of land for the
construction of a canal to unite the Wiscon-
sin and Fox rivers. which provIso required
the sections reserved by the United States
to he sold at not less than two dollars and a
half the acre. The gentleman from Ner-
mont had very frankly stated that his chief
objection to this was as precedent. Mr..
II. did not pretend TO he competent to de-
eide whether Congress had established the
doctrine of the inviolahility of precedent
or not; he had not himself heard Of such a
DECISION; bur this he knew, that il there
was any case which could claim the repeal
of such a proviso; both on grounds of lib
crafty and of Justice this was that case.
On the very same day that Congress had
granted these alternate sections of land to
Wisconsin for her canal, the same body
had granted Iowa a strip Of land in alter
nate SECTIONS, extending five miles on each
side of the Des Moines river, four hundred
miles in length, for work lying wholly
within the limits of one State, and there
fore in no sense national, without any such
proyiso The canal for which the grant
had been made to Wisconsin connected two
rivers. running five hundred miles in oppo-
site dreciions--rivers a mile IN width nj
their mouths, but approaching IN their up
per branches so near to each other that ~ a
ireshet their waters mingled into one. IL
was the most wonderful, and AT tile same
time one of the most important natural wa
ter Communications on the North American
continent Al the point where they APP
preached, canal little over a mile in
length, with Il slack-water navigation OF for
~ miles, enabled the same vessel to VISIT
10th New Orleans IN one direction and
Montreal in the other, and provided the
means Of transportation all the lead of that
most productive mineral region. TO be trans
ported by water carriage to any part of the
world. If there was national work III
the world. il was this. Yet, while Congress
had grauied alternate sections in a strip Of
three miles on each side the rivers, and
ninety miles in length, the same Congress,
on the same day, had granted To Iowa alter
nate sections in strip four hundred miles
in length. and extending five miles from the
river: and this for State work, lying Who'll
" within single State, and not national IN
any sense Of the world
Mr.. II. went on to say that Congress bad
never given to Wisconsin "A cent; and the
land il had given was clogged with condl-
ton from which Iowa was wholly free. II
Wisconsin had enjoyed her five per cent.
ever since her population had been sulilc'ent
for her becoming State, she would have
received more than all that Congress paid
for her governor, judges, and the whole sys-
tern Of her territorial government, roads,
harbors, and ali. This was the evenhanded
Justice which had been melted OUT 10 Wis
cOnsiul She might have been state i've
years ago, when her road fund alone would
have Ear exceeded al -he had ever received
at The hands Of this Government.
Congress had made a grant Of lands 10
construct a canal from Milwaukee 10 Rock
river. which the State did not want and
never asked for. The land was not grant
Ell 10 the State, hut TO a company Of private
individuals, who were not able to carry 90
the work, and finally abandoned the project.
fl was route for q railroad, and for a en-
nal The State sold the land granted TO
her, and she had some left vet. In any oih-
or case the Government might have whl--
tied for lis money; but the people OF WIS
cousin had volunteered TO charge themselves