Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-06-03
LANCASTER, WISCONSIN, SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1918.

Stu duu tic dNstlftith Va thS
second. The people obviously preferred
the most northerly and westerly line, by
Rum river, though, from the fear Of still
further delay, they had been afraid to insert
il in their act. He contended for keeping
the valley of the St. Croix as an entirety,
and taking in the west bank of that river.
MIR. Vinton wished to know whether the
gentleman's line west of the ST. Croix
would not include all the people there nowf
Mr.. McLane replying in the affirmative
Mr.. Vinton said that there would then
be no nuclues of population for the territory
of Minesota. There was already court
house on the west hank
Mr.. Tweedy said the great mass of1the
people of Wisconsin would prefer boun-
dairy line north of the St. Croiy.
Mr.. McLane resumed, and went into a
recital of the reasons which had influenced
Congress in fixing the present boundary OF
Michigan, though it was allowed at the time
it would be doing great injustice TO the flu
ture population of Wisconsin. The fear
had been that Wisconsin would form too
| large a State. .a III
| The ST. Croix was the best river. in the
territory, and the only one which watered a
fertile country: those which ran north into
Lake Superior passed through region
Comparatively sterile.
| He observed that the whole legislation of
/ Congress in relation to the Territories rest
ed on a very doubtful foundation. This
had been admitted by the best iurists. And
he held that Congress ought to be very care
/ fnl how they trenched upon the right of a
people TO make their own laws. While gen.
tlemen on the one hand held up the ord-
nance of 1877 as the ground Of the right of
Congress to make laws for the people of the
Territories and to tax them, it was now, on
the other hand, proposed to violate that or
dnance in fixing the boundary of one oi
them rather than allow Wisconsin to have
the entire st. Crox valley.
Mr.. Sawyer briefly advocated the boun
Diary as proposed by Congress and assentet
10 ly the people of Wisconsin in convention
The Delegate from Wisconsin himself wa:
willing to take this line.
Mr.. Tweedy said he preferred the north
ern line as the best, but would take this as
THE second best.
Mr.. SAWYER said, If so, he thought the
true policy would be 10 take the middle line,
and not to throw back this question once
more. This would leave more territory for
Minnesota at the soutlb the northern and
western portions of il being in great de-
gree unfit for habitaton.
MIR. McLane reminded Mr.. Sawyer that
the convention had themselves stated thai
they would prefer the northern line.
Mr.. Sawyer. Yes, because it wonld
give them a little more territory, and, il
they could get this for asking, no doub
they would take IL; but they were willing Il
take the middle line, and for that he should
fvote.
Mr.. Gayle, without stating which Of the
lines he should himself prefer, was opposed
to any amendment being now made To the
constitution Wisconsin, had accepted. He
drew parallel between the case of the adj
mission of Wisconsin and the admission oi
Texas. Texas had demanded the recogni-
ton of the Rio Grande as her southwestern
bouudary, and Congress rejected her on
that ground Texas had then agreed to
leave this question open for negotiation, and
/ Congress had then received her. Congress
had not violated her faith with Texas: why
should she with Wisconsin, Was there
ANY difference, in point of obligation and
and national faith, between joint resolu-
ton and treaty. Were they not equally
sacredi We had prescribed the conditions
on which we would receive Wisconsin,; she
4 Uuu HfEtDitu iutfil. dflh INV otphh We w
/ insist on others' Ii would be violation Of
/ good faith. The act had been for the adj
mission of " the State % WISCONSIN," not
the Territory of Wisconsin,; Congress had,
therefore, recognized her as a sovereign, in
dependent State, before her admission
/ Now, the Consultation did not compel Con-
gress to admit new States, nor new States
to come into the Union; and Wisconsin
ifrI,. .vffbnuf thrnn haraelf an her
rights. and set up an independent empire
IL was not TO be expected that two hundred
thousand people would long be kept in ter
ritoriaI bondage She bad right 10 repu-
diafe the United States Government, refuse
to be taxed by il, and erect herself INTO an
independent Power. He threw these tho'ts
out for consideration.
Mr.. Smith, Of Illinois, said, il was with
reluctance that he had made any remarks
upon the bill under consideration. lie bad
not gwen the subject that investigation its
importance demanded, ard felt himself un-
able to do justice to the question. He had
seen aud conversed with number of very
intelligent young men, who had lived for a
number Of years in the vicinity Of the falls
of -. Croix, and he knew the aversion they
had to being included within the State Of
Wisconsin. The boundary proposed by
his friend, the chairman Of the Committee
on Territories, mr.. Smith Of Indiana d.
vided the settlement upon the ST. Croix riv-
err, and compelled those living on the east
side Of the river to travel some four or five
hundred miles TO reach the capital Of Wis
cOnsfn and forced them into State and
community where they had no interests or
feelings 10 common with those among whom
they were thrown. They consider il un-
just 10 disregard their interests and wishes,
and they never will make good citizens Of
Wisconsin. Mr.. S. said he had listened
with attention to the remarks Of the honor
able gentlemen who were in favor of the
II. Croix river a. the boundary, and TO
4 r