The Minnesotian. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1851-1852, 1851-11-29

coming ages shall follow from this exper-
iment here, it is constrained to fall back
upon itself, and acknowledge with humili-
ty that there are designs of Providence too
vast for its crcumscribed capacity to en-
brace, too glorious for its unprotected Wis
ion to gaze upon.'
And again, in reference to the duty of
those to whom the MISSION of the Miss
issippi is sent:
"Mr. President, it is to such land as
have very feebly attempted to depict, that
the mighty Mississippi and its thousand
tributaries have HEAvEN-sENr Mission,
which should command the alteration, and
love, and gratitude of every American
1t is mission which should swell everv
heart with high and noble patriotism, and
fill every soul with more expanded desires
to live and strive for greater usefulness
and more extended good to the home he is
permitted to enjoy. Nonarrow prejudices,
no sectional unkindness, should ever be
permitted to impede or mar the glorious
work OF this sacred mission.
''But, sir, to uhom, was this mission sent?
For more than four thousand years this
world OF waters has been poured down the
slopes of this valley, and its surface, I'M
til within century, yielded no products
to the labor Of the human hand. During
nearly the whole Of those long ages, SO far
as human knowledge can enable us to tell,
the only inhabitants of this expanded re-
gion were the untutored Aborigines. They
have passed away like foam on the water;
the mission was not to them. Then came
the French and the Spanish, and they too
have passed away as distinct people
the mission was not to them. Then came
the American, and took possession of the
land, and planted his free institutions, and
the mission began to be fulfilled-it was
to him. Yes, sir, that mission is to us;
and to perform it, to us the Almighty has
kept back the people Of other lands, and
opened to free and vigorous race the glo-
rics Of this uncqualled valley. That mis-
sion is TO fructiI;y the earth and make here
the primeval curse of labor fall lightly on
our people; to afford ample means Of in
tercourse among the teeming millions that
shall here be gathered; to give an outlet
toward other parts of the world for the re-
dundant productions of our soil and thus
to place us in possession of all that is need
ed for the physical development of har-
dy and enterprising people-born, nur-
tured and expanded under the benignant
influence of labor, freedom of thought, free
tom of action, and freedom of religion.
''But my friends, this concourse of wat
ers has yet higher mission to perform.
Has it never occurred to you that, as they
leap through our mountain gorges, or dash
down our hillside decliviiies, and wind
their way through our stalwart forests and
over our 1lowery plains, that they have
mission Of peace, and good will, and broth
erly love to all the inhabitants OF cur coun-
try, and that they are designed and des-
tined to bind the UNION OF THESE STATES
together in an imperishable bond? That
is their GREAT mission, and it is holy
one. Ever aud ever as the tide of popu-
lation pours by every avenue into this
valley, so will roll on the ceaseless and
tireless flow Of our great river and its
tributaries; and you can never people
their banks so denscly, you can never fill
the land so full Of human beings, that the
arms of the Father of Waters will not
bind them all together in ligaments which
will defy the ravages Of time, and the eff
forts of any but an Almighty power to
break them. Sir, do we feel this? We
recognize the sentiment when it is ex-
pressed, but do we think If it when seat
ed at our firesides, secure in the enjoy
ment of life, and liberty, and happiness ?
Do we speak of it 10 our wives. and incul-
cate it upon our children, and point it out
to the strangers who come into our midst?
Sir, l very much fear that this noble fea-
ture of our great valley does not hold the
place in our thoughts which it should
But, sir, let us remember that we are all
brethren here. l care not whether born
in this or that State, or even on this con-
tinent-all are still brethren by the ties of
humanity, if not by those of common pa
rentage."
This speech comes to us very neatly
printed in pamphlet form. We hope it
has been generally circulated throughout
the country.
REMOVAL OF THE CHIPPEwAS.
The first tribe Of Indians has ,at 70 no