The Davenport gazette., 1851-11-13

10 claim tn antiquity over our river
S,pread il out, aud we have twenty five
housand miles Of coast on the Mississippi
nd its iributa aries-mora coast, a grea,
ieal, on lake and river, than would equa'
; he whole circumference ofthe globe. Now
ieliow-ciiizcns, you do not realize that the
nttom on The other side Of this river is Il
prt 0f your coast, because there is no,
.nongh water between sou aud il. But
stretch il ont twenty miles, and 10! it be
.omes lake, and with il a coast on either
.de! There would then hive TO bc very
.pecial attention to tho Improvement Of
this keconst, md Congress would mnkt
appropriations for il. But, because sin
gle mile only divides the shores on either
side Of this magnificent river. forsoo,h, We
have to go begging Them for what we want
in improving our twenty. five thousand
miles Of coast.
FeIow-ciiizens, if, along the banks Of
this mighty river, YOU could see nothing
nm blank aud drear. deserts, except here
nj there an oas's-a patch Of civilization
we might be reasonably met, as we nov
IRE, in the halls Of Congress, with the res
ponse that that was no matter in which the
interests Of the nation are involved. Bal.
.ir, upon every part Of this vast valley, thn
God Of nature has stamped the seal offruiI
tu'nes-, ot beauty. of verdure, and Of glor,
The like of which the whole world has
ct never seen. Here, sir, millions upon
nilli ms can live aud realize the f'scl ,ha,
nine States and one Territory that nov
contain five millions Of people, would alone
hold, how many people do you think? Pre-.
p,re Yourselves for large figure: give six.
IS TO the square mile, the average popnla
rian Of Europe, and then these nine States
nd one Territory will support. in fall life,
fr,v millions Of people! Yet look at it
The tine will come when our children m,
see in this valley those forty millions liv
ing on lis soil.
In a moral and physical aspect. ever,
outward circumstance is favorable for tn.
.ull development ofali that their attribute,
IRE susceptible of; and mentally, ths peo
pie are destined u reach the highest p,ssi.
aIc expansion aud cultivation. But sir, in
sh.t manner, il all this to be accomplish
I'd? Think YOU. sir, if despo,ism held H.
slack mantle over this land, and the ener
gies Of the people we're fetiered around
with bands ol iron strength, that we could
60 on increasing aud multiplying in this
manner? Very far from il. Backncss,
desoaiion, misery, uufrniiiulness, would be
the lot of this magnificent valley. But,
sir, here is in progress great experiment.
Il the very contemplation OF which the
snnl Of freeman seems MS if il were capa.
nle of bursting it's fetters, and soaring over
TO rcgi rs which j, is NJ, impossible FIR him
10 reach Let ~ think. fellow citizens, of
The blessings which onr fathers have given
us-,he blood they split for the privilege
we enj,v. WHIT is this land now d"ina
tnr MS. in bringing forth those comforts
wen in the trial nf the experiment ni 81
free people, living under government
having written CONSTITUTIONS gnv,rn.
n"n, of laws. giving freedom of opinion.
ireedrn Of thonght. action and purpose
government where every man is king.
Sir. the Scriptures speak II nations be.
ing born in da, bu', sir, il is only seven
teen wears ago that came upon the banks
# the Mississippi. Where then was ths
fair voung State Of Iowa? Where were
the Haweyes ihen--where were her fair
I,ugh,ers and s,aiwart sons? Lnok a,
heir vigor. aud estim,te their strength
With others, came from ST. Louis, where
nature is in The scar and yellow
lef-I came two hundred and fifty miles.
nd on our way the face of nainre also pre-
sanie the same gloomy aspect, with the
caves preparing 10 fall. landed here AT
tn, dead Of night. found, TO be sure,
Your hearts aud hospi,alities, green and
to give us TINT entertainment
which has been so generously extended.
| lnoked abroad in the morning, and ever,
'ree upon Your hills was green, with hard
;v a leaf f.!lcn-and looking as il were IL
the month Of August. May it be an en-
blem Of the perpetual verdure and perpei"
u prosperity which shall belong 10 ih
'avely city.
Mr.. President, il is in such land as
have yer, feebiy attempted 10 depict, thi,'
mighty river and tributaries have heaven.
sent mission that shunld command the ado-
ration and love aud gratitude of ever, .rn
hearted American. Ii is n mission which
should swell ,ht heart with feelings Of pat
riotism and truth, nav weighed down b.
The prejhces &c evil feelings. !, is n mi>
sion which should GIL every soul with de
sire for greater usefulness 10 his land, ~
higher aspirations Of patriotism.
But, sir, to whom was this mission sem !?
The Aborigines were on The banks OF ,h,
stream when first saw il, and they har
heen here, sir, we know not how long.
The mission Of this river was not for them.
for they hive passed away like The foam
upon the waters or like the summer dried
fount aims, leaving ns no knowledge Of
where they stmd, save the remnants oi
their existence scattered here and their a
mid the scenes oftheir old hunting grounds
The French and Spaniards, 10 email ex-
tent, peop'ed the land, and they. too, have
passed away, for the mission Of this river
was not to them. Then came the Amer
ca IN Saxon, for whom God sent this mighty
concour.e OF waters upon creations dawn
That stream comes. with all its tributaries,
TO iructify our land. to make il yield its
corpfnrts forever, until il shall please our
Almighty Father 10 blast our soil with
barrenness. II comes here 10 give an out
C-.-n a. - , lie Ia, nj hop An n