Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1852-03-25
+ CONTINUED rRom FIRST rAeE.1

years verified and sustained what was said
By this distinguished man Of your State more
than twenty years ago9 And will you, with
the experience Of the past before your eyes
when we come to you fora pttancc like this
will you say that these railroads and
means OF communications shall not cross the
Mississippi river?
But will pass on to another branch of
this snbiect, and notice another objection
which has been made by gentlemen who
yield reluctant support 10 these grants
The objection is this: The Government of
the United States, it is said, is not propie-
tor holding the soil and obtaining enhanced
prices by reason of improvements growing
cut of settlement and population; it asks but
one price from the beginning TO the end Of
the transaction, and that price does but little
more than cover the expenses of the man
agement and sale of the lands. 1t is true
that the Government does not ask an adj
vanced price for its lands; but is it not vir-
tually an enhancement Of the price, if lands
which have been in the market for years,
when a railroad is projected through them,
are sold for 81 90 an acre, or even for 81
%? Is it not, in other words, making that
available which before was totally unavaila-
bic TO this Government for revenue. and I'M
available to the State for the same purpose?
But it is said that the price of these lands
does but little more than pay the expenses
Of management and sale. Why is this?
ask you, gentlemen. 10 reflect on these facts.
and YOU have the answer TO the question:
Why is it that these lands do not defrav the
expenses OF management and sale? Because
YOU have TO keep open land Offices. as YOU
have done i'll Missouri for the last thirty
years, as long as the lands in the State arc
unsaleahlc and unavailable. But il YOU pro-
command 4 sale, and your land Offices NAV
be shut and your registers and receivers
may be dismissed, and this vast expense
saved to the Government.
But | pass to another part Of the subject.
desire gentlemen upon the floor % rcrnrm-
Der, that while one end of these railroads
unitcs with the great highways which have
been projected from the Atlantic scaboard,
penetrated the Allcghanies, and are now
traversing the Valley of the Mississippi the
other end Of both Of these roads rests upon
Your frontier Immediately adjoining your
Indian possessions. beg YOU 10 remember
the policy OF this Government in planting
those Indian tribes upon our western from
Tier. They are scattered along opposite
Missouri, Arkanssa, and Iowa. | has been
your policy TO place them there; but in the
progress OF the age and Of this Government.
the position af the Indian has become like
that Of the scorpion girt with fire. He sees
the white man is east of him and at his heels
that he has bounded away beyond him.
now busy thousands tread the shores of the
Pacific west of him. He sees his hunting
ground invaded by the white man. lie sees
that the elk, and antelope, and the buffalo,
are fast receding from his prairies. And
let us prepare, lest al the moment when we
least expect it, the war-whoop may be ring
ing in our ears, and these Indian tribes.
goadcd to madness, may come upon us, upon
our defenceless frontier, and compel our
hardy frontiermen to defend with their ri
flies their firesides and homes from attack
As it was deemed the wiscst policy 10 plant
these tribes upon the frontier west of the
Mississippi. is it not the policy of the Gov
crnment to prepare for defence against any
rruption Of those tribes, when it can be
done, without the necessity Of garrisoning
large bodies of troops upon our western bor-
ders?
Mr.. Speake-, this Government has here
ioiorc annually expended large sums of
money for the transportation of supplies for
Indians, and for our troops. by The treaty
with Mexico: it is our duty TO protect her
from the depredations of the Indians within
our own borders and by the acquisition of
California and New Mexico, troops have
been required along the routes 10 those pos
sessions west of the Missouri. Since we
are forming new treaties with the wild In
dian tribes Of the plains and mountains
west Of lis, Of course, the amount of prop
crty OF the Government in supplies, annui-
tics, and munitions Of war must bc increased
and with that an increase Of expenditure
Bat, sir, aid in constructing those
roads, and that expenditure will be
saved. Again, sir, much will be gained TO
the Government in the entire security with
which that property may be transported
Heretofore those supplies have been carried
up the Missouri river at a heavy cost TO the
Government, and with great peril and haz-
ard of total loss, from the dangers Of nayiga-
ton in that turbd stream.
Mr.. Speaker, find have but a few min
u,es of my time left, and therefore will has
ten TO a conclusion. 1t has been said. and
think truthtully, By one of our modern his
torians, that of all inventions, the printing
press and alphabet alone excepted, those in,
ventions which abridge distances have done
= most for the civilization of our Species
Every improvement Of the means of loco
motion benefits mankind morally and intel
lectually, as well as materially, and not only
facilitates the interchange Of the various
productions of nature and art, but tends 10
remove national and provincial antipathies,
and to bind together all the branches of the
human family.
Sir, these advantages are not to he light
ly esteemed by people or government oc-
cupying so wide an extent Of country as
ours, and where sectional interest too often
elder preudices that lead 10 alienation of
feeling among those who should dwell to-
pether with fratcrnal affection. sVmnatL;so