The Minnesotian. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1851-1852, 1852-01-10
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stronger in relation to rivers, which the
federal authorities declare to be public
highways, assume jurisdiction of, exclude
from the surveys, and thus prevent them
from becoming private property of the
citizens, or the property Of the States
through which they flow. In this in
stance, the power Of improvement seems
inseparably connected with ownership
and jurisdiction.
1t is to be hoped that the present Con-
gress, concurring with the wise recon-
mendation of the President, will give to
this subject the attention it deserves; and
that public improvements in which Min
neSota has an essential and vital inter-
est, may receive the Just and liberal con-
sideration to which they are entitled.
To avoid iteration, | simply refer the
Legislature to what have urged in for
mer messages, in regard to the proprie-
ty of Congress granting to settlers, upon
unsurveyed lands, the same privileges as
if the lands had been surveyed | be-
lieve the passage of such measure to
be of the highest Importance to the peo-
pie of Minnesota, and in itself strictly
just If the treaties negotiated with the
Sioux and Chippewas during the past
year, shall receive the appreciation of
the President and the Senate, the ncces-
sity of such an enactment will become
significantly manifest.
1t becomes you, gentlemen, in the most
solemn manner, to protest against the
gricvous wrong that would be done our
own, in common with the other Terrific
ries Of the United States, should pro-
ject, which was brought before Congress
at its last session, become law. | al
Jude to Il bill for parcellng the public
lands among the severalsStates of the
Union. | am not we'll informed as to
the details of the bill, but understand
thai the effect of its enactment would be
to break up the present admirable sys-
tenn Of surveying and disposing of the
public domain, and leave to each State
the management and disposition Of such
parcel of the public Territory as might
fall to its share-thus introducing per-
plexity and confusion, where now is sim
plicity and system; and retarding the
settlement of the public lands, by the
annoyances incident to thirty or more
independent and conflicting jurisdic-
tons.
AS to the disposition which may be
made of the proceeds of the public lands,
we have, in our political relations, no
voice: but if Il concerted effort is to be
made for the division of these lands
among the States, it would seem that all
the objects contemplated might be attain
ed by distribution of their proceeds,
leaving the present system of survey and
sale undisturbed.
To the people of Minnesota the most
interesting political event, that has oc-
CURED since the organization of the Ter
ritory, is the extinction, by the treaties
of Traverse DIES Sioux, Mendoza, and
Pembina, Of the Sioux and Chippewa
title to immense tracts of land, upon the
western side of the Mississippi. These
treaties bridge over the wide chasm
which could alone obstruct the advance
of Minnesota to the lofty destination cv-
identity reserved for her.
BY the two former treaties, the Dako-
ia Indians rclinquish to the government
their right Of usufruct to all the country
previously claimed by them east of the
Sioux Wood and Big Sioux rivers, ex-
tending over four degrees of latitude and
five Of longitude, and covering a super
fetal extent of $4,000 square miles,
Inis vast district nature has marked out
for exalted destinics.
OF the 37,OO0,OO square geographic
cal miles of territorial surface which the
globe, according to Matte Brun, con-
tains, probably no tract of equal extent
embraces a fewernumber of acres DOOM
ed to eternal stcrility. Within its ex-
IRENE limits, it may be safely asserted,
that there is hardly rood that is not ar
able; for the wet and swampy lands are
easily drained, and eventually will be
the most eagerly sought for agricultural
purposes. Rapid streams, fed from rich
prairies, and shaded by noble forests;
clear lakes stocked with fish; soil en-
riched with the spols Of the dccayed
vegetation of several thousand years,
are features common to the entire re-
gion. Rich veins of mineral wealth. and
an inexhaustible command of water pow
er, point it out as the future abode of
manufacturing greatness; while the
boundless plains, subdued by the volun-
tary toll of ireemen, will become the cho-
sen abidng-place of pastoral republic
canism. The whole is watcrcd. by
streams, which form so many natural
outlets into the great commercial artery
ofour continent, the Mississippi. These
various rivers, in great part navgable,
each with their own set of tributary
streams, some fed by rills which gush
from fertile highlands, others draining
lakes of transparent clearness, form a
chain of inland communication, which,
as natural feature, is unknown in the
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