, 1852-12-11
Reported for the Columbian.
Speech Of Quincy A. Brooks, Esq,

MR. PREsIDENT-Our deliberations have
been characterized by so much harmony and
unanimily that / had determined 10 give my
vote in favor of the memorial without troub-
ling the convention with speech. But, sir,
so sensibly impressed am ] with the impor-
tance Of the step we are about to take, and
so deeply enlisted are my feelings in It's final
success, that | cannot permit this, the last
opportunity, to pass. feel it, slr,my duty
as well as my privilege 10 give full and
free expression of my views in regard to
/ the important matter now before us. We
are assembled for the purpose Of memoriai
zing Congress for an. early division of this
Territory. So great are the wants of the
people in This respect, and so sensibly are
they felt, that they have resulted in con-
vention Of their delegates in order 10 give
them legitimate and public expression, and
to appeal to the proper tribunal for justice.
| If ever there was an occasion on which |
felt it would be pleasure 10 give an erpose
of my views in regard 10 the great subject
which, almost to the exclusion Of all others,
is now agitating the public mind of North
ern Oregon, it would be on an occasion like
the present.
A man who is not acquainted with the
character Of this country from actual and
personal observation is not capable of ap-
preciating the necessity of separate Ter
Iitorial organization. A man in the States,
whose only knowledge of this Territory is
derived from a perusal of books and charts,
is not enabled 10 understand the wants Of
this people. 1t is but short time since
this country has been settled by Americans
it is but recently explored, its natural re-
source little understood, and its geographi-
cal description and representation imper-
fectly executed. When | lived in the
States imagined that when this Territory
came to be divided into States the division
would be made by lines running north and
south, but when | came here and saw this
country with $50 miles of sea coast, with
the great bulk of the population in the ex-
tremes of the north and south-when l saw
these northern and southern districts. rival
ing each other in commercial advantages,
their local interests in measure clashing,
and their respective citizens, 10 a certain
degree, actdated by a spirit of antagonism
when | saw the south, by her majority ol
votes, controlling the Territorial Legislature,
and receiving the benefit of all the appro-
priations made by Congress when | saw
the Territorial scat of government moved to
the extreme south, at a distance of over
800 miles from large portion of the citi-
zens of this Territory when, say, ] saw
and reflected upon these and many other
things, could understand the wants of our
people for separate Territory, | can ap-
preciate the justice of their complaints, and
| can now give my appreciation 10 The man
ner in which they have chosen 10 give their
necessities public expression.
The Territory of Oregon embraces an
area of 34l, 700 square miles. This extent
OF territory is entirely too large for one
Stale, being five times as large as the State
of Missouri, six times as large as the State
Of Virginia, and seven times as large as the
State of New York. take it the only
questions as 10 a division Of this Territory
are questions Of time and manner: when
shall the division be made, and where, or
how shall the dividing line rum We on
the north of the Columbia say that the time
has already arrived for a division Of the
Territory-that our w@ats demand the i'm
mediate organization Of the "Territory Of
Columbia" and that the Columbia river
should be the southern and eastern bounda-
ry line.
The country lying east of the Cascade
mountains is bound to that on the soa-board
by the strongest ties of interest. The
Yakima country must, in all time 10 come,
find market for her products at some point
on Puget Sound. And would it be right
and proper that two sections of country, So
mutually dependent and welded together
by reciprocal interests, should be separated
poliiically2 1t is only through the country
on the coast that imports can reachAhe in,
terror, or home products find foreign mar
ket. The Territory must inevitably be di-
vided some day, and can any man reconcile
! il 10 his ideas Of justice and fairness that in
that division one Stale should possess so
great an extent of sea-coast 10 the exclusion
of that in the interior' If then the diyis.
ion should be made by line running east
and west, where can there be more euqita-
bic, proper, and natural dividing line than
the Columbia riveri By this division, and
giving US the main branch of the Columbia,
or Okonagan river, as a boundary line on
the east, the Territory Of Columbia " will
have an area of $4,000 square miles, about
the size, perhaps Of Michigan or Tennessee.
This will form state neither too large nor
too small, but most admirable natural me-
dium. Does II not seem that nature des-
tined the Columbia river TO be the dividing
line between two great and powerful States F?
But it may be asked by those who are
unacquainted with The character of this
country, will your proposed Territory of
Columbia be capable Of sustaining popu-
lation commensurate with her extent Of ter
ritory ? lfyou should ever come 10 be ad-
milted as State in the Union, will your
$4,000 square miles be able 10 support a
population sufficiently large to delray the
expenses Of State government ? / ven
turp The aecartfo, tbol kbora ;. - CfoAo =,