Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1852-1853, 1852-03-11


for 81 %? Is i not, in other words, making
that available which before was totally unavaiI-
able TO this Government for revenue, and una
; valuable to the Stale for The same purposep
) But Il Is said that the price Of these lands
, does but little more than pay the expense OF
management andsale. WHY'S thisp [ ask you,
gentlemen, TO reflect these facts, and YOU have
the answer 10 the question. Why Is il that
these lands do not defray the expenses Of man
agement and sale? Because you have to keep
open land Offices, as you have done in Missouri
for the last thirty years, long as the lands in
the State are unsaleable and unavailable But II
you project railroads through those lands they
will command sale, and your land Offices may
be shut, and your registers and receivers may be
dismissed, and this vast expense saved TO inc
! Government.
But pass to another part Of the subject.
desire gentlemen upon this floor to remember,
that while one end Of these railroads unites with
the great highways which have been projected
from the Atlantic seaboard, have penetrated the
Alleghanies, and are now trayersinp the Valley
Of the Mississippi, the other end OF both Of these
roads rests upon your frontier Immediately adj
joining your Indian possessions. | beg YOU 10
remember the policy of this Government in
planting those Indian tribes upon our western
frontier. They are scattered along opposite
Misso'ir!r arkansas. end iowa. AiIas been vc;;;,i
policy to place them there; DuI in the progress
OF the age :.lrG OF this Government the position
OF 9e Indian has become like that Of the "Scor-
| pion grit by fire." He sees the white man is
east OF him and al his heels-that he has bounded
away beyond him, and now busy thousand tread
the shores Of the Pacific west Of him. He sees
lis hunting ground invaded by the white man.
He sees that The elk, the antelope, and the buff
falo, are fast receding from his praires. And
let us prepare, lest at some moment when we
least expect it, the war-whoop may be ringing
in our ears, and these Indian tribes, goaded 10
madness, may come upon us, upon our defence
Less frontier, and compel our hardy frontiermen
to defend with their rifles their firesides and
homes from attack. As it was deemed the
wsest policy to plant these tribes upon the From
tier west of the Mississippi, is it not the policy
OF the Government to prepare for defence against
any irruption Of those tribes, when it can be |
done, without the necessity OF garrisoning large
bodies troops upon our western borders?
Mr.. Speaker, this Government has heretofore
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 to |
those possessions west Of the Missouri. Since |
we are forming new treaties with the wild In
dian tribes of the plains and mountains west of
us, of course, the amount of property Of the Gov,
eminent in supplies, annuities, and munitions of
war, must be increased, and with that an in ,
crease of expenditure. But, sir, aid in con-
structing those roads, and that expenditure will
be saved. AGAIN, si1, much viii DE gained TO
the Government in the entire security with
which that NAV ha tpo snortoJ
tofore those supplies have been carried up the
Missouri river at heavy cost TO the Gov ern-
nnent, and with great peril and hazard of total
loss, from the dangers of navigation in that tur-
bid stream.
Mr.. Speaker, find have butt few minutes
Of my time left, and therefore will hasten to
conclusion. 1t has been said, and think truth
fully by one Of our modern historians. that of
all inventions, the printing press and al phabet
alone excepted, those inventions which abridge
distances have done most for the civilization Of
our species. Every improvement of the means
of locomotion benefits mankind morally and in,
tellectually, as we'll as materially, and not only
facilitates the interchange of the various produce
tions Of nature and art, but tends to remove ma
tional and provincial antpathies, and to bind To-
gether all the branches of the human family.
Sir, these advantages arc not TO be lightly es-
teemed by people or Government occupying
so wide an extent of country ours, and where 4
sectional interests too often engender preiudices
that lead to alienation of feeling among those /,
who should dwell together with fraternal affec- !
ton, sympathize with each other in sorrow, anG 4
rejoice with each other in prosperity.
We all know, sir, how great were the fear: 4
entertained by many of our best citizens and 1
most enlightened and purest statesmen, lest tho /
acquisition of additional territory and the exteni
sion of our limits should result in the dismemberp
ment of our glorious Union, and that il wouls !
fall to pieces from its own weight. But, sir
there is mach to relieve those fears and gloom
forebodings of ill. The invention Of the steams
engine, and its application, as motive power
upon the oceans, upon our rivers and lakes, and
the great highways which we are opening through
our mountains and hills, and which are travers.
ing our beautiful savan nahs and broad and fert
tile prairies, and over which the car Of commerce,
freighted with the richest productions of ou-
fields and workshops, is carried with velocitss
which outstrips the wind by the iron horse
whose foot never wearies and whose strength
never fails. This invention has contributed,
much to dissipate those fears and strengthen gu,
hopes. BY this wonderful discovery, foE tEnlxt
sir. it seems that the steamuRngize aNaeS
cease to be a W0aAaf .k~eecs, &c.
ia Rasa z.I paved EalsoIi
& 49, $ y -, ~
l..5sS6 $40 daiiy, those civilities
aA1eM ne and give it half its charms.
But, sir, wonderful as are the results Of the |
steam-engine, and happy as are its influences
socially and politically, and however great its
tendency to strengthen the bonds of our Union,
another if not greater discovery, exists, of more
recent date, which promotes fraternal feeling,
a. -. a L.. 4