Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-05-10

the organization Of Washington Territory. You
ran the lines around the country which you
thought ought to be within the limits of the terri
n tory, and you embraced all the Indians within
those lines; but you made no provision in respect
y to their rights or lands; you left that matter to
the Committee on Indian Affairs, to the Indian
9 laws and to the proper department, to be arrang-
ed afterwards as the public interests might re-
quire. The same is true in reference to Utah
and New Mexico. .. ..-..
In fact, the policy provided for in this bill, in
respect to the Indians, is that which is now in
force in every one of the territories. Therefore,
any senator who objects to this bill on that score
should have objected to and voted against every
territorial bill which you have in existence. Yet
my friend from Texas has taken occasion to re-
mind the Senate several times that it was a mat
ter of patriotic pride with him-that he voted for
every measure of the compromise Of 1850, inclu-
ding the Utah and New Mexico territorial bills,
embracing all the indians within their limits
My friend from Tennessee, too, has been very
liberal in voting for most of the territorial bills;
and therefore trust that the same patriotic and
worthy motive which induced him to vote for the
territorial acts of 1850 will enable him to give
his support to the present bill, especially as he
approves Of the great principle of popular sover-
eighty upon which it rests. .g... s.
The senator from Tennessee remarked fur
ther that the proposed limits of these two terrific
ries were too extensive, that they were large
enough to be erected into eight different States,
and why, he asked the necessity Of fincludiDg such
a visit amount of country within the limits oil these
two Territories! | must remind the senator that
it has always been the practice to include large
extent of country within one territory, and then
to subdivide it from time to time as the public in
tercst might require. Such was the case with
the old Northwest territory 1t was all original
ly included within one territorial government.--
Afterwards Ohio was cut off, and then Indiana,
Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin, were success
sively erected into separate territorial gov, rn-
ments; and subsequently admitted into the Union
as States.
At one PERIOD it will be remembered, the terri
tory of Wisconsin included the country embraced
within the limits Of the States of Wisconsin and
Iowa. and part of the State of Michigan, and
the Territory of Minnesota. There is country
enough in the Territory of Minnesota to make
two or three States of the size of New York
w. shington Territory embraces about the same
area. Oregon is large enough to make three or
four States us extensive as Pennsylvania, Utah
two or three, and New Mexico four or five of like
dimensions. Indeed the whole country embra-
ced within the proposed Territories Of Nebraska
and Kansas, together with the States Of Arkan-
sas, Missouri, and Iowa, and the larger part Min
ncSota, and the whole of the Indian country west
Of Arkansas, once constituted terri torial govern
ment, under the name of the Missouri Territory.
view of this course of legislation upon the sub
ect of territorial organization, commencing be-
fore the adoption of the Constitution Of the Uni
ted States and coming down to the last session
af Congress- it surely cannot be said there is any
thing unusual or extraordinary in the size OF the
proposed Territory, which should compel scna-
to- TO vote against the bill, while he approves OF
tn principles involved in the measure.
L. has also been urged in debate that there is
no necessity for these territorial organizations;
and ] have been called upon to point out any
public and national considerations which require
action at this time. Senators seem to forget
that our immense and valuable possessions on the
Pacific are separated from the States and organ
lied Territories, on this side OF the Rocky noun
tains by vast wilderness, filled by hostile sava-
ges; that nearly u hundred thousand emgrants
pass through this barbarous wilderness every
year, on their way to California and Oregon; that
these emigrants are American citizens, our own
constituents, who are entitled to the protection
of law and government; and that they are left t.
make their way, as best they may, without the
protection Or aid from government.
The United States mails for New Mexico and
Utah, and all official communications between
this government and the authorities of those Ter
rtories are required 70 be carried over these wild
plains, and through the gorges of the mountains,
!, where you have made no provision for roads,
bridges ferries to facilitate travel, or forts or
other means Of safety to protect life. AS often
as have brought forward and urged the adoption
. of measures to remedy these evils and afford S.
curty against the dangers to which our people
are constantly exposed, they have been promptly
voted down as not b>ins Of sufficient importance e
to command the favorable consideration of Con.
, gress. Now, when | propose to organize the
Territories and allow the people to do for them
selves what you have SO often refused to do for
!, them, | am told there are not white inhabitants
enough permanently settled in the country to re-
, qure and sustain government True there is
not a very large population there for the very
good reason that your Indian code and intercourse
laws exclude the settlers aud forbid their remain
4 ing to cultivate the soil. You refuse to throw
the country open to settlers, and then object to
the organization of the territories upon the ground
that there is not a sufficient number OF inhabit
. ants.
f The Senator from Connecticut Mr. Smith
p has nude long argument to prove that there are
!. no inhabitants in the proposed Territories be.
8 cause nearly all those who have gone and settled
there have done SO in violation of certain old acts
: Of Congress which forbid the people to take pos
! session of and settle upon the public lands unit
o after they should be surveyed and brought into
! market. -
do not propose to discuss the question wheth
q er these settlers technically legal inhabitants
n or not It is enough for me that they are part
e OF our own people; that they are settled on the
. public domain; that the public interests would be
i promoted by throwing that public domain open te
r. settlement and that there is no good reason why
+ the protection OF law and the blessings Of govern
! ment should not be extended to them. must be
. permitted to remind the senator that the same OBJ
lection existed in It's full force to Minnesota, tt
: Oregon and to Washington, when each of those
g, Territories were organized; and that have nc
recollection that he deemed it his duty to call the
r attention Of Congress to the objection, or consid
cred it Of such Importance to justify him in recor-
J;o,, h;s otpn vntn a0airsf fha uzotinn nf pi