The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-03-01
MR.. MEACHAM'S SPEECH
NEBRASKA AND KANSAS BILL

htSstu III tnc htlticHcHt OF tHlS country
is of very rare if not singular occurrence.
Nothing like it, certainly, has ever been
seen before, and probably. never can be
seen again drama that is to have but
one representation in all time In other
parts Of the world colonies have been
planted. Greece did it. as she would be
believed, TO civilizc mankind Rome did
1t to conquer and retain the provinces.
and she did it, without disguise as a
military movement to extend and perpct.
ua to her power. Swarms Of Mortimer
or Eastmcn have often swept the plains
of Europe, always to devastate. and
rarely to rebuild the place of their con.
quest all these are either stimulated
and directed by government, or were or
ganized masses moving in concert. Ours
is entirely different our lands are not
taken from the original inhabitants by
bands Of barbarians, rowing over the
country, and leaving blasted pathway
behind them From the beginning. ours
have been settlements by individuals.
moved, perhaps, by the same motives
with the same object, with n common
though unconccrted action by individ.
uals enlightened, educated, having the
knowledge and power to govern them.
selves AT first their movements were
slow and cautious Fear of the savage
held them in check and it is well they
were SO. Had each one been permitted
TO occupy unmolosted some fertile spot
Of lis own selection, they would have
spread so widely us to lose the arts, the
institutions of Government, and Chris
tanity. But there has been change
in this respect. Freed from fear of saw
age. men are spread more rapidly and
widely. There is now 10 civilized pa.
tlon with so sparse population, only
fifteen to the square mile, in the organ.
lied States and only seven to the square
mile, taking the whole area of the Unit
cd States. This may tend to the more
rapid increase of wealth, but not to al
improved state of society Now, it may
certainly be doubted whether wise pol
icy would open the door for expansion,
especially on the borders of States the
most thiuly settled. You understand
that | design these remarks to apply to
the policy Of organizing new territorial
government for Nebraska. Having vot-
ed against that bill in tho last Congress,
| shall not be charged with inconsisten
cy for doing so now, even if no addition
al and stronger motives led me to such
decision.
My first reason for voting against the
present bill is, that government is not
needed there. On the Ith of October
last, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs
left the frontier, and says that there was
not at that time any settlement made in
any part Of Nebraska that, except the
employees Of the Government, there were
but three white men in the Territory.
For what, then, do you need n govern.
mcut thcre2 There is certainly no su.
perabundant population in the vicinity,
or anywhere else overlapping the barriers
Of their own States and Territories Look
At the facts, as to population. of adjacent
States and Territories. Missouri has
ten to the square mile, less than one
twelfth Of that of Massachusetts. Iowa
three New Mexico twcnty-eigbt one
lundredths Of one man; Minnesota sew
en- one huHdredths of man. and Ore
gon three one hundredths Of man to
one square mile of territory. 1t would
seem US if there could be no pressing
necessity for opening new safety valve,
10 prevent too great condensation on the
adjoining territory To fill all the places
named in those bills will take near
hundred men, to fiji the executive off.
res will require five times as many men
rs are in the whole territory. You must
import your men from some other place.
Nearly 100000 are to be appropriated
10 carry out the provisions of that BILL
all this to erect government for ter
ritory where there are but three men,
except those in the employ of the Unit
ID States, to govern, and in close prox
nifty 10 other fertile territories that
laye only thirty-three and one third per
cent of man to a square mile. Why
construct this costly and cumbrous ma
,hinery, and transport it TO place where
t is entirely needless, where there are
10 materials on which it can work
My second objections to these terri
orial bills is, the great and gross injus-
lice which their passage will iu1ict up.
IN the Indians. | am quito aware that
-hese bills have provisoes not to include
he territory of an Indian tribe within the
limits or jurisdiction of Kansas or Ne.
praska. That looks fair on paper. | |
lave no doubt the authors mean to deal
Is fairly as they can by the Indians. We !
,an refrain from exercising jurisdiction ; |
but is it possible to erect these govern
nents, with their proposed boundaries,
md not include the lands of the tribes |
within their limits This will be seen
20 be point of importance. You have
and between them and your boundaries
IN the north, on the south, on the east,
md on the west. Why, then, are they
lot included, inclosod, comprehended !
within the limits OF those Territories, as
-ruly so as Washington is included in
tho District of Columbia, or Baltimore
IN the State of Maryland ? You may as
we'll say that your heart is not included |
IN your body. One third of the terri
tory is hold by between sixty and seven
Iy thousand Indians, of more than forty
iribes,uDder treaty stipulations. Besides,
full title to lands is assigned to those
who have treaty rights TO hunting
grounds, or easements; and these cover
a large part of the entire territory.
In the last two years we have bought
territory enough to form two States, and |
brought the Indians down south of the
and provided them place of
rest. Senator BELL is my authority for
this statement. l have here, by the
courtesy of the acting Commissioner of