Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-03-10
sPEECU OF HON. JAMES
MEACIEAm,
Differed in The House Of Representatives. IN
Committee Of The Whole, on The Stole q
The Union, Wednesday FEB. 10, ls1o.
Upou The NebrasIxa Bill.

me JHfOH, UtuHtSuNyi 4 %. i'f '''''
Mr. Chairman. the spectacle now witness
sed in the settlement Of this country IS OF
very rare il not singular occurrence. Moth
ing Ike it, certainly. has ever been seen be-
fore, and probably never can be seen again;
a drama that is to have but ons representa-
ton in all time. In other parts OF the
world colonies have been planted Greece
did it, as she would be believed, to clvilize
mankind: Rome did tito conquer and retain
the provinces, and she did IT, without dis
ruise, az n military movement to extend and /
perpetuate- her power. Swarins oil North /
men or Easimen have often swept the plains
of Europe, always to dovostate, and rarely
TO rebuild the place Of their conquest all
these were either stimtA tied and directed
by government, or were organized masses
moving in concert Ours ls entirely dliler-
ent; our lands are not taken from the orig
nal inhabitants by hands of barbarans, row
ing 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
a common though unconcerted action; by
individuals enlightened, educated, having
the knowledge and power to govern them
selves AT first their movements were slow
and cautious. Fear of the savages held
them m Check aud il IS well they were
So. lad each one been permitted TO occu-
by unmoles;ed some fertile spot OF bis own
selection. they would have spread 60 widely
as to lose the arts, the institutions o. ednca-
ton, Of government and Christianity. But
there has been change IN this respect
Freed from fear Of the savage men are
eoreading more rapidly and widely. There
4 an "a
population. only fifteen to the square mile.
in the ORGANIZED States, and only seven 90
the square mile, tnking the whole area OF
the United States. This may tend TO the
more rapid increase of wealth, but not TO an
inprnved state Of society. Now, it may
certainly be doubted whether a wise policy
would open the door for wider expansion,
especially on the borders Of States the most
ihnly settled You understand that | de-
sign these remarks TO apply to the policy Of
organizing a new territorial government for
Nebraska. Having voted against that bill
ia the last Congress- ! shall not be charged
with inconsistency for doing So now.
even If no additional and stronger motives
led me to such decision.
Nv first reason for voting against the
present bill Is, that a government Is not
needed there. On the Nh OF October last,
/ the Commissioner Of Indian Aiiurs leit the
frontier, and siys there was not at that tiu1
any settlement made IA any part OF Nebras-
ka; that except the employees of the Gov
crnmcnt. there were but three white men in
the Territory. For what. ihen DO you need
government there There is certainly 40
superibun9ani population IN The vicinity or
anywhere else, ogcrioapmg the barriers 81
their own States and Territories. Look at
the facts, as 90 population, ofadlaccnt States
and Territories. Missouri has ten TO the
square mile, less than one.twolith Of that of
Massachusetts; Iowa three New Mexico
twenty eight one hundredths ot one ann I;
Minnesota seven one huuirodibs of man (,
and Oregon three one hundredths of n man
10 one square mile OF territory. It would
seem as If there could be no pressing neces-
shy for opening new safety valve, 20 pre-
vent too great condensation of the adjoining
territory. To til all ihe places named IN
those bills will take near a bundled men 10
h.l the executive Offices viii require five
times as many men as are 10 The whole ter
rtory. You mist import your men from
some other place. Nera'y Sl0J,GOO are "
be appropriated 10 cary out the provisions
/ Of that bill all this to erect a Government
for a territory where there are bnt three
men. except those ia the employ Of the Unit
ed States To govern, and IN close pgoNlmiy
to other fertile territories hat have only
ihiriy-lhree aud one third per cent, of a man
to a square mile. why construct this cost
" and cumbrous machinery, and transport u
q" place whara II as catilelY needless,
| where there are no materials On which II
can work.
My second objection to these territorial
bills Il, the great aud gross mi lstlce winch
their passage will inAict upon the lndmns
am quite aware that these bills have proyis
oes not to include the territory of uny Indian
tribe within the limits or jurisdiction OF
Kansas or Nebraska. That looks FAR on pa
per. have no doubt the authors mean t.
deal as fairly MS they can with the Indians
We can refrain from exercising jurisdiction
but Is il possible to erect these governments
with their proposed boundaries, and not IN
clude the Lands of the tribes within hul
limits? This will De seen TO be point O
Importance. Nou hlyc land between them
and your boundaries on The north, on the
south. ON tae east, and on tie west. " los
then, are they not included, rnclosed, coln
pretended within the limits OF those Tori
tories, MS truly 80 as Washington is nclud
cd in the District of Columbia, or Balmou
. !
well say that your heart is not included Il
yonr body. One thIrd of the territory d
= held by between sixty and seventy thou
, sand Indians, OF more than forty tribes, I'm
der treaty stipulAtons Besides, fall tltll
to lands Is assigned those who have treat
rights to hunting grounds, or easements
aud these cover u large part Of the ontir
territory.
In the last two years we have Dough
territory enough to form two States, an,
brought the Indians down south Of the Mis-
f sour, and provided them a-place of rest
Senator BELL is my authority for this state
ment. have here by the courtesy of tn,
acting Commissioner OF Indian Affairs,
: table showing the number of tribes origin
amount of lands, nature OF title, and popula
ton of those tribes within the territory, a
bounded by the first bill. have not beer
able to secure as exact information as to In
whole, since The ahole was included in tn
, second bill. The northern boundary, a
first proposed, was 13 deg north latitude.
This table is necessarily omitted.
There are twenty-three tribes of Indian
, south Of latitude 43 deg OF these only fou
are indigenous, born in that country Will
nineteen of those are eXo,ics, transporter
, lbilher from fourteen different States. The
have "a population of about forty thousan,
. and possess about thirty oovon n,,il.en ~srs
of land. How came 50 many tribes native
= OF distant States, grouped together on thi
! portion of territory Mas il "a matter OF ac
cldeni Were these Indian strata the de
post made BY the shifting and drifting q
3 some chaos IN human siiaifss Was IL
! spontaneous or 70 unlary movement o
their own, that lifted them from their nativ
, solll aud planted them, by natural attraction
on that spoti Neither OF them. 1t was IN
result of plan long discussed, and warml
disputed but finally settled as the measur
, Of the Government of the United Stat..-
, Ia 1929, General jackson, commiseratin,
the vast qg condition Of the Indians propos
ed plat If removal. lie thought it To
late 70 inquire wheuVer they were justly O