Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-03-10
Eenator Mcacham's Speech.

~ We give to-day Mr.. Meachnms Speech
on the nebraska bill. We ind the follow
ing very mplmentary notice. OF it in the
ushington Star, II stcadinst supporter of
the Nebraska bill, and Of coUrs, diametlic-
| ally opposed to Air M'achdm on all point. oi
/ importance.
! Nh Meacham Speech, delivered yrster-
] day was listened to with profound attention
/ ny his fellow members 1t we'll repaid attcn-
/ tion. being r"plate with r,idcncr of the high
cultivation OF his clear nind, ami of the
/ llhori1uS care with which hr had prepared
/ himself to approach the discussion of his im-
: portant subject in hand Though it was sec
| tional up 20 the mark, and replrtc with
! proof that his views are all based On those
| which governed the federal party when Rufus
King discoursed anti-slavery in the same
! Chamber, it was full of interesting inlorna-
| tion bearing ON the question, most Of which
was, Of course, twisted, as it were, to serve
has purpose ior the nonce 1t was evident
that according to his theory, the General
Government have the right to discriminate
D
section of the Cnion. Such being the basis
of his able effort, all his arguments went to
show the proprety of acting on the Nebraska
. bill, SO as to discriminate in the final admis-
sion of the territory as State, against the
South. " hile there was little indeed IN his
effort to which with our well known views as
t. the powers and duties of the General
Government. we could subscribe. we cheer
fully do him the justice to acknowledge the
consuumate ability with which he defended
his positions. 1t would be well for the pub
.lic interest if the councils of the nation had
Il larg,r infusion in them of the classical and
statistical attainment and the habits OF in
tense labor which peculiarly mark Mr.. NJ. as
Il public man
Ma. ME,cuAu said Mr. Chairman, the
spectacle now witnessed in the settlement OF
this country is of very rare. if MT singular
occurrence. Nothing like it, certainly has
ever been seen before, and, probably, II Yer
can be seen again drama that is to have
but one representation III all time. In other
parts of the world colonies have been planted
Greece did it, as she would be believed. to
ciyilize mankind Rome did it to conquer and
retain the provinces, and she did it, without
disguise, Il military movement to extend
and pcrpetuate her power Swarms of North
men Or Eastmen have often swept the plains
Of Europe, always to devastate, and rarely to
rebuild the place OF their conquest; all these
We're either stimulated and directed by gov
ernmcnt, or was organized masses moving in
concert. Ours s entirely different our lands
are not taken from the original inhabitants
by bands OF barbarlans, rowing over the coun-
try, and leaving n blasted pathway behind
them. From the beginning, ours have been
settlements by individuals, moved, perhaps
by the same motive, with the same object,
with IA 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 savage held them
in check andsit il we'll they were go Had
each one been permitted to occupy unmoles-
ted some fertile spot of his own selection,
they would have spread 40 widely a@ 10 lose
the arcs, The institutions Of education, of
government, and Christianity. But there hns
heen>a change III this respect. breed from
4 fear of the savage, men are spreading more
/ rapidly and widely. There is now no civilized
nation with So sparse population, only tit-
teen to the square mile, in the organized
4 states, and only seven to the square mile,
taking the whole area of the United States.
This may tend 10 the mole rapid increase of
| wealth, rut not to an improved state of So
cirty. Now 1t may certainly he doubted
whether Use police would open the door
lor wider expansion, especially on the borders
OF States the most thluy settled. lou under
stand that design these remarks to apply to
the policy OF organizing a new territorial gov
crnment tor Nehra-ku. Having voted against
that bill in the last Congress, shall not be
charged with inconsistency for doing 30 now,
even II no additional and stronger motives led
me to such q decision.
Nv first reason for voting agIinst the pres
cnt bill is, thar n government is not needed
there. ON the | lth of October laSt, the Com
missioner of Indian Affairs lett the frontier
and SAYS that there was not at that time any
settlements made in any part of Nebraska
that, except the employee, of the Government
there were hut three white men in the Terri
tony. For what, then, do You need Il govern
Incnt there There is certainly no super
abundant population in the vicinity, or any
whcr" else overlapping the barriers OF then
own States and Territories. Look at the facts,
rs to population, ol AL iacrnt States and Ter
litulics Missouri has ten t. the square mile
les, than r-tw'lth Of tiHt ut Massachusetts,
Iowa three: New Mexico tWcnty-right "n,
huudrcdth> OF one man; Minnesota seven on'
huudrrutis Oi a man and Oregon tnItr one
hundrcdths of II man to one square mile @
territory 1t would seem us if there could h'
no pressing necessity for opening a new safety
, valye too prevent il great condensation On th
adjoining territory. 10 I'LL all the lac"
named in those bills will take near a lun'ire'
/ men t. fill the executive oic"S will reIuir
, five times many men as there are i'll tn
, whole territory. You must import your me
, from some other place. Nearly S4u0 900 ar
to be appropriated to carry out the prov slon
of that bill all this to erect government iu
d. a territory where there are but three men
!, except those in the employ of the Unite
: State, to govern, and in close proximity t
. other fertile territories that hay" only thirty
tire" and oue-third p"r cent. of man to
II square mile. Why construct this costly AN
a cumhrous machinery, and transport it to
Il place where it is entirc y needless, where thel
are materials ON which it can work
!. My second objection to these territor
ST bills IS, the great and gross injustice win,
Ia their passage will inhict upon the Indians -
a | am quite aware that these bills have prov
90 sors not to include the territory Of any lndi,
u tribe within the limits on jurisdiction of ka
:, sas or Nebraska. That looks lair ON pape
M, / have no doubt the authors mean to de-
~ fairly aS they can by the Indians. We ga
.d refrain nom exercising jurisdiction; but is
- pu9sihlr O. erect these governments, with the
,g proposed boundaries, and not include t
~ lands of the tribes within their limits tt
viii be seen to be point of Importance.
Ls lou have land between them und your bou