Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-02-25
SPEECH OF MR.. MEACHAM,
Hou.s or RErnI.HsrArlvEs, FrnauAEr Is, 1854
OF VERMONT,
Of THE NEBRASKA BILL.

the state ofthe Union
Mr. MEACHAM said: propose 10 speak to-day OF
the subject Of the Nebraska bill before the commit
tee and being somewhat ndsposed intend to strip my
remarks Of every thing preliminary, and TO give merely
the NAKED line Of argument that wish to present.
Mr.. Chairman, the spectacle witnessed in the set
temeut Of this country is OF very rare II not singular
Nothing like IL, certainly has been
before, and probably be again; drama
that il to have but representation in all time In
other parts Of the world colonies have been planted
Greece lid it. she would be believed, to cyilize
kind Rome did II to conquer and retain the provinces,
and she did il without disguise, military movement,
TO extend and perpeuate her power Swarms of North
Eistmen have often swept the plains Of Europe
always devastate and rarely rebuild the place of
their conquest All these either stimulated and d.
recte IS Government organized masses moving in
Ours is entirely different; lands not
taken from the original by bands of barbarans
rowing the country and leaving blasted pathway
behind them. From the beginning ours have been settle
ments by Individuals oyedperhaps by the motives
with the object, with common though uneoncerted
action by individuals enlightened educated having the
knowledge and power 10 govern themselves. At first
their movements slow and cautious Fear of the
savage held them in check; and it is well they
Had each been permitted occupy unmoested some
fertile spot of his selection they would have spread
widely to lose the arts the institutions of education of
government aud christianity But there has been change
in this respect Freed from fear of the savage are
spreading more rapidly and widely There is now no
civilized nation with so sparse population, only fifteen
to the square mile in the organized States and only
to the square mile taking the whole of the United
States This may tend to the rapid increase of
wealth but not to improved state Of society Now, it
may certainly be doubted whether wise policy would
open the door for wider expansion espseiany On the
brers OF Staes the most thiny settled You understand
that design these remarks apply the policy of
ganizing Territorial Government for Nebraska.
Having against that bill in the last Congress- shall
not he charged with inconsistency for doing 90 now
If no additional and stronger motives led to such
decision. .&.
My first for voting against the present bill is
that government is needed there. On the 18th of
October last the Commissioner of Indian Affairs left the
frontier and says that there at that time any
settlement made in any part of Nebraska that except
the employees of the Government, there but three
white in the Territory. For what then do you need
Government there There is certainly superabun-
dant population in the vicinity any where else
loapng the barriers OF their States and Territories
Look at the facts to population of adjacent States
and Territories Missouri has the square mile less
than twelfth of that Of Massachusetts Iowa three
New Mexico twenty eight e-hundredths of one
Minnesota seven one-hundredhs Of man; and Oregon
three one-hundreths OF man to square mile OF ter
ritory 1t would seem if there could be pressing
necessity tor opening safeyyalye to prevent too
great condensation the adjoining territory To fill all
the places named in those bills win take hundred
to fill the executive offices will require FIVE times
many Iaen in the whole Territory. You must
import your men from some other place Nearly four
hundred thousand dollars be appropriated to carry
out the provisions of that bill all this govern
men for Territory where there but three men, ex
cept those in the employ of the United States govern
and IN close proximity to other fertile Territories that
have only thirty three and onehird per of
to o square mile. Why construct this costly and cum
brous machinery and transport place where it is
entirely needless where there materials on which
il can work ...r. '.'v 49,.
Ny second objection to these Territorial bills is the
great and gross injustice which their passage will inic
upon the Indians. quite that these bills have
provsos not to include the territory of Indian tribe
within the limits jurisdiction of Kansas Nebraska
That looks fair paper have no doubt the authors
mean 10 deal as fairly they by the Indians. We
can refrain from exercising jurisdiction but is possible
to ereci these governments with their proposed bounda
RES and not include the lands Of the tribes within their
limits This will be seen to be point of importance.
You have land between them and your boundaries the
north on the south, on the east and on the west Why
then are they not included, inclosed comprehended
within the limits Of those Territories as truly SO as
Washington is included in the District Of Columbia or
Baltimore in the State of Maryland: You may as well
say that your heart is not included in your body One
third Of the territory held by between sixty and
thousand Indians OF than forty tribes under treaty
stipuations Besides, full title to lands is assigned
those who have treaty rights hunting grounds or
1nents and these cover large part Of the entire Ter
ritory. .
In the last two years have bought territory enough
to form two States and brought the Indians down south
OF the Missouri, and provided them place Of rest
Senator BELL my authority for this statement have
here by the courtesy Of the acting Commissioner of In
dian Affairs table showing the number of tribes origin
amount Of lands nature Of title and population of those
tribes within the Territory bounded by the first bill
have not been able to information as to
the whole since the whole was included in the second
BILL The northern boundary as first proposed was Ago
north latitude. ..a
There are twenty three tribes of Indians south of la
tude 49, OF these only four Indigenous born that
country while nineteen Of those exotcs transported
thither from fourteen different States They have po
puation Of about forty thousand and possess about h
ty-seyen million of land How so many tribes
natives of distant States grouped together this por
ton Of territory! Was it matter Of accident? Were
these Indian strata the deposte made by the shifting and
drifting Of some chaos in human affairs? Was it spon
taneoas or voluntary movement of their that lifted
them from their native SOIL and planted them, by
raj attraction, that spot? Neither of them. 1t
the result of plan long discussed and warmly disputed
but finally settled the of the Government of
the United States In 1929 Gen. Jackson commssera-
ting the wasting condition Of the Indians proposed plan
of removal. lie thought it too late to inquire whether
they justly unjustly included within the limits
of States. He wished to them from further de-
preston .........
As means of efectng his end suggest the proprety
OF setting apart ample district west of the Mississippi and
without the limits of any Territory formed
be GUARANTEED to the Indian tribes long they shall
eupyit'-3G9. Wy.
1t should be kept in mind that the avowed and doubt
less the real object TO them from destruction
which he believed was pending them In pursuance
OF his pah treaties made with number Of tribes
In his message of 1880 he calls the attention Of
to these treaties: ~-.E> ~.
In nezeatng these treaties Indians were made to
understand their true condition and they have preferred
maintaining their independence in the forest to sub
hitting laws Of the States they now reside
These treaties being probably the last that tH
with them characterized by great bcray tho part
Governmcnt'-p 39s. .r 0.....
Here are marks of design apparently benevolent de-