The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1854-06-22
SPEECH OF HON. JOHN P. COOK.

{ ment for Nebraska and Kansas
! Mr. COOK said
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: have little ambition
/. OF inclination to mingle in the debates Q
this House, and, for many reasons. had de-
ltermined, on taking my seat here, 10 becon'
a silent looker-on, and leaveto others tn
discussion Of those subjects eliciting debate
To this determination have strictly ad
hered, and am not chargeable with consan
! ing the time of this House during the
session. | must, however. in justice to III!
constituents and myself. ask the indulgence
iof this committee, while present few o.
! the reasons that will induce me to vote
against any proposition having its object
the repeal or abrogation of the Missouri
| Compromise" or any other compromise tha,
has given peace to the country, and allayed
the excitement incident to the agitation OF
domestic slavery. | am aware that the
subject has been worn thread-bare, and dc
not ilatter myself that | can add anything
to interest this committee or the country
yet there are those who have claims upon
me, and have interest at stake in the dispo-
sition of this bill, and they demand Of me
that make known their sentiments.
Sir, as one of the delegation in this Com
gress from the young State Of Iowa, feel
and know that | stand alone in opposition
to the provisions Of the bill now before this
committee for the organization Of Nebraska
and Kansas. would that il were other
wise, and that my colleagues and myself
might act in concert upon this subject, as
We do npou other subjects touching the in
terest oil our young and growing State
The separation on my part is in sorrow,
with fall knowledge that our constituents
will hold US allto an accountability, to which
not biased in my judgement By any relation
to the trainers of the ILL, or by any commit
tails on the subject matter Of it, one way or
the other. have looked at the question a.
my constituents look at it in the Northwest
| have carried myself out Of the atmosphere
Of influences, and appliances, and party al
liances, and intrigues, and have sought to
examine this bill in the light in which it is
represented to the farmer, who, in the pure
air Of heaven, tills the free acres ot our
prairie State. | say free acres,'' sir, be-
cause the hand of the Almighty has written
. free sois' upon them, and so he has upon
Nebraska, in letters as plain as the "hand
writing upon the wall" | believe that
know the sentiment Of our people, and it is
my most ardent desire to represent their
called upon to act in a p" representative fttad1
pacity.
1t was my good fortune eighteen years
ago, while yet in my tens, to find &
home in a territory that now composes
part Of the State of Iowa; at time, too,
when there were less than five thousand in
habtants within its borders. | have lived
to see her struggle through territorial ex-
istence--emerge from colonial dependen-
cy, and take her place among the States 81
this Union under the influence and good jatM
Of the compact; ay, sir, the compact rnade
entered into. and conSccraied. when Missour
was admitted into this Union as a sovereign
State; and to-day there are within her bor-
ders near four hundred thousand souls di-
rcctly interested in the organization of the
TERRITORY living west Of US, and the principles
that shall enter into that organization In
their name. and by their authority, claim
thlt they are parties to that compacf' and
any attempt to abrogate 1t is violation o.
rood faith, and direct outrage upon the
fights Of every man in the Louisiana pur-
chase north of 36deg, 30min.
The eighth section Of the act OF March
I6, 1920, declares:
That in I'LL that territory. eeede@ By France 70 ne
Tinted Statcs. uader the name Of LoatStdnd, u en-
lies north Of 3Gd2g 80 min OF north ialladI no, "a
,ludcd wthlih limits OF tha 'tatc contemplate y
this act. sL.vEy INVOLUNTARY sERvifupt, other
wise than as The punishment OF CRIMES SHALL BE, AMI
Is nraEny, FOREVER PROHIBITED"
Now il will not be denied but that this
act passed both branches of the American
Congress, and received the approval Of the
Executive department Of this Government
that il became laW Of the land that IT Is
part of the legislation that admitted Mls-
souri, into the Union as a sovereign State,
and that all rights and privileges acquired
under and by virtue Of It, are just as sdcfea
as any right acquired by virtue OF ordinary
LEGISLATION. This law. this assurance, TINS
compact, has been in existenc thirty-t III
wears, and six hundred thousand people have
Settled west of the Mississippi river anf
north Of this line, with the direct and posi-
tive assurance of this Government that sla
very shall be forever prohibited. Is It true
sir, that these six hundred thousand people
Ihaye no rights: no rested rights, under I'M:
solemn undertaking of our Government
WHY, any lawyer knows tllata right, pfiV
,ilepc. incurred under legislative act, can
not be taken away by repeal Of the act
or a declaration that it is g imperative
4 / cannot better illustrate the point make
than BY taking for example the various pre-
Iemption laws enacted by this Government
and applicable to the region of our counfr.
now under consideration. You have passe
various laws authorizing our citizens to SET
i,lc upon and improve any of the GoVernmeh
LANDS and guaranteed to them pre-emptoi
RIGHT on condition of settlement ana occu
nation. One hundred. or ten hundred 9
our citizens enter upon the public domain
not vet in market, but subject to pre-emp
ton; they perform all that is required. o.
their part 10 enttIe them to the beneflt @
the law, except proving up their right, an
: having for the land at the rate OF 81 70 pc
Iacre. Mean time, and before the land
tbrourht into market which would make
necessary for the prc-emptor to perfect M
) title, some giant ltroduces bill making "
minimum price of land s. 90 per acre an
repeating all prc-cmption laws, or declari!n
ali such laws " imperative and lncohs's'
cnt with the principls of the Homcstea
bill. Upon the suppostion that such a
net were to pass the ordeal Of both House
inf this Congress, (and il would have equ'
merit with the bill under consideration
: what would become Of the rights OF thss
| settlers, What would they expect trot
the GOOD faiM of this Government IN thus II
Educine them to settle upon her lands, an
f then repeating the law that held out me II