Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1854-02-24
srEEcH OF TRUMAN SMITH,
On the Nebraska Bill.


In the Senate, the 9th inst, the Neb-a.ka Bill
was taken up, and Mr.. Smith spoke as fellows:
He preferred to discharge hi, duties with as litts
speaking as possible. lie departed from this course
ia the present instance, only bscause of the msgn-
t1de of the evils which would result 10 the country
from the passage of this bill. He had teen in Con-
rress fifteen years, AID during that time had
taken less part than he in the agitation Of sectional
questions which were introduced into Congress dis
tract the national councils and the peace and harmony
of the Republjc,
Hs hoped to be able to show the Senate that this
bill ought to be put down. and then the slavery eues-
tion would be settled. Was II wi,e or expedient to
organize two Territories, when there were five ali eady
on kandi Never before in the history Of this country
there mary Territories arganizsd At one time
Why the bill for the Territory Of Washington had
passed through last Corgress without aay ohjection
to him incomprekensible. There were five Terri
tories now actually organized, and yet the Senator
from Illinois proposed to add two more, making the
number seven. Whare is the necessity for this
There could be other to make the Senate &c
this exravagaat proposition, except the negro ques-
ton. There moro lands new be,or g;ng to Gov
eminent tAan could be occupied for years to csms.
ary one-iaf ef all the States were yet public
lands, and large portion Of what is sold in
the hands of speculatos. IL these were not enough
there the five Territories already organised.
Minnesota had but few inhabitants. She had an
extent If territory large enough for several Saes 50
with Washington and Oregon. As for Utah and New
Mexico, he would say nothing, for he did not believe
any man, or even a sensible, respectable wolf would
50 to either, to settle there. (Laughter) Utah was
one Of those FIVE bleeding wounds which were to DO
healed by the Compromise ef 1850. 1t was healed,
and it resulted in the establishment Of the complete
domination tserc Of Brigham Young and his forty
wives. (Laughtcr) There was but little diff -renco
between that and slavery. Between polgamy and
African slavery he saw but little difference, if any
tLaugher) If this enly part of the pslicy of
the Administration, which had taken Abolitionists
and Feeoicrs to its bcsom to try their faith, be did
not know but be would be inclined to forward it, but
before doing go he would ask time to consider. He
desired to say that this attempt to smash up tho
Missouri Compromise, before it succeeded would have
to saash upa good many other things. During the
last four years nearly million sf dollars had been
appropriated fer tee Territories, and that, too when
only had been in existence four years, two fer
three years. for two years. and forsix months.
Every Territory got outfit of $59 900 besides ap
propriaticns for buildings. Tie annual expense Of
each Territory is $50 O00 Lest the expense Of the
five Terri ori:s might pct b, sufficient, the Senator
from Ilnoi. now proposed to create two additional
In addition to those would be the expense Of
extending postal facilities, and the extnguishment Of
the Indian title. These expenses would be very
heavy. Yesterday all the appropriations in the bill
wero stricken cut. He knew no reason fer this. 1t
looked, however, very much like preparation for
rlshipg this bill through the lower House. 1t locked
like preparation for the application of what
known in tbs other House gag to effect the passage
Of this bill Upon the establishment Of these Terrific
would follow the necessity for in ase of tie
army suppress Indian hostiites, and protect the
people. All these matters would swell 10 large
ant the increased exp niturSs occasoned by the
organ Bation Ct Territories. The bill provided for the
election of officers and the qualification tf voters.
condition of both that they Should be inhabitants.
1t said that there six hundred persons in the
Territories. UnSsr the laws Of the United States
there persons there who were inhabitants-
there were undoubtedly some who were bodily within
the Territory, but there none who could be ls-
gally regarded Inhabitants. He read the Gets Of
Congress regulating intercourse with the Indians,
which excluded all persons from residing as nhab-
tants and occupying any part ct the Territory set
apart for the Indian tribes. The only persons allowed
there were those traders who were duly licensed ty
government and whose licenses were limited to three
years. He read from the remarks made in the House
by NJ Hail. of Missouri the last session, in reply
to OF ,c,ions that there white persons ia the
Territory. Mr.. Hall said that the reason why there
were white persons there except licensed traders
was that if q man did 20 there he would bo hunted
IT.. ~. ..kor
,ons in Nebraska KaDzas but licensed traders, and
ehey were no inhabitants. When be studied law he
always understood that to make man On inhabitant
in legal sense he had to effect permanent settle
ment in the place he dwet in, and that, too without
any amino rerertend Yet this bill, to which nothing
seems interpose any difficulty discovers inhabitants
in licensed traders, and in men who upon entering
the land Gre hunted by the dragons, armed to tie
teeth aId with sword in haAd. This fault, however,
secnss to trouble the Senator from Illinois in way.
He says the inhabitants shall choose officers, and whom
the Government seeks to find the inhabitants, it must
catch them flying before armed dragons, being hunt
cd for ihair lives. In the efrt to explode and blow
up the Missouri Comprsmise, tho Senator must a'fo
blow up these other acts Of Congress. 1t was truo
tn ut there small portions OF this territory, the
Indian title to which had been exsinguished, bat he
guessed these inhabitants not to be found there's
There another act of Congress which the Senator
would have get before he blew up the Missouri
Compromise. It was the act waieh excluded all per-
from occupying or entering upon the unsurvsyed
public asds Of the United States and which required
the President employ if necessary tho military Of
the Unt,d States to expel them. II any OF the In
habtans therefore, escaped the dragons 1t was the
duty of the President to senl other troops there to
catch them and exgel them. The Senator from He
nois the most prolific naa h, ever knew in ges-
ling Territories. [Laughtcrl Every year he called
tle attention of the Senate to the parturi.ion cf
Territory, and aometim;s they ccnae two at a-time-
llaugaterl-and that too when he had whole litter
of them on hand. [Llughter Hs dssifsi to CIV
the SENATOR some suggestions as to how to prepare
himself for the next parturition. [Laughter] The
Senator saeuld frat exsnguish the Indian title and
have the laads surveyed, laid off aAi to extent
inhabited, and when he got all things in this condi-
tion he might 60 it blind if he chose. Loud laugh
teri He, (Mr. Smth) however, objected to contrib
utins his quota toward defraying the expenses a.
tsudins these reported parturtons of Territories
laughter. rnera being No inhab,an's there, as In
h.bi,ants are defined by law then there was per-
sons 10 81, ct officers or from whom oces c.uld bs
ssected. TheGovsraor of the Ye;ritsry was required
% divide it into districts He would like to know
Aow the Governor was to district this Territory. He