The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-06-28

NEBRASKA AND KANSAS.
SPEECH OF MIR. BERNHART
HEM,
| OF IOWA.
IN THE House. OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
May 20, 1854.
The house being in the Committee of tn,
! Whole on the state of the Urion-
Mr. HEM said:
| Mr.. CHAIRMAN: The bill now under consi
deration for the organization Of Nebraska anc
Kansas Territories is, perhaps, OF more practl.
cal importance to the State of Iowa, and the
people Of the district VIII ch have the honor tt
represen! upon this floor than to any Other
State or constituency in the Union; and hence
! it is that desire 10 say something of the rea-
sons that will induce me to give a warm, cordial
and unf1inchlng support TO the substitute pro
| posed by the chairman of the Committee on
Territories, MIR. RIcHARDsos.l and Tor all Its
provisions. | shall say something for the in
| formation of my constituents, and something
| to correct the erroneous views of those MT ac
quainted with the West and her enlightened
population. To this end propose to demons
| sIrate
! FIRST. The importance of an organization ol
! these Territories at this time; the influence o
| their organization upon the character OF the
great West; the correctness of the principles
| of self government and congressional non-in
reference recognzed by both the Senate bill
and the substitute; and give my views as to the
rules which should govern the legislative and
executive branches of this Government in
their action upon territorial matters.
Secondly. | propose to speak of the physi-
oh Of tha IL S m
| plated to organize; of its pot cal past, of its
political future, and Of its commercial impor-
tance to Iowa, and 10 the whole country.
will then add few words relative to the
situation Of parties in Iowa, and elsewhere
upon the great questions involved in this bill
and define, briefly, my objections to that par'
of the Senate bill which prohibits those who
have sought an ASYLUM in our country, and
have evinced their intention Of becoming citi-
zens from having part in the organization ol
the Territories proposed to be created.
| First. That a speedy organization of the
| country is necessary, no one can doubt who Is
acquainted with either its relative locality oil
| political situation. Ten years ago, we, of the
West, looked for farther Vest, and TO the
time when Iowa to be frontier State nc
longer. The Indian population which occu-
pied our western borders had began to recede
| the sound of the " woodsman's axe" was hearC
on the turbid waters of the Mi souri,; the emi-
| grant train was seen on the elevated heights
which divided the two great rivers ofth West
and, step by step, that emigrating spirit VIII ich
| first breathtd American air on Plymouth rock
was looking forward to the beautiful valleys o.
the Plate and Kansas. Nebraska, name ia.
mliar only to Indian ears, was in a few shor
months becoming watch word for the frontie
settler The year eighteen hundred and forty
,.w e., 4,,,, ha hant # fhn LIS.
souri, awaiting legal authority to cross ane
occupy those "4een meadows prepared b!
Natures hand. Year after year passed rapidly
when, in the summer of 1853, not less thar
| three thousand souls had assembled on the iron
| tiers of Iowa, ready to make their future hon
upon the soil which it is now sought to dedl
cate to the Institutions which our fo-eather
beouathed 10 us-a soil well fitted to sustain
that Independence which is the cornerstone o
our political fabric. Onward sill rolls that It'd
of emigration; and if to day, you could lool
down upon the vast plain which separa.es th
Mississippi from the Missouri, you would wit
ness tn usands vending their way " to N bras
ka' and "to Kansas" u would see thou
sands encamped on the banks of the Missouri
awaiting the permission of the horlties t.
cross that rapid stream You would her
and there, SEATED around the camp fires, group
of hardy, intelligent, and noble men, listenin!
TO the reading of the proceedings of this bod
upon this bill. Now and then you would see
universal irown pass over the coun,enance o
all, as yea after yea and nay after nay wa
recorded upon questions raised by factiou
few, for the period of thi-tv-six hours. YO,
| would see the honest face upiurned to Heave
in pledged as urances that such acts OF della
should not receive the sanction OF their votes
Bat, MIR Chairman, We have witnessed tn
anomaly Of opposition 10 the present organiza
ton of these Territories by men who, twelv
mon h since, or more, actually voted for an
desired, if we are to Judge by their words,
speedy organization /, then a msmber of thi
House, voted against the measure; not that
r did not want the Territory organized, but be
cause was unwilling that the rights of th
sons of the forest should be trampled upof
was unwilling, by my vote, to place the hive
, Of any Of my constituents at the mercy of IN
,avage, as organization at that time, betor
Indian treaties were held, would have place
them. | voted cheerfulIy for appropriations
, make such treaties, and they have been mad
and some of them ratified; so that the on
impediments TO an organization have been,
soon will be, removed.
According to reliable estimates, we nave
Nebraska, purchased from the Indians, an
tr aties ratifi ID 9,OUO,OOO acre
| fterelO1OTe OWHtu oy tne OHt-
ted States, and ready for set
tlement. 12,l33,I2O
Total open to settlement in-- i"
Nebraska 2l,l33.l20
In Kansas purchased from the
Indians; treaties awaiting
: ratification 4,066,50O Z"
Heretofore owned by the Uni
ted States, and ready Tor set
tlement 59,S73,76o :"
Total owned by the United--
States in Kansas 53,94D,260 i"
, Have those who have sp ,ken within the pa
few days agoinst the passage ot this bill, {
the grounds that it was unnecessary exper
diture of money. that there was no territo
there to which the Indian title was extnguis
{ ed; that there would be no people TO torn
government: have they, say, who have a
sumed these grounds, and who voted for tt
5 Nebraska bill in the Thirty Second Congres
posted themselves upon the situation of the'
things, have they forgot that their votes a