The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-01-06
1Qisrestipg Speech.
Discourse Of Mr. Benton. of Missouri,

On the physical geography of the country be-
tween Missouri and California, with q view to
shOw its adaptation 10 settlement, and the COLI
struction of Railroad. Delivered ut Balti-
more, Tuesday evening, December 5, 1858
4Hr. President and Gentlemen of the
Institute, and Ladies:-We live in an
age when utility and progress are the
order of the day, and when all PROPOSE
tons of the statesman and hwgiver, as
well as of the philosopher and mechani-
elan, are brought to the touchstone of
use and practice, and dismissed from the
public mind as unworthy of attention, if
found unable to stand that test. Ipro-
fess to belong to that school, and come
here tonight, upon your kind invitation,
to discourse upon subject which will
bear that test-one which has already
much engaged the public mind. and on
which practical views, and not specula-
tive opinions. are wanted. / speak of
the country beyond the Mississippi-be-
tween Missouri and California-its phys
zeal geography, and its adaptation to set
tiement and cultivation, and to the con-
struction of a. railroad to the Pacific
ocean. | have paid some attention to
this geography, induced by a local posi-
ton and some turn for geographical in
quiry; and, in period of more than
thirty years, have collected whatever in
formation was to be obtained from the
reading of books, the report of travellers,
and the conversation of hunters and trad
ers; and all with a view to establish
practical results, and feel authorized to
believe, from all that have learned, that
this vast region is capable of sustaining
populous communities, and exaltifg them
to wealth and power-that the line OF
great States which now stretch half way
across our continent in the same attitudes,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Missouri, may be matched by an equal
number of States, equally great, between
Missouri and California and that tn,
country is perfectly adapted to the con
struction of railroad, and all sorts o
roads, traversable in all seasons. This i.
my opinion, and proceed to verify it
and first of-the FIVE States, their diagraml
and relative positions and then theil
capabilities. aTg bot
The present Territory of Kansas, ex
tending seven hundred miles in length
upon two hundred in breadth, and con
taining above one hundred thousand
square miles, would form two States o
about fifty thousand square miles each
A section of the Rocky Mountains, EN-
|bracing the Three Parks, and the heat
waters Of the South Platte, the Arkansas
Del Norte, and the eastern branches O
the Great Colorado of the West, would
form another State. larger in the opinion
of Fremont than all the Swiss canton.
put together |; and presenting everything
grand and beautiful that is to be found ii
Switzerland, without its drawback o
avalanehes and glaciers. Tho valley o
the Upper Colorado, from the western
base Of the Rocky Mountains TO the east
bern base of the Wahsatch and Anterri,
ranges, 200 miles wide by 600 long, ant
now a part of Utah, might form th'
fourth-and the remainder of Utah, from
The Wahsatch TO California, would form
The ifth--cf which the part this wa,
covering the Santa Clara meadows, ant
Wahsatch and AnteFria ranges, would b,
the brightest part. Here then are Eve
diagrams Of territory, sufficient in extent
'as any map will show, to form FIVE State,
OF the first magnitude. That much il
demonstrated now for the incapabilitie,
70 sustain popalous communities, and
'heir adaptation to the construction @
a railroad:
We begin with the Territory of Kan
ss, and find its length above three time.
rs breadth. and naturally disisible intt
wv, Two States by north aad south line, hal
way 70 the mountains. The eastern hal
peslnnins to be known from the re
poa ,S oi emlgrants and explorers but /.
A'ueFstand its whole interior the pener,