The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-02-21

BY act of Congress, 1884, the whole
territory west of the MISSISSIPPI river,
except the States of Missouri, Louisi-
ana, and the Territory of Arkansas,
was created into what was called !" In
dian Territory" Under the operation
OF that law, white people were not
allowed to enter it, and remain, with
ont a license from the President, or his
agent; and if one made the attempt,
ne was immediately removed by the
dragons. So faithfully had this law,
and the treaties with the Indians been
observed, that up to 1854, there were
not probably one hundred illegal set
tiers to be found in all this vast re-
gion; notwithstanding the discovery
of gold in California and the settle
ment of Oregon, Utah, and New Mex
leo, had made this the thoroughfare
for fifty or sixty thousand persons an
nually, nearly all of whom expressed
great admiration of the country; yet
few or none made aay attempts at a
permanent settlement.
In February, 1858, a bill was intro
duced into Congress to organize ter
ritorial government over this country.
It was resisted. partly on account of
the Indian treaties, and partly ON ac-
count of the probability of it's be-
coming free State, and also to give
time for the President to enter into
new arrangements with the Indians, in
order that settlers might occupy the
lands with safety and in peace. In
the discussion which followed the in
PRODUCTION of this bill, the Missouri
delegation took part in its favor, and
it passed the lower House, but was
lest in the Senate. DAVID r. Atch-
ison, of Missouri, President of the
Senate, spoke as follows, March Sd,
1858:
"Mr. President, | will now state to
the Senate the views which induced me
to oppose this proposition in the early
part of the session.
81 had two objections to it. One
was that the Indian title in that terri
tory had not been extinguished, or at
least very small portion of it had
been. Another was the Missouri COM
promise, or, as it is commonly called,
the slavery restriction. 1t was my
opinion at that time-and am not
now very clear on that subieet-that
the law of Congress, when the State
of Missouri was admitted into the
Union, excluding slavery from the
Territory of Louisiana north of 30
deg. 80 min, would be enforced in
that Territory unless it was specially
rescinded !; and. achether that iGt0 ccS
IN accordance rih the Constitution Of
the United States or not, 1t aOOufd do IFS
soork;, and that mork uould be 10 pre-
elude shareholders from going info that
Territory. BIT mhen Icameto to look INTO
that question, I found that there wds no
prospect, no hope Of a repeal Of tie HIS
souri, compromise, excluding staeery. from
that Territory. Now, sir, ] am free to
admit that at this moment, at this
hour, and for all time to come, ]
should oppose the organization or the
settlement of that Territory unless my
constituents and the constituents of
the whole South, of the slave States
of the Union, could go into it upon
the same footing, with equal rights and
equal privileges, carrying that species
of property with them as other people
of this Union. Yes, sir, / acknow-
ledge that that would have governed
me, but IAaue no hope that the restric-
ton soW erer be repealed.
q have always been sf opinion
that the first great error committed
in the political history of this country
was the ordinance of 1887, rendering
the Northwest Territory free territory.
The next great error was the Missouri
compromise. But they are both irrens-
ediable. There Is no remedy for them.
We must submit to them. I am pre-
pared to do Il. Il IS eUident that the
Missouri compromise cannot be repealed.
So far as that question IS concerned,
are might as ueH agree to the admission
of his Territory saose as nert year, or
fire or ten gears hence.
"Sir, the Shaw
nees, the Delawares, the Kickapoos,
and fifty other tribes on the borders of
Missouri, are, and have been since
their location there, our best protection
against the depredations of the wild
prairie Indians. Every man of COM
mon experience, who knows anything
of our country, knows this. ] know
that the Senator from Texas has a
knowledge of the affairs of his State,
and the Indians upon her frontiers !;
but still | must be permitted to state
that l believe he will not be borne out
in his position by the Senator from
Arkansas, who was a resident upon
the frontier. We all know that the
Indians never made any depreciation
upon us. They are our best guards.
1t is the wild Indians of whom we are
in danger; and the Shawnees. the
Delawares, the kickapoos, and others
upon your western frontier, would be
your best guard against the wild Ca
manches, Pawnees, and others
What | state, ] know to be true IN
to ourselves, whatever it may
be in relation to Texas. Then con-
slider that there is nothing IN the OBJ
lection urged By the Senator from
Texas. / do not think that there can
be any good reason assigned why the
Territory should not be organized,
unless Senators be operated upon by
the same fears that operated upon me
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