Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-01-27

ence with the neutrality laws. These quiet,
peaceful colonists, because their wagons went
in row, for mutual defence, through the wild
uncultivated Territory of Nebraska, where
| there were Indians, werc arrested as a militia
! ry organization.
"We do not want hereafter, either within
the limits of theUn States or without them,
any such meddlesome or vexatious interfer-
| ence by the executive powers of tho Govern
ment. Therefore, say, let US have some neu-
trality laws that can be understood. If there
had been no apprehensions in the North about
the neutrality laws, if we had not expected
that whatever emigration we might have fitted
out for Central America would have been ar
rested within the marine league of the harbor
| of Boston, why, we would tave colonized Cen
| trail America a dozen years ago, and had it rea-
| dy for admission into the Union before this
time. We want modification or an elucida-
tion of the neutrality laws, and trust that it
! will be the duty of the committee so to report.
s'The Northern States are, as the States of
Northern Europe were designated by Tacitus,
| oficina gentiurn, 'the mandatory of nations
| We can make one State year. In the last
| three years We have colonized almost wholly
| the Territory of Kansas. We have furnished
settlers to Minnesota and Nebraska, and the
Lord knows where, and we have not exhausted
one-half of our natural increase. We have re-
| ceived accessions to our numbers in that time,
from foreign countries of more than one mil
lion souls, and now we have no relief; we are
worse off to-day than were when we began
to colonize Kansas. We must have an outlet
somewhere for our surplus population
| daughter.
ssSir, have resolution in my pocket, which
have been carrying about for days, waiting
| patiently for opportunity to present it in
this House, instructng the Committee on Ter
ritories to report bill organizing and opening
! for settlement the Indian territory. Mr.. chair
man, 1 came to this conclusion with reluc-
| tance, that we must have the Indian territory.
| But necessity knows no law. We must go
| somewhere. Something must be opened to
the descendants of the Pilgrims. [Laughter.l
| Why, sir, just look at it. We are cramped in
between the Atlantic ocean and the Rocky
| Mountains! The bounding pillows of the wes-
tern tide of our emigration are dasbiag fierce
| ly against the base of the Rocky Mountains.
| sWe come now to the obstruction of the
great natural barrier. Nothing is more natu-
raj than that this tide should flow back. Will
it flow over towards Canada7 Not at all. 1t
| has already begun to flow over the aOld Do
minion," [laughter,1 and into other States.
| Missouri is almost inundated with it. We
| cannot check this tide of emigration. You
| might as well try to shut out by curtains the
| light of the aurora borealis. No such thing
| can be accomplished. This progress must be
/ onward, and we must have territory. Wemust
have territory /; and think it most opportune
| that the proposition seems to be before the
country to Americanize Central America.
| SHOW, sir, / said / was astonished that gen.
| tlemen who come from States bordering upon
the Gulf had advocated this project, and not
| the Representatives who come from Northern
| States. Let see the reasons why the North
should be more jealous than the South in this
| movement. In the State of Massachusetts, we
| have one hundred and twenty seven people to
| square mile, by the census of 1850. In the
| State of Rhode Island We have one hundred
and twelve to the square mile, by the same
census. In the State of Connecticut we have
| seventy-nine. In the State of New York we
have sixty-fve. So you see, it was not fiction,
nation, when 1 told you that the descendants
| of the Pilgrims were in a tight place.
| Laughter
ssBut how is 1t with the States which border
| upon the Cuff Look at it and see. They
have, some of them, eighty y-nine-hundredths
of a man to the square mile. [Laughter.] In
another one We have one and the forty-eighth-
hundredth part of man to the square mile
and, taking them altogether, we have just a
bout three men to the square mile in all those
States which border upon the Gulf of Mexico.
'sBut it is not only for the purpose of furnish
ing an outlet for our immense population in
the North that now advocate the American
izing of Central America. The interests of
commerce, as well as this great argument of
necessity, are on our side. Who has the trade
beyond Central America We have whale
fisheries in the Northern Ocean which build
up great cities upon the eastern shore CT Mass
achusetts. We have trade with Oregon and
California, with the Sandwich Islands, and
the western coast of South America We
are opening trade, with the empires of China
and Japan, and we must of necessity have in
Central America certain factors and certain |
commercial agencies, who, in very few years, |
with their families and relatives, will make |
dense population in Central America. 1 say, |
then, that for the interest OF commerce we |
want Central America Americanized This |
commercial interest is, unfortunately, Sec |
tional interest in these States. 1t is emphati- |
calIy Northern interest, and, therefore, as |
Northern man, l advocate especially that |
(,anfral America should he A1,er;can;zad