The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-05-28

:. Keeping the Missouri River Open"-Les'sr |
from sensssr Grimes.
The following letter from Hon. JAMES W
GRIMES, awaited our return from st. Louis,
q day or two sinco:]
BURLINGTON, Nay 9th, 1859.
EplToR SoNPAREIL:
Dear Sir-In an article in your paper
Of the 3o,h April last commenting the action Of the
State Central Committee you the following language
-"verily this atemp. Of the State Central Committee
to interfere with Massachusetts, affairs is on par with
Gov GRIMES cnuncis.ion Of determination to march
the militia Of the State Of Missouri for the pur-
pose Of keeping Missouri River open to the purposes
Of unrestricted navigation" Aluson s course here
made my letter the President Of the United States
Of the 3osh August, 1855. have uncomp!aninsy en-
dared all Of misrepresentation OF that letter. by
my political adversares and should not Complain at
this late day. the language attribute to me put
in my mouth by enemy; but when am "strieken in
the house my friends It to to be time TO re-
against continued perversions Of language
and meaning.
Allow me to you, then, in the most positive
terms that never, at time, to any person, at any
place, have "enunciated a determination to march
the militia Of Iowa into the State Of Missouri for the pur
keeping the Missouri River open to the purposes
OF unrestricted navigation;" did threaten, or
enunciate determination to march the militia OF To-
into State Territory, march them at all for
any purpose whatever In correspondence with the
President Of the United States the Missouri River was
mentioned referred and ALT he stories about
undertaking to open the Missouri River to the Kansas
emigration which, it seems been well persisted
In that Of my friends, even, have got to believe
them, originated with backyard editor Of this place.
enclose copy Of my letter to President PIERCE, by
which you will perceive that you were in error as to its
contents. think you will agree with ME that 1t Is
very harmless production There is nothing incendary
about it. 1t contains no threats. simply recapitulaes
the wrongs suffered BY the Iowa emgrants to Kansas
demands their protection by the General Government in
faat Territory not in Missouri whilst navigating the
Missouri River; and demands the dispersion Of border
ruan AIRY force that had been organized the line
this State. With the facts before
that are everybody to have existed at the
time could the OF this State do less than
make this demand9 Thought not then and still abide
by that judgment.
also expressed the opinion that IL this protection
afforded the people Of Kansas, exgcncy conten-
PLATED by Mr.. MADISON in the virginia Resolutions Of
1875 arise when it would become the duty Of the
estates to interfere arrest the progress Of evil"
merely commended the lips Of Mr.. PIERCE the con-
tents Of the democratic chace compounded Baltimore
when he was nominated to the Presidency in 1852 for
twill be remembered that these Resolutions of 1885 were
q part Of the platform upon which he was placed.
In conclusion permit me to say, that, whilst am
willing to allow sentiments to be attributed TO me that
entertained, and expressions put into mouth
that never uttered, do not wish to withdraw word
syllable have said in this connection and shall
not shrink from any just responsibility that may have
incurred thereby. an, very truly,
Your obcdent servant
JAMES W. GRIMES.
In penning the sentence, to which excep-
tons are above taken, by Senator GRIMES,
We had no idea that we were tread!ng on
disputed and delicate ground-but so it
seems. We have not now, nor ever had,
disposition to misrepresent either our OPP
ponents or friends, but yet we have been
accused of both. As We do not claim to be
infallibla, We may have been guilt of both
"counts." But, as there is nothing pending
agans. US in the former, we will briefly
demur to the latter. We erred in stating
that Gov. GRIMES "enunciated determine.
ton to march the militia of Iowa into the
State of Missouri for the purpose of keep
ing the Missouri River open to the purposes
Of unrestricted navigation" He declares
he made no such "enunciation," and his
letter to Gen. PIERCE, to which we had
reference, bears him out in the statement.
This plain acknowledgement, we consider
Gov. GRIMES justly entitled to.
After admitting all this, we claim that
what the Governor did enunciate, is full as
"extraorlinary," and differs but little from
what accused him Of. az We propose to
show. After "recapitulng the wrongs suf-
fered by the Iowa emigrants to Kansas
he closes as follows:
''The State Of Iowa cannot be an ndif1er.
! ent spectator Of these acts CT lawlcss vio-
lcnce. She demands that her citizens shall
. be protected in Kansas, and stand upon an
| equality there with the citizens of other
states. She will not submit to the closing
Of the Immigrant r2pte through her domain
into that territory.
"As the Executive of Iowa, demand fox
her citizens in Kansas, protection in the
enjoyment of their property, their liberty
and their political rights. ask that the
military force on the line Of emigration into
the territory be dispersed.
"a compliance, with these reasonable re-
quests will tend to restore peace in Kansas
and quiet the public mind of this State. ia
the event of non compliance, in my view,
a case will have arisen, clearly within the
principle laid down by Mr.. Madison in the
| Virginia resolutions of 1913, when it will
be the duty of the States "to interpose to
arrest the progress of the evils" in that
Territory"
Here, it will be seen, the Governor de-
mands from tho General Government, for
the citizens of Iowa Gin Kansas, protection
in the enjoyment of their property, their
liberty, and their political rights" In case
this demand is not complied with, he clearly
intimatcs that the State of Iowa will '.intcr-
pose" (by force of arms, of course) and
afford that protection not vcuchsafe1 by
Federal authority. He further says, that
the Virginia resolutions of 1898, would
warrant the State in such procedure
There we differ with him in toto. The Vir-
ginia resolutions never contemplated such
a stretch Of authority or usurpation. They
declare only, :that in case of deliberate,
palpable and dangerous exercise" by the
General Government Of powers never grant
ed to it, by the compact between the States,
'the States, who are parties thereto, have
the right, and are in duty bound, to inter
pose for arresting the progress of the evil,
and fol- maintaining acithin their respective
limits the authorities, rights and liberties
appertaining to them" There is nothing
in this that would seem to warrant the peo-
pie Of Iowa in extending protectorate over
any portion Of tho people of Kansas, yet
that is just what Gov. GRIMES proposed to
do-at least, that is the view we take of it.
If he did not mean that, what did he mean
| IL the language above quoted from his lctter