The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-09-17
FAR WEST.
EXTRACT FROM SENATOR BRopER,ck's SPEECH


Previous to my election to the Senate
i fellow citizens, bill had been passed BY
Congress making an appropriation for an
Overland Mail to California. The object
and intent of the bill was to permit the con.
tractors to select the most direct route
across the continent to this State. Prior to
this, however, the Postmaster General made
a contract for a mail from San Antonio
Texas, to San Diego, California, With the
understanding that the business was to b.
dispensed with, the bill to which l referred
was passed. The bill appropriated $500,
! 900 annually. The Postmaster General
made contract with Butterfeld & Co., foI
carrying the mail by the Ell Paso route
Nothing was in the bill about this discre-
ton it was supposed, when it was voted
Cor, that the most direct route might be So.
lected. The Ell Paso route was thousand
miles longer than the direct immigration
route, and in order 70 establish the South
ern path, the contractors were forced to 20
clear out and south of the line Of travel
The Postmaster General subsequently es-
tabiished the st. Joseph and Placeryille
route. This was done in response to the
wishes of the North and people Of the West
by the agents Of the Government Of sustain
ing the Administration, and who promised
to continue support through tho Kansas
troubles. While is is thousand miles
shorter to travel to California by the St.
Joseph and Placerville route than it is,to 90
over the Southern route from Memphis to
San Francisco, the time of travel On the
s.. Joseph and Placerville route was fixed
at 80 long a period, that if a person in the
former place desired to write to California,
be could have his letter reach here one week
quicker by dispatching it to New York,
thence to this State via Panama, than he
could to send it direct overland. 1t was the
doubted intention Of Congress to favor
the most direct route to Califor-
MIA. Three quarters of the correspon-
dence of the people Of California is with the
people Of the Western and Eastern States,
and yet the Administration is seeking to
force our people to use a route but little
travelled, out of the line of immigration,
through country filed with hostile Indians,
one thousand miles longer than the direct,
natural route. And al! this the people have to
submit to and pay for, because it is expected
that at some future Ivy this may have some
influence toward the establishment Of Pa
citc Railroad b. the Southern route. There
is but one overland route to California, and
that is the middle route. (Cheers.] God
has here made 4 natural road. Overland
immigration to California must come by this
route; it can come by no other. Through Its
entire length there is an easy grade; wood,
water and grass in abundance. All the sur
reyors Of the Government and ali the pion-
GERS OF civilization upon this coast have been
unable to fad SO good and so direct a route.
Nlne-tenths of the immigration to Califor-
MIA come by this route, and yet the Presi-
dent and his supporters have endeavored to
throw this route into d!sreputc, to cramp
the contractors upon it, to make it ofno ben
eft to Calfornia-reducing the service over
1t from weekly 10 semi monthly trips. Dur
ing the first session Of the last Congress, q
bill can't. from the House 10 the Senate. re-
ducIng the time over the St. Joseph and
PiacervIlie route from So to 80 bays. My
colleague moved to take it from the table,
but the motion failed. finally got it up,
and obtained its passage. 1t went to the
President, and he, true to the policy of his
! Administration, IN preventin. any inter
course directly between the Eastern States
and California, pocketed the bill. The peo-
pie Of California, however, were quoted,
aud induced to believe that the Postmaster
General would take it upon himself to re-
duce the time. You, who reside in Pla-
ceIvllie can probably tell whe,her the time
has been reduced or not. daughter. -
! Daring the last session Of Congress. Srna-
tor " tlson, Of Massachusetts. introduced an
amendment, to permit the Butterield con
tractor, on the Ell Paso route, a taloct the
most direct line to California;. Ffopo-
sition having failed, Succcedcd IL nAkii,.
an amendment to the Post Uihc, Appropri-
alton BIZ, reducing the time over the St.
Joseph and Piacerviile route to twenty FIVE
DAYS. 1t passed the Senate, but was lost 10y
the failure of the Miscellaneous Bill in the
House. From the subj Of Overland Mails,
am naturally led to that of the Atlantic
and Pacific Railroad. The history of James
Buchanan's treachery to the people of tho
State OF California, of his petty trick of
writing letter to US to catch votes-scnt
here at too late Il day to return and bepub-
l>hed III the Southern States before election
nj his unyaryinc and systematic oIposi
ton of his supporters in the Senate to any
! Pacific Railroad, except a Pacific Raiiro
for the benefit Of Guaymas, in Mexico,
would occupy, in detail, too much time, and
! pass it for the present. | wish to call
YOUR attention to one more subject before
/ | close. ! will premise what have to say,
however, by repeating the announccm mt
made at the outset of my remarks. am
here to answer any questions on matters Of
public in,crestMish which | have been con.
nectel. Onf3&E important issues
! of this CAM one upon which YOU
will be called your votes TO take Il
part, is the the Administration
relative to IL fnmcn: Of Territories.
The passage Ndtthe Kansas Nebraska bill
was intended to remove the agitating ques-
ton of Slavery from Congress to loculize
it to throw open all the Territories to the
cnterprising people from all sections Of the
Union to create no distinctions in favor of
or against the interests of any portion Of
our people; to leave the people perfectly
! free to make such Republican Government
as they saw proper-subiect only to the
Constitution OF fhe United States. This was
just and fair, and it has met with the appro:
baton of almost every honest man. |. was
proposed by the South, and adopted by tho
South and in Mr.. Buchanan's election it
was Endorsed by great ma ority of the
people of the United States. Now, it ia
: fIpHUSSu ny DuShabtu anu hiS sup
porters to repudiato this interpreter
ton Of the Kansas Nebraska Bill that
Congress shall again commence the agita-
ton of the slavery question that Congress
shall pass an Act to establish slavery and u
penal slave code in the Territories. This
same question is for you to decide. so far as
you can Ly the results of this election. If
YOU vote for the Leeompton candidates you
vote for the practical repeal of the Kansas
Nebraska Bill and for the establishment of
slavery and slave code in tho Territories.
II you vote for the anti Lccompton candi.
dates, you vote to keep the agitatio Of the
slavery question outside the halls of Congress
to localizo it among the people where it
exists. Applause. If majority of the
citizens of a Territory are opposed to the
establishment Of slavery among them, there
can be no safety for this species of property
unless the General Government sends Uni
ted States soldier with every negro. laugh
ter If this species Of pro perty is to receive
| special protection from the General Govern
ment, all other property should have the
| r.