The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-09-03
The Great West
By MISS FANNIE ]. BARBotR.

mon country, known as the Great West,
| regard it with feelings of affection, as
the land Of my birth, the scene of nv
childhood, and the depository of all that
attaches me to life, and with feelings of
commendable pride for her individual
claims to consideration and respect, and
for the high position which she holds in
our national confederacy. l beg leave,
therefore, to submit to this enlightened
audience a few comments upon her past
history, her present condition, and her
future destiny.
When we speak of the Great West, the
term great does not suggest vastness of
extent only, but vastness of importance
also--an epithet which, In connection
with the West, is well deserved, in either
respect
In 1710, Governor Spottswood, of Vir-
ginia, with call the pomp and circum-
stance" of chivalry, bnfurled the banner
of the Knights of the Golden Horse shoe
upon the SUBMITS Of the Blue Ridge, aud
explored the mountain passes leading to
/ the Ohio river. When the settlements
commenced in the valley of Virginia, and
extended westward to the Alleghanies,
these mountains became the boundaries
Ard as the hardy pioneer planted his
cabin in the forests that skirted "the beau
tiful river" or pursued his adventurous
way through the wilds of Tennessee and
''the dark and bloody ground" the Great
West was bounded by the "Father of
Waters" Beyond the Mlssissippi-be
yond the Arkansas-o'er mountain and
vale, o'er prairie and forest, swept the liv-
| ing tide, till its waves reached the base of
the Rocky Mountains, which now be-
came the boundaries of the Great West
But her cords were still !ehgthened-her
boundaries still extended beyond the
Rocky Mountains, beyond Salt Lake, be-
yond desert and canon, beyond the Sierra
Nevada, beyond the golden sands of the
Yuba river, and the plscers of the Sacra-
mento, till the pillars of this Hercules of
Commonwealths, with their ''ne plus
ultra" were placed hard by the setting
sun, upon the shores Of the great Pacific.
The West embraces that vast region which
extends from the lakes and the parallel
of 48o 80 on the North, to the Red river
of Louisiana, and the sd and 37th de-
grees of latitude on the South, and from
the base of the Allegheny Mountains to
the Pacific Ocean, comprising territory
more than three times the extent of the
rest of the Union. No farther back than
1776, it was entirely unorganized; its
present members were desert wilds, over
which roamed unrestrained the ssvages
' o-l ~ nc
J sound broke the stiffness that .pervaded
the dense forests, save the shrill war
whoop of the Indian, or the terrific cry o.
: the monster of the woods her placid
5 lakes and rivers were unruffled, save by
the paddle of his uncouth canoe, and the
rude wigwams promiscdously scattered
/ DER the land, stood as the only monu
1 ments Of art.
How magical the changes wrought b,
e time! The wild war-whoor has givel
}, place to the hum Of industry and tn
n song of the reaper, and the cry of the wil'
e beast has been followed by the lowing o
: herds or the hoarse breathings of tn
Y iron-horse, or the noiseless tread of tn
e telegraph. And where tho smoke of tn
/ lowly wiswam curled gracefully up t
S heaven, proud cities raise their heads, an
!; point their spires to the sky and he
is mighty lakes and rivers, which we're d
IS less beautiful then than now, have bee
:; consecrated by more majestic offices, a
is they bear upon their bosoms the prou
steamers which are the media of CON
70 merce and civilization. Yes, it seems a
l. most incredible that the well cultivate
p West, with its waving harvests, its popt
W lous cities and hourishipg towns, shoul
lie have been but few years since a rud
is wilderness, the exclusive property of tt
ly red man, who has since transferred it
e. his white brother, in exchange for VIII
. was in more perfect accordance with b
ic untutored TASTE
to Throughout all the regions of the We:
or Nature has profusely scattered her gift
IS everywhere we meet with scenes of su
b. Unity or beauty. The most striking a
her lofty mountains, her beautiful rivel
at her prmeval forests, where herd the e
of and the deer, her romantic bluffs. her wi
ng raviues, her wizard caves and grotto'
se aud boundless prairies, with herds of br
Ict faloes and pasturing cattle, where the lu
he uriant grass is bespangled with nature
a gems, flowers of every hue, and plar
Ie- such as the Eastern florist nourishes in
,o- hot-house, growing in all their wild bea
ly, ty, unassisted by the hand of art. The
lat have been the silent witnesses of ma
nd thrilling scenes savages madly slaughl
are each other, OF scalping the innocent VIII
re- man, or with maniac fury torturing him
De- they danced around their fires, which C
is wild glare upon the face of the sutf
on ing victim and the grim visages of
her tormentors, distorted with rage, and glea
be- ing with their horrid war-paints. I
Ie same fires have revealed in the ba
led ground, groups of unfortunate capti'
or bound with cords, beholding the sad see
,on of torture and death, in expectation o
The like doom, and silently petitioning HeaN
hoo in their behalf. Here, too, have b.
ays gentler scenes enacted; here the cour
at fires have sent up their smoke; here c.
ces tending chieftains have buried their to
AK ahawks, and smoked the calumet
md peace; here the patient squaw has c
nto broidered the buffalo robe for her abs
in lord here the calm moon has witnes
the the plighted faith of the gentle Ind
the maid and the warlike chieftain
lre, here, where the meeting boughs h
ust formed living arches in the great cat
in dral of nature, with spicy flowers for
ope cense, and gentle vesper breezes for 1
hA sic, or the sounding anthem of the sto
d the wild children of the forest have &;
han cred around in simple faith in worship
the Great Spirit
Never was any region more cony
ern- iently situated for internal commun
co. ton and for commerce. Her vast ri
:, it traverse the country, marking the verC
hese of the fertile fields through which I
| to pass, like threads of silver lace upc
) for ground OF green velvet; the Ohio,
-o.,-I nRaanfifiil river with its mariana tr