Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-02-16

which your presence has caused to pervade
our whole CITY, desires to express to each
one you the assurance OF its most cordial
welcome. Applause
Through one Of |, members !, begs TO lay |
before your honorable body some OF the
weighty considerations that have moved II 70
solicit your valuable evaporation IN erect
ing she grandcst national enterprise oil 'he
present age. Applause
The Improvement Of the Mississip2i ri'ef
and its great tributaries Is Work, which,
not only deeply interests each member oil
this imposing asscmblage, and the vast con>
stituency whom II represents, but IN some
degree affects the welfare Of every citizen,
within the limits Of this whole common
wealth Fully conscious Of the importance,
tic gravity and the grandeur OF the issues
md interests involved IN the Discus
sion Of this subject cannot but regret
the psrtiali,y which has assigned this hons
orable duty to one who is painfully sensible
&C his inability to perform IL properly. II
involves the contemplation Of ons of the
suhlimcst physical wonders % n beniticent
Creator the consideration Of it's inestirna-
bic social ard political value to the favored
people who are its poss,ssora, and the
question Of the power Of mans genius 10
control ard direct i;s mighty currents OBJ
dent 70 lila will. Applause.
We cannot contemplate tho manner OF it's
creation, ard the numbcrless ages required
TO III il for mans uses, without the deepest
reverence for tho power snd wisdom, aud
the most fervent gratitude for the ceaseless
bounty Of our Heavenly Father. Through
countless centuries, long before q human
form had reflected the image Of his Maker
on this planet, We know that THE restless
stream, whose branches receive tnslr lmpid
tributes among tho highest passes Of the
AlI,ghanies and tho Rocky Mountains. wss
being prepared by an allwise Creator ior
mans dominion. Through those dark cras,
Of which the only record is found on stony
tablets among whose sundered leaves and
uphsavcd masses human lore has traced
tho marvellous history. the old Father Of
Waters was silently spreading his fertlizing
foods over the vast plains that lie between
those mountains on tho Fast aud West, and
which extend from tho highlands Of the
Lake Of tho Woods and the Assiniboin,
away TO the sunny cline where milk white
hArves,s unfold their dcwny tire surcs amid
cypress groves and the fragrant perfume Of
tho magnolia. IApplause.l Through that
long tide Of years he was slowly but i.ccss-
antly creating and enrichiug this immense
valley which IA now Justly known through
out Ehristendom ms the Garden OF the
World. Applause.
Tho Louniless reservoirs which supply
its channels through suoh long periods Of
the year and make il 30 valuable to man,
and which, il opened simultaneously, would
overwhclm the valley and mar its useful
ness, are, with that thoughtful care which
n. al. .I
,lfnl succession, month after month, hv the
rosy touch Of spring, ~ shc leaves her
home IN the tropics to bless with her flow
cry presence tho icy regions of the North.
Applause.
Tho giant strcam, with it's head shroud-
I'd in Arctic SHOWS, embracing half con,i>
ncnt IN the hundred thousand miles OF ils
cutious net work, and cou,sing its mniestc
way to the Southern gulf through lands 80
fertile that human ingenuity is ovcrtaxed to
harvest their produouveness, has been gwen
hy It's immortal Architect, every mile OF il,
into the Jealous keeping Of this Republic -
Applause.
Tho garden which 1t Identifies and en-
riches contains seven hundrcd and sixty.
eight millions of acres of the finest lands on
the incc OF the globe; enough to make more
than one hundred and fifty States IA large
~ Massachusetts Acres OF tho choicest
soil IN proius,on sufficient to duplicate proud
England twenty-four times over More ter
riiorcs ,haa the areas Of Great Britain,
trance. SPAN, Austria, Prussia, European
Turkey, aud the Italian Peninsula combin-
cd. Applause lf peopled as Massachu
sets i, it would contain five times the pres.
eot population OF the whole United States.
Formulated o. Franco is. it would hold a.
many people MS the whole area Of Europe
contains. Pcopled a. Belgium and the
Netherlands are, and with no. half the dan
rc, Of famine or starvation, II would con-
tain four hundred millions Of souls largely
mara than nnc.third Of The entire popula
,nn If the world. Human comprehension
cannot grasp the grandeur Of such AN en-.
rfe. Human wisdom cnnnot estimate the
wonderful value ol such M inheriancc, over
cvcry Il re vi hich the banner of this Re
public iloa,s supreme. Applause.
This great valley lies between those psy>
slels of lati,ndc that are known to be the
most conducive to health and t. the mental
and physical energies Of man. In its capac
ity e. produce the cereals, grasses, cotton,
sugar, tobacco, hemp; vegetables. and fruits
OF every kind in the richness and variety
IL rs mineral wealth, the grandeur and
yaluc Of its forests, its / nexhaustib.e quar-
ries: in a word, in all the natural resources
which conspre 10 increase the wealth aud
power of a people, the bounty Of Prov-
dencc has been most wonderfully nani-
Tested.
The stream which in every direction pens
etratcs this favored region, and is the grand
est feature Of North America. holds in its
watery embrace the deetiries OF the Amcri>
can people Sooner or later il must give T.
the lwcllers within this valley power and
dominion over the whole boundless cont
neat. Applause. II is the great artcrial
system of this Republic whose heavens
wro,.sat channels should teach the people
Who possess them, that the Almighty de-
signed them to dwell in love aud harmony
together forever o. one nation. Applause.
There is not drop within ito noble veins
that is not loyal TO the Union. No cti'ors
can be made 70 sunder the Union that will
not vibrate the alarm along its sensitive
course 20 their most distant aud delicate ex.
tremities. Ito vital branches and wonder>
full calculations pcrrueats aud develop the
great body Of our country. giving unity to
amplitude, value 10 productiveness, aud 20
the State tcsistlcss power. and an existence
o. enduring a. human liberty aud intelli>
gence. Through ito copious channels, for
eli time to como, are destined 10 circulate
the sustenancs and surplusage of its people.
Life>giving commerce. which brings in its
ever welcome train peace and good will to
men, through its many convenient passages,
will distribute plenty and prosperity
throughout the realm. The wealth and lux
uries Of the generous South win thread lite
devious currents to thor very sources, and
~.ll BE- scattered within the sound Of their
tnNlins ri.is ani sparkling cascades, whilst
every wave that is borne toward the gulf
will DO burdeaed with tho recprocated o.
ferings Of tho colder ATTITUDES. From its
stream will be sent forth 10 the lcas fAyore.
nations Of the earth .hc bountiful abund>
ance Of land far more blessed than that
which the prophet Of old Was permitted to
gaze upon, but forbidden to enjoy. Ap-
piause.
Tho influence and power Of the people Of
ths Valley will be limited only BY their vir-
tue and intelligence. They can forever riv
ct to this Union with bonds 6rmer than
brass or s,ecl the States that lie beyond the
mountains, outposts Of the nation, and
which, frnging the commonwealth, consti>
tuts buttress and bastion stoekado or port>