Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-07-06

power. | have spoken more than intended
upon this subject. [ now propose to give a
brief summary of our history.
Prior to tlNyear 1892 this continent was
in the exclusive possession of the Indians
or aborigines, who possessed and occupied
it. The European nations founded their
claims upon the right of discovery. The
most part of the country now occupied by
the United States, fell to the share of Great
Britain by virtue of the expedition of John
Cabbot, one of the early navigators. who in
1906 under the auspices of Henry VII, sailed
along our Eastern coast.
Afterwards, France and Spain claimed ii
tie to large portions which were acquiesced in
by Great Britain leaving her in possession
of the eastern portion of our. country to the
Mississippi valley in the year 1900. No sue
cessful attempt was made to settle this vast
domain until 1907, when VIRGINIA was col
onized by a charter from King James L
then followed in succession the coloni-
cation of the twelve other colonies.
X 4 x x \ X
The colonies were each separate and in
dependent of the other, but all dependencies
of England. Tine exact rights and powers
of the colonies were always a subject of con-
troversy, and were never definitely settled.
At length, Parliament proclaimed the
right to bind the colonies in all cases what
soever, and the colonies as resolutely de-s
vsaf1 thu ,;olf oc,,oosolIr IF fnvatio,, with.
out representation. The British Parliament
passed obnoxious and tyranical laws, and
CHARTERED an army among the people to
force its measures. The controversy which
began Or this question ended in the people
rebelling against the tyranny, and abuse of
the British King and his ministers. X \ x
Slavery extension and slavery restriction
entered largely into the politics of the u
try from the year 184S. From 1854 to 1860
the public mind North and South, was be-
coming more and more excited on thissques-
ton, and the men Of extreme views of both
sections were becoming more intolerant.
The abolitionists of the North, and the fire
eaters or extreme pro-slaYerY men Of the
South, were. each. utterin& threats Of dis
union and revolution. The decision of tile
Supreme Court III the bred Scott ease, the
troubles i'll Kansas and Nebraska and. the
attempt at revolution by John Brown, still
more melted to frenzy the extreme men Of
both sections.
This question, which had caused so many
gloomy forebodings in the minds of the
patriotic citizens Of the country during four
teen years, eliminated in the election o
Abraham Lincoln in 1850, in the secession O
most Of the Southern States, and in the in
auguration of the most gigantic and bloody
civil war to be found in the annals of history
To subdue this rebellion, and preserve
intact our union, more than one million sol
diers were called into the field by the loya
States. OF this number, it is estimated tina
the loss of the loyal States in killed, ant
crippled for life, deaths in hospitals ant
prisons, was fully one-fifth, or two hundred
thousand men. while it cntailed upon tn
country a debt of nearly three Thousand hli1l
ions of dolla..s. The loss Of the States i
rebellion in killed and wounded was full,
equal to that Of the Government, hut thei
IOSS III tllcu CItiSS, IuluCu HoinCS, anu
country. devastated by both armies, wa
: many times greater than that Of the loya
5 States-a destruction and desolation almos
) fearful to contemplate. But out of this feal
t full destruction of human lives and propert
| have grown good fruits. The sacrifices o.
both sides are as nothing compared with tn
: results. The Union was restored with NOR