The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-06-12

cross the plains and settle in the disputed
territory. That act saved Oregon to this
country. Not even all the power and in
iusncs OF the Hudson Bay Company,
backed by the English Government, could
beat back those thirty thousand pioneer
rilemen who took their lives in their
hands and made that peTilous trip across
the great plains and through the indian
tribes.
So many Of these hardy pioneers vent
from this Pike region that all Missontlans
in Oregon were called "PiksEs, and they
still go by that name in that country.
There was time in the early history Of
Missouri when the country might Wen
have been called the "Stats OF ElEe, IoL
when she came into the Union in ISL, l
presume that fully one half Of her pOpula'
ton resided in y hat we're then called the
territorial limits Of Pike county. In fact,
Pike county stretched all the way up this
river from the mouth OF the Missouri to
the Iowa line, and ran back half way 70
Kansas, and included over dozen coun'
ties since formed out Of its limits, 1t was
To Missouri that the counties Of Aononga-
LA and KanaWha were TO Virginia.
THE POLITICS OF TUX STATE
Next to st, Louis and its environs, this
was the earliest settled part OF Missouri.
Even as far back as 1903, when We pur-
chased this country from France Ut was
part Of the Louisiana purChsse) settlers
began coming here from Virginia, Mary
land, Kentucky and the CarOlinas. They
brought their slaves with them and laid
the foundation for all the subsequent
troubles that have made Missouri famous
in the slavery sgitations oil the country
The first great sgiIation occurred over the
application Of the State for admission into
the Union in 1910, and for two years It
ragged in Congress, and even at that early
day set the Union TO trembling in its
balance, Finally, 1t ended in the mis-.
souri, compromise, by Whichit was agreed
that all territory north Of Missouri's South
ern biudery line should come in az free
States, while Missouri herself should
come in as a slave State. 1t is not geleT'
ally known, but 1t Is fact nevertheless,
that had not the State OF Maine been an
applicant for admission at the same time
Missouri would not have got in with
slaves. And happy day 1t would have
DeeQ lOT ueE ubu L1hL peeu Iu5 SAoeI lvL
slavery has cost her many timea the value
Of all the slaves ever owned within her
borders.
Illinois and Missouri started almost 20
gether as States Of the Union. The latter
vas much the larger State Of the two. She
had fine soil, good climate and the
richest iron and lead mines in the coun'
try. She had much larger coal area than
Pennsylvania. st, Louis was an inCOrpo'
rated city and Chicago had not been born.
Look at the difference to-day,
But for slavery Missouri would have
been, next to New York, the Empire State
Of the Union in population and wealth,
and st. Louis, and not Chicago, would
have been the great Western metropolis.
There never would have been Border
Rullian" war to iasten slavery on Kansas
THAT did Missouri so much harm), nor q
battle OF the rebellion on her soil THAT did
her so much more harm), nor any James
boys banditti since the war, to keep up
and intensity the prejudiCes Of the North
and OF Europe. All these disasters and
retarding Influences sprang from the hBt
great mistake OF introducing slavery.