The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-07-19
THE LAND QUESTION
Hon. S. s. Cox Delivers a
Fourth ofJhly Grafton at
Huron, S. D.
The Burden OF Ills Speech
the All Important
Land Problem.
Imp ,r:awt Facts .nd Fjsares Nela-
alive e tho Resources OF tho
Northwest Territory-An-
ccdoges and Incidents.
ST. eeoh Of Samuel s. Cox.

81 CeCn Oh lmu b, CON.
The Fourth Of July at Huron, 8. n, was
celebrated q grand way. The speech Of
Hon. s. s. Cox In the morning was The most
important event OF the day and was listened
TO by an Immense crowd of people. Hundreds
of people visited The city by special traias
from all directions to listen to the New York
orator.
Mr.. Cox began his address by referring to
certain decisive battles ct the world, In which
Saratoga bore q part. There was more Gil.
dur!og im,loIt.ucc; said tyr speaker, IN inyes.
tigGtlpg tie chsia cf causes which led up to
these battles and watch helped the word to
mark great changes ia The trend OF progress.
fne Fourth OF July was a pivotal period In u
larger sense. Our fathers then struck, not
for their liberties but for their independence.
they never lost the former.
TIE spcakcr then considered the i~uadequacy
II the articles of confederation which led to
the constitutional ERA Of 1854. BE discussed
in detail THE grand eveh!s connected with
Doth Observation-Disclosures and Europe
AID held that the ascending series Of acts
which eliminated In our constitution ami 10
the French revolution, barring lis exec .ees,
was the end which crowned the WORK aud
made the year 1859 annus m.rab!ils.
The speaker referred TO the debt which
America owed to France, and instituted II
comparison between tue two revolutions CON
cluding that portion of bis subject by saying
THESE great teutpnh'al cVclIs are WUflHt
Of celebrations, jo;ht and several. It matter
little 10 the people of either country that
protligste kings and autocratic emptrors look
iskew upon such demons rationS. 1t matters
little to France, aud nothing to us, now that
France has moderated her policies and con
formed her poiitY with our own, that she hal
TO pass through tue Red sea before she
reached the promised land.'
~Ihereupon, the speaker discussed what was
the burden OF his speech land-contcnding
that the old congress had no more important
question connected with Independence and
union than land.
although it may be said that the plough
and the land Is . familiar figure in Fourth OF
July celebrations, these are Of no avail If lib
erty be lacking. Their free use is the best
touGdation of freedom, and how to secure
this was the problem to be solved by the
American congress in the period ante dating
as well as suos, qucnt to the constitution.
"Those who were early associated with the
disposition Of the lands OF the northwest ter
ritNry, were impressed by the Importance and
difficulty of their management In the interest
Of frugal, speedy aud fair settlement. II YOU
study the early nistoIy OF the western tent
tories, you Will be profouodly Impressed by
the wisdom and self-rcstrsint that marked
she first advancement Of CUR settlements be.
,opd The Appalachian chain toward The Mis-
sissippi and the Pacific"
He then referred TO the c~ess!ons by the
states OF Virginia, Massachusetts, North Car
oliaa AMI New York connected with the
northwestern lands TO the fede.nl govern
mcnt, quoting Chief Justice Chase MS holding
hat the title OF these lands, by virtue Of tbs
conquest, was III the federal union.
Dlating upun the acts OF the early con-
gress, the ordinance Of 1877 and the prepare
tons for the proper disposition Of tue lands
Drawn by jefferson, he :ane TO the Louisiana
purchase, In which vas situated the four Few
| ,,.tnr ;,,.t about Va ln eI,,i..,3 En- ,l.,,.n.
The speaker then made a resume Of the
purcnase OF Louisiana, lis necessity and the
foresight of Jefferson; and held that The wis
dom Of this purchase showed that Jefferson
Was first among American statesmen iu hi
vision az cur future beyond the O.io and thc
Mississippi.
WISDOM OF THE H LOUISIANA PURCHASE.
1.-THE wisdom Of the purchase led to q
reconciliation with Spain, for that Jealous
power vas In actual possession OF Louisiana
when the treaty was signed, although 1t hal
been legally transferred by Spain TO France
"somc of our contemporary writers have
imagined what Washington would now think
Of the progress of the greater west. Although
he had an idea of the ~vastne-s OF our lmpc,isl
future; and although he Travelled to the Ohio
valley and projected water connections De.
tween the Atlantic and The Ohio rirer-thc
development OF the westernmOst wHst, coul
he see 1T today, Would confouui his ken, give
additional tremor to his compass, aud as
touGd his most cxtravagant fancy.
she was, in many ways, first in Wal, first
IN pebce, first IN the hearts OF his country
uen; but his foresight Gs to our icmsiu was
limited By the Ohio river, or at the most to
the territory east of the Mississippi. 1t is
Thomas Jefferson VINO wss first, and will for
ever remain first, as the Statesman aud sTtl-
ncor OF that policy which comprehrTded the
LANDS between the Mississippi and the Paclf :.
| His vision Sylc mot blinded hv -hp hlET.v ut,i
richness of the Virginia and OalU valleys. /
rcvelcd In the tilth AMI wealth of ages un.
born, beyond the widest dreams OF the
planters Of the Atlantic coast. i sides, he
made q practical provision as well as ccono-
uic provision "a 10 the details Of our l2uas
aud their settlement. His plm cornpre-
hensicd thcir division by townships, sections
aud quarter sections, and their sale to the
settler.
"The Great West YVES to him more than a
land of homes ana farms and states. 1t wat
a charm, like al inspiration
Paradise and groves
ElSsian Fortunate Fields like those OF old
Sought IN the Atlantic main
NATURAL RIGHTS OF MAN.
"As the Institutions which jefferson as
sisted to unfold were The result OF tx yrEtenct
aud rs that experience was inspired by the
natural rights Of mankind, he fCresaw ii
lear dream and solemn vision the social ana
political conditions Of his own time, ami
blazcd out o path for It's future greatness
and Advancement. Although his ideas IN
the declaration were abstract, they had tn.
qualities Of incentive, expansion and adapt
abiliiy for every future urgency and einCr.
geucy OF the republic.
OUR CIVIL WAR AND THE MISSISSIPPI
vALIBY.
'The question whether the Mississippi
should flow from Its remoteet sources in the
mountains THROUGH an alien country, waa In.
goivet In our civil war. 1t was thought h,
the south at the beginning of that war, thu
rather than lose the Mississippi and It's out.
let, the northwest would cleave to the sort
ant payt company with the east. Waet !
iclGs!oE! An! Whist Il contest WAS that 10,
the Mississippi. Thanks to Farraaut and hi5
wooden snips and iron men-it was a contes;
whose ordeal settled forever the Integrity
OF the valley and as n cons qucDcc--ot the
union. That contest WAS closed forever by
the death OF the confederacy.
N Lincoln said, in August, 1863, that
the Father of Waters again runs unvoxed 10
the sea. Ibanss to tie great northwest!
Yet, not wholly to them. New England, tn,
Keystone, aud New Jersey have haloeci t.
lev our way right and left-to the guilt
Doubtless, there are many veterans here
In this remote land-wh icl, the main sourc,
OF this great artery raverses-who did their
patriotic part In making good the words o,
Lincoln. 1Dey maze durable our possession
of the Mississippi. from It's Itasca springs IN
Minnesota, and lis mountain riy,ilcts in
Montana and Wyoming, to the del,as and
| bayous IN the sunny south.
"The Mississippi once ours, partition he
came as I'm possible as the scpa,atiou OF colo,
from the rainbow. Every drop Of water that
oozes from the little fountsius OF Its s%rnalles'
tributaries, holds in its crystal purify the
aeveu-hued covenant Of union. Every frrsha,
OF the Missouri, that bringe down in solution
Webstcr's empire Of flee soil; everyjconaueut
from New York, Pennsylvania, virgini+.
Ohio, kentu ky, Indiana and Illinois. and
from the country below ss well as above The
Mtssouri-all the vsst Riluvial bottoms Of the
85 ,0G0 tributaries which produce that Tint,
; IN the wealth Of nat!ons-cattle corn and
~cotton-are eternal pledges of tbe fidelity OF
The people who produce and live bT these
riparian %bounties, to the iute gritty OF our iin.
perial covenant.
Thus, out Of the ihiiosophic forecast Of
Jefferson, illuminated In the miss,l OF indie
psndenca, bound up VIA toe iewclet GASP
of he ordin4uce 81 1857, which aetictsod ID,
northwest to freedom forever: out OF tie
%ve!liIn, vital with Law aud liberty, upon
which tae established .rjsri is inscribed; GU.
of tie cessions % the elder states, under Wis,
aud gencrons conditions; out OF The lsgisia-
ion O. coneress IL this wonderful centennial
ytar, by which the orce remote Missouri do
main Is appareiiei for stately Independence: