The Cairo bulletin., 1904-06-04
THE NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF
cLARks CONQUEST OF THE
NORTHWEST.

i lying in the fertile valley between the
| Ohio and Mississippi rivers ana hor-
doring on the Great Lakes may well
be called the heart OF North Am.
erica" Centrally locateu. unsurpas.
sej in the enormous wealth of its
natural resources, and possessing an
nnriyalled system Of navigahle water
ways this great country is indeed a
most valuable possession.
Before the outbreak of the revou,
tionary war the vanguard of western
emigration had crossed The AlIe.
ghany ridges and extended the IRON.
tiers Of Virginia to tho central part Of
the present state of Kentucky. Short
| ~ before the declaration Of war with
Great Britain in 1916. large bands Of
| hostile Indians. melted by the com.
mandcrs of The British posts IN the
| Northwest descended from the Min.
DIS country and attacked the Ameri
can pioneers, massacreing men. wo.
men and children II was during
| these dark days thai the man Of the
hour arose George Rogers Clark.
then a young man of twenty
three years was equal 10 the
occasion With magnificent fore
sisht Clark saw thar unless
something was done he Virginian
colonlsts would be captured or driven
back across the Allcghanics ~ the
British or their hirelings. The Indians.
~ order to carry ont his plans for
.hcir protection and also to advance
ting American cause, he sacrificed pri
Tatc interests Obtaining 4 grant Of
money from Governor Patrick Henry
and the legislature of Virginia, he
'aised small army of scarce three
hundred men and began his memor.
ole campaigns against the British
posts in The country northwest of tn, |
Ohio river Within two wears, the |
military prowess ana skilful diplo !
macy Of Jhis young Nirginan had des |
royed forever the British power west
IF the Alleghanies removed the pre- |
iudice and hatred which the British !
lindod toward The Americans in the
hearts Of The French and Indians, ana
gained the staunch friendship OF the
spanish governor Of Louisiana.
Few American citizens recognize
he vital bearing Of Clarks conquest
pon the history Of this grand repub
lic, now one Of tha greatest worI,
bowers OF the twentieth century |
imagine, at the close of our royom
Ion, the Kentucky pioneers driven
Jack across The Aieghanes by the
British and Indians leaving Spain
nd Great Britain in possession of the
Mississippi valley and the young re
public further hemmed in by In,
english in Canada and the Spanish
n Florida But for his conquest ON
western boundary might sull have
1een the ridges Of the Appalachian
highland and, surrounded on all side.
ny foreign enemies, half century
night have marked the existence OF
he United States of America
Clark's military genius, skilrul dip
omacy and untlrng efforts set in mo
ion the forces which have rendered
POSSIBLE the wonderful expansion ana
development that has made our ma |
ion what il is today. After conquer
ng the northwest ana winning the
indians 90 The American cause. h.
took possession of IN
crrilory he had gained and strongly
nriiiiod it, Descending the east bank
+ the Mississippi river to point FIVE
llles below the mouth of the Ohio he
here built and garrisnnod Fort JET
hrson, signed a treaty of peace with
he Spanish governor Of Louisiana.
nd when negotiations of peace were
progress at Paris in 1888. the Am
riean forces were in full possession
all British territory in the Migsis.
ppi valley Possession is nine
oints of the law, and Great Britain.
tier acknowledging the indepcn
ance of the United States. wa
reed to relnquish all claims TO that
ist and fertile valley east of the
ississippi &
From Clark's successful campaigns 81
sainst the British posts at Vim !.
'nnes, Kaskaskia and Cahokia y
ties the beginning Of the mighty Z,
arch of American progress towar. 90
g lands OF the "scttin sun" In 1884
rginia coded 10 the United States 81
e territory conquered by CLARK IN
lleh then became known as Tn, re
jrthweat Territory IN a few year 10
e sturdy pioneers Of the young re- phi
bile were firmly established i'm the &c
w country Towns and village an
rung mp on every side and the ran MI
~ increasing population demanded ar
more established form oi govern ii
'nt Accordingly this vast domainI Sn
IS eventually divided into Eve terri sio
lies, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois. Michi. nj
a and Wisconsin. Before the mid Ca
al the nineteenth century every nu
e Of them had been admitted into Of
: union. and today they rank among no
greatest states in the American In
,ubiic. The
westward the star Of empire takes In
way The influence Of Clark frl
npalgns upon our western terri m,
ial expansion is of the greatest wh
i0nal significance. Suppose Great pro