The independent., 1907-03-07
STATES FoRTIETH ANNIVERSARY.
Address Presented in the senate by
a Special Committee.

the union, stood in the senate chamber
yesterday and read an address COM
memorating the admission of the state
into the union. Senator Saunders read
the address as chairman of a special
committee appointed last Friday. The
other members of the committee are
Root of Cass, Patrick of Saunders,
Mckesson of Lancaster, and Wiltse of
Cedar. The address is as follows:
Mr.. President: Your committee, ap-
pointed to draft an address commence
rating the fortieth anniversary of the
admission Of the state of Nebraska
to the union, beg leave to report the
following:
Forty years ago on the first day of
March, Nebraska become one of the
states of the union. This period covers
but the span of one life 1t is worth
while to pause today in our busy strife
and review the history Of the state in
which we live, and in which our af-
fections are centered
A half century ago Nebraska was a
part of what was called the Great
American Desert. It's broad and fer
tile praries were then regarded as
barren wastes infested 10y savage men
and rayenOus beasts The old forty
miners dragged their creaking wagon
trains over its broad praries and lit
tie dreamed of the possibilities that lay
hidden therein.
The organic act constituting Me-
braska territory was approved May
80, 1854. The territory thus established
comprised an empire. 1t contained 351,-
55S square miles. It's northern boun-
dary was British America; it's south
ern boundary was the fortieth par
allel of latitude; its western boundary
was the snow capped summit of the
Rocky mountains; it's eastern boundary
was the Missouri river and the Red
river Of the north and a meridian line
connecting the two. Out Of this vast
and uninhabited area Colorado and
Dakota were carved off in 1851. In 1853
the territory of Utah was taken off,
leaving the present dimensions of the
state In 1855 the legislature of the ter
ritory of Nebraska devised and rai-
fed "a constitution. On July 20, 1866,
congress passed bill for the admis-
sion Of Nebraska as a state but Presi-
dent Johnson vetoed the same. In JAN
l1ary 1867, congress again passed a
similar bill which was again vetoed
by President Johnson. This bill was
vote of 80 to in the senate and 120
to Al in the house. The bill provided
for the right of suffrage regardless Of
race, color, or previous condition of
servitude except as to Indians not
taxed The act of congress was rati-
fled February 20, 1867, and the fact
proclaimed by the president March |,
1867.
foI Inna Tod in
what was then known as the little
hamlet of Lancaster, and was subse-
quently namel Lincoln in honor of the
martyred president.
The history of Nebraska has nothing
unusual or romatic in it. The first
white people probably who traversed
these plains were unconscious OF the
land of promise as were the forty
miners. In the summer of 1861, Fran
els Vasuuez crossed the fortieth de-
gree of latitude and reported "a land
very fat and black with an abundance
of plums and nuts and very good sweet
grapes and mulberries." Other Span
iards report having visited this terri
tory. They left their record in the old
Spanish archives, mingled fact with
fable. The Spaniard passed on and the
frenchman came In 1889 MaIlet broth
ers. French traders and adventures
came up the Missouri. They first saw
and named the Platte river and fol-
lowed it to its source in the Rocky
mountains They wrote the story OF
their Journey the first unauestioned
description of Nebraska The French
trapper and trader came and went In
this region for another sixty years
They mingled their blood with the Ne
braska Indian tribes. but made no set
Elements. This great expanse then be-
longed to France. Napoleon was fac-
ing the crisis in hfs career and sold
this great trans Mississippi empire for
$4,000, 600 The compact was closed IN
1903, Thomas Jefferson then being
president of the United States. Mr.
Jefferson sent out an expedition under
the command of Lewis and Clarke, VINO
traversed the Missouri river To It's