Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-05-03

eye did not waver as it looked into
the others, but blazed with all the fire
of his OWL soul. Across the Alleghe-
MES, along the great river, there is a
land waiting, ready for strong men.
Are we such men. gentlemen? And
can we talk freely as such among our
selves?"
Their conversation, carried on in or
binary tones, had not been marked by
any. Their brows, drawn sharp in
sudden resolution, their glance each to
the other, made their ratification of
this extraordinary speech.
They had no time for anything fur
ther at the moment. A sound came to
their ears, and they turned toward the
head of the long table, where the tall
figure of the president Of the United
States was rising in his place. The
dinner had drawn toward it's close.
Mr.. Jefferson now stood, gravely re-
garding those before him, his keen eve
losing no detail of the strange scene.
lie knew the place of every man and
woman at that board. Perhaps this
was his own revenge for a reception
he once had had at London. But at
last he spoke.
Il have news for you all, my friends,
today, news which applies not to one
man nor to II m of this or any
country more than to another, but
news which belongs to all the world"
He paused for a moment and held
~ -, hie, ,,irl1 Io,,J - +i,,, ~o,.~ -
J paper, thin, crumpled. None could
guess what significance it had.
May God in his own power punish
me-" said he solemnly, eff eve l halt
or falter in what l believe to be my
duty! l place no bounds to the future
of this republic-based, as 1 firmly
believe it to be, upon the enduring
of mankind.
Our country to the west always
has inspired me with the EXTREMIST
curiosity and animated me with the
loftiest hopes. Since the year 1853
that great river, the Missouri, empty
ing into the Mississippi. has been look
ed upon as the way to the Pacific
ocean. One hundred years from that
time-that is to say, in 1851 myself
asked n Of the ablest of our western
,ars. none other than General George
Rogers Clark. to undertake a journey
Of exploration up that western river.
1t was not done. Three years later.
when accredited to the court at Paris,
| met a Mr.. Ledyard, an American then
! n1N,.Na1 r JocsnDI Xiv, H. 1,oo p,,.-.,
Siberia and the Pacific ocean and then
to journey eastward owe the Stony
mountains 10 find, If he could, the
head Of that Missouri river of which
we know so little. But Ledyard fail
ed, for reasons best known, perhaps.
to the monarch of Russia.
Later than that and long before l
had the power which now is mine to
order matters of the sort the Boston
sailor, Captain Grey, in 1892, as you
know, found the mouth Of the Column.
bia river. The very next year after
that 1 engaged the scientist Michaux
to explore in that direction, but he
likewise failed.
"All my life I have seen what great
opportunities would be ours if once we
owned that vast country yonder. AS
a private citizen l planned that we
should at least explore it.. Always it
vas my dream to know more of it. 1t
being clear to me that the future of
our republic lay not to the east, but
to the west of the Alleghenies-indeed
to the west Of the Mississippi itself
never have l relinquished the ambi-
ton that l have so long entertained.
Never have l forgotten the dream
which animated me even in my young
err years. I am here now to announce
to you so that you may announce to
all the world certain news which /
have here regarding that western re-
gion, which never was ours, but which
I always wished might be ours"
With the middle finger Of his left
hand the president ficked at the mys-
ferrous bit of crumpled paper still held
aloft in his right. There was silence
all down the long table.
More than a year ago I once more
chose a messenger into that country
went on Thomas Jefferson. II chose a
leader of exploration, of discovery. l
chose him because I knew I could trust
in his loyalty, in his judgment, in his
courage. Well and thoroughly he has
fitted himself for that leadership"
He turned his gaze contemplatively
down the long table. The gaze of
many Of his guests followed his. still
WOnderinCly as he went on.
"My leader for this expedition into
the west, which I planned more than a
year ago, is here with you now. Cap
tain Meriwether Lewis, will you stand
up for n moment? I wish to present
you to these, my friends"
With wonder, doubt and. indeed, a
certain perturbation at the presidents
unexpected summons, the young vir-
ginian rose to his feet and stood gazing