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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 5, 1904)
SHE ILLUSTRATED BEE. ! ! I ; i ; ! . . : v- - i - ; " ! I ' , " - . -"- r i f 7 ; 1 -7 i. ! W rTEHHETf A. DOUGLAS, AUTHOR OS1 -vi ,1 f Ik 1 - November SO, 1844. The secretary refers to Fremont's first explorations (1812) la the Rocky mountains and then says: The Platte of Nebraska being the central Stream leading Into or from the South Pass would very properly furnish a name to the territory which I propose suggesting to be erected into a territorial government, with, and preliminary to, the extension In that direction of our military posts. I would confine the Nebraska territory to ur undisputed possessions on this side of the Rocky mountains. Its boundary line would commence at the mouth of the Kan sas and run up the Missouri river to the mouth of the Running Water and pursue that river to the head of its northern branch, thence due west to the Wind river chain. From this point turning southward the line would continue alongside the Wind river range and the main chain of the Rocky mountains to the head of the Ar kansas, and following that stream to the mouth of the Pawnee fork, would pass by the heads of the Neosho and Osage again to the mouth of the Kansas. The secretary adds that there are not enough Inhabitants In the region for a full territorial government, but urges that the territory should be organized any way In order to throw the authority of the federal government around the Oregon migrants. He asks for $100,000 to erect, a chain of military posts from the Missouri to the Rocky mountains in order to en force our claim to the Oregon country, and says '"troops and supplies from the pro jected Nebraska territory would be able to contend for Its possession with any fores coming from the sea." So the first Idea of Nebraska was a means of holding Oregon and securing foothold on the Pacific i Following the exact lines of the secre tary of war is the report on December 17, 1844, Stephen A. Douglas of IllJols Intro duced his first Nebraska bill Into the house of representatives. The bill called for ons territory to be named Nebraska, with Sec retary Wllklns' boundaries. The laws of Iowa were extended over Nebraska until . her own legislature should meet. Nothing was said about slavery. Suffrage was limited to free white males until the leg Islature should enact a change. This bill With slight amendment was reported from the committee on territories on Jan nary T 1845,. referred to the committee of the whole and never reached further consid eration. The Texan question, the Mexi can war and the fierce debate over the iWllmot proviso absorb the public mind and the time of congress. But while the Nebraska question sleeps In congress the emigrant's wagon marches on. By 1849 there are 12,000 Americans In Oregon and thousand of Mormons are filling the valley Of Great Salt Lake. Nearly all of these crossed the Nebraska plains and several thousand of them wintered in 1846-7 at x Florence, and the mouth of the Niobrara. April 23, 1848, Nebraska City Is founded tinder the name of Fort Kearney. A gar rison is maintained there until 1848, when the new Fort Kearney is established oa the south bank of the Platte opposite the present city of Kearney, and only a squad left at the old Fort Kearney until l&i, The Polk administration haa given up Its jrar cry. of "Fifty-four forty, or fight" and d . TEH KAKSAS-I out our Oregon claim In two In order td have a free hand to acquire Texas and i Vast southern empire stretching from th have a free hand to acquire Texas and aj Rio Grande to the Paclllo. 'ltte Plymouth!, Rock and Jamestown streams have both' reached Pacific tidewater. . It is not until March 15. 1848, that Shephenf A. Douglas, now a senator, introduces nisi second Nebraska bill. The boundaries now) extend only from latitude 40 to 43 and from,! the Missouri river to the summit of the) Rocky mountains; the Iowa law is again to be extended over tho new territory and no mention is made of slavery. This bill Is re ported from the. committee on territories and, like its predecessor, dies without a hearing. Tho Pacific Railroad and Kebraaka Straarsrle. There is a new phase to the Nebraska question one not presented by any of the historians. From this time on the organi sation of Nebraska is linked with the con flict of commercial Interests as well as the extension of slavery the question whether the north or the south Is to have the first Pacific railroad. The Oregon , dispute Is settled, there Is no longer need of Ne braska as a military outpost against Great ' Britain, but the organization and settle ment of the territory is a long step toward making the Platte valley route for a Pa cific railroad and the far-sighted leaders north and south grasp the point. Feb ruary 7, 1849, Senator Benton of Missouri Introduces his first Pacific railroad bill In " . .... ... . I v s ' ; - . . , , - - --''-.' " - " K . rfTv , - - ' a.use 1 w it I i v"-l : GOVERNOR CROUNSE'S FIRST RESIDENCE AND LAW OFFICE AT HULA, IN 1804. From Photo Made In 1801. ELLE From r tt l Maar -T5 7 ivwax . -v r .v if. i i S I 'U--.7 J i n s MRS. WILLIAM HAMILTON. WIDOW OF MISSIONARY TO OMAHAS; MRS. HENRY FONTANKLLE; MRS. HENRY MACAU LEY. congress, providing for a reserve one mile wide from St. I.ouis to San Francisco and that 75 per cent of the proceeds of lund sales in California and Oregon and 50 per cent of the proceeds In other states shall constitute a railroad building fund. The bill meits the instant opposition of mem bers south of Missouri. The record of con gress for the next ten years Is the story of skirmish end buttle between the north and the south m Pacific ruilroad propositions. Tho co npromi.se of 1800 settled the slav ery agitation forever bo said both the whig and democratic parties so said an over whelming' majority of the voters in the presidential election of 1852. With the sec tional slavery Issue out of the way It was time to push on the great westward move ment. On December 13, 1852, Representa tive Hall of Missouri Introduced a bill to organise the territory of Platte. It was referred to the house committee on terri tories, of which W. A. Richardson of Illi nois, Douglas' personal friend, was chair man. On February 2, 1853, Richardson re ported a new bill from the committee. It was to organize the territory of Nebraska bounded south by 3C-30, north by 43, east by. Missouri and Iowa, west by the moun tain summit. The provision that the law of Iowa should govern until changed by the legislature Is left out. No mention Is made of slavery. On February 10, lSUi, there is a warm debate In the house over this bill. Not slavery, but Indian rights, is the theme. Houston of Alabama, Howard of Texas, Brooks of New York hotly denounce the bill as a violation of sacred Indian guarantees. The bill Itself provides both the land and the government of the Indians shall be undiBturbed, but this does not satisfy the champions of the red men. They want to know how many wh(te men live la the region. Hall and ; vv v-v 7 VVjV, i. - 7 u ... : . . . . i. ,f - .J .A JIJSSgl! IN ROUND ARB DESCEND. 1