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rTEHHETf A. DOUGLAS, AUTHOR OS1
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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
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GOVERNOR CROUNSE'S FIRST RESIDENCE AND LAW OFFICE AT HULA, IN
1804. From Photo Made In 1801.
ELLE From
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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
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