Speech #440068900

But here is a field worthy the thought and care of the statesman: the obetter government of large communities of American citizens. an increase of liberty andrights to half a million of people. with increase of happiness. progress. and prosperity. The Territories are all capable of great development. Nothing. in my judgment. would do so much for their development andto induce labor and capital to emigrate to theus as to give the people a government of their own. to open the avenues of political preferment to the citizens of the Territories. giving the people a government of their own choice. responsible directly to them for any dereliction of duty or abuse of power. and bringing the legislative. executive. and judicial branches into harmonious action for the advancement and prosperity of the Territories. Take for example the Territory of Wyoming. rich in all the elements and resources necessary to make a great and powerful commonwealth. with an area of coalbeds estimated to cmbrace 30.000 square miles. with coalmines in operation at various points. one mine. near Evanston. in the western portion of the Territory. being in a vein of coal twentyseven feet in thickness. *vith deposits of sulphur as rich as any in the world. with its copper and inexhaustible supplies of iron of all kinds. with its mines of gold and silver. and its great undeveloped mineral region of the Big Horn. Powder River. Tongue. Rosebud. &c.. believed by all who have any knowledge of it to be by far the richest mineral region o0 the continent. with its great forests of pine. with its agricultural resources. with its great grazing plains. almost boundless in extent. where cattle fatten all the year round without shelter or feeding in winter. with its great Yellowstene National Park. containing the greatest natural wonders of the world. with the great line of railroad running through the entire length of the Territory from its eastern to its western border. with its healthy and saluirious climate. why should it not be what nature has intended it to be. the Pennsylvania of the transMissouri country? And is it not to the interest of the entire country to develop such resources and encourage the emigration necessary therefor? And would it not be the part of wisdom to aid by all proper means the people who are engaged in making its resources pay tribute to American enterprise and industry? Give Wyoming a government of and by its own citizens. and its development and prosperity will be greater than can be hoped for under the prescnt system. and in onehalf the time it would take under the present mode of government it would be ready to take place in the ranks of the great mineral. manufacturing. and grazing States.