When  the  act  to  organize  the  Territory  of  Kansas  was  passed,
May  30,  1854,  the  greater  portion  of  the  eastern  border  of  the
territory  was  included  in  Indian  reservations  not  open  for  set
tlements,  and  in  no  portion  were  there  more  than  a  few  white
settlers.  The  Indian  population  of  the  territory  was  rapidly
decreasing,  while  many  emigrants  from  different  parts  of  the
country,  were  anxiously  waiting  the  extinction  of  the  Indian
title,  and  the  establishment  of  a  territorial  government,  to
seek  new  homes  on  the  fertile  prairies  which  would  be  opened
to  settlement.  It  cannot  be  doubted  that  if  the  free  condition
of  Kansas  had  been  left  undisturbed  by  Congress,  that  territory
would  have  had  a  rapid,  peaceful,  and  prosperous  settlement.
Its  climate,  its  soil,  and  its  easy  access  to  the  older  settlements,
would  have  made  it  the  favored  course  for  the  tide  of  emigra
tion  constantly  flowing  to  the  west,  and  in  a  brief  period  it
would  have  been  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  free  state,  with
out  sectional  excitement.  If  so  organized,  none  but  the  kindest
feelings  would  have  existed  between  its  citizens  and  those  of
the  adjoining  State  of  Missouri.  Their  mutual  interests  and  in
tercourse,  instead  of  endangering  the  harmony  of  the  Union,
would  have  strengthened  the  ties  of  national  brotherhood.
The  testimony  taken  by  the  committee  clearly  showed  that
before  the  proposition  to  repeal  the  Missouri  Compromise  was
introduced  into  Congress,  the  people  of  western  Missouri  were
indifferent  to  the  prohibition  of  slavery  in  the  territory,  and
neither  asked  nor  desired  its  repeal.
