The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855, 1848-04-13
Speech of MIR. Webster.
ON THE NEW LOAN BILL.
From Houston's Reportsl In SENATE, March %

We admitted Texas-one State for the pres
ent--but, Sir, if you refer to the resolutions
| providing for the annexation of Texas, you
find provision that it shall be in the power
| OF congress hereafter to make four new States
out OF Texan territory. Present and prospect
lvely, hive new States-ten Senators may
come into the Union out of Texas. Three
years agokwe did this we now propose to
make two States. Undoubtedly if we take, as
the President recommends-New Mexico and
California; there must then be four new SEN
ators. We shall then have provided in these
territories out of the United States along our
Southern borders. for the creation OF States
enough to send fourteen Senators into this
Chamber. Now, what will be the relation be-
tween these Senators and the people they rep
resent or the States from which they come !?
l 40 not understand that there is any very ac-
cafate census of Texas. 1t is generally sup
pesed to contain hundred and fifty thousan
Persons. doubt whether it is above one hun
dred thousand. ~ t....
nsMr. Mangum.-It contains one hundred and
forty nine thousand.
fsMr. Webster MY honorable friend on my
left says, a hundred and forty nine thousand
Eput it down then, one hundred and fifty
thousand. Well Sir, Texas is not destined,
probably, to be a country OF dense population.
We will suppose it to have near ole hundred
and fifty thousand population by the best ac-
counts-and have given over all that | can
find. New Mexico may have sixty or seventy
thousand Observation-Disclosures they-are !!
Say seventy thousand In California there are
mot supposed to be above twenty five thou
sand men, but undoubtedly, if this territory
should become ours, persons from Oregon, and
St.,taS find p dir t,a Vi,
to San Francisco, where there is some good
land, and we may suppose they will shortly
amount to sixty or seventy thousand. We
will put them down at eventythousand.-
Then the whole territory in this estimate,
which is as large as any man puts it at, will
contain two hundred and ninety thousand per-
sons, and they will send US whenever we ask
for them, fourteen Senators. A population
less than that of the State of Vermont, and
not the eighth part OF that OF New York.
Fourteen Senators, and no more Poop than
Vermont! and no more people than New
Hampshire! and not SO many people as the
good state of New Jersey But then, Sir,
Texas claims to the line OF the Rio Grande,
and if it be her true line, why then of course,
she absorbs a considerable part, nay the great
er part of the population OF what is now cal
led New Mexico | do not argue the question
of the true Southern or Western line of lex
as, l Only say that it is apparent to everybody
who will look at the map, and learn anything
of the matter, that New Mexico cannot be d.
vided by this river, the Rio Grande, which is
Il shallow, tordable insignificant stream, run
ming along through narrow valley, at the
base of enormous mountains. New Mexico
must remain together it must be a State with
its seventy thousand people, and so it will be,
and so will be California. But them sir, sup
pose Texas to remain unit and but one State
for the present, still we have three States,
Texas, New Mexico and California. We have
six Senators then, for less than three hundred
thousand people We have as many Senators
for three hundred thousand people in that re-
gion as we have for New York, Pennsylvania
and Ohio, with four or five millions of people ;
and that is what we call an equal representa-
tom Is not this enormous? Have gentle
men considered this Have they looked at it :?
Are they willing to look it in the face, and
then say they embrace it? l trust in God the
people will look at it and consider it, And
now let me add, that this proportion can never
be diminished; it must remain forever. How
are you going to diminish it? Why here is
Texas with hundred and forty nine thousand
people with one State. Su pose that popula-
ton should flow into Texas, where will it 90
Not to any dense point. but to be spread over
all that region in places remote from the Gulf,
in places remote from what is now the capital
of Texas, an therefore as soon as there are in
other portions of Texas people enough within
our common construction of the Constitution
and our practice in respect to the admission of
States, my honorable friend from Texas will
have a new State, and have no doubt he has
chalked it out already. Well, then, as to New
Mexico, there can be no more people there.
The man is ignorant, stupid, who has looked
at the map of New Mexico and read the ac-
counts of it, who supposes there con be any
more people there than there is now; some
sixty or seventy thousand 1t is an old set
tied country; the people living along in the
bottom of this valley on the two sides of lit