The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-03-09

wanna, or New York With population, perhaps, of
twenty thousand souls. it is to WELD here an influence
equal TO that of New York with three millions
cannot consent to cheaper in this manner an nde-
pendent membership OF the union of the States be-
ieve to be unjust to the present members of the Union
from wise and well-consdered policy, and unjust as
shall endeavor TO show, to California herself
Her physical and social condition is as unsuited the
independent management of her her in
telectua and moral Her population is scattered
surfaces her improvements not such give sta
bty to her political organizations she has commerce
she has hardly from the pastoral state and risen to
The grade Of an agricultural community She has not the
strength to uphold Independent sovereignty: The re-
cent discoveries Of gold have made bad condition worse
they have dissolved for the time being the very bonds of
society. II will require months, If not years, to restore
ORDER to bring back her people to the sober pursuits OF
industry and TO qualify them for any deliberatve pur.
poses. believe there a community less lifted
than California this nomen and under existing cir
cumstances, to organize government and put it in ope-
ration All the influences which at work with the
minds and passions OF men are to the last degree una
vorabe to the high duty the bill imposes on them.
When all the obligations which bind to the perform
ance OF their duty appear to have lost their force when
ships abandoned by their crews when soldiers desert
by patodns and companies; when villages and towns
are depopulaed and when the whole community s pos
sessei by the phrenzy of gold digging and lose sight of
all other objects, call upon them 10 meet in solemn
conclave and perform the highest and most responsible
of all deliberave acts-that of framing constitution
for their own governments work of soemnity, and
berness, and calm reflection. have been from the be-
there occasion, since the foundations of this
public We're laid, when 1t was incumbent upon Congress
to establish temporary government for territory, to
provide for its wants. TO give direction to its action and
sustain it by the collective wisdom and strength OF the
whole community, until it shall have passed through the
period OF probation to which all our territories have been
subecteda period rendered douby perlous there by the
prevailing dsorganiza occasion Is presented in
the condition of California
am in favor, then, OF territorial government en-
dowed with the energy to control and remedy existing
endorsements and evils believe the course proper
in all similar cases is pre- emnently proper in this
shall concur in no other unless il be for tempo
rary purpose And it with great regret that heard
honorable senator's say there was no hope OF giving Cali
fornia territorial government 90 not concur IN oPn
moment. The most certain mode OF giving effect to
feeling OF hopelessness is to despair of the battle before
ii is fought, and resort to other devices to supply our
own want OF conslancy and courage.
The objections have stated to this bill insuperable
they fundamental and therefore not to be obviated
There objections OF detail, which might be remediet
but will merely state, without charging upon themas
variation in the details reconcile me to the gene
raj purpose of the bllihe immediate admission OF Cali
fornia into the Union State.
OF these objections consider the dlsmemberment OF
California one OF the most serious would keep that
territory is, until fe spread of population and the
growth of Improvement shall indicate where the division
line be drawn with least prejudice to the parties con-
cerned. The bill proposes chain OF mountains as the
boundary Sir physical obstacles not always
the appropriate convenient for statistical dvi.
sons. Moral obstacles are more powerful TO repel AMI
moral afnities more powerful to attract. than physca
Identity diversity of association, condition
often does than rivers and mountains, and plains to
bind men together or force them asunder. What is
there for instance the class of natural obstacles more
appropriate for statistical demarcaton than the ALLIE
ghany mountains And yet they have not suficed to d.
vide Virginia into two distinct communities Nor have
they sutficed to divide Pennsylvania into two States
What there suitable for such purpose than the
Chesapeake bay And yet Maryland lies on both sides
of If were to look TO physical obstacles as con-
shutting the appropriate boundary for California
the east ought stop at the Sierra Nevada which is
more elevated than the boundary OF the committee, 1.-THE
dividing ridge separating the waters flowing into the COL
orado from those flowing into the Great Basin, or we
ought go to the Sierra Nade, and leave the terri
tory with its present limits We need not consider ge-
ographca extent as an objection to the organization OF
territorial government When Louisiana was acquired,
placed all that part OF it north of the thirty par
ae of latitude under the direction of the governor and
the Judges of the Indiana Territory for the purposes OF
government and the administration OF justices and it had
a more extended area than California.
Let leave statistical divisions to be fixed by events
The movement of population, physical development So
cial progress and their ncdentshese are the causes
which mark out permanent boundaries between separate
States Let us leave California to be filled up, and the
races which occupy it better determine than we who
shall live apart and who together.
The disposition which the bill makes OF New Mexico,
consider, if possible still more Objectionable She was
known long before the OF Won Humboldt as having
distinct organization. In connexon with Durango and
Chihuahua, she constituted independent member OF
the Mexican confederation under the consutlve act OF
1924, and separate territory under the constitution OF
that year. The consolidation of the confederated States
into central republic, under the constitution Ct 1885,
ganzaon for the of her local concerns We
have held commercial intercourse with her under laws
applying only to herself and another member OF the Mex
lean republic She has had an individual name, exist
ence and organization. So far am concerned, they
shall be respected will neither consent that she shall
be dsmembered merged in more extended organi-
cation Subsection by conquest is the greatest humla-
ton that can befa community. The magnanimlty OF
tue conqueors should the subugated State the fur
Their humiliation of ACKNOWLEDGMENT, or the oberaton OF
its identity useless extension. Will neither consent
to play towards New Mexico the part OF Austria, Russia
and Prussia towards Poland the part OF the holy At
lance towards Genoa will neither agree that she shall
be divided nor swallowed up She has petltoned TO us
to save her from ACKNOWLEDGMENT am Tor exercising
our mower over her with humanity well as forbear-
ance-or conforming far we can, to the wishes OF
the yanauished believe she is now, considering all
circumstances, well fitted 10 come into the Union as
California will not consent to dilute what fitness for
clf-poyernment she possesses by territorial EXPANSION
of which can neither comprehend the object nor lore
see the result.
But it is not quite clear from the language of this BILL
what is be the fate OF New Mexlco-whether she IS
TO be merged wholly part in Texas, or merely drawn
Out to the Pacific II the later-and suppose this to be
the intention of the commeeshe will be stretched out
some two three hundred miles westward the north,
and eight or nine hundred the south. But the New
Mexico created by the bill is be bounded the east
by the summit of the Rocky mountains and the State OF
Texas The Rocky mountains, or the Sierra Madre, a
continuation of them the western boundary OF
New Mexico. | am not sure whether they would not
under this bill become the western boundary OF Texas
am not sure that New Mexico would not be merged in
Texas by the designation OF boundary line. The
bill seems me, by literal construction Of its terms
to accomplish these three Objects alike ob!echonaoie
in my mind 1. The annexation OF New Mexico 70
Texas .. The ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of California and