The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-12-26

The admission Of California as e State into the
Union, and the questions incident to such mea-
SURE, entirely engross the attention Of political
meu Al te present period, that litile lime dsvnisd
e the Singular app alton shieh eumes ifom he
Mormon siats Of ID ret 4he history Of The ior-
nation he Dsses constitution has already been
placed before our readers; and the General Assem-
bly, Of the State have addressed memorial TO Con-
gresa asking for admission into the Union.
The present time of the year-that which has for
centuries been set apart rs commemorative Of the /
birth Of Christ-nasurally suggests the cOnsidera-
don Of the influences Christianity has exercised
ever the social and political destines Of the world
Equal rights and equal laws--the peculiar features
and distinctive marks Of American institutions
are the practical application Of the doctrines pro-
mulgated by Christ and diffussd by his disciples.
And though Camille Desmoulins was somewhat
Fegerent when he cited Jesus as authority for his
political principles OF liberty, equality and frater
nifty, yet it is true that the precepts of Christianity
are the basis Of those equalizng opinions which
are fast becoming the property of every nation and
lribe and people on the face of the EARTH A large
portion Of Americans, especially those who claim
the Pilgrim Fathers as their ancestors, are accus-
toned to regard the Church as the cornerstone of
all civil and political freedom, and the meeting
house is joined with the schoo-house. when New
Euglanders desire to point out the causes Of their
peculiar moral and social condition.
The prevalence Of such ideas in American soce-
ty, might well induce Congress to hesitate before
admitting into our Union State formed by people
having strange doctrines and new religion.
There are rumors also that the Mormons practice
customs at war with all the usages of what we are
accustomed to consider civilized society Ii is said
that the Mormon faith permits if it does not abso-
lutey encourage, plurality Of wives, and although
the Constitution Of the United States declares that
no religious test shall ever be required as quail
hcation to any office public trust under the
United States, it may be well for Congress to hes
itate before it invests with sovereignty people
whose family institutions are entirely different from
those Of all the other American States.
There is another fact in regard to the Mormons
Of this country which should be carefully consider
ed. They increase almost entirely by immigration
/ from the British islands, few conversions being
made among American citizens. Hence majority
Of the people Of Deseret are not naturalzed citi-
zens, and their application for admission into the
Union enables them to evade the statute which
quires residence of five years in the country be-
fore the right to vote is acquired.
A common Interpretation Of the Constitution is
that Congress can reject the application of terri
tory for admission only when the Constitution offer
ed is not republican. Deseret, however, is not
organized territory, so that even were the above in
depreciation of the Constitution correct there might
be good ground for refusing the petition of the Nor
mon memorial. But the obligation to admit Terri
tory as State when the Constitution presentedis al
/ together republican may be well doubted, The only
section from which such an obligation may be in
ierred is that binding the United States to guar
antee to every State in this Union republican form
Of government The section comforting on Con-
gress the power to admit new States is entirely per
missory and not at all imperative. 1t enacts that
90 new States may be admitted by the Congress into
this Union and does not say that such States
shall be admitted by complying with certain con-
ditons.
From these facts it appears that there are grounds
sufficient to justify Congress in rejecting, if itsees
| fit, the application Of the Mormon memorialsts
The subject of Deseret is fully as difficult and i'm
portant as the subject of California.