The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-04-11
CONGRESSIONAL.
sPEEcH OF sIR. BENTON,
[Is coNTsuATIoS,l
AND MIR. CLAY,s REPLY,

SPEECH OF mR. BENTON,
TN coNTMUArIoN,l
AND MIR. cLAY's REPLY,
On The motion of Mr. Foofe 10 refer the uarious questions
relating TO siauUy to select committee.
Having shown that the admission OF California ought
mol to be mixed up with any other subject, now come
10 the question Of admission ITSELF and say that all the
objections which have been made 10 her admission are
goundless IN TACT, or insignificant their nature What
are theyl
l. That no OF Congress has been passed to author
ize the people Of California 10 form State constitution
The fact admitted, but its consequence is denied Con-
gess has full power the admission OF new States
and may dispense with all preliminary forms when u
pleases, and come direct the question OF admission
This is what Il may dc, aud what has done. IL has
admitted more States without than with the previous
authorization oil an act OF Congress 10 form consiu-
tion. Eight have been sa adrted-vermont in 1871 ;
Kentucky 1922; Tennessee. 1896; Maine, 1920 AIkan-
sas, 1886 Michigan, 1885 Florida, 1S45; and Iowa,
1916 eight In ALA majority Of the whole number ever
admtted-and stretching over period OF sixty years,
and reaching back to the venerable times Of our early
history, when Washing President aud the fathers
OF our political church sll at the altar Eight
and there would have been another, If Congress had
passed the act, in March, 1870, to authorize the peo
a constitution They woull have assembled the
venton themselves, as other Territories had done be-
fore them Congress had mol passed the ac, at the session
it did. was contemporary with that event, and know
something about it, Certainly the authorization by Con-
gess is regulates the process, and pays
the expense but il is not necessity. and may be dis
pensed with in all and has been majority oil the cases
Of admission, and ought To be in every case in which
Congress does not do lis duty by the territory This
the case Of California She had been scandaously neg
lected-eft without any legal government, or any Amer
can law, but tax aw and she had no alternative but
TO make some sort Of government for herself. The
choice lay between provisional government--such as
Oregon had established under similar circumstances
State government Hsrpopaaiion and wealth, and the
rapdty OF her march to the rank Of great State, decided
her in favor OF the latter and she decided WELL and re-
ioiced when heard IT, II WAS the course which deemed
she ought to take, from the moment Congress adjourned
Sd OF March, s49. without giving her legal govern
ment and which then expressed to several persons. and
among the rest TO the present Secretary oil State Mr. Clay
ton. Sir, this is subject which have studedtwice
studied once in 1920, when the law for the Missouri
Michigan admitted; and when, the chairman Of
the Senates committee which reported the bill for her adj
misson became my duty study her and to hold
myself ready to answer all objections. did so study.
and answer; and the satisfactory to the
Senate. for the State admitted There is nothing in
this objection, and 4 dismiss it.
q Aliens voting at the election OF members OF the con-
venon. The fact may be so-probably so, in some
degree-and might have been so to large degree, and
still no nsuperabe objection The trainers Of the Texan
constitution all aliens and yet that did prevent
her admission into this Union with the Identical constr
tuition which these aliens had formed No, sir the qnes
toa is not SO much who made it, what is it, Its
character is what US, and the only point at
which we have power II, and on which we can
jec it, What is it! And that is question that every
senator for himself for il has been printed
by our order, for use and al upon tables Any
thing it contrary to the paramount constitution oil the
Union anything contrary 10 our republican institutions
anything smelling OF aiensn Nothing nothing al all
fair American republican constitution and one OF the
best, not the very BEST that has been made in any
Of the thirty States which now compose this Union
and being thus good in ITSELF is not to be met by the
question who made you II is well made; and that is
all the business that any body has with it. II repub
lean constitution; and that is the only test to which
subject it, Finally, this very objection of alien
voters made in the OF Michigan, and truly, and
stood for nothing; and for nothing, rust it will stand
here.
I'll .lnx. n.
er Of the objections. And how many enough! l.
speak of men, who exercise political rights and cons
iue the State How many are enough according to the
practice Of Congress in admitting Staies About ten
or twelve thousand for that is the number of which
the usually required population oil State would
give One man TO six souls Is the usual proportion IN
civilized communities; and sixty thousand souls would
give ten thousand and upon that number, there
abouts, have most oil our States been admitted.
Now, apply that rule to California, and see what would
be the result. Her population computed al
about hundred thousand when her constitution was
formed: that would imply population, women and chill.
den ncluded, oil six hundred thousand souls True, all
these women and children not there yeti but that is
their business, and We look 10 the popu-
laton which susains Stale-whch constitutes political
ESwe-whch pays taxes gives votes and nights battles
That is all want The rest isheIr want; and they
will supply il, II they have TO repeat the drama OF
the Sabine women; for there is law OF gravitaton
and airacion-none ever discovered BY SIR Isaac New
tonmore universal in its application, nvincibe in its
force, than the law that brings the sexes together.
Where the the women will be, and that By
III gentle Will moi 90; ana chiiuJen
also They will all be there in due time. Six hundred
thousand would be the census population now No, not
now-last fall is double now, Tor II rains upon
California and all the year round dry season in that
and the Of 1880 will probably place her at the
head OF the populous States She has population enough
now tor two members at least and will vote her the
two that she has asked The rule is 10 admit State
when she has population 10 give representative.
California has enough for several at this day.
Boundaries, that is TO say extent is another objec-
ton The State said 10 be arge--tha she and
carved too largely for herself That objection comes
with III grace from US, who took in Texas, FIVE years
ago. three times large California refusing my prop
oson provide Tor her reduction, and refusing ts pro-
pose reduction 10 her California is only the third
part OF Texas and her extent is apparent than real
Mountains and desert spots abstract greatly from her
arabic acres and reduce them TO the ol some OF
large Satesto less magnitude than Missouri or III.
nos But California, now made into State, IL con-
ormable TO natural boundaries, and could not, without
violence 10 the features OF Nature, undergo division She
IS slip-a long and narrow one-beiween the sea and
the mounaiabetween the Pacific ocean and the Sierra
Nevada and that strip bound together IN ITS centre BY
the union OF It's waters, and the concentration OF ITS
wealth and power on the bay of San Francisco. That
bay is the heart OF California, and cannot be split by
line through IT, The Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers
and then afuens the arteries and veins oi that
heart, and cannot be cut of from H. The slip is long,
but It is narrowonly average OF one hundred and
nifty miles, and the one-thrd OF that consisting OF the
slope-the western sope--of the Great Sierra Nevada
What is east OF the summit OF that mountain, and out TO
lhe lower Colorado, the ae actually runs, no addl
ton 10 The strength power OF the State, and only
sustain some scattered and dsconented pcope--to be
dscontened because they can have no political weight
and had tha