The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-03-29

They were not unmndful of the fact, that while
northern statesmen had contended that Congress
has power to prohibit slavery in the Territories,
they had always admitted that the States of the
Union had the right TO abolish or establish il at
pleasure.
| On the other hand, southern statesmen had al
most unanimously contended that Congress has
not the constitutional power to prohibit slavery in
the Territories because they have not the power
establish it, but that the people, in forming gov
ernment for themselves. have the right to do either
If Congress can rightfully do one, they certain
ly do the other.
This is the doctrine put forth by Mr.. Calhoun, in
his celebrated resolutions of lS47 introduced into
the Senate Of the United States, among which the
"Rssoived, That il is Fundamental principle in
our political creed, that people in forming con-
stitution have the unconditional right TO form and
adopt the government which they may think best
calculated to secure their liberty, prosperity, and
happiness; and in conformity thereto, no other
condition is imposed by the Federal Constitution
State, in order to be admitted into this Union,
except that its constitution shall be republican,
and that the imposition Of any other by Congress
would not only be in violation Of the Constitution,
but in direct conflict with the principle on which
our political system rests"
President Polk, in his annual message, dated 9TH
December, l84S, uses the following language:
"The question is believed to be rather abstract
than practical, whether slavery ever can or would
exist in any portion of the acquired territory,
if it were left to the option of the slaveholding
States themselves. From the nature of the climate
and productions, in much the larger portion of it,
it is certain it could never exist and in the re-
mander the probabilities are it would not.
+" But however this may be, the question, involv-
ing, it does, principle of equality of rights Of
the separate and several States equal copartners
in the Confederacy, should not be disregarded.
{" In organizing governments over these Terri
tories, no duty imposed on Congress by the Consti
tuition requires that they should legislate on the
subject of slavery, while their power to do is not
only seriously questioned, but denied, by many of
the soundest expounders of that instrument.
/" Whether Congress shall legislate or not, the
people of the acquired Territories, when assembled
in convention to form State constitutions, will pos
sess the sole and exclusive power to determine for
themselves whether slavery shall shall not exist
within their limits"
The people of California, therefore, acting in
formity with the views thus expressed, and what
seemed to be the generally admitted opinion in the
States, had every reason to suppose, and did sup
pose, that by forming constitution for themselves,
and deciding this question in accordance with their
own views and interests. they would be received
with open arms by all parties.
In taking this step they proceeded with all the
regularity which has ever characterized the Ameri-
can people in discharging the great and important
AS already stated, arrived at San Francisco
the morning of the fourth of June.
! The steamer in which was passenger did not
stop at Monterey; therefore did not see General
Riley, nor had any communication with him un-
til about the middle Of the month, when he came
TO San Francisco. few days after my arrival,
his proclamation calling a convention TO form
State constitution, dated he third Of June, was re-
ceived.
The people acted in compliance with what they
believed to be the views of Congress- and conform
ably to the recommendations of the proclamation;
and proceeded, on the day appointed, 10 elect MEM
bers to a convention for the purpose of forming
constitution, to be regularly submitted TO the peo-
pie for their ratification or rejection, and, if ap
proved, to be presented TO Congress, with prayer
for the admission Of California; State, into the
i Union.
! desire here to make brief and emphatic reply
to the various unjust and most extraordinary accu-
sations and insinuations which have been made re-
specting the movements of the people Of California
1 in forming their State government.
| had no secret instructions, verbal or written,
from the President, or any one else what to say to
the people of California the subject of slavery;
nor il hinted or intimated to me that was
expected to attempt TO influence their action in the
slightest degree on that subject That never die,
the people of California will bear me witness In
that Territory there was none OF the machinery OF
party OF the press; and il is absurd TO
suppose that any secret Influences, for against sla
very, could have been used there, than IL would be
70 believe that they could be successfully employed
in Maryland or Georgia.
therefore declare all assertions and nsinuations,
that was secretly instructed to, or that did in
any way, attempt TO influence the people Of Cali
fornia TO exclude slavery from their Terrtoyto be
i The election Of delegates TO the convention pro-
ceeded regularly in pursuance ofthe proposed mode
OF holding II, and, as FAR as am informed, no ques-
tons were asked whether a candidate was a Whig
or a Democrat, whether he was from the North or
the South. The only object seemed 10 be, 10 find
competent men who were willing TO make the sac
rfce of time which proper discharge Of their du-
ties would require.
As soon after my arrival at San Francisco as the
arrangements of General Smith would permit,
proceeded with him 10 the interior of the country,
Tor the purpose of examining the gold region, and
other interesting and important portions Of it,
did not return until the 10Th Of August The cleo
tons had taken place when was in the noun tans.
was taken Ill ON the 20th Of that month, and
was confined TO my bed and my room more than
i two months.
The convention met on the LIST Of September So
| IL will be seen that ] was not present where any
election was held, nor had any thing to do with
s sufficient proof that did not, and could not,
had been disposed, exercise any influence In the
convention. which was sitting one hundred and
thirty miles from where was
Some intimations assertions, as am informed,
have been thrown out that the South not fairly
represented in the convention. l am told by two
of the members of Congress elect from California,
| who were members Of the convention, that Of the
thirty-seven delegates designated in General Ri
ley's proclamation, sixteen from slavehold-
ing, ten from the non -savebolding States, and
eleven who were citizens Of California under the
Mexican government, and that ten OF those eleven
came from districts below $50 30. So that there
were in the convention twenty-six OF the thirty
seven members from the slsvcholding States, and
from places south OF the missouri compromise line.
appears, on the journal Of the convention, that
the clause in the constitution excluding slavery
passed una nimously.
now proceed to give you the result Of my inqui-
rie, observations, and reflections, respecting the
population, climate, soil, productions-tbe general
character Of grants Of land from MeSico-the ex-
ten and condition Of the public domain--the com
meical resources and prospects-the mineral and
mehllc wealth Of California.
POPULATION.
- NJ. "A
population of Upper California, in 1907 to have con-
sistd Of
onverted Indians. ..,s..s.s..ss.'s'.s.' .lo,ooz
oher classes. ...,..................... i,sW
16,562
Aeyander Forbes, in his history Of Upper and
Lover California, published in London, in 1899,
stats the number Of converted Indians In the for
merto have been, in fs3l................. 1858
OF al other classes, at. t..........s....... 4,sf2
2s,O25
kexpresses the opinion that this number had
not 'aried much up 10 1895, and the probability
is there very little increase in the white popu-
latio until the emigrants from the United States
began TO enter the country in 1888.