The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-03-21
CALIFORNIA, UNION, AND FREEDOM
SPEECH or WILLIAM II. SEWARD.
ON THE
ADMISSION OF CALIFORNIA.
,-.:s*As ssss:,t e. vnsts sss;esI sasss d &c

-Four years ago, California, a Mexican Province,
srDrceiy inhabited and quite unexplored, WIS un-
known eyen 10 our usually immoderate desires ex-
cept 10y harbor, capacious and tranquil which only
statesmen then foresaw would he useful in the ORR
entail commerce OF far distant, If not merely chi
merical, future.
year ago, California was a mere military de-
tendency Of our own and we were celebrating with
unanimity and enthusiasm its acquisition with its
newly discovered but yet untold and untouched min
eral wealth, az the most suspicious Of many and I'M
paralleled achievements.
To-day, California Is State, more populous than
the least and richer than several of the greatest of
our thirty States. This same California, thus rich
and popnlous, is here asking admission into the
Union, and finds us debating the dissolution of The
Union itself
No wonder II we are perplexed with ever changing
emhanassments No wonder II we appalled, by
eVer-increasng responsibilities No wonder ii we
are bewildered by the ever-augmentng magnitude
and rapidity Of national vicissitudesl
SHALL CALIFORNIA Re RECEIVED? For myself
upon my indivSdMaA Judgment and conscience, l an
swor. Yes. For myself, instructed representa-
tive OF Gee of the States o. THAI even ot ,ic
States which is soonest and longest TO be pressed in
commercial and political rivalry by the new Com
monwealth, answer, Yes. Let California come in.
Every new State, whether she come from the East
or from the West, every new State, coming from
whatever part of the continent she may, Is always
welcome. But California, that comes from the cline
fornia, which bounds at once the empire and the
continent California, the youthful queen Of the Pa
cc, in her robes Of freedom, gorgeousy nlaid with
Colds doubly welcome.
And now inquire, first, Why should California
be rejected? All the objections founded only in
the circumstances Of her coming, and In the org anic
law which she presents FOR our confirmation.
lst California comes uNcERgMoNIousLy, without
preliminary consent Of Congress- and therefore by
usurpation. This allegation, think, is not quite
L.
not here of her pure volition. We tore CaifOr-
MIA violently from her place In the Confederation of
Mexican States, and stipulated by the treaty Of Qua
dsupe Hidago, that the territory should BE- admitted
Ny States into the American Union as speedily as
possible
But the letter of the objection still holds Cali
fornia does come without preliminary consent by
Congress to form Constitution. But Michigan and
other States presented themselves in the same I'M
authorized way, and Congress mdiped The irregular
iy, and sanctioned the usurpation. California pleads
these precedents. Is not the plea sufficient
But IL has been said by the honorable Senntorfrom
South Carolina, Mr.. CALHOUN that the Ordinance
of 1887 secured TO Michigan the right 10 become a
State, when she should have sixty thousand inhabit-
ants Owing to some neglect, Congress delayed TAX
ing the And this is said in paliation of the
inegularily of Michigan. But California, as has
been seen, had a treaty, and Congress- instead OF
giving previous consent, and instead of giving hei
the customary Territorial Government, as they did
sssfussa ho,h and SO abandoned The community
under most unpropitious circumstances, TO anarchy
| California then made Constitution for herself bu
not unnecessarily and presumptu0us!y as Michigan
did. She made Constitution for herself and sh
comes here under the law the paramount law of self
preservation.
In that she stands justified Indeed California |,
more than justified. She was a colonv, a mliiari
colony. All colonies, especially military colonies arr
incongruous with our political system, and they are
IN until.
They are, therefore, not more unfortunate In Their
own proper condition 1han fruitful of dangers TO the
and well In establishing selfgovernment. She de-
serves not rebuke but praise and appreciation. Nor
does this objection come with a good grace from
those who offer il. If California were now content
10 receive only Territorial charter we could not
agree TO grant IL without an inhibition of slavery,
which, in that case, being Federal act, would rem
der the altitude of California, as Territory even
more offensive to those who now repel her than she
1, a State, with the same inhibition in the Cons-
tuition OF her own voluntary choice.
A second objection is, California has assigned her
boundaries rithoH the prerious authority of on
gresS. But she was left to organize herself without
any boundaries fixed by previous law or by prescrp
ton. She was obliged, therefore, to assume bound
aries, since without boundaries she must have re-
manned unorganized.
A third objection is, that California il too large.
answer, first, there is no common standard of
States. California, although greater than many Is
less than one Of the States.
Secondly California if too large may be divided
with her own consent, which is all the security
have for reducing the magnitude and ayeriing the
prepOndeFance OF Texas.
Thirdly. The boundaries of California seem not
at all unnatural The territory circunscrbed IL
altogether contiguous and compact
Fourthly. The boundaries are convenient. They
embrace only inhabited portions of the country
oam cd Va he nf IA
cisco. No one has pretended TO offer boundaries
more In harmony with the physical outlines of the
region concerned, or more convenient for civil ad-
minislrati0n
But 10 draw closer TO the question, what shall be
the boundaries Of a State concerns
First. The State herself, and California of course
il content.
Secondly. Adjacent communities. Oregon does
eoH,p Of encroachment, and there no other
adjacent community to complain.
Thirdly. The other States of the Union The
larger the Pacific States, the smaller will be their
relative power in the Senate All the States now
here are Atlantic States and inland States, and
surely they may well indulge California In the largest
liberty of boundaries.
The fourth objection to the admission of Califor
mia Is, that no census had been taken and no laws
prescribing the qualifications Of suffrage and the
apporilonmcnt Of Representatives In Convention,
existed before her Convention was held
] answer, California was left 10 act alb milo She
must begin somewhere, without a census, and with
out such laws. The Pilgrim Fathers began In the
same way on board the Mnyfowcr; and since II
has been objected that some Of the electors In Cali.
fornn may have been aliens, add that nil OF the PHI
grim Fathers were aliens and strangers TO the Com
monwealth Of Plymouth.
Again, the objection may well be naired II the
Constitution of California Is satisfactory first to her.
sell, secondly 10 the United States.
First. Not murmur Of discomfort has followed
California to this place
Az In nG.o tno
about the constitution of new State to four things
LIST. The boundaries assumed and | have con-
sidered that point In this case already.
ID. That the domain within the State IL secured
to u.s. And IL Is admitted that this has been prop.
erly done.
81 That the Constitution shall be republican, and
not arisi0craiic or monarchical. In this case The
only objection is that the Constitution inasmuch
as Il nhbiis slavery Is altogether too republican.
4th. That the representation claimed shall be Just
and equal. No one denies that the population Of
California, Ii sufficient TO demand two representa-
tycs on the federal basis and, secondly a new
census Is at hand and the error If there is one, will
BE- Immediately corrected.
: The fifth objection is-California comes under
Executive Influence. LIST In her coming as free
State. I'd, In her coming at all
The FIRST charge rests on suspicion only In peremp-
tory denied, and the denial In not cOntToveued by
proofs dismiss II altogether
The second In true, 10 the extent that the pres
eH PRESIDENT sdvfs~d the people ut tnfofnsn, thnt,
having been eit without any civil government under
the military supervision Of the Executive, without
any authority OF law whatever, the adoption Of a
Constitution, subject 10 the approval Of Congress,
would be regarded favorably by the President. Only
a year ago. II WIS complained that the exercise OF
the military power 10 maintain law and order In
California, was fearful innovation. But now the
wind has changed, and blows even stronger from the
opposite quarter
May this Republic never have President commit
a more serious or more dangerous usnrpauon OF
Magistrate In endeavorng 10 induce legislative su'
ihority 20 relieve him from the exercise OF military
power, by establishing civil institutions regulated by
law In distant provinces Rome would have been