The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-29

Mr.. SEWARD. / submit the following
amendment to the amendment of the senator
| from Maine: ~. ,.
Insert after the word q That" in the first line,
the following:
New Mexico shall, on proclamation by the
President of the United States, De admitted as
State into this Union, on an equal footing
with the original States Prorided, That the
President, before issuing such proclamation,
shall be satisfied that the constitution recently
framed by the Convention of New Mexico has
Mexico in the election held for the purpose of
considering it on the 20th Of June last.
The effect Of this amendment Is to bring be-
fore the Senate . great and important question
that ia, the admission of New Mexico, m one
Of the States of this Union, upon an equal foot
ing with the original Suites, and under the con-
stitution which she has already adopted. Ihave
heard Mr.. President, much said here about ma
tionality, national sympathies, national princi-
pies, and national feelings; and SO far as such
sympathies principles, and feelings are concern
ed, they obtain my highest respect and admira-
ton. But differ very much from many who
bestow that commentator with regard to what
interests principles, and feelings those are which
deserve the character Of nationality. So FAR as
have heard, it has been generally bestowed
not so much upon those principles and measures
which are designed to give pernanence to the
institutions of the country, as upon such as con-
tain some expedient, some compromise for the
present hour, and for a temporary purpose. l
In such sympathies and feelings have no
part. / do not participate in them at all, and
for the reason that / believe that compromise
for to-day, postponement for to-day, only in
creases the embarrassment and the evils Of to-
morrow. 1t is my desire that this great ques-
tion, TINS brought before tho Senate, may now
be definitely settled. l know that it may be
said that this proposition comes prematurely be-
fore the Senate, inasmuch as the Senate has no
official information that a constitution has been
adopted by the people Of New Mexico; but
while this is true, and therefore there would be
propriety in delaying the proceeding, in order
toreceive official information from the President
of the United States of the adoption of the con-
stitution, and that the constitution itself might
be laid before us for our approval, l feel myself
obliged to bring the question thus prcmaturely
before the Senate, for the reason that the sub
ject is prematurely before the Senate, and that
the bill which is now under consideration pro-
cvides for disposition of this subject which will
prevent the bestOwal of q just consideration up
on the claims of New Mexico, when they shall
be presented here with official authority and in
due form and force. It is not my fault, there
fore, that the question springs upon the Senate
now. If this whole matter Of the boundary Of
Texas and of the Territory of New Mexico
could be severed from the bill, then the whole
subject might well be postponed until 1t should
come up properly for disposition at a more suita-
bic time and in the customary form. a.N 3,
Mr.. President, the effect of the bill before the
Senate is to postpone nil questions about the
admission Of New Mexico until after the report
of commissioners, and after the action Of Con-
sgress upon the report Of the commissioners, and
by that time there may be no New Mexico to
! be admitted. Now sir am opposed to the de-
lay thus proposed, because, in the first place, i
believe it inconsistent with the interests and
rights Of the people Of New Mexico. The Sem
'ator from New Hampshire Mr.. HALE has truly
stated the rights Of that people. They are a
conquered and subjugated people; but they
are, notwithstanding, a people possessing rights
that are as important to them as the rights ofthe
citizens Of any territory or any State within the
United States 1t is only change of their SOW
ereignty that has been effected. When the peo-
of New Mexico lost their rights, secured to them
by the constitution of Mexico, they acquired the
rights of American citizens, secured by the Con-
sttution Cf the United States, and those rights
involved the protection of their property and
preservation Of their liberty, and the protection
of their territory from invasion. All these are
rights Of which the United States can deprive
no community on earth They may extend their
conquenng arm over the States, and territories,
and provinces, but it carries with it freedom and
and security, and the guarantees of them. Now,
sir, in regard to the rights of the people of New
Mexico, if they had not been secured by treaty,
they would have been still secured by the obli-
cations arising out Of the law Of nature and of
nations. These rights are secured not only by
the law of nations, but they are secured, more
over, by the treatyo Guadalupe Hidalgo The
United States found New Mexico territy or
province of the empire of Mexico and they stip-
nlated by the treaty with Mexico,and of course
with the people Of the provinces Of Mexico, that
they should be protected in all their rights, and
that they should be admitted to the rights of
citizens, and that they should have government
established over them Now, sir, the proposition
which submit is to incorporate New Mexico as
State; but resist the proposition contained
in the bill, which is to incorporate New Mexico
as territory of the United States submit, in
the rstplace that contained in the
amendment laid upon your table is one which is
most harmonious and congenial with the trea-
ty-with fair and just construction of the
treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo What is the
language of the treaty? It is nos that the
Territory of New Mexico, or that the prov
inces Of New Mexico and California, shall
be admitted into the United States as Terrific
ries; but it is that they shall be admitted as
States. The treaty contains no provision and
no allusion whatever to bringing them into a
provincial or territorial condition. It is fair
construction of the treaty to say that it con-
templated the admission of the Territories not
as Territories or provinces, but as States, upon
an equal footing with the original States; for it
is fair to presume that if the United States had
contemplated that New Mexico and California
were to be held in territorial vassalage under
the Union, that intention would have been ex-
pressed. know that the United States reserved
to Congress the right to judge of the time to
admit them as States; but that is all that it did
reserve-the right to determine the time when.
Well, sir, the time when is when these provinces
are left IN just exactly the condition that they
now are--deprived of any effective government,
and exposed to great danger In the nextP'ace,
sir, the provision contained in this amendment
ia most comnatible and harmonious with the