The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-02-22

ination, and would, therefore be violation Of the
Constitution, and the rights ofhe States from which
such citizens emigrated, and IN derogation of that
perfect equality which belongsto them az members
Of this Union, and would tend directly to subycrt
the Union itself.
Resolusd, That it is a fundamental principle in
our political creed that people. in forming con-
stution, have the unconditional right to form and
adopt the government which hey may think best
to their libaty, prosperity, and
happiness; and that, in conformity thereto, no
other condition is imposed by tip Federal Constitu-
ton State, in order to be admitted into this
Union, except that its Constitution shall be repub-
lican and that the imposition of any other by
Congress would not only be in Notation of the Con-
sttution, but in direct conflict With the principle
on which our political system rets.
We have labored with rnavailing effort
to frame some argument by which the
case of California can be withdrawn from
the operation of the genera principle laid
down in the last of these revolutions. The
declaration is as broad as language may
make it, that ga people in brming a con-
stitution have an unconditional right to
form and adopt the gouerament," &c.
Now, this may or may not b. true. We
do not propose to argue that point. II is
enough for our present purp6e that Mr..
CALHOUN lays it down as fundamental
principle in our political creed'
The first question that aries is, whe-
Their or not the Californians, orthe inhab-
itants Of California, were people, in the
contemplation of Mr.. CALHOUN A peo-
pie is nation, community sssociety
of men united together to promote their
mutual safety and advantage by means of
their upion.' Mr.. CALHOUN refers ex-
pressly to an mnorganized people, who
have constitution yet to form. He
states his proposition in such form,
hat it would be very diff cult to- suggest
any association Of men who were excluded
from his understanding of ga people" 1t
is therefore not necessary TO discuss the
question whether the Calfornians, main.
tanned and protected in the free enjoy,
ment of their liberty and property by the
United States, were Ca people," in the
contemplation of Mr.. CALHoUN's resolu-
ton. lfthey were not, it was only because
they were too far advanced. They were
too much of an organized State. They were
not sufficiently wild and without law to
answer the condition of people about to
form their fundamental law. But we ap-
prehend that Mr.. CALHOUN will hardly
undertake to limit his notion of ga people"
to communities entirely unorganized-as
it is difficult to form any idea of ga peo-
pie" without some manner of body
polite.
The Californians, then, being ga peo-
ple," have formed government such as
they thought best calculated TO secure
their prosperity and happiness, just as
Mr.. CALHOUN and his friends assured
them they had the right to do, and they
alone had the right to do.
Now comes up the second question,
and that is, whether, under Mr.. CAL
HoUy's proposition, in the second clause
of his last resolution, Congress has right
to impose any condition upon Califor-
MIA precedent to her admission Into the
Unionl The clause of the Constitution
bearing upon the present case is in
the following words " New States may
be admitted by the Congress into this
Union" There is no Limitation to the
power. Congress is to decide what con-
stitutes State. tits to be presumed that
in speaking of estates" the Constit ution
speaks of States as known to the laws of
nations-which defines them as GO bodies
polite, or societies Of men united together
TO procure their mutual safety and advan-
tage by means of their union" If Cali
fornia is such body polite, or society,
she is State within the meaning of the
Constitution, and we suppose within the
Of Mr.. CALHOUN, when he drafted
his resolution. The Constitution calls for
nv NCbouo VI a otdtC do olCP
to IFS admission. II makes no specific
number Of inhabitants necessary. II con-
templates the possibility of State being
10 the Union, with less than
thirty thousand inhabitants ; for it pro-
vides that every State shall have two
Senators, and at least one Represent
alive, whatever may be its population.
The Constitution imposes no condition
whatever, nor any limitation, upon the
power of Congress to admit new States
but gives them the general and unquali-
fed power, with no other restriction than
that Of their own discretion. When a
State is admitted, each House of Congress
is to Judge Of the elections, returns, and
qualifications of the persons claiming TO
be the senators and representatives Of such
State. Then, for the first time, the ques-
ton arises as to the number of inhabit-
ants. The House Of Representatives, in
ludoino If the elecfions returns and oual-