The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-09-03
Treaty Rights Of the New Mexicans,


strenuously upon the right of the inhabitants Of
New Mexico to immediate admission into the
Union as one Of the privileges secured to them
by the Treaty Of peace. The albany Eve.
ming Journal, in particular, treats il as . qaes.
ton of national faith-and urges that New
Mexico with its boundaries they existed when
she was a member of the Mexican Union, has
claims on the national honor to be let forthwith
into the Union as State, on the sole condition
that she shall have the requisite number Of in.
habitants required by our Constitution sss
Itsso is, however, that there are..no coiistitu.
tional, nor statute provision whatever regulating
the number of inhabitants requisite to entitie
State to admission into the Union. There was
in the ordinance ofl7s7 concerning the North
Western Territory "a special clause Of com.
| pact, that the States formed therein should be
| received into the Union as each Of them should
contain sixty. thousand free inhabitants But
this agreement was executed long ago, and
theredoes not now exist any rule Of the con.
stitution, of law, or Of usage, which confsrsthe
right of admission as a State upon any partiaR
lar number of people in the territories. Hisa
matter entirely within the discretion Of Con.
gress. The rights of the New Mexicsas are
no higher or better than those of.American
citizens in the old territories OF the Unionwould
be-and of this the treaty itself takes special
care, for it contains clause, of abundant eau.
ton, which expressly recognises the control of
Congress, in the selection of the time and man.
ner of admission. Itsays: -. y
The Mexicans, who, in the territories afre.
said, shall not preserve .the.character Of sciti.
zens of the Mexican Republic, couformably
with what is stipulated in the preceding afficle
shall be Incorporated into the Uniono the
United States, and be admitted at the proper
time Ito be judged of by the Congress Of the
United States) to the enjoyment of all the rights
of citizens of the United States, according to
the principles of the Constitution.
"To be judged Of by Congress of the Uni
ted States, !" that is the contract. Ihe Mexi-
cans NOT the St2:a osNes' NJ esico,Fa1a the
state. 0: Gaiif," il TO b, to al
TIC rights and pi;.ilages q oiiEs...s oftAe Uni.
ted states, whenever Congress thinks it the pro-
per time Congress does not yet consider it
the proper time, and may not think so'for
long time to come, Of the New Mexicans; and
yet no breach of faith will be committed, or
any reasonable expectation be disappointed.
The Louisiana treaty of 1893 contained a still
more unqualified clause, providing that the in
habtants Of all the ceded territory eshould be
admitted as soon as possible according to the
principles Of the federal constitution to; the en-.
ioyineDt of all the rights, advantages and immu.
mites of citizens Of the United States wet
thirty wears passed before all the inhabitants
were so admitted. The Florida treaty of 1919
contained one equally as broad, providing that
the inhabitants fthe territories ceded Ashall
be incorporated into the Union Of the Enited
States as soon as may be consistent with the
principles of the federal constitution .--yet
Florida was not admitted for. nearly hissy
years; and kept out several years after she had
framed a constitution and made her application
to Congress. It was construed then, andial
ways will be, and properly, that the time and
propriety Of admission Is to be decided by Con.
gress, at its discretion--and in the MEXICAN
treaty the same was expressly reserved, and so
stated in the most explicit terms, The: Mexi.
cans of New Mexico and California would sure.
ly have no right to complain of any neglect Of
the obligations of the treaty, if they were kept
out of the Union as long as the inhabitants Of
Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Afkansas and
Florida were Ito WHOM ssrights and privileges"
as citizens, were guaranteed by treaty, in even
stronger form than to them, in the treaty Of
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