Washington telegraph., 1850-02-13
Presidents Message upon the Territorial
Question.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 1850.
To the House Of Representatives.
of the limited States.

| 10 tR House OJ hPpTeSeUtNtlCeS
of the United States:
| tmnsmt to the House OF Represen-
tatives, in an answer to a resolution OF
that body, passed on the 31st of Decem-
Der last, the accompanying reports of
heads Of Departments, which contain all
the official information in the possession
of the Executive asked for by the resolu-
ton.
On coming into Office found the mill
tary commandant of the Department of
California exercising the functions of
civil governor in that Territory; and left
as was u act under the treaty of Qua
dalupe Hidalgo without the aid Of any
LeglSl0taUe provision in establishing a
| government in that Territory, thought
it best not to disturb that arrangement
made under my predecessor, until Con-
gress should take some action on that
subject | therefore did not interfere
with the powers of the military comman-
dant, who continued to exercise the func-
tions of civil governor as before, but
made no such appointment. conferred no
such authority, and have allowed no in
creased compensation to the commandant
for his services.
With a view TO the faithful execution
of the treaty, so far as lay in the power
of the Executive, and to enable Congress
to act at the present session with as full
knowledge and as little difficulty as pos
sible on all matters in these Territories, [
sent the Hon. Thomas Butler King as
bearer Of dispatches to California, and
certain officers to California and New
Mexico, whose duties are particularly
defined in the accompanying letters OF
instruction addressed TO them severally
by the proper department.
did not hesitate to express TO the peo-
pie of those Territories my desire that
each Territory should, if prepared to COM
ply with the acquisitions Of the Constitu-
ton of the United States. form plan of
a State constitution, and submit the same
to Congress, with prayer tor ADMISSION
into the UuiOn as tate; hut l did not
anticipate, suggest, or authorize the es-
! tabiishment of amy such government
without the assent Of Congress. nor dld
| authorize any government agent or officer
TO interfere with, or exercise any lnf1u-
euce or control over the election OF dele
! gates, or over any convention, in making
| Or modifying, their domestic institutions,
or any of !he provisions OF their proposed
constitution On the contrary, the in
structlons given by my orders were, that
al measures of domestic policy adopted
| bv the people of California must riginate
solely with themselves; that while the
Executive of the United States was desir-
Gus to protect them in the formation OF
| amy government republican i'll its charac-
| ter to he at the proper time submitted to
Congress, yet it was to be distinctly un-
| derstOod that the plan of such a govern
ment must at the same time be the result
of their own deliberate choice, and orig
inale with themselves, without the inter-
ference of :he Executive.
| am unable to give any information as
to the laws passed by any supposed gov
ernment in California, or OF any census
taken IN either of the Territories mention
ed in the resolution, as Ihave no informa-
ton on those subjects.
A already stated, I have not disturbed
the arrangements which | found had ex-
listed under my predecessor.
people of these Territories for admission
as States, | was actuated principally by
an earnest desire To afford to the wisdom
and patriotism of Congress the opportu-
nitv of avoiding occasions of bitter and
angry discussions among the people OF the
United States.
Under the Constitution every State
has the right of establishing, and from
time to time altering, its municipal laws
and domestic institutions, independently
of every other State aud of the General
Government, subject only to the prohibl-
tions and guarantees expressly set forth III
the Constitution OF the United States
The subjects thus left exclusively to the
respective States were not designed or
expected to become topics OF national aS-
itation Still, as under the Constitution
Congress has power to make all needtul
rules aud regulations respecting the Ier-
ritories of the United States, every new
acquisition of Territory has led to discus
sions on the question whether the system
of involuntary servrude which prevails
in many of the States should or should not
be prohibited in that Territory. The
periods of excitement from this cause
which have heretofore occurred have
been safely passed, but during the inter
val of whatever length which may elapse
before the admission of the Territories
ceded by Mexico as States, it appears
probable that similar excitement will pre-
vail to an undue eX .ent.
Under these circumstances l thought,
and still think, that it was my duty to
endeavor to put it in the power OF Con
gress, by the admission OF California and
New Mexico as States, to remove all
occasion for unnecessary agitation OF the