The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-13
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH or MIX. SEWARD,
OF NEW YORK.
On the Territorial Question.
In SENATE. Monday. March ii. 1850.


Mr. SEWARD said Mr. President, four years ago
California, Mexican province, scarcely inhabited, and
quite unexpl0red, was unknown even TO our usually I'M
moderate Desires except BY harbor capacous and tran
quill which only statesmen then foresaw would be use
l ia the oriental commerce OF aar-distan II not merely
wear ago, California was a mere military dependency
OF our own, and were celebrating with enthusiasm
and unanmity its acquisitions with its ewlydlscovered
but YET untold and unouchei mineral wealth. as me
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 popu0us,
is here asking admission into the Union, and finds us de-
batting the dissolution of The Union itself
No wonder II we perpexed with ever.changng EN-
Increasing responsibilities No wonder 4 we are be.
wdered BY the evefaugmentlng magnitude and rapldty
= SHsnH s CAnIrorsIA III Rrcr,vrpa For mvself upon
my individual judgment and conscience answer yes.
For myself, instructed representative OF OF the
Slae6of that one even Of the States which is soonest
and longest to be pressed In commercial and political
rivalry 6y the new Commonwealth answer, yes Lei
Calilona come In Every new Stale, whether she come
from the East or from the Wesevery new State coming
from whatever part Of the continent she mayis always
welcome But California iha, from the cline where
the West dies away into the rising which
bounds at the empire ana the continent -Califor-
freedom, g0rgeousy with gold doubly welcome
And now inquire. first, Vhy should CaiJornia be re-
jscted7 All the objections are founded only N the eI
i'll California @ comes mes uNOssrMosIoUsIY, without
preliminary consent oil and therefore BY usurpa
ton. This allegation, ihink, ,is not quite true at
least not quite true 10 spir, California i not here Of
her own pure volition We tore California violently
from her place in the confederation Of Mexican States
and stipulated BY the treaty Of Guadalupe Hdalgo that
the territory should be admitted by States into the Amer
ican Union as speedily as possible
But the letero Of the objection still holds. California
did come without preliminary consent by Congress 10
form consultation But Michigan and other States pre-
sented themselves in the same unauthorized way, and
Congress scsiyed the irrsgMariy and sanctioned the
lsurIat'on California pleads these precedens Is not
But ii has been said BY the honorable senator from
South Carolina Mr. cAIHousl that the ordinance Of
1767 secured 10 Michigan the right 10 become State
when she should have sixty thousand inhabitants. Ow.
ing to some neglect Congress delayed taking the census
And this is said in paliaon OF the irregulanty OF Mch
gan. But California as has been seen, had treaty and
Congress- instead OF giving previous consent and instead
OF giving her the customary territorial government, as
they did % Michigan, failed % do either and thus prac
tieally refused both and 80 abandoned the comu-
nty under most unproptous circumstances 10 anarchy
California then made constitution for herself, but not
unnecessarily and presumptuousy, as Michigan did.
She made constitution Tor herse and came here under
the law, the paramount law, OF self.preservation.
In thai she stands justified Indeed California is more
than justified. She was colony, military colony. All
colonies, especially military colonies. incongruous
with political system, and they are equally open to
corruption and exposed to oppression They are. there
FORE not more unfortunate n their own proper condition
than fruitful Of dangers to the parent democracy Cali
forna. then. acted wisely and well in establishing self
government She deserves not rebuke, but praise and
appreciation, Nor does this objection come with agood
grace from those who offer it. II California now
content to receive only territorial charter could not
agree to grant without Inhibition OF slavery which,
& IN that I cs,s being isesal act, would render the at
those who repel her than she is Saie with the
same inhibition in the constitution Of her own voluntary
choice
second objection is. California has assigned her ovn
boundaries Uthota the previous authority Of Congress.
But she was left to organize herself without any boanda
Obliged therefore, boundaries since without
boundaries she must have remained unorganized
third objection is, that California is loo large:
answer, Tst, there is no common standard of States
California although greater than many, is less than one
Second California il too large, may be divided with
her own consent which Is all the security we have Tor
reducing the magnitude and aveng the preponderaDce
Thirdly The boundaries OF California seem not at all
unndfuraL The Territory circumscribed Is altogether
Fouuhly The boundaries are convenient. They en-
brace only inhabited portions OF the country, CONNER
cially connected with the port Of San Francisco. No
one has pretended to oher boundaries in harmony
with the physical outlines of the region concerned,
more convenient for civil administration
But, TO draw closer TO the question: What shall be the
boundaries of a new State concerns
First The State herself. and California of~course is
content
Secondly Adiacen, communities Oregon does not
cent community TO complain.
Thirdly The other States OF the Union. The larger
the Pacific Sates the smaller will be their relative power
in the Senate All the States now here are Atlantic
States and inland States, surely they may well IN.
duge California in the largest liberty OF boundaries.
The fourth objection TO the admission OF California Is,
that previous had been and no laws pre-.
scribng the qualifications OF suffrage and the appoon
Rent of representatives In convention existed
answer, California left to act ab fniio. She
must begin somewhere, without a census and without
such laws. The pilgrim fathers began in the same way
board the Mayower; and since II has been objected
that some OF the electors in California may have been
aliens, add that all OF the pilgrim fathers were aliens
and strangers to The commonwealth oi Plymouth.
Again. the objection may well be icaiued, II the consti
tuition of California Il satisfactory frs, 70 herse second
ly TO the United States
First Not murmur OF discomfort has followed Cali
fornia TO this place.
Second. As 10 ourselves, we conine our inquiries
about the constitution OF State 10 four things
Is, The boundaries assuned and have considered
that point In this case already
ID That the domain within the State Is secured to us
And Il is admitted that this has been properly done.
3D. That the Constitution shall be republican. and not
arisocratic monarchca In this the only oblec
ton ls that the constitution. inasmnch as u nhibis
slavery, is altogether too republican.
4ih That the representation claimed shall De Just and
equal No one denies tina, the population Of California s
sufficient to demand two representatives on the federal
basis and, secondly, new census y at hand and ne
error, II there is one will be Immediately corrected.
The fifth objection is, that California under ex-
ecuIwe influence ist In her coming as free State 3D.
In her coming al all
lat The hist charge rests suspicion only, is pcremp
ony Denied and the senisl IS not conrovered BY proofs
dismiss II altogether
ID The second true 10 the extent that the present
President advised the people OF California that having