The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-13

lated Tact tiiat State has been admitted into
The Union, Is unimportant il is the injury done
the other States by the manner in which such
new State has been admitted, and The manites
use ohich as 10 be made Of The Federal Goue,n.
mem by Mus Increasing The parties 10 The compact
The admission iuto the Union by Congress OF
the State OF California with constitution pro-
hlbling slavery, has undoubtedly forever ex-
cluded the Southern people from all that portion
OF the territory acquired from Mexico; and the
questions to be considered are,
LIST. In what manner was California admitted.
I'd. The intention of the North in thus bring
ing her into the Union, and
3D. The position TO which the Southern
States are thereby doomed in this confederacy.
LIST. That the people who may be living on
the territory of the United States, roiih The intent
Of becoming citizens Thereof have the right, Dhen
authorized by Congress, of organizing n State
government, cannot be questioned; and it is
equally undenabe that they can then decide for
themselves whether or not slavery shall be pro-
hblted. This right the North admits or denies
Just as 1t is proposed to be exercised in any
given case. Whom the people of Missouri esiab-
hshed slavery and asked admission into the Union,
the North denied their right to decide this ques-
ton. But when squad of trespassers in Cali
fornia abolish slavery, it is treason to question
the existence of this great popular right of SOW
eregniy.
1t is n well asccrtaned fact, that at the time
the California constitution was adopted, there
were not over eighty five thousand persons to be
found on that territory, who in violation of the
Constitution Of the United States and of the act
of Congress- have been allowed two Represen-
tatives when any other State in the Union could
only get one for the same population. These
people were mere adventures from all quarters
of the globe, who had squatted there for the
single purpose of gathering gold, without any
intention OF remaining as permanent Citizens
This mixed crowd Of mere ntruders upon the
public dom. !, met in convention with no other
authority than the proclamation of a Milikrry
Gorernor, and forever excluded the Southern
people frum all participation in the benefits OF
more than half the territory purchased from
Mexico--territory sufficient to make six States
stretching along fourteen hundred miles of the
Pacific coast, and claimed for themselves the
ownership, and reserved to their legislature the
power of locating land enough to cover the most
valuable agricultural and mineral regioniu Cali
fornia The institutions of the Southern people
are not only thus forever excluded from this
territory, but they must submit to the additional
| wrong of being robbed of their portion of the
proceeds of the public lands in California, and
compelled to pay the millions which it cost to
acquire them.
1t is the first time in the history of the Fed
er;il Government that a State has been formed
oui Of the public domain, and admitted into the
union without previous authority from Congress.
All the usages of the government, all the require
monts of the Constitution in such cases, have
been disregarded in the hot haste of the aboli
tionists to accomplish their designs. The con-
clusion, then seems to be irresistible, that the
constitution of California had no validity when
it was presented to Congress, and that the terri
tory over which it was established, remained
under the jurisdiction of the Federal Govern
ment unchanged after the adoption of the Con-
stitution by the people; and to sustain this
view, we have the unanimous opinion Of the
celebrated Senate Committee of Thirteen, rs ex-
pressed in their report, wherein it is stated with
out doubt or qualification that at the time Cali
fornia presented herself for admission into the
Union, she was nothing more than Territory
| The question then arises, has Congress the
power, under the Federal Constitution, to admit
a Territory into the Union MS a State! The
| language of the Constitution upon this subject
| is expl;ct-ttN "New States may be admitted
| by Congress into this Union"-but no power
exists to admit Territory as State. The
to the people living in territory, AZ before
stated, when the people adopt constitution as
herein explained, all the attributes of State at
tach thereto Immediately; without any subse-
quent action by Congress it becomes sovereign,
independent State om of ttis Cnio", and when
IN This condition, Congress has the power to nd.
NIT her new State INTO this Union. From
these premises it follows cnnclusivey that but
for the unauthorized act of Congress admitting
California into the Union as n State her consti
tuition could never have had the effect Of exclud
ing slavery. 1t is, then, by the legislation Of
Congress- that the Southern people have beer
excluded from California, and there is no differ
ence whatever between the effect and constitu
tionaity of such legislation and the passage
directly of the Wilmot Proviso.
| 3D. The intention of the North in thi.
smuggling California into the Union is too rlair
to be mistaken. 1t was expressed long before
the territory was acquired an attempt to apply
the Wilmot Proviso thereto having succeeded
in the House of Representatives by a majority
of ten votes. The highest obligations to pro.
vide a territorial government for the people OF
California were disregarded alone upon the
ground that the Wilmot Proviso could not be
Incorporated in bill for that purpose in defanc,
ofthreatctcd resistance by the unanimous South
tNNW NViOW8 fSttLtN nNS ut NtHi HtfH NAttd
ilS from his odious measure. The people il
California have always desired a territorial
government, but the refusal by Congress t,
pass bill for that purpose, forced them to th'
establishment of State governments and they
were taught by the condition of things in Con
gress, that California could never lie admitted
unless her constitution prohibited slavery. Thel
were informed by Government agents anc
! Northern nissaries that no territory must b.
left for Congress to lccislate about" that sla
very must be prohibited" and such Unauthorized
interference was in direct opposition TO the pre-
ference of the people there for Territorial
government, and less extended boundaries. AnC
when the South in accordance ouh he kRoto'
wishes Of The people Of California, almost i'm
plored the North to divide that territory mt tn,
line of 36 degrees 80 minutes, our entreaiie
were scornfu'ly rejected. and the Missouri Com
promise, to which the South had submitted
dshonorabe surrender, was pronounced to b.
too great a concession to our section. and mad
to disappear forever before the edict of Free
soilism. And the moderate portion Of on
Northern allies" have the impotence TO an
| fta 10 If inb,opa,,t inturo.