The Shasta courier., 1855-05-12

There is yet another important consideration
Immediately connected with the subject of this
division
The Atlantic seaboard. two thousand miles in
extent, is composed u fourteen States, which
have an aggregate representation in the national
councils of tweny-eisht Senator's: eleven hun
dred miles of the coast Of the Gulf of Mexico
divided between five States, is represented in
the United States Senate by ten members while
the entire Pacific shore, on which borders the
territories OF Washington and Oregon and the
present State of California. fourteen hundred
miles IN extent, is now represented by only two
Senators. The evils of this limited representa-
ton have been experienced ever since the ad-
mission OF our State into the Union, and will in
crease with the growth of the interests Of this
coast California. now bounded contains
lSS.9Sl square miles; 23,3l5 square miles more
than the area of the States of Maine, New
Hampshire, Vermont. Massachusetts, Rhode
Island Connecticut, New York, New Jersey
Delaware and Pennsylvania; the wants of these
States, numberless and often conflicting are rep
resented in the United States by twenty menr-
bers of that body, while California, with neces-
sites almost as numerous, important and con-
fcting. is represented by only two.
The illustration Of this disparity of represen-
tation from which California suffers. will be per-
ceived by comparison with any section OF the
Union. The States of Maryland. Virginia. North
Carolina. South Carolina and Georgia, contain
only S627 square miles of territory more than
that within the borders of our State they have
their ten United States Senators to our t.ro. The
varied demands and peculiar requirements of
this Pacific commonwealth, need, to obtain them,
more votes in the National Legislature. The
ablest, purest and most influential representation
of but fs0o voices, can scarcely exercise dem-
nant influence In or gain control over a deliber-
ate assemblage Of upwards of three-score mem
bers The increase of our Senatorial represen-
tation would be beneficial in another point Of
view; if SO unfortunate as to select corrupt men
to transact public business at Washington, of the
six Senators to which the three proposed States
would be entitled actuated by different motives,
desiring the attainment of different ends, they
assuredly could not unite in any improper
scheme; some would be u constant check upon
the action OF the others.
There is but one serious objection to the pro-
position OF division which has occurred to the
Committee. 1t is urged that the prospect Of
forming new States out OF the territory OF the
State OF California, will revive in the Congress
of the United States considerations dangerous to
the peace of the country and TO the Union. and
likely to unsettle the great principle by which
the question of slavery is regulated in the
States and Territories. But the people of this
State have settled this question for themselves.
and their rights of vast importance, disconnected
with this subject, justified by apparent necessity,
cannot be disregarded. The only part of Cali
fornia in which slave labor could be employed
pro6tably, is in the proposed middle State,
where the question is settled by popular senli-
ment, satisfactorily and forever. Slave labor
cannot be employed with profit except where
there is constant use for it. The greater portion
of the lands in the proposed new States produce
only the cereals, which mature in four months,
and employ labor only at the seed-time and in
flob
But there is more cogent reason against the
existence of slavery in these States than arises
from this condition of affairs 1t is to be found
in the insecurity of tenure in this sort OF prop
eriy. with Mexico on the south and boundless
wilderness on our eastern borders. The Com
mttee do not deem it requisite to dilale further
on this slavery issue. The opponents of the pc
cular institution in this State have nothing 10
fear from division. Fanatics from either end of
the Union may declaim against the admission of
new Stat AUTO the Confederacy, and talk about
the equilibrium of political power between the
North and the South in Congress but that equl-
librum is already destroyed and the stability
OF the Uuiaa depends entirely upon the
good sense and patriotism of the great mass OF
the American people. In this good sense and
patriotism the Committee have an abiding faith.
The Committee have endeavored 10 demon
stra,e the propriety of division by exhibiting
the capacities and resources OF the several por-
iions of our territory, the impracticability of
uniform legislation, the difficulty of distributing
equal Justice, the obstacles to the proper exer
else of Executive functions and favors, the i'm
pediments 10 the harmonious action of the peo-
pie in sudden emergencies. and the indispensa-
bleness of larger representation to obtain our
rights from tie General Government. They
have stated the only forcible argument which
can be used against the proposition OF division
of our territory, and sought to prove its faa-
cousness Relying upon the juds dsment and dis
cretion of their fellow citizens. more than upon
their own opipions and discrimination, the Com
mittee now respectfully submit the case
d. F. DorGLAs, FRANCIS MELLUs,
GEO. PEN JoHESToN, THOMAS BAKER,
w. c. FERREL, j. J. ARLINGTON,
JEFFERSON HUgr, Il. WELLS.
E. J. CURTIS, THos. G. FLoURSoY,
E. A. Rowe, w. w. JONES.
p. l.. EDWARDS.