Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-07-03
be to the present case, and without doubt
ful words, requires no commentary. Here

be to the present case, and without doubt
ful words, requires no commentary. Her
it is:
''New States may be admitted by Congress int
! this Union; but no new State shall be formed q
erected within the jurisdiction OF any other State
nor any State be formed by the junction of two o
more States or parts of States, without concent o
the Legislatures OF the States concerned; as wei
| as OF the Congress-
New States MAY be admitted Out ol
that little word, may, comes the power
broadly and fully-without any limitation
founded on population or preliminary forms
provided the State is not within the juris-
diction of another State, nor formed BY the
Junction Of two or more States or parts OF
States, without the consent of the Legis-
aiures of States. Kansas is not within he
legal juri sdiction of another State, although
the laws of Missouri have been tyrannica lIy
extended over her; nor is Kansas formed by
the junction of two or more States; and
therefore, Kansas may be admitted by Con-
gress into the Union, without regard 10 DO
pulation or preliminary forms. You cannot
deny the power, without obllterating this
clause Of the Constitution. The Senator
from New York was right in rejecting all
appeal to precedents, as entirely irrelevant;
for the power invoked is clear aud express
in the Constitution, which is above all pre-
cedent. But, since precedent has been en-
listed, let us look at precedent.
1t is objected that the population of Kans-
as is not sufficient for State; and this OBJ
lection is sustained by undeg-reckoning the
numbers there, and exaggerating the numb
ers required by precedent. In the absence
of any recent census, it is impossible to do
more than approximate to the actual popula-
ton; bur, from careful inquiry of the best
sources, am led to place it now at 10000,
though | observe that prudent authority,
the Boston Daily Advsrtiser,puts it as high as
$4,000, and, while | speak, this remarkable
population, fed by fresh emigration, is out
stripping even these calculations. Nor can
here be doubt, that, before the assent of
Congress can be perfected in the ordinary
course of legislation, this population will
swell to the large number of 93,420, requir-
ID in the Bill Of the Senator from Illinois.
But, in making this number tie condition of
he admission Of Kansas, gou set up an er-
raordinary standard. There is nothing
'ut of which it can be derived, frJm the
'eginning 10 the end of the precedents.-
ioing back to the days of the Continental
congress, you will find that, in 1884, it was
declared that 10000 frcelnen in Territory
night establish a permanent Constitution
nd Government for themselves" (Jou, nails
Congress, Vol. 4, p.379 and though this
lumber was afterwards, in the Ordinance OF
1877 for the Northwestern Territory, raised
D 10000, yet the power was left in congress
nd subsequently exercised in more than
ne instance, to constitute a State with a
mailer number. Out of all the new States
My Maine, Wisconsin, and Texas, con-
aimed, at the time Of their admission into
ne Union, SO large population as it is pro-
osed to require in Kansas; while no less!
IAN fourteen new States have been admit l
I'd with smaller population; as will ap-
ear in the following list, which is the re-
nlt Of research, showing the number of
free inhabitants in these States at the
me of the proceedings which ended in G
ri aIu |