The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1858-12-16

aSSemDleu small urSb determine by q
vote whether it is the wish of the poo.
pie of the proposed State to be admitted
into the Union at that time; and, if so,
shall proceed to form a Constitution,
and take all necessary steps for the os-
tablishmont Of State Government in
conformity with the Federal Constitu-
ton" After this Constitution shall
have been formed, Congress, carrying
out the principles Of popular sovereign
ty and non-intorvontion, have left "the
mode and manner Of its approval or rat
ifcation by the people Of the proposed
State" to be prescribed by law" and
they "shall then be admitted into the
Union as a State under such Constitu-
ton thus fairly and legally made, with
or without slavery, as said Constitution
may prescribe"
Aneloction was held throughout Kan
sas, in pursuance Of the provisions Of
this act, on the second day of August
last, and it resulted in the rejection, by
a large majority, of the proposition sub
mitted to the people by Congress. This
being the case, they are now authorized
to form another constitution, prepara-
tory to admission into the Union, but not
until their number, as ascertained by a
census, shall equal or exceed the ratio re-
quired to elect a member to the House
of Representatives
It is not probable, in the present state
of the case, that third constitution can
be lawfully framed and presented to Con-
gress by Kansas, before its population
shall have reached the designated mum
Der. Nor is it to be presumed that, af-
ter their sad experience in resisting the
territorial laws, they will attempt to
adopt constitution in express violation
of the provisions of an act of Congress.
During the session of 1856, much of
the time Of Congress was occupied on
the question of admitting Kansas under
the Topeka constitution.
Again, nearly the whole of the last
session was devoted to the question of
its admission under the Lccompton Con-
stitution. Surely it is not unreasonable
to require the people of Kansas to wait,
before making a third attempt, until the
number of inhabitants shall amount to
ninety-thrce thousand four hundred
and twenty. During this brief period
the harmony Of the States, as we'll as the
great business interests Of the country.
demand that the people of the Union
shall not for a third time be cOnvulsed
by another agitation on the Kansas ques-
| ton. BY waiting for a short time.
,,I ,,t;p,, -, oboli,,,, T., 1,,,, -.
will glide into the Union without the
slightest impediment.
This excellent provision, which Con
gress have applied to Kansas, ought to
be extended and rendered applicable to
! all Territories which may hereafter
seek admission into the Union.
Whilst Congress possess the undoubt-
ed power of admitting a new State into
the Union, however small may be the
number ofits inhabitants, yet this power
ought not, in my opinion, to be exercis-
ed before the population shall amount to
the ratio required by the act for admis-
sion Of Kansas Had this beeu pre-
viously the rule, the country would have
escaped all the evils and missfOrtunes to
which it has been exposed by the Kan
sas question.
OF course, it would be unjust to give
this rule retrospective application, and
exclude a State which, acting upon the
past practice of the government, has al
ready formed its constitution, elected its
legislature and other officers, and is now
prepared to enter the Union.
The rule ought to be adopted, wheth-
or we consider its bearing on the people
of the Territories, or upon the people
of the existing States. Many of the
serious dissensions which have prevail.
cd in Congress and throughout the coun.
try, would have been avoided, had this
rule been established at an earlier pc
riod Of the government.
Immediately upon the formation of q
new Territory, people from different
States, and from foreign countries, rush
into it, for the laudable purpose of i'm.
proving their condition. Their first du,
ty to themselves is to open and cultivate
farms, to construct roads, to establish
schools, to erect places of religious wor,
ship, and to devote their energies gen,
orally TO reclaim the wilderness, and tC
lay the foundations of a fourishing and
prosperous commonwealth. If, in this
incipient condition, with a population
of few thousands, they should prema
turely enter the Union, they are op
pressed by the burden of State taxation
and the means necessary for the i'm
provement Of the Territory and the ad
vancement of their own interests, are
thus diverted to very different purposes
The Federal Government has ever
been a liberal parent to the Territories
and a generous contributor to tho use
ful enterprises of the early settlers. Il
has paid the expenses Of their govern
ments and Legislative assemblies out of
the common treasury, aud thus relieved
them from a heavy charge. Under
these circumstances, nothing can bC
better calculated TO retard their mater
ial progress, than to divert them from
their useful employments, by proma
turely exciting angry political contests
among themselves, for the benefit Of as
piring leaders 1t lis surely no hardship
for embryo governors, senator's and
members Of Congress, to wait until the
number Of inhabitants shall equal those
Of a single congressional district. They
surely ought not to be permitted 70