New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-12-13

tie pripcples of popular sovereignty and noninter
yention have left the mode and manner OF its ap,
prevail or ratification by the people of the proposed
State to be " prescribed by law and they shall
then be admitted into the Union State under such
Constitution thus fairly and legally made, with or
without slavery, said Constitution may prescribe
An election was held throughout Kansas in pur-
suance of the provisions of this act on the second
day Of August last and it resulted in the rejection
by large majority, of the proposition submitted to
the people by Congress. This being the case, they
are authorized to form another constitution, pre-
paratory to admission into the Union, but not until
their number, as ascertaued by census, shall equal
exceed the ratio required to elect member to the
House of Representatives
1t is not probable in the present state Of the case
that third constitution be lawfully framed and
presented TO Congress by Kansas, before its popua-
ton shall have reached the designated number. Nor
sit to be presumed that after their sad experience
in resisting the territorial laws they will attempt 70
adopt constitution in express violation Of the proPl
sioAs of an act Of Congress- During the session OF
1855, much of the time of Congress was occupied on
the question OF admitting Kansas undeF tne LUpeh'
constitution. Again, nearly the whole Oh the lastse
sion was devoted to the question OF It's ADMISSION uu
der the Lecompton constitution surely II is noG w
reasonable to require the people OF hahsas 10 WALL
before making third attempt, until the nulnDef OF
their inhab itsnts shall amount to niuety-three thou
sand four hundred and twenty. During TINS BRET
period the harmony OF the States as Wen as the great
business interests of the country demand that the
peopa of the Union shall not for third time be con-
ynIsed by another agitation the Kansas question
By waiting for short time, and acting in obedience
tolaw, Kansas will glide into the Union without the
slightest impeachment.
This excellent provision, which Congress have APP
piled to Kansas ought to be extended and rendered
applicable to all Territories which may hereafter seek
admission into the Union.
Whilst Congress possesses the undoubted power of
admitting new State into the Union, however small
may be the number Of its inhabitants yet this power
ought not, in my opinion to be exercised before the
population shall amount to the ratio required by the
act for the admission OF kansas. Had this been pre-.
viousy the rule, the country would have escaped all
the evils and mstortunes to which it has been ex-
passed by the Kansas question.
Of course, it would be unjust to give this rule a
retrospective application, and exclude State which
acting upon the past practice of the Government
has already formed its Constitution elected its Legis
ature and ether officers, and is now prepared to
enter the Union.
The rule ought to be adopted, whether we con.
slider its bearing the people of the Territories OIL
upon the people of the existing States Many of the
serious discussions which have prevailed in Congress
and throughout the country would have been avoided
had this rule been established at earlier period OF
the Government
} Immediately upon the formation of a new Terri.
tory, people from different States and from foreign
countries rush into it for the audable purpose of i'm
proving their condition Their first duty to them
selves is to open and cultivate farms, to construct
roads, to establish schools to erect places OF religious
worship, and to devote their energies generally to re-
claim the wilderness and to lay the foundation OF
this incipient condition, with population Of few
thousands they should pTematurely enter the Union
they oppressed by the burden Of State taxation
and tile means necessary for the improvement of the
Territory and the advancement of their interests
; are thus diverted to very different purposes,
! The Federal Government has ever been liberal
parent to the Territories, and generous contributor
to the useful enterprises of the early settlers It has
paid the expenses of their governments and legsla-
tive assemblies out of the common treasury, and thus
relieved them from heavy charge. Under these
circumstances, nothing can be better calculated to
retard their material progress, than to divert them
from their useful employments, by permaturely eX-
citing angry political contests among themselves, for
the benefit ct aspiring leaders, 1t is surely no hard
ship for embryo Governors, Senators and members OF
Congress- to wait until the number of inhabitants
shall equal those Of a single Congressional District.
Ehey surely ought not to be permitted to rush into
the Union, with population less than one-haif OF
several of the large counties in the interior of some
OF the States. This was the condition of Kansas
when it made application to be admitted under the
Topeka Constitution Besides it requires some time
to render the mass of a population collected in new
Territory, at all homogeneous and to unite them on
anything like fixed policy. Establish the rule, and
all Will look forward to 1t and govern themselves ac
cOTdingly
But justice to the people of the several States re
qures that this rule should be established by Con
gress. Each State is entitled to two Senators and at
least one Representative in Congress- Should the
people Of the States fail to elect VicePresident the
power deyolYes upon the Senate to select this Officer
from the TWO nlgneSL candidates on the SJ, In
OF the death OF the President the Vice President thus
elected by the Senate, becomes President of the
United States On all questions Of legislation, the
Senators from the smallest States of the Union have
equal vote with those from the largest The same
may be said in regard to the ratification Of treaties
and Of Executive appointments. All this has worked
admirably in practice whilst it conforms admirably
in principle with the character of Government in
stitutiOu by sovereign States. | presume no Amer.
can citizen would desire the slightest change in the
arrangement. Still, it is not unjust and unequal Ia
the existing States to invest some forty fifty thOus
and people collected in Territory with the attributes
OF sovereignty, and place them on equal footing
with Virginia and New York in the Senate Of the
United States?
For these reasons earnestly recommend the pas
sage of general act which shall provide that upon the
application of territorial legislature, declaring then
belief that the Territory contains number of in
habtants which, if in State would entite them to
elect member Of Congress- it shall be the duty OF
the President TO cause census OF the inhabitants to
be taken, and ii found sufficient, then by the terms
of this act to authorize them to proceed in theif
own way, to frame State constitution preparatory
to admission into the Union. also recommend that
an appropriation may be made to enable the Pres
dent to take Il census of the people of Kansas.
The present condition OF the Territory of Utah
when cOntrasted with what it was one year ago, is
subject for congratuatiOn. 1t then in state Of
open rebellion aud, cost what it might the character
OF the Government required that this rebellion should
r be suppressed, and the Mormons compelled to yield
obedience to the Constitution and the laws. In order
to accomplish this object, as / informed you in my
last ANIMAL message, appointed new Governor i'll
stead of Brigham Young, and other Federal officers
to take the place Of those who consulting their per
sonul safety had found necessary to withdraw from
the Territory 10 protect these civil officers, and K
aid Them as posse c0uitatitS in the execution o
the laws in case OF need, ordered n detachment o
the army to accompany them to Utah. The necessity
tor adopting these measures is nov demonstrated.
{ On the 10th September, 1857, Gov, Young ISSUED
his proclamation iii the style OF m independent soy
ereign, announcing his purpose to resist by force
arms, the entry of the United States troops into GU
own Territory Of Utah. By this he required ali th
. forces in the Territory to hold themselves in readi
ness to march at a moments notice to repe any anC
all such INVASION and established martial law from
+ its date throughout the Territory These proved t
lie no idle threats. Forts Bridger aud Supply wer
vacated and uurnt down by the MormOns, 70 deprive
our troops OF shelter after their long and iatguin,
7 march. Orders were issued by Daniel II. Wells sty
i ling himself Lieutenant General, Nauvoo Legion
to stampede the animals of the United States troop
their march to set fire to their trains burn til
grass and the whole country before them and thei
lanks to keep them from sleeping by night SUI
prises aud to blockade the road by telling trees AM
destroying the tords Of rivers, etc, etc, etc.
These orders were promptly and eIectualiy obeyed
On the 4th of October, 1857, the Mormons capture
and burned on Green river, three of our suppl
trains, consisting Of seYenty-Gye wagons loaded wit
provisions aud tents for the army, and carried ava
| several hundred animals. This diminished the suppl
of provisions so materially, that General Johnston
was obliged TO reduce the ration, and even with thi
1af