Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1858-12-16

law" anG they shall then be admtte,
: into the Union as a State under sucl
: Constitution thus fairly and lcgall,
: made. with or without slavery. a,
said Constitution may prescribe"
An election was held throughout
/. Kansas, in pursuance of the provision,
Of this act, on the second day o
August last, AMI it resulted in th'
rejection. hy large majority, Of The
) proposition submitted to the people by
Congress. This being the case, they
ars now authorized to form another
constitution, preparatory II admission
into the Union, but not until their
number, as asccrtaincl by census,
shall equal or exceed the ratio requir-
ed 10 elect member 10 the House oil
Representatives.
1t is no. probable, in the presenl
state of the case, that third constitu-
tion can be lawfully framed and
presented TO Congress hy Kansas. be-
fore It's population shall have reached
the designated number. Nor is it to
be presumed that. after their sal
experience in resisting the territorial
laws, they will attempt to adopt a
constitution in express violation OF the
provisions Of an act of Congress-
During the session OF 1856, much OF
the time Of Congress waa 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 Lecompton
Constitution. Surely it is not unrea-
sonable to require the people Of Kansas
TO wait, before making third attempt,
until the number of their inhabitants
shall amount to ninety three 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 convuscd by another
agitation on the Kansas question BY
waiting for short time, and acting
in Ole hence to law. ll.,,.~as viii glide
into to Cnlon without the slightest
impedimcnt
This excellent provision, which
Congress have applied to Kansas,
ought to lie EXTENDED and rendered
applicable to all Territories which may
hereafter seek admission into the
Union.
Whilst Congress possess the un-
doubted power OF admitting a new
State into the Union, however small
may he the number of it's inhabitants,
yet this powor ought not, in my opin-
ion, to be exercised before the popula-
tion shall amount to the ratio required
by the act for admission of Kansas.
Had this been previously the rule, the
country would have escaped all the
evils and misforirnes - which it has
been exposed 10y the Kansas queS-
ton.
OF course, it would he unjust TO
give this rule rctros pcctive applica-
zion, and exclude State which. acting
upon the past practice of the govern
ment, has already formed its constitu
ton. elected It's Legislature and other
officers, and is now prepared to enter
the Union.
The rule ought to bc adopted,
whether we consider lis bearing on
the people of the Territories or upon
The people Of the existing States.--
Many of the serious dissenlions whicl |
have prevailed in Congress and
throughout the country. would have
been avoided, had this rule been
established at an earlier period of the
government.
Immediately upon the formation Of
a new Territory, people from different
States and from foreign countries rush
into it. for the laudablc purpose of
improving their condition. Their
first duty to themselves is to open and
cultivate farms, to construct roads, to
establish schools, to erect places Of
religious worship. AMI to devote their
energies generally to reclaim the
wilderness and to lay the foundations
Of ilonrishins and prosperous COM
monwealh. Ii, in this ineipient CON
dition, with population Of few
thousand. they should prematurcly
enter the Union. they are oppressed by
the burden of State taxation, and the
means necessary for the improvement
ef the Territory and the advancement
of their own interests, are thus divert
ed to very different purposes.
The federal government has ever
been a liberal parent to the Territories,
and a generous contributor TO the
useful enterprises Of the early settlers.
1t has paid the expenses Of their
governments and Legislative assemblies
out of the common treasury. and thus
relieved them from heavy Charge
Under these circumstances, nothing
can he better calculated to retard their
material progress, than to divert them
from their useful employmcnts. by
prematurely exciting angry political
contests among themselves, for the
benefit of aspiring leaders. 1t is
surely no hardship for embryo
governors, senator's, and members of
Congress. to wait until the number Of
inhabitants shall equal those Of
single congressional district. They
surely ought not to hc permitted to
rush into the Union. with population
less thaa one-half of several of the large
counties in the interior OF some of the
States. Til, was the condition OF
Kansas when il made application to be
admitted rnder the Topeka constitu-
ton. Besides, it requires some time