Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1858-12-15

u
vote whether it is the wish of the people
OF the proposed State to be admitted into
the Union at that time, and, if so, shall
proceed to form constitution, and take
all necessary steps for the establishment
OF a State government in conformity with
the federal constitution" After this con-
stitution shall have been formed, Congress,
carrying out the principles of popular soy
ereiguty and nonintervention, have left
"the mode and manner of its approval or
ratification by the people of the proposed
State" to be "precribed by law" and they
"shall then be admitted into the Union as
a State under such constitution thus fair
ly and legally made, with or without sla-
very, as said constitution may prescribe"
An election 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 ma
jority, OF the proposition submitted to the
people by Congress. This being the case,
they are now authorized to form another
constitution, preparatory to admission in
to the Union, but not until their number,
as ascertained by a census, shall equal or
exceed the ratio required 10 elect a mem
Der to the House of Representatives
1t is not probable, in the present state
of the case, that third constitution can be
lawfully framed and presented to Congress
10y Kansas, before its population shall have
reached the designated number. Nor is it
to bepIesumed that, after their sad expe-
rience in resisting the territorial laws, they
will attempt to adopt a constitution in
express vocation 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 admis.
sion under the Lccompton constitution
Surely it is not unreasonable to require
the people Of Kansas to wait, before ma
king 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 well the great business in
terests of the country, demand that the
people of the Union shall not for third
time be convulsed b., another agitation on
the Kansas question. BY waiting for a
short time, and acting in obedience to law,
Kansas will glide into the Union without
the slightest impedimcnt.
This excellent provision, which Con
gress have applied to Kansas, ought to be
extended and rendered applicable to all
Territories which may hereafter seek adj
mission into the Union.
Whilst Congress possess the undoubted
power of admitting new State into the
Union, however small may be the NUM-
Der of 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 o.
Kansas. Had this been previously the
rule. the country would have escaped all
the evils and misfortunes 10 which it has
been exposed by the Kansas question.
OF course, it would be unjust to give thi'
rule a retrospective application, and eX
clude State which, acting upon the pas
practice of the government has already
formed its constitution, elected its legisla
ture and other officers, and is now pre-
pared to enter the Union.
The rule ought to be adopted, whethe
, we consider its bearing on the people o
the Territories or upon the people of th,
existing States. Many of tho serious dis
sensions which have prevailed in Congress
and throughout the country, would have
been avoided, had this rule been estab
lished at an earlier period of the govern
ment.
Immediately upon the formation of
new Territory, people from different state
, and from foreign countries rush into it, TO
, the laudable purpose of improving thei
, condition. Their first duty to themselvc
is to openand cultivate farms, to construc
roads, to establish schools, to erect place
of religious worship, and to devote thei
energies generally to reclaim the wilder
ness and TO lay the foundations Of Hour
| ishing and prosperous commonwealth
. If. in this incipient condition, with pop
, ulation of a few thousand, they shoul,
, prematurely enter tho Union, they are on
pressed by the burden of the State taxa
= ton. and the means necessary for the i'm
provement of the Territory and the ad
, vancement Of their own interests, are thu
f diverted TO very different purposes.
The federal government has ever been
: liberal parent to the Territories, and gel
5 erous contributor 20 the useful enterprise
/ oil the early StllltlSs ~ las l'aAA INV -
| penses of their governments and lcgisla
= tive assemblies out of the common trea
4 urv, and thus relieved them from heav
+ charge. Under these circumstance
, nothing can be better calculated to retar
g theirmaterialp progress, than to divert rtther
c from their useful employments, by prem'
j turely exciting angry political contests Q
: mong themselves, for the benefit of aspii
2 ing leaders. 1t is surely no hardship fc
/ embryo governors, senator's and member
: of Congress, to wait until the inhabitant
4 shall equal those of single colgression'
!, district. They surely ought not to be pei
o mitted to rush into the Union, with POI
r ulation less than one-half of several OF th
= large counties in the interior of some {
i the States. This was the condition {
t Kansas when in it made application to |
/ admitted under the Topeka constitution
Besides, it requires some time to rend'
e the mass of population collected in
o new Territory, at all homogeneous, and
4 unite them on anything like fixed pol
II 1 laa