The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-12-14

NV recommendation, however, for the immediate
admission of Kansas failed to meet the appreciation
of Congress- They deemed it wiser to adopt diff
ferept measure for the settlement of the question:
For nv own part, should have been willing to yield
my assent to almost any constitutional measure 70
accomplish this object. i, therefore, cordially ae-
ouiesced in what has been called the English Com
promise and approved the Act for the admission OF
the State of Kansas into the Union upon the terms
therein prescribed.
Under the ordinance which accompanied the Lee
compton constitution. the people of Kansas had
claimed double the quantity Of public lands tor the
support of common schools which had ever been pre-
viously granted to any State upon entering the
Union; and also the alternate sections of land for
twelve miles each side of two railroads. proposed
to be constructed from the northern to the southern
boundary and from the eastern to the western
boundary of the State. Congress, deemng these
claims unreasonable provided. by the act or May t.
1853, which just have referred. for the admission
of the State Oh an eq lal footing with the original
States but upon the fundamental condition prece
dent that a majority of the people thereof at an
election be held for that purpose should, IN place
of the very large grants of public lands which they
had commanded under the ordinance, accept such
grants as had boen made to Minnesota and other
new States. Under this act, should majority re-
ect the proposition offered them, t shall be deemed
and held that the people of Kansas do not desire ad
mission into the Union with said constitution under
the conditions set forth in said proposition. In
that event the authorizes the people of the Ter
ritOry to elect delegates to form constitution and
State government for themselves, "whenever, and
not before. it is ascertained by census duly and
legally TAKEN that the population of said Territory
equals exceeds the ratio of representation re-
quired for member of the House of Representatives
of the Congress of the United States" The dele
gates thus assembled ''shall first determine" by
vote whether it is the wish of the people of the pro-
posed State to be admitted into the Union at that
time and, if so, shall proceed to- form constitution,
and take necessary steps for the establishment OF
a State government in conformity with the federal
constitution" After this constitution shall have
been formed, Congress, carrying out the principles
of popular sovereignty and nonintervention, have
left 1.-THE mode and manner of its approval or ratitl-
cation by the people of the proposed State to be
''pre<cribed by law and they ''shall then be ud-
mitted into the Union as a State under such cOnsti-
tuition thus fairly and legally made, with or without
slavery, said constitution may prescribe"
An election was held throughout Kansas, in pur-
suance fthe provisions of this act, on the second
day of August last and it resulted in the rejection
by large majority of the proposition submitted t"
the people by Congress" This being the case. they
are now authorized to form another constitution
preparatory to admission into the Union, but not
until their number, ascertained by a census. shall
equal exceed the ratio required to elect member
to the House of Representatives.
1t is probable, in the present state of the case
that third constitution be lawfully framed and pre-
scented to Congress by Kansas before its pOpua-
ton shall have reached the designated number
Nor is it be presumed that: after their sad expe
ricnce in resisting the territorial laws, they will at
tempt 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 was
occupied on the question of admitting Kansas under
the Topeka constitution. Again, nearly the whole
of the last session devoted the question of its
admission under the LecomptOn constitution
Surely it is net unreasonable to require the people
of Kansas to wait. before making third attempt,
until the number of their inhabitants shall amount
to nnetw three thousand four hundred and twenty.
During this brief period the harmony of the States
well the great business interests of the country
demand that the people of the Union shall not for
third time be convulsed by another agitation the
Kansas question. By waiting short time, and act
ing in obedience to law, Kansas will glide into the
Union without the slightest impeachment.
This excellent provision. which Congress have ap-
piled to Kansas. ought to be extended and rendered
applicable to all Territories which may hereafter
seek admission into the Union.
Whilst Congress possess the unGoubted power of
admitting new State into the Union. however
small may be the number of its inha bants, yet this
power oug ht not, in my opinion, to be exercised be-
fore the population shall tn the ratio rcqur-
ed by the act for the admission of Kansas. Had this
been previously the rule, the country would have
escaped all the evils and msfnrtun"s to which it has
been exposed by the Kansas question.
OF course. il 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 legs
ature and other officers, and is prepared to
The rule ought to be adopted, whether we consid-
its bearing the people of the Territories upon
the people of the existing States. Many of the
serious dissensons which have prevailed in Congress
and throughout the country, would have been avoid
ed, had this rule been established at earlier pc
ried of the government.
Immediately upon the formation of a Terri
tory. people from different States and from foreign
countries rush into it, for the lauduhle purpose of
improving their condition. Their first duty them
selves is to open and cultivate farms, construct
roads, TO establish schools, to places of reli
gous worship. and to devote their energies generally
reclaim the wilderness and to lay the foundations
of furnishing and prosperous commonwealth IT,
in this Incl pient condition, with population of
few thousand, they should prematurely enter the
Union. they are oppressed by the burden of State
ia: n, and the means necessary for the improve
ment of the Territory and the advancement of their
interests, thus diverted to very different
purposes.
The federal government has been a liberal
parent to the Territories, and generous contributor
to the useful enterprises of the early settlers 1t
has paid the expenses of their governments and leg
isative assemblies out of the common treasury aud
thus relieved them from heavy charge. Under
these circumstances, nothing can be better calcua
ted I" retard their material progress than divert
them from their useful employ mpntS, by prenaturey
exciting angry political contests among themselves
for the benefit of aspiring leaders. 1t is surely no
hardship for embryo gov ernurs senators and MEM
bers of Congress to wait until the number of inhabi-
tants shall equal those of single congressional dis
trict They surely ought not to be permitted to
rush the Union with population less than ono