Nebraska advertiser., 1859-12-15

preserved and prepared for that purpose
| think the great question is, has 1t reach-
ed the status, or condition Of a State. In
regard to population, the Constitution
seems to Indicate what number is sufi-
cient. 1.-THE number of representatives
shall not exceed n for every thirty
thousand; but each State shall have al
least one representative" And until the
remuneration shall be made, Rhode Is
land and Providence Plantations shall be
entitled to choose one, and Delaware
one"
Rhode Island and Delaware might, al
the adoption Of the Constitution and af-
forwards, have fallen short Of 10000, but
still each would be entitled TO a Repre-
sentative, because "each State shall have
one" But the number of Represents
tives, as a rule, "shall not exceed one fol-
every 10000. The Constitution fixes
the minimum of each additional Repre-
sentative al one for every 10000. II
the ratio of representation, and the right
of admission by a new State have any just
connection, is it not reasonable to say
that the number named in the Constitu-
ton as a minimum, is a better guide to-
wards this much desired Status, or con-
dition OF a State, than the ever chang
ing rules of our ever changing Legisla-
ture?
Arkansas was admitted in 1886 when
her inhabitants were said to number Az
700 persons-"computed according to the
rule prescribed by the constitution. p
From previous and subsequent data fur
nished by the census of 1880 and 1910, ii
is fair to say she had over 10000 inha-
bitants. But whether she had or had
Lot, she was rightly and righteously ad-
mitted, although violently opposed by
some on account of what was called the
perpetual slavery clause of her Constitu-
ton, and by others because she had form
ed her State Constitution without the pre-
vious consent of Cong ess IN the shape OF
an enabling act. her small population
seems not to have been involved in the
discussion.
All objections were answered IN both
houses of Congress by the great states
man of that day, and the actor the ad-
mission of Arkansas passed by an over
whelming vote.
Mr.. John Quincy Adams, whose senti-
merts against slavery were intensely
strong, said in the House of Represents
tives a. C mot consistently with my sense
of my obligations as a citizen of the Uni
ted States, and bound by my oath to sup
port the Constitution, l cannot object to
the admission of Arkansas into the Union
as a slave State. She is entitled to ad-
mission as a Slave State as Louisiana and
Missouri have been admitted by virtue
of that article in the treaty for the pur-
chase of Louisiana, which secures to the
people o. the ceded territories, all the
rights, privileges and immunities of the
original citizens Of the United States, and
stipulates for ;beir admission %conformably
to that principle, into the Union. 4
Arkansas therefore comes, and has a
right to come, into the Union with hel
slaves and her slave laws. 1t is WritsH
IN the bond, and however l may lament ii
was so written, | must faithfullyperform
the obligation"
That bond to which Mr.. Adams refers
is the treaty. Its language in the third
article is as follows: 1.-The inabitants of
the coded territory shall be incorporated
into the Union of the United States, and
admitted as soon as possible, according to
the principles of the Federal Constitution
to the enjoyment of all the rights, privi-
leges and i~mmunities of citizens of the
United States; AMI in the meantime they
shall be maintained and protected in the
free enjoyment of their liberty, property.
and the religion which they profess"
No Interpretation of the foregoing ar
ticle in the treaty could be more explicit
and clear than the exposition by the JUS
tice Catron of the Suprtme Court of the
United States. Speaking of the whole
Louisiana purchase he says: at was to
a great extent a vacant country, having
in it few civilized inhabitants. No one
portion of the colony of a proper size for
a State of the Union, had a sufficient
number of inhabitants to claim admission
into the Union. To enable the United
States to fulfill the treaty, additional po-
pulation was indispensable, and obviously
desired with anxiety by both sides, so that
the whole country should as soon as pos
sible become States of the Union. And
for the contemplated future population
the treaty as expressly provided as it did
for the inhabitants residing in the Pro-
vince when the treaty was made. All
those were to be protected in the mean
time, that is to say at all times between
the date of the treaty, and the time when
the portion of the territory where the IN
habitants resided was admitted into the
Union as aState."
repeat that the admission of Arkan-
sas was Just and right. She had attained
to the status or condition of a State, al
though her representative population, all
told, amounted to but AZ, 200 persons. If
she was a State then, Nebraska has a
right to be a State now. And l deny
that Congress hasa right to place obsta-
cles in the ray Of her admission, which
are the manufacture of late years, and
not to be found in the Constitution or
the treaty. cannot agree that because
Congress has power to admit, it has I'M
limited discretion to deny. The power
is conferred to accomplish the end, and
not tn defeat II When FOREIGN territory