The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-02-17
ADMISSION OF OREGON.


Last Saturday, Oregon was admitted INTO tpe
+ Union a. State, under the Constitution adoPted
I l.g The people. November 3, 1857. The form
of the Constitution is republican, and the PRO
visions. generally, are unexcepionable. 1ne
l,ill Of rights is very ample, containing some
,h;rtv.tbree sections, one Of which sets forth
that no court shall be secret, but justice shall
BE- administered openly and without purchase,
completely and without delay; and 'eee1y ma"
shall have remedy by due course OF law Tor IN
irv done him in person, property, or reputa-
ton. " Erery man." not 'chte, man Tins OF
.ours. over-ridcs whatsoever provision IN the
rest of the Constitution may in terms conflict
with this fundamental declaration. Banks, lot
teries, duelling, and Slavery are prohibited, and
married women are protected as follows " the
property and peeuniary rights Of every married
woman. AT the time of marriage, or afterwards,
acquired by gift, devise, or inheritance, shall
not be Subject TO the debts or contracts OF the
husband, aud laws shall be passed for the reg
is,ration of the wife's property
The right of suffrage is not conferred on for
eigners. but is regulated as follows ." in all
elections not otherwise provided for by tins Con-
stituiion. every white male citizen of the I'M
TED States Of the age of twenty-one years and
upwards. who shall have resided in the State
during the SIX months Immediately preceding
such elections, and every white male Of foreign
birth of the age Of twenty-one years and up
wards. who shall hare resided an the United
States one year, and shall hare resided an the
.S,qte during the str months Immediately pre-
ce5ioo the election. and shall hare declared has
,D,eutioa 70 become citizen o. the United States
one near precediag sucL election, contorp'ablytO
the Iaics ofhe United States on the subject of
Naturalization, shall be entitled to vote at all
elections authorized by law
The provision concerning free colOred peo-
pie IS as follows:
"No free negro or mulatto, not residing IN
the State at the time of the adoption OF tins
Constitution, shall ever come, reside, or be- with
in this State, or hold any real estate, or make
any contract or maintain any suit therein; and
the Legislative Assembly shall provide by pena
laws for the removal by public officers OF all
such free negroes and mulattOes and for then
efectual exclusion from the State, and for the
punishment Of persons who shall bring then
into the State, or employ or harbor them there
III"
Application was made for admission under
this Constitution at the last session of Congress
and a bin was accordingly introduced in thu
Snate, thoroughly discussed, passed, and sen
'oNe House of Representatives, where it wa
iaio Ger till the present session. Some differ
ehee of\pinion in regard to itprevailed among
--ssz--s-.aAean Seasioss, bat a majority .
- thirk there IS nobody who doubts that IN
people Of Oregon are to-day ready DESTROYS
willing. 10 come in. They have made a Con
stitution which is acceptable to themselves, an,
a Constitution which, however it may be crit
ciscd here, after all complies substantially wit
every requirement which the Congress- Of tn
United States, or any considerable portion {
either House of Congress, has ever insisted O
IN regard to any State.
1t seems TO me, therefore, 10 be tritng wit
the State Of Oregon, trifling with the people {
that community, and TO be unnecessary, an
calculated 10 produce an untayorabe impression
on the public mind, IN regard to the consistenc
of the policy which pursue in admittin!
States into the Union, TO delay or deny this ap
plicatiOn. For one, sir. think that the soone
a Territory energies from It's provincial con
dition, the better; the sooner the people ar,
left TO manage their own affairs, and are al
united 10 participation IN the responsibilities o
The Government, the stronger and more yigor
Gus the States which those people form will be
/ trust, therefore, that the question will b
raken, and that the State may be admitted with
out further delay f
Seward and King, of New York, Collamer
and Foot, of Vermont, Dixon aud Foster, o
Connecticut, Cameron, of PENNSYLVANIA, Chan
der, Of Michigan, Doolttle, of Wisconsin
Harlan, of Iowa, and Simmons, Of Rhode Island
eleven Republicans, voted to admit Oregon
Fessenden and Hamlin, of Maine, Hale. o
New Hampshire, Wade, of Ohio Durkee, o
Wisconsin, and Trumbull, Of Illinois, six Re
publcans, voted against it.
Our readers will remember that We advoca
ted its admission, and assigned our reasons a
length. The bill coming before the House al tn
present session, AN attempt was made by RI
publican members, TO a certain extent succes.
fully, TO make opposition to it a party measur,
We expressed our regret at the movement
briefly recapitulated the considerations tha
induced us 10 support the measure, and il
l
vote according to his own convictions of duty
The bill came up for discussion-it was d,
bated thoroughly-and the vote was taken la.
Saturday the yeas were ia, nays l03. Fl
teen Republicans, seven Anti-Lecompton Den
ocrats. and nnety-two Administration mel
voted IN the Affirmative; eighteen Souther
Extremists, ten South Americans, two Ant
Lecompton Democrats, and seventythree r,
publicans, in the negative.
1t was just one of those measures on wlic
intelligent and right-minded men, acting ger
orally together, might be expected to differ
there being so much to be said every wa,
The more reason, therefore, for charity an
liberation Our opponents understand tn
policy-Republicans may learn something frol
their example. You viii find in their eadin
journals no bitter denunciations of the Souther
men who, in obedience to their own conviction
voted against Oregon. Why should denunci.
tions be levelled by the NeW York Tribune at Ii
heads of good Republicans because they vote
for Oregon?
We had intended to say nothing more on tn
Oregon Question, but the attack Of the Tj-ibur
on the Republicans who favored its admission
imposes upon us the duty Of indicating then
Eleven Republican Senators last session recort
ed their votes in favor of this bill-only 81
against it. Why was the Tribune silent then
Why did it not arraign the eleven Senators, an
admonish Representatives not to follow the
example? For year the question has bee