The Tiffin tribune. [volume] (Tiffin, Ohio) 1848-1859, 1859-02-04
mr.. GROWS MINORITY RNPoRT
ON rHE OREGON BILL,


'ormi'y IN the mode aud manner of pro
cedure, aud without any uniform rule a.
to tho number Of population, the Who'll.
subject OF the propriety Of admission hsv.
Jag been left 10 the discretion of Conrress.
At the time Of tho application Of the pro.
posed State.
The two houses Of Congress. however.
vt their last session declared as their ao
ton on the application for the admission
OF Kansas as State that les then existing
population was sufficient for lbs immedi
ate admission into the Uuion as a slave
State; but If It's people were unwilling to
come into the union with such a oonsti. .
tuition then they were authorized to elect
delegates TO form q constitution and State
Governmont preparatory to their applioa .
ton for admission "wheneyer, and not he.
fore, II is asoerlaincd by census duly
and legally taken that tho population Of
said Territory equals or excels the ratio
OF representation required for Member
OF the House Of Representatives of the
Congress Of the United States" Thst
restriction, upon the action OF the people
OF Kansas, received tho approval Of the
Presidentand is now a law, upon the stat
ute book.
The President not satisfied with his OF.
hcial approval Of the act at the time Of its
passage, takes occasion in discussing tho
kansas question in his Annual Message
at the opening Of the present SESSION Of
Congress, to say in relation to the admis-
sion Of Kansas as State, ".Sursiy Il IS
not anrsaeoaaJts to require the people Of
Kansas 70 '0di before making Third al
tempt until he number Of their inhabitants
shall amount to niActy Mrss thousand four
hundred and twsaty." Had the reasona
bleness of this requirement sugges ed it,
self to the President in his message, trans
mitiing the Lecomplon Constitution to
Congress, much valuable time in the leg
lslation Of the country might have beou
saved, and q dangerous" sectional sgita
ton avoided.
The President in the Same annual mes
sage also declares that any attempt Of She
people Of Kansas TO form State Consti.
sa''vm Oefotu the number Ur their pupum.
ton reaches the fequired amount, would
be I'm cypress vi0iatioR Of the provision,
Of an act Of Congress" aud in the judg
lnent Of the President, therefore, could
not lawfully be made. Should il be at
tempted, Judging Of the future by the pas
conduct Of the Executive towards the peo
pie Of Kansas, the President would declar
IL case Of rebellion or treason, and th
larmy Of The republic would sgain be en-
Iployed under the plea Of preserving "lav
and order TO suppress constitutional lib
I erty IN Kansas. This is the FIRST iustanc,
IN the history Of the government IL which
Congress has declared that the same pop
uhtion that il recognized as sufficient fol
4 slave State was not sufficient for free
one. And the chief magistrate of the Re,
public not only sanctions such disorim.
ination, but ayows his readiness to insist
on IL, in the execution Of the laws. SO fai
rs they affect the people of Kansas. With
this law on the statute book. aud with these
official declarations Of the President, it is
proposed TO admit Oregon into the Union
with population less than the number re-
quired by this law, and from the best
sources o. information within tho reach
| Of your Committee, not exceeding, II
equal, to that Of the Territory Of Kansas
The undersigned minority Of your Com.
mittee are unable to appreciate the fair.
ness or jutice Of this kind Of Legislation
toward the people of different Territories
and are unwilling to give their sanction
10 any way to give disorim nation as tC
the number Of population required for q
free or slave State, aud much less MS L
the controlling political character of the
proposed State. The application Of bott
Kansas and Oregon to be admitted into
the Union were presented at the last ses
sion Of Congress. Neither had been au,
thorized by a previous act of Congress Il
| to-m Constitution. so in that aspect they
were both alike. SO far as could be as
certainet { No census having been taker
Ia Kansas since 1850 there was little o
no difference in the number of their pop
ulatioa. Each had elected "a State Lea
islaturs and their officers" and so FAR thel
were alike prepared to enter the Union
The only real difference that existed il
the two cases prior to the applications, o.
either, WAS that Oregon had a Territoria
Government not unsatisCactO TO her peo
Pile, and q legislature chosen by her owl
citizens, while the Territorial organizS
ton Of Kansas was usurpation OF frauC
aud force, and its political power wa
welded by usurpers aud despots.
Without expressing any opinion as Il
the proprety Of restriction on the Ter
ritories as to population il general in il
character, or as TO the necessity OF an,
previous act by Congress authorizing th
formation Of a State Goyernment-an,
without inquiry whether the Constitution
presented by the people Of Oregon is Re
publican in form and consistent in il
provisions with the guarantees Of the Con
stitution Of the United States while th
restriction on the action Of the people, o
Kansas remains on the statute book, IN
less made Of universal application 70 al
the Territories, the undersigned feel tha
thelr approval Of tho application Of Ore
gon. under the existing circumstances
wsuld b0 giviRg their sanetios y AR uu