Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1862-04-05
SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1862.
Division of Washington Territory.

A few months ago We called the attention
of our readers to the subject of division Of
our Territory, and expressed the opinion that
the sooner division was effected the better
it would be for the whole people. Mature re-
Election has only tended to strengthen this
conviction, and we now propose to point out
some of the reasons which have influenced our
opinion.
In the first place, the Territory 10 entirely
too large for one State, and besides there must
Of necessity be wide diversity of interests in
the mining and agricultural portions, requir-
ing different system Of laws for their gov
eminent.
Any one who will consult the map will be
satisfied that Congress never intended that the
portion which was taken from Oregon and at
tached to this Territory for judicial purposes
was to form apart Of the future State of Wash.
ington. On the contrary, it was well under
stood that soon as the portion attached con-
tanned sufficient number of inhabitants to
justify it, new Territory would be formed,
and Washington restricted to reasonable
boundary for State. That time has now
come. and it is important, both in social and
political sense, that division should be made
at once, in order that the mining portion may
be able to form system of laws which will
suit their peculiar circumstances, and thus
avoid that conflict of interests which must re-
suit from an attempt to bring them under the
control Of laws now in operation, and which
are we'll suited to the agricultural portion of
our Territory.
There will be. in that portion of the Terri
tory lying east Of line extending north from
the northeast corner Of Oregon, a population
of fifty or sixty thousand inhabitants before
the first Of July next, and that large number
will probably be doubled before the end Of
the year by the overland immigration. This
whoIe section will Be almost exclusively
mining country, with feelings and interests
entirely diverse from those of the older settled
.axtioas Of the Territory, and il would be IN
ostnse upon the rights ofths early settlers to
subject them to The entire control Of . pronis-
euous mining population. gathered from al
quarters Il he world, and having no pesma-
seas istssest in TIE Territory.
1t is urged that BY re~aining together we
can come into the Union - Stsae within the
nsxt twelve months. and that il the Territory
II divided the Sos.d region yin remain
Territory for many years to co1e. We do
not believe this. On the contrary. webelieve
that IL the mines prove to BE- what is BOW an
ticipsssd. COR rich agricultural valleys. both
eass and west at the mountains win rapidly
6ll up with a sasssPsising population from
the mines. who vim dAaire to secure pes,na-
nrnt Homes fos thessslves and families the
maaeat they shall ssesrs . sslicisncy to
stock their farms and make permanent i'm
provsmeuAs; and instead Of ito requiring
many yeam to acquire . Pop.latioa 70 elsim
admission into the Union II would require
coaparatively but short period Of time. II.
howevss. We were compelled to accept the al.
tentative Of remaining Territory for fry or
a hundred years, or be subjected to the entire
pol itical and lrgal control Of transient mining