The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1866-05-30
Another Veto.
The following is the Presidents message W..
toing the Colorado admission bill

| Au0 iOHVWiuS ~ TIC IIeSl0ent message Vo'
toing the Colorado admission bill
return to the senate, in which house IL ori.
ginated, the bill which has passed both houses
Of congress, entitled an act for the admission Of
the sstate Of, Colorado into the union, with nv
objections to its becoming law at this time.
l. From the best information which have
Been able to obtain, do not consider the es.
tablishment Of state governments at present
necessary for the welfare of the people OF Col.
orado. Under the existing territorial govern.
ment all the rights, privileges and interests of
the citizens are protected and secured. The
qualified voters choose their own legislatures
and their own local officers, and are represent
ed in congress by a delegate of their own SO.
lection. They make and execute their own
| municipal laws, subject only to the revision of
congress, an authority not likely to be exercis.
ed unless in extreme or extraordinary cases-
| The population is small, some estimating al
| low as S5, 900, while the advocates of the bill
reckon the number at from 10000 to 10000.
The people are principally recent settlers, ma.
ny Of whom are understood to be ready for re.
moval to other mining districts, beyond the
limits of the territory. if circumstances shall
render them more inviting. Such a popula.
ton cannot but find relief from excessive tax.
alton, il the territorial system, which devolves
the expenses Of the executive, legislative aud
judicial departments upon the United States, is
for the present continued. They cannot but
find the security of person aud property in.
creased by their reliance upon the national
executive power for tho maintenance of law
and order, against the disturbances necessarily
incident to all new organized communities.
2. 1t is not satisfactorily established that a
majority OF the citizens OF Colorado desired or
are prepared for an exchange of territorial for
a state government In September 1864, un.
Der the authority OF congress. an election was
lawfully appointed and held for the purpose of
ascertsining the views nf tho people upo.a this
particular question. Six thousand one hun.
dred and ninety-two votes were cast, and Of
this number a majority of 3,l57 was given.
against the proposed change. In September
1865, without any legal authority, the question
was again presented to the people of the ter
rtory, with view of obtaining reconsidera.
! ton OF the result Of the election held in COM
pliance with the act of congress, approved
March 24. 1864 At this second election 5,9O5
votes we're pelled, and the small majority of l55
was given in favor of state organization. Il
does not appear to me entirely safe to permit
this aforementioned result, 50 irregu'arly oh.
tained, to outweigh the one which had been lie.
gally obtained in the first election. Regular.
ity and conformity to law are essential to the
preservation OF order and stable government,
and should, as far as practicable, always bo
observed in the formation of new states.
3. The admission of Colorado, at this time.
as state into the union, appeass to me to be
incompatible with the public interests Of the
country. While it is desirable that territories,
when sufficiently matured, should be organized
as states, yet the spirit of the constitution
seems to require that there should be an ap-
proximation towards equality among the sew
eral states comprising the union No state
can have less or more than two senators in
congress. The largest state has population
of 4,OOO,O0O Several other states have pop.
ulation exceeding 100000, and many Others
have population exceeding ,0O0, 600 II
this bill should become a law, the people Of
Colorado, 10000 in number, would have in the
house Of representatives one member. while
New York, with population of 4,OOO,OOO,
has but 81. Colorado would have in the senate
two votes, while New York has no more. In
equalities Of this character have already oc.
Cured, butt it is believed none have happened
where the inequality was SO great. When
such inequality has been allowed, congress is
supposed to hvve permitted it on the grounds
of some high public necessity, and under cir
cumstances which promised that it would rap
pidly disappear through the growth and devcl.
ment of newly admitted states Thus, in re-
gard to several states in what was formerly
called the northwest territory, lying west of
the Mississippi, their rapid advance in popula-
ton rendered it certain that states admitted
with only one or two representatives in con-
gress would in very short period be entitled
to great measure of representation. So.
when California was admitted on ground Of
commercial and political exigencies, it was
we'll foreseen that that state was destined rap
idly to become great, prosperous and impor-
tant mining and commercial community. In
the case Of Colorado am not aware that any
national exigency, either of a political or CON-
mercial nature requires. a. departure from the
law Of equality which has been so generally
adhered to in our history. If Information
submitted in connection with this bill is rciia-
BILE, Colorado, Instead OF increasing, has de-
clined in population. At an election for mem
bers Of territorial legislature, held in 1861,
| IL, $50 votes were cast. At the election be-
fore mentioned in 1861 the number was G, 100 !;
while at the regular election held in 1864,
which is assumed for basis Of legislative ae.
tion at this time, the aggregate number of the
votes was 5,9O5. Sincerely anxious for the
welfare and prosperity Of every territory and
state, as well as the prosperity and welfare OF
the whole nation, l regret this apparent de.
cline of population in Colorado, but it is man
ifest that it is due to emigration which is CO.
ing on from that territory into other regions
within the United States, which either are in
fact, or are believed by the inhabitants Of Col
orado to be, richer in mineral wealth and ag
ricultural resources. II, however, Colorado
has not really declined in population, another
census or another election under the authority
of congress would place the question beyond
doubt, and cause but little delay in the ulti.
mate reception Of the territory as state. il
desired by the people. The tenor of these dis
patches furnishes the reply which may be ex
pected to an argument in favor Of the meas
ure derived from the enabling act, which was
passed BY congress on the 2lst day of March.
1864 Although congress then supposed that
| the condition of the territory was such as to
warrant its admission as a state, the result Of
| two years. experience shows that every reason
which existed for the Institution of territorial
| instead Of state government in Colorado, ut its
| first organization, still continues in force The
| condition of the union at the present moment
| is calculated to inspire caution in regard to the
admission of new states. Eleven Of the old
states have been for some time, and still re.
main, unrepresented in congress. 1t is a com.
mon interest Of all the states. as well as Of
those represented as those unreprescnted. that
the integrity and harmony of the union should
be restored as completely as possible. so that
| all those who are expected to bear the burdens
OF the federal governments shall be consulted
regarding the admission Of new states, and that
in the meantime no new state shall be perma-
nehtly admitted to participation in the politi.
cal power which the federal government Yields
not for the benefit of any Individual states or
section, but for the common safety, welfare
and happiness of the whole country.
| (Signed) ANDREW JOHNSON.
Washington, D. c., May Is, 1866. t- ="
Bishops Whitehouse, of Illinois, and
Stevens, Of PENNSYLVANIA, have been pre-
sented, by special and private appoint
ment, to The pope, with permission to take