The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-05-22
Message from the President.
VETO OF THE BILL ADMITTING CoL
ORADO AS A STATE.
n,a Ia Sa,,nte af the United .St0tes::

of Congress, entltleo All - - : II:,, /,
sion ofthe State of Colorado into the Union,
with my objections TO It's oecoiiinS IL"
First From the best information which
hove been able to obtain, l do not consider
the establishment Of a State government at
present necessary for the welfare of the peo-
nile of Colorado. Under the existing lerrl-
torial government all the rights, privileges,
and interests of the citizens are protected
and secured. The qualified voters choose
their own legislators and their own local OF
fcers. and are represented in Congress by
delegate of their own selection. They make
and execute their own municipal laws, SUD-
iect only to revision of Congress-an author-
Ity not likely to be exercised, unless In eA-
IRENE or extraordinary cases. Inc PoPuia-
tion is small. some estimating 1t so low as
TWENTY-FIVE thousand while advocates Oh ohe
bill reckon the number at from thirty live
thousand to forty thousand sous. lhe pc
nile are principally recent settlers, many OF
whom are understood to be ready tor remov-
al to other mining districts beyond the limits
of the Territory, if circumstances shall rem
der them more inviting. Such population
cannot but find relief from excessive taxa
ton if the Territorial system, which devolves
the expense of the executive, Legislative, and
judicial departments upon the United states
is for the present continued. They cannot
but find the security of persons and properly
increased by their reliance upon the national
executive power for the maintenance OF law
and order against the disturbances necessarl-
ly incident to all newly organized commu
mites.
Second. 1t is not satisfactorily established
that majority of the citizens OF Colorado
desire or are prepared for an exchange OF
Territorial for a State government. In Sep
TENDER, 1864, under the authority OF Con,
gress, an election was lawfully appointed
and held for the purpose of ascertalnlng the
views of the people upon that particular
question. Six thousand one hundred and
ninetv-two votes were cast and of this num-
Der a majority of 3, 152 was given against the
proposed change In September, 1865, with
out any legal authority, the question was
again presented to the people OF the Terrific
nv with the view of obtaining a reconsidera-
ton of the result of the election held IN COM
pliance with the act of Congress, approved
March 81, 1864. At this second election
5,OO5 votes were polled, and majority OF
155 was given in favor of State organization.
1t does not seem to me entirely safe to re-
ceive this last mentioned result, so irregular
ly obtained, as sufficient to outweigh the one
which had been legally obtained in the first
election Regularity and conformity to law
are essential to the preservation OF order and
stable government, and should, as far as
practicable, always be observed in the for
nation of new States.
Third. The admission of Colorado, at this
time as a State into the Federal Union, APP
pear to me to be incompatible with the pub
lie interests of the country. While 1t is de
sired that Territories sufficiently matured
should be organized as States, yet the spirit
of the Constitution seems to require that
there should be an approximation towards
equality among the several States comprising
the Union. No State can have more than
two Senators in Congress; the largest State
has population of four millions, several of
the States have-a population exceeding two
millions, and many Others have population
exceeding one million.
A population of 1877, 900 is the ratio of APP
portionment of representatives among the
Several States. If this bill should become
law, the people of Colorado, thirty thousand
in number, would have in the House of Rep
resentatives one member, while New York,
with population of four millions, has but
thirty-one. Colorado would have in the
electors college three votes, while New York
has only thirty-three. Colorado would have
in the Senate two votes, while New York has
no more.
Inequalities of this character have already
occurred, but it is believed that none have
happened where the inequality was great
Congress is supposed to have permitted it on
the ground of some high public necessity,
and under circumstances which promised
that it would rapidly disappear through the
growth and development of the newly adj
mitted States. Thus, in regard to the sever
al States in what was formerly called the
Northwest Territory" lying east of the
Mississippi, their rapid advancement IN pop
ulation rendered it certain that States admit
ted with only one or two Representatives in
Congress would in very short period be en-
titled to great increase of representation
So when California was admitted on the
ground of commercial and political exigen-
cies, it was well foreseen that that State was
destined rapidly to become great prosper
Gus mining and commercial community. In
the case of Colorado, I am not aware that
any rational exigency, either of political or
commercial nature, requires departure from
the law of equality, which has been so gene
rally adhered to in our history.
If information submitted in connection
with this bill is reliable, Colorado, instead of
increasing, has declined in population. At
an election for members of Territorial Leg
islature held in 1861, 10, $50 votes were cast.
At the election before mentioned, 1864, tine
number of votes cast was 6192; while at
the irregular election held in 1865, which is
assumed as basis for legislative action at
Lnls Time, the aggregate OF votes was 5,9O5.
Sincerely anxious for the welfare and pros
perity of every Territory and State, as well
as for the prosperity and welfare of the whole
Union, regret this apparent decline of pop
ulation in Colorado, but it is manifest that it
is due to emigration, which is going out
from that Territory into other regions with
in the United States, which either are in fact,
or are believed by the inhabitants of Colora-
do to be, richer in mineral wealth and aeri-
cultural resources. If however, Colorado
has not really declined in population, another
census or another election under the author
ity of Congress would place the question
beyond doubt, and cause but little delay in
the ultimate admission of the Territory as a
State, If desired by the people. The tenor
OF these objections furnishes the reply which
may be expected to an argument in favor of
the measure, derived from the enabling act
which was passed by Congress on the 21st of
March, 1884. Although Congress then sup
posed 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 fol
the institution of Territorial instead of q
State Government in Colorado. at its first or.
ganization, still continues in force.
The condition of the Union at the present
moment is calculated to insDirc caution ~