The weekly standard. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-26
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

both Houses of Congress-, entitled
"An act for the admission of Colorado
into the Union, with my objections to
the same becoming law. From the
information which I have been able to
obtain, do not consider the establish
ment of State government at present
necessary for the welfare of the people
in Colorado. Under the existing Cen
trail Government, the rights, privileges
and interests of citizens are secured
and protected. The qualified voters
choose their own legislatures, and their
own local officers, and are represented
in Congress by delegation of their
own selection. Theymake and execute
their own municipal laws, subject only
to revision by Congress-an authority
not likely to be exercised unless III ex-
press or extraordinary cases. The pop
ulation is small, some estimating it as
low as $4,000, while the advocates of
the bill give the number at from 35, 600
to 10000. The people are, principally,
recent settlers, many of whom are un
derst6od to be ready for removal to
other mining districts, beyond the linn
its of the territory, if circumstances
shall render them more inviting. Such
a population cannot but find relief from
excessive taxation, if the territorial sys-
tenn which devolves the expenses of
the Executive, Legislative and judicial
departments upon the United States,
is for the present continued.
They cannot but find the security of
person and property increased by their
reliance upon the National Executive
power for the mainenance of law and
order, against the Disturbances neces-
sarily incident to all newly organized
communities.
Secondly. 1t is not satisfactorily es-
tablished that majority of the people
of Colorado desire, and are prepared
for an exchhhSs of territorial for Q
State Government. In September
1864, under the authority of Congress
an election was lawfully appointed att
!. held for the purpose of ascertainins
= the views Of the people upon this par
! ticular question. 6,192 votes wer
cast; of this number, a majority 0
3,715, was gwen against the proposes
change In September, 1865, withou
ah3 legal authority, the question wa
e again presented to the people of tn
y territory, with view of obtaining
: reconsideration of the result of tn
r election held in compliance with tn
J act Of Congress, approved March 21s
v 1854. At this election, 5,905 vote
were polled, and the small majority {
n. 155 was given in favor Of State o.
e ganization. It does not seem to n
entirely safe to permit this last mait
tanned result, SO irregularly obtaine'
to outweigh the one which had bee
legally obtained. Regularity and COZ
I'd formity to law arc essential to the prt
a. servation of order and State Cover
ment, and should, as far as practicabl
5h Re observed in the formation of ne
We States:
ne Third. The Admission of Colorat
le at this time as State into the Unlo
= appears to me to be incompatible WI
TIC the public interest of the country.
= While it is desirable that territori
lst when sufficiently matured should
he organized as States, yet the spirit
A the Constitution seems to require th
'uC there should be an approximation
as wards equality among the sever
pa States com posing the Union.
IN State can have less or more than t
'he Senators in Congress. The larg,
her State has a population Of 4,OOO,OOO
% Otlof OEdJ6S uhfO q pOPuAo'eAo
ans ing 100000, and many others hav
population exceeding 1,O0O,OOO.
this bill should become law the p
ing nle of Colorado, 10000 in numb
in would have in the Electoral Coll'
the three votes, while New York has Q
the tb;rtv-tbreo. Colorado would have
the Senate two votes, while New I
at has no more. Inequalities OF
wa : character have already occurred, but
dge is believed that none have happel
last where the inequality was SO grea'
was When such an inequality is ALLOW
'an- Congress is supposed to have permit
nket it on the ground of some high pu
wo- necessity, and under circumstal
only which promised that it would rap
disappear through the growth and
velopment of O. newly admitted q
lshe Thus in regard to the several State
Oln- @ what was formerly called the NO
,Ooo' west Territory, lying east OF Mlssls