Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1866-05-24
MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT.
Veto of the Bill Admitting Colorado
as a State.

DIS u oGdtCs
The following is the message transmitted to
the Senate on Tuesday week, by the President;
70 the Senate of the United States u return
to the Senate, in which it originated, the bill
Which has passed both houses of Congress en-
titled An act for the admission OF the State
Of Colorado into the Union, with my objections
to its becoming law at this time.
First. From the best information which l
have been able to obtain, l do not consider the
establishment Of State government at present
necessary for the welfare Of the people oi eoio-
rado. Under the existing territorial govern
ment all the rights, privileges, and interests S OF
the citizens are protected and secured: Inc
qualified voters choose their own legislators
and their own local officers, and are represented
in Congress-by delegate of their own seiec-
ton. They make and execute their own !, mu-
nicipal laws, subject only to revision OF Con-
gress-an authority not likely to be exercised,
unless in extreme or extraordinary cases. lhe
population is small, some estimating 1t SO low
as TWENTY-FIVE thousand, while advocates OF the
bill reckon the number at from thirty-five thou
sand to forty thousand souls. The people are
principally recent settlers, many OF whom are
understood to be ready for removal to other
mining districts beyond the limits OF the Terri
tory. if circumstances shall render them more
inviting. Such a population cannot but nnd
relief from excessive taxation if the territorial
system. which devolves the expense of the ex-
ecutive. legislative, and Judicial departments
unon the limited States, is for the present con-
timed They cannot but find the security oil
nerson and nroperty increased by therreliance
rnon the national executive power for the main
tensnce of law and order against the dlstur-
Dances necessarily incident to all newly organi-
zed communities. -,
Second. 1t is not satisfactorily established
that majority of the citizens oi Colorado ae-
sire or are prepared for ali exchange OF ieri-
torial for State government. In Septemoer,
1864, under the authority of Congress, an cleo
ton was lawfully appointed and held ior the
purpose of ascertaining the views OF the people
upon that particular question. Six thousand
one hundred and ninety-two votes were cast
and of this number majority of 3, ,l52 was
given against the proposed change. In sep
tembcr 1864. without any legal authority, the
oucst;on was again presented TO the people OF
the Territory. with the view of obtaining a re-
consideration of the result OF the election heiu
in compliance with the act OF Congress- aPPro-
we'd March 81, 1864, AT this second eiect'on
! 5 .9O5 votes were polled, and majority oil loo
was given in favor of State organization !.
does not seem to me entirely sale TO receive TINS
last mentioned result, so lrreguiariy oDtalIcu;
as sufficient TO outweigh the one which hau
been legally obtained in the first electlon.-
Regularity and conformity to law are cssentlai
to the preservation of order and stable govern
ment, and should, as far as practicable, always
be observed in the formation OF new states;
Third. The admission. of Colorado, at tins
time. as State into the Federal Union, appears
to me to be incompatible with thepubllc inter-
ests of the country. While it is desired that
| Territories sufficiently matured should be or
ganized as States, yet the spirit OF the constitu
ton seems TO require that there should bo 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 a population OF iour mil
lions. several States have population exceed
inp two millions. andmany others have popu-
lation exceeding one million:
A population of 127 900 Is the raho OF aP-
portionment of Representatives among the
several States. If this bill should become
law. the people of Colorado, thirty thousand ID
number ,yonld have in the House of Represen-
tatives one member while New York, with a
nonnlst;on of four millions, has but thirty lone
| Colorado would have IN the electoral coiieSe
tbTee votes. while New York has only thirty
tbreo Colorado would have in the Senate two
votes while New York has no more.
INEQUALITIES of this character have already
o,cnrrad hut il is believed that none have hap
nened where theinequality was so great. Wh1n
r..L ;.,onral;tv has been allowed, Congress is
supposed TO have permitted 1t on the ground Of
some high public necessity, and under circunl-
stances which promised that II would rapioiy
disappear through The sroVthanddeVeicFmen'