Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-05-25
4 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT.

III
VETO OF TIT BILL. ADMITTING COLORADO AS "A /
To the Senate Of the United States: 81
| return to the Senate. in which it origl- !
mated, the bill which has passed both Houses
of Congress, entitled {" An act for the adinls-
sion of the State of Colorado into the Unlon
wthmy objections to its becoming a law at
this time.
First, From the best information which /
have been able to obtain, do not consider
the establishment of "a State government at
present necessary for the welfare Of the pco-
plc Of Colorado. Under the existing Terri
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 officers,
and are represented in Congress by dele
gate of their own selection. They make and
execute their own municipal laws, subject
only to revision of Congress-an authority
not likely to be exercised, unless IN extreme
or extraordinary cases. The population is
small, some estimating it 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 9TH
er mining districts beyond the limits of the
Territory, if circumstances should render
them more inviting Such population can
net but find relief from taxation if, the terri
torial system, which deyolves the expense Of
the executive, legislative and Judicial depart
mcnts upon the United States, As 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 maintaining OF law and ORDER
against the disturbances necessarily incident
to all newly organized communities. :,
+ Second, It is not satisfactorily established
that majority Of the citizens Of Colorado
desire Or are prepared for, an exchange Of a
Territorial for State government. In Sep
.tcmber, 1854 irsnder the authority of Con
gress, an election was lawfully appointed and
held for the purpose Of ascertalning the views
of the people upon that particular question.
Six thousand one hundred & ninety-two votes
we're cast, and of this number . majority Of
1852 was given against the proposed change.
In September, 1865, without any legal .au-
thority, the question was again presented to
to the people Of the territory with the view
Of obtaining reconsideration Of the result Of
the election held in compliance with the act
of Congress, approved March II, 1864. At
this second election 5 ,9G5 votes were pollcd
and majority of l55 was given in favor Of
State organization. It does not seem to me
+ entirely safe to receive this last mentioned
result, SO irregularly 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 formation Of new States
Third, The admission of Colorado at this
time as a State into the Federal Union, APP
pears to me to be incompatible with the pub
lie interests of the country. While it is de-
4 sired that territories sufficiently matured
should be organized as States, yet the spirit
! Of the Constitution Seems 60 require that
there should be an approximation towards
equality among the several States compris-
ING the Union. No State can have more
than two Senators in Congress; the largest
State has a population Of four millions, sew
eral Of the States have a population exceed
in two millions, and many others have a pop
ulation exceeding one million.
f. Aipopulaton of one hundred and twenty
seven thousand is: the ratio ofapportionmcnt
Of representatives among the several States.
: If this bill should become a, law, the people
of Colorado, thirty thousand in number,
would have in the House Of Representatives
Z one member, while New York, with popu-
ilation Of four millions, has bat thirty --
Colorado would have in tie electoral college
!, three votes, while New York has only thir-
9 ty-three. Colorado would have in the Sen
ate two votes, while New York has no more
j Inequalities of this character have already
& occurred, but it is believed that none have
happened where the inequality was so great
When such inequality has been allowed, Con
4 gress IS supposed to have permitted it on tht
ground of some high public necessity, an(
, under circumstances which promised that i
would rapidly disappear through the growtl
{ and development of the newly admitted State
e Thus, in regard to the severalStates in wha
was formerly called the = North-weat Terri
+. H. sT:aa.,.-..,,,: ,f.5,, ~ ;,