The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-05-16
Colorado.

UUlVlouU
The bill for admitting Colorado into the
Union has passed both Houses Of Congress,
and awaits the signature or the veto of
the President.
1t was new question in the House
but it had been up before in the Senate,
and was defeated there. That body has
now changed its mind, and voted to admit
Colorado. We are not sure whether the
Radicals count it as the thirty-seyenth, or
only the twenty-sixth State in the Union.
In their programmes of party policy, they
assume that the eleven Southern States re-
quire to be readmitted before they can have
the rights of States. Colorado is let in by
them in full, and should be reckoned, on
their theory, as the twentysixth State.
But the State is not yet admitted, and
because it may not be admitted, it may be
worth while to state the position and cir
cumstances under which she presents her.
self.
When the State applied for admission
into the Union, early in the session, it was
in the power of the President, under the en-
abling act Of Congress, by which the Terri
tory had been authorized to form State
constitution. without further reference to
Congress, to declare the new State admitted
into the Union.
The President declined 20 take the re-
sponsibility; among other reasons, because
the proceedings of the people of the Terri
tory had not been in literal conformity to
the enabling act. They had voted, first,
not to become State, but had reconsider
ed, elected the convention, and established
State Government. He sent the appica-
ton to Congress.
The Senate examined the subject at
length, and after long debate refused to
admit the new State
There were two classes of objections.
One, favored by all the Democratic Sena-
tors and some of the Republicans, opposed
the admission of new State with so scan
ty population, to enjoy weight in the
Senate equal to that of the oldest and most
populous States; to enable few thousands
Of casual settlers on mining lands, many Of
whom might be migratory population, to
counterbalance in one branch of the Legis.
lature the four millions of New York, or
the three millions of Pennsylvania. An ex-
IRENE section of the Radicals resisted the
admission of the new State on the ground
that by its constitution the right of suffrage
| is confined to white" male citizens
These men asserted the consistency and
uniformity of their devotion to the princi.
pie of absolute equality for the negro, pc.
litically, as we'll as civily, by refusing to
vote in favor of the admission into the
Union of any new State which denies the
equality and some of them have held out
in this position. By this mixed vote the
application of Colorado was defeated in the
Senate.
But on the 25sh ult. a change came owe,
the views of sundry Republican Senators
the former decision was reversed, and a res
olution was adopted by which Colorado is
admitted into the Union. The House o.
Representatives has since concurred, and il
the President assents we shall have within
a few days thrty-seven as the number o.
the States of the Union, one more member
of the House of Representatives and two
Senators. These have been already cleo
ted, and are in Washington City ready tt
take their seats as soon as the President
signaturei is attached to the bill.
/ The members elect are all of the Radical
school of politics. The change of the &C
ton Of the Senate, in voting to admit Col
orado, after having voted to reject thu
State, is explained by the fact that there il
discovered to be new need for the two
Radical Senator'S, to complete the mastery
which the Radicals in Congress are deter
mined to exercise over the President
When they wanted to override the Presi
dents veto or the civil rights bill, they de
cided to expel MIR. Stockton, Of New Jer
sey, although every lawyer Of any standin!
in the Senate, on their own side, had pro
nounced his election valid, and the Senat
had voted to sustain that opinion. On
change in the political position they foun'
him an obstacle, and they therefore revers
ed their vote and turned him out S.
they find other obstacles to the absolut
preponderance in the Senate of their owl
spotic schemes and they now reyers
their own deliberate opinions, on the Colo
, RADIO case, to let in two partisan friends.
The success of this scheming woul'
make the number of Senators, permitted t.
hold seats. ffty-two, and add to the roll 0
the ruling faction. Taking the vote on tn
civil rights bill as the basis of comparison
and adding the absent votes, the admission
of Colorado will give thirty-fve Republican
sixteen Administration, and one vacancy i
New Jersey. 1t makes two thirds vot
r certain over al, and therefore it is by tina
. the bill got through both Houses Of Cor
! gress.
But will the President sign it? 1t wi
f be grave responsibility for him to take, t
defeat the admission OF a State, but it
thought by many that he will take it.
The grounds on which he can defend tbs
A action are very powerful i; the motives
do it, in defence of himself, and Of the COZ
stitutional powers which he represents, al
exceedingly strong.
1t is cardinal point ofconviction wit
!, the President that the whole present actio
e of the Government is abnormal and by il
e ference that many Of its most importar
acts are liable to question because of tn
disturbance of the constitutional balance
e of power by the enforced absence of tn
e representation of eleven States from the d.
d ties of legislation. He is engaged in
u struggle to remove this perilous inequalit
), and restore the equilibrium Of the constit
ton. Many reasonably hold it to be h
duty to refuse his assent to the increase
l. the number of States, by the addition of
: new one, until the constitutional relatio,
e are re-established among the old ones. T
D may insist that while eleven ancient State
u with six millions of population, are expel
g ed from the councils Of the nation, and una
tiers of vital interest to their honor al
e safety are under debate in their absence,
d is unjust and against the spirit Of the co
s stitution, and an aggravation 9fa subsis
e ing wrong, to clothe few thousands, on
g distant frontier with the power to sit
is Judgment over them, and be, by the act
e Jo,t,I coroo &c <hoir pocit;nn IN =. no ri