The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-05-26
THE COLORADO VETO.
Views of President johnson.

The following is the President S
MESSAGE vctoing The Colorado bill:
20 THE SENATE OF THE UNITED
STATES II rctuyn to the Senate, in
which it originated, the bill which has
passed both houses Of Congress en-
titled "An act for the admission Of Col
orado into the Union with my ohjoc-
tiOns.
From the information which ! have
been able to obtain, do not consider
the establishment OF Il State Govern
ment, at present, necessary for the
welfare Of the people in Colorado.
Under the existing Territorial Coy
ernment all the rights, privileges and
interests Of citizens are protected and
secured, The qualified voters choose
their own Legislatures and their own
local officers, and are represented IN
| Congress by a delegation Of their own
selection. They make and execute
their own municipal Laws, subject only
to revision by Congress-an authority
not likely to be exercised nAlcss in eX-
trcme or extraordinary cases.
The population is small some es-
timating it as low as 23,GO0, while the
advocates Of the bill reckon the mum
Der at from $4,000 to 10000. The
people are principally recent settlers,
many of whom are understood 10 bt
ready for removal to other mining dis
tricts beyond the limits Of the Tcrr.to-
ry. if circumstances shall render then
more inviting.
Such Il population cannot but find re-
lief from excessive taxation, IL Tho
territorial system, which dcyolves cN
pcnses of the Executive, Legislative
and Judicial Departments upon thu
United States, is for the present con
,inucl. They cannot but find the Sc
curity Of person and property ,ncfeaS
ed by their reliance upon the Nationa
Executive power for the maintainanc'
of law and order against the disturb
ancc necessarily incident to all. newl,
OfRdli!Ltb tJIhHiu'i'tiN''
SECONDLY. 1t is not satisfactorily
established that a majority Of the cl'i
zcus ofCoorado desire, and are PIE
pared for an exchange of u Territorial
for Il State Government lii Septem
bcr. 1864, under the authority Of Con
rrcss, al election was lawfully appoint
ed and held for the purpose OF asccr
tanning the views of the people upo'
this particular question. G,ll2 vote
were cast and of this number Il ma
jority of Bis was given against tn
. proposed change
In September, 1865, without any leg'
| authority, the question was again pre-
sentcd to the people Of the territory
with the view of obtaining Il reconsit
Grafton of the result OF the ciectlo
held in compliance with the act orCoi
= grcss, approved March u, 1864. a
D this second election 1904 votes wer
polled, and the small majority OF Ia
was given in favor of State organiza
= ton.
Y 1t does not seem to me entirely sa
:, to permit this last mentioned result, S
:. irrcgularly obtained, to outweigh IL
!. one which had been legally obtaine
: Regularity and conformity to law ai
: essential to the preservation of ordt
:. and stable government, and should
y far as practicable, always be observe
o in the formation of new words.
V THIn. The admission of Colorat
II at this time as State into the UniC
a appears to me to he Incompatible Wi
the public interest of the countr
= While it is desirable that Tcrritorie
\. when sufficiently matured, should
organized as States, yet the spirit
= the Constitution seems to require tn
t, there should be an approximation I
u wards equality among the sever
n States comprising the Union \
State can have less or more than t'
le Senators in Congress. The large
/ State has a population offour million
Il several other States have populate
is exceeding two millions, and ma
Is Others have population exceed
=, one million.
~ N If this bill sholl become law, t