The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1866-04-26

not ceased to exist and the only objection that
Congress could urge Was deficiency Of population,
and on this point presidents had been Established
which ought not TO be lost sight Of
Mr. Hendricks said II the question as 10 the ad.
mission Of new State depended upon the fertility
Of her valleys, the richness Of her mines, or tho
beauty Of her mountains, he would be compelled to
admit that the Senator from Nevada Mr. Nyelha
made forcible argumenti but II II depended upon
the regularity attending the formation Of the State
government and the suiiciency Of population, he
was Of the opinion that the Senator had no. made
very strong point. The people Of Colorado had
BY vote Of two to one rejected tho constitution
formed under the enabling act Mr. u. then gave
an account Of the proceedings Of the convention
which formed the present constitution and spoke Of
the irregulArity thereof He then referred to the
sparse population, contendiug had materially
decreased. He should, as readily as any Senator
on this floor, welcome new Senators who come here
representing population to justify their admission,
but he could not vote 10 give the representatives Of
fifteen thousand people the same weight the
representatives Of the thirteen hundred thousand
people Of Indiana.
Mr. Stewart advocated the claims OF Colorado 10
admission.
Mr.. Howard said II he had boon present when
this bill up before he should hive voted for IT,
There had been two reasons ndduced on this floor
why Colorado should not be admitted one that the
population was insufficient, and another that uni
yersal suffrage was not allowed Neither Of these
reasons were sufficient to induce him to vote against
the bill Mr.. II. commended that tho population
had not decreased.
Mr.. Edmunds said the principal objection which
induced him to oppose the admission Of this State
at this time found rather In the provisions Of
the Constitution than the rregularity attending its
formation, and when he said that this objection
grew out Of that much -talked-of word white, he
trusted he would not be accused Of
Vermont That State, even before she was n mem.
Der Of this Union, had never tolerated any dis
tinctions in political equality on account OF race
We have entire power on this subject, and It is our
duty to exercise It, II appeals TO our sense Of the
right and our memory Of what has just passed.
As the Senator from Massachusetts, said, Il Is no
use to say that this thing has been done be.
fore We now entering upon q new era. For
myself, AN democrat In the fullest sense Of the
term, as 1 understand 1t. 1 am for the political
equality Of all men, and yet am asked to give
my vote against that principle l cannot yield to
1t for q temporary advantage. Can we not send
this constitution back to the people, and by the LIST
Of December, II they come here with constitu.
tion that We can sanction, they can be admitted.
Mr.. Sumner returned his thanks to the Senator
from Vermont for the noble stand taken by him in
defense Of human rights. He thought the Senate
had bettor sleep upon II, and therefore moved to
adjourn.
The Chair put tho motion to adjourn, viii oh was
decided in the negative-Mr. Sumner only voting
aye
Mr.. Creswoll said he had voted against this bill
before, and but for the fact that he intended 10
change his vote, would not trouble the Senate with
any remarks. His trouble had been not the
sources Of the State or the irreguarity attending
the formation other constitution, but In the per-
manence of her population. The pamphlet Of
Messrs Evans ard Chafee had dispelled his doubts,
and he now prepared to vote for her admission.
He thought the statement Of the Senator from Mas
| saohusetts unwarrantable that two more votes
to DO gained to the party this side of the cham
Der by the admission Of the representatives Of this
State. So long as he Mr.. Q. represented his
State Maryland on this floor, he proposed to give
no vote which was not In accordance with the die
| tates Of his duty and conscience.
Mr.. johnson said no objected to the admission Of
Colorado because she had not sufficient population.
When the Union was formed II objected to Civ
ing the smaller States an equal representation with
the larger States on the ground that II was not
publican, and II was only consented to whom 1t be-
came apparent that the confederation would not be
| formed otherwise. The larger States had yielded
this to the smaller ones, but It would not have
been acceded had II been supposed that States
with so small population should seek admission
here on equal terms.
Mr.. johnson gave way to Mr.. Grimes, who
moved to adjourn.
Mr.. Sherman demanded the yeas and nays on the
motion, which being ordered, 1t was decided in the
negative, by vote Of 81 to IA.
| Mr.. Johnson resumed. II n proposition had
been made in the Constitutional Convention that
States were thereafter to he admitted with such q
population Colorado, II would not have received
the sanction Of q single member Of the Convention
| The largest estimate that has been made Of this
population 10 35, 900, Of whom Q, 900 Of Mexi-
can origin, not knowing our language and having
| no sympathy In common with US. Deductng these,
and assuming, what is known to be the fact, that
people emigrate TO these mining regions without
their families, and comparing the vote given at the
| ratification Of the constitution, and you cannot
make out more than Ii, 900. The people Of this
District number 100 000 and yet they have no rep.
resentatives here. We are their representatives,
and also the representatives Of the people who set
tie In the Territories until they are in condition
to form a State government. The admission Of
States was high function. 1t was not TO termi-
nate with the admission Of Colorado. lie objected
to the admission on tho ground that It was not re-
publicani not on the idea Of the Senator from
Massachusetts,, Mr. Sumner, or the Senator from
Vermont, Mr.. Edmunds, but because 1t was not
republican to give equal weight to this limited pop
ulation Of 49, 900 with populations Of one, two or
three millions Senators who voted for 1t would
set a precedent which they would afterward regret
Suppose the southern States were all In, four new
States could be made out of Texas ten or more out
of Georgia. and Virginia might demand many
as she pleased. What was to prevent It? And
what was to become Of New England? II wealth
was to constitute States, fifty might be made out
Of the city Of New York.
They all knew how these conventions were got
up. Gentlemen were anxious to come to Congress,
but the great body Of the people took interest in
the natter they preferred to remain in a terrific
rial condition until they were able to assume the
burdens Of State government.
Mr.. Sumner know that nothing he could say
would alter the opinion Of the Senate, but he
warned them against the step thoy were now taking
The question was then taken on the motion to
reconsider which resulted as follows;
YEAs-Mossrs. Chandler, Clark, Conness, Cragin,
Crsswell, Howard, Howe Kirkwood, Lane of Indi.
ana, Nye, Pomeroy, Ramsey, Sherman Sprague,
Stewart, Trumbull, Van Wrinkle, Wiley, and viii.
son-l9
NAYs-Msssrs. Buckalow, Davis. Doolittle Ed.
munds, Foster, Grimes, Guthrie. Hendricks, Nc.
Dougall, Morgan, Poland, Riddle, and Sumner-l3.
A number of Senators announced pairs.
So the motion to reconsider was agreed to- and
the Chair stated that the bill was Its second
reading, aud open to amendment.
Mr.. Sumner offered the following amendment:
Provided, That this act shall not take effect OK
oept with the fundamental condition. that within
the State there shall be denial of the elective
franchise or any other right account Of race or
color and all persons shall equal before the law
and the people Of the Territory shall by q major.
ity Of the voters at Rpubllo meeting publicly con-
Vened by TIE Governor Of the Territory, declare
their assent To this fundameG.s conditions and the
doyeFnsI shall transmit to the President O., 's'
United States al authentic statement Of such as
sent whenever the same shall be giVonj upon the
receipt whereofhe shall, by proclamation, announces
the fact whereupon, without any further proceed
ing In Congress, this act shall take effect.