The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-05-25
THE ADMISSION OF COLORADO.
President Johnson's Veto.
WAsaryoroS. MAY l6.

First. From the best Information which
have been able TO obtain. do not consider
the establishment of State Government at
present necessary for the welfare OF the
people in Colorado. Under tue existing
Territorial Government, all the rights.
privileges aud interests OF tho citizens are
protected aud secured. The qualified voters
choose their own Legislatures. and their
own local officers. and are represented in
Congress by delegate of their own seleo-
ton. They make and execute their own
municipal laws, subject only to revision by
Congress, an authority not likely to be ex.
erciscd, unloss la extreme or extraordinary
cases.
The population is small, by some being es.
titnated so low as 5000, while the afvo.
Gates Of the bill place the number at irom
30 600, to $4,000. The people are principally
recent settlers, many of whom are UNDER
stood to be ready for removal to other
mining districts, beyond the limits of tue
Territory it circumstances shall render them
more inviting. Such a population cannot
but 6nd relief from excessive taxation if
the Territorial system which devolvos the
expenses of the executive legislative and
judicial departments, upon the United States
is, for the present continued. They can.
not but find the security Of person and
property increased 10y their reliance upon
the National Executive power for the main.
teuance of law aud order against the dis.
turbauces necessarily incident to all newly
organized communities.
Second. 1t is not satisfactorily established
that majority of the citizens of Colorado
are prepared for change from a Territorial
to State Government. In September, 1864,
under the authority of Congress an elec.
ton was lawfully appointed and held, for
the purpose Ot ascertaining the views of
the people upon this particular question.
| 6,l92 votes were cast, and of this number
majority of 3, 1872 were given against tho
proposed clauge In September, 1868,
without any legal authority, the question
was again presented TO the people of the
Territory, with view of obtaining recon-
sideration Of the result Of tho election, held
in compliance with tho act of Congress,
approved March 81, 1864. At this second
election, 5,9O5 votes were poll9d, and a
small majority of l55 was given in favor OF
State organization. lttlOeS not seem 10
me entirely safe to permit this last mel.-
toned result, so irreguarly obtained, to
outweigh the one which haI been legally
olt ,inod in the first election. Regular Y
and conformity to law are essential to the
ment and should, as fr as practiclbl,
always be observed in the formation OF
new States
Third. The admission Of Colorado at this
time, IA State, into the Union, appears to
me to be Incompatible with the public in
terests of the country. Whlo ii is desira
Bile that Territories, when sufficiently
matured, should be organized as States yet
| tue spirit of the Constitution seems to re-
Julre that there shonl be AN approxima.
| ton toward equality ain my the severa
States comprising the Union. No State can
have less or more than two Senator'S i'll
Congress. The largest State has Il popula
tion of four millions. Several other States
have a population exceeding two millions
and many others have population exceed
ing one million. If this bill shoul becomo
a law, the people of Colora 10, thi.ty tn lus
atd in number, would have in the House OF
representatives one member, whilo New
York. with u population of four millions
has but thirty-one. Colorado would have
in the electoral college three votes, while
New York has only thirty three. Colorado
would have in the Senate two votes, while
New York has no more. Unequal. ties ot
this character have already occurred, hut
it is believed That none have existed where
the inequality was 30 great. When suci
inequality has been allowed, Congress is
supposed TO have permitted it on the
grounds Of some high public necessity, aud
under circumstances which promise that il
would rapidly disappear, through the
growth and development of the newly ad
mitted State. Thus, in regard to the several
States in what was formerly called the
Northwest Territory, lying east of the Mis-
sissppi, the rapid advance in population
rendered it certain that the States admitted
with only one or two Representatives, il
Congress, would, in very short period, be
entitled to a great increase in representa-
ton. When California was admitted, OF
the question of commercial aud politica
exigencies, it was we'll fOreseen that State
was destined rapidly to become "a great
prosperous and important mining aud com
mercial community.
In the case of Colorado, am not awar,
that any national exgcncy, either OF poit
ical or commercial nature, requires de
parture from the law of equality which hai
beer so generally adhered to in our history
If the information submitted in connection
with this bill is reliable, Colorado, insteaC
of increasing, has declined in population
At am election for members for terIitoria
Legislature, held in 1861, l0,530 votes were
cast At the election before mentioned il
1864, the number was 6l92, while at tn
regular election held in 1865, which is as
iumed for basis of legislative action a
this time, the aggregate Rumber of thu
votes was 5,905.
Sincerely anxious for the welfare and
prosperity Of every Territory an1 State, a,
well as for the prosperity and welfare o
the whole Union, regret this apparen
decline Of population in Colorado; /; but it il
manifest it is due to tile emigration which
is going on from that Territory into Other
regions within the United States, whiqI
either are in fact, or are believed by the
inhabitants of Colorado to be, richer il
mineral wealth and agricultural resources
II, however, Colorado has not really de
clined in population, another census or an
other election, under the authority of Con
gress, would place the question beyJnd a
doubt, and cause but little delay in the
ultimate reception of the Territory as a
State, If desired by the people.
The tenor of these objections furnishes
the reply which may be expected to al,
argument in favor Of the measure, derived
from the enabling act which was passed
by Congress on the 2lst day of Mar II, 1854
Although Congress then supposed that the
condition of the Territory WAS such as to
warrant its admission as a State, the result
of two years experiences shows that ev5~y
reason which existed for the existence OF
a territorial, instead of a State Goverurnenl
in Colorado at is frat organization. still
continues in force. The condition Of the
/ Ininu a tba nraspnt tr,arnarf -. coIorI ,f.,l