The national Republican., 1867-01-29

~ IN looU,
Colorado, which It is now proposed to
admit as a State, contains, as has already
been stated, population less than twenty
eight thousand, while the present ratio Of
representation is one hundred and twenty
seven thousand.
There can be no reason, that / can per.
ceive, for the admission Of Colorado that
would not apply with equal force to nearly
every other Territory now organized; and !
submit whether, II this bill becomes law, II
will be possible TO resist the logical conclu-
sion that such Territories Us Dacotah, Mon
tana and Idaho must be received as States
whenever they present themselves, without
regard to the number Of inhabitants they
may respectively contain. Eight or ten new
Senators and four or FIVE new members Of
the House Of Representatives would thus be
admitted to represent population scarcely
exceeding that which, in any other portion
Of the nation, Is entitled to but q single
member Of the House OF Representatives,
while the average for two Senators in the
Union, as now constituted, is at least one
million Of people. Itwould surely be unjust
to all other sections Of the Union to enter
upon policy with regard to the admission
Of new States which might result in confer
ring such disproportionate share Of influ-
ence in the National Legislature upon COM
munities which, in pursuance Of the wise pol.
icy Of our fathers, should for some years to
come be retained under the fostering care
and protection of the National Government.
If it is deemed just and expedient now to
| depart from the settled policy OF the nation
during oil its history, and to admit all the
Territories to the rights and privileges Of
States, irrespective Of their population or
| fitness for such government, 1t is submitted
whether 1t would not be well to devise such
measures as will bring the subject before the
country for consideration and decision. This
would seem to be evidently wise, because, as
has already been stated, if it is right to ad-
init Colorado now, there is no reason for the
exclusion Of the other Territories.
1t is no answer to these suggestions that
an enabling act was passed authorizing the
people Of Colorado to take action on this
subject. 1t is well-known that that act was
passed in consequence Representations that
the population reached, according to some
statements, as high as eighty thousand, and
| TO none less than fifty thousand, and was
growing with rapidity which by the time
the admission could be consummated, would
secure population Of over hundred thou.
sand. These representations prove to have
been wholly fallacious; and in addition the
people Of the Territory, by deliberate vote,
decided that they would not assume the re,
sponsibilities Of State government.
By that decision they utterly exhausted oil
power that was conferred by the enabling
act; and there has been no step taken since in
relation to the admission that has had the
slightest sanction or warrant of law. The
proceeding upon which the present applica-
tion is based was in the utter absence OF al
law in relation to it, and there is no evidence
that the votes on the question Of the forma.
tion Of State government bear any relation
whatever to the sentiment OF the Territory.
The protest of the House Of Represents
previously quoted is conclusive evidence to
the contrary.
But if none of these reasons existed against
| this proposed enactment, the bill itself, be.
sides being inconsistent in its provisions in
comforting power upon person unknown to
the laws and who may never have legal
| existence, is so framed as to render its exc
cution almost impossible 1t is indeed q
question whether It is not in itself nullity.
10 say the least, 1t is Of exceedingly doubtful
propriety to confer the power proposed in
| the bill upon the "Governor elect" for as, by
| its own terms, the constitution is not to take
effect until after the admission OF the State,
i uC III NuC nU huluOTlIy
than any other private citizen. But even
supposing him to be clothed with sufficient
authority to convene the Legislature, what
constitutes the "State Legislature" to which
is to be referred the question Of submission
to the conditions imposed by Congress? Is
it new body to be elected and convened by
proclamation Of the "Governor elect;" or Is
Il that body which met more than year
ago under the provisions Of the State con.
stitutionH
BY reference to the second section Of the
schedule, and to the eighteenth section Of the
fourth article of the State constitution it will
be seen that the term Of the members Of the
House Of Representatives and that Of one-half
Of the members of the Senate expired on the
first Monday Of the present month. It Is
clear that il there were no intrinsic objec'