The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1867-02-06


not the letter, of the Constitution.
It's respectfully submltted tina. however
Congress. under the pressure of circum-
stances, may have admitted two or three
States with less than representative po-
pulation at the tim !, there has been no IN
stance in which an application for admls'
sson has ever been entertained when the
population. as officially ascertained, was
beiow thirty thousand.
Were there any doibt Of this being the
true construction of the Constitution. il
would be dispelled by the early and long
continued practice OF the Federal Govern
menl. For nearly sixty years alter the
adoption oil the Constitution, no State was
admitted with a population believed at The
time to be less than the current ratio Tor a
representative /; and the first instance in
which there appears 10 have been depar.
,ure from the principle was in l845. in the
case OF Florida. Obviously the result Of
sectional strife, we would do well TO regard
il as a warning OF evil rather than as an
example for imitation /; and | think candid
men ol all,parties wilisgres tina, The inspir
lng use of the violation of this wholesome
principle of restraint is TO be found in a
vain attempt to balance these antssonisms
which refused To De rec0ncied except
through the bloofy arbitrament Of arms.
The PLAIN facts OF our history will attest
that the great and leading States admitted
since ls45, viz: Iowa, Wisconsin, Califor-
MIA, Minnesota, and Kansas-including
Texas, which was admitted thar year-have
all come with an ample population for one
Representative, aud some Of them with
nearly or quite enough Tor two.
To demonstrate the correctness OF my
views on this question, subjoin a table
containing a list Of the States admitted
since the adoption Of the Federal Constitu-
ticn, with the date OF admission, the iatie
of representation, and the representative
population when admitted, deduced from
the United States census tables, the calcu-
lation being made for the period OF the de.
cade corresponding with the date Of ad-
mission.
Colorado, which il is now proposed "a
admit as q State, contains, as has already
been stated. a population less than twenty
eight thousand, while the present ratio ol
representation is one hundred and twenty
seven thousand.
There can be no reaaon that can per.
c-ive for the admission Of Colorado thai
would not apply with equal force TO near }
every ether Territory now arsanized ant
submit whether, il this become law, i
will be possible to resist The logical conclu
sion that such Territories as Dakota. Mon
tana, and Idaho must be received as States
whenever they present themselves. without
regard 10 the number OF inhabitants thel
may respectively contain. Eight or ter
new Senators and iour or live new member
of the House OF representatives, would thu
be admitted TO represent . population
scarcely exceeding that which. IN any othel
portion Of the nation, is entitled TO but
single member Of the House of Represen
tatives. while the average for two Senators
in the Union. as now Constituted, nat leas
one million Of people. IL would surely b
unjust 70 all other sections o: the Union Z
enter upon a policy with regaid TO the ad
mission ei new States which might result u
conferr.ng such disproportionate share .
influence in the national legislature upol
communities (which, 10 Pursuance ot to-
wise policy oi our laihers. should Tor SOM
years 10 come be retained under ne ioster
ing care and protection OF the NstIona
Government. II il is deemed Just anu e.
pedient now to depart from the settled poll
cy Of the nation during all Us history, am
10 admit all the Territories TO the right
and privileges Of States, irrespective Of thel
population or fitness for such government
IL is submitted whether il would not be We
to devise such measures as will bring To
subject before the country Tor considerable
and decision. This would seem TO De evl
IDENTIFY wise. because, as has already bee
stated. if il is right to admit Colorado nov
there is no reason for the exclusion Of 10
other Territories