Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-12-25


first article in the Constitution as all other
persons" that does not receive the sanction
OF all the States in the Union, This We re.
gard as n constitutional decree of perpetual
bondage in the United States.
To any such amendment of the Constitu-
ton we are opposed. and at the present time
to any amendment.
The Constitution, az orr fathers made it
in our judgment. if maintained, sufficiently
guarantees the rights of all parties living nm
der it. Distinguished men who have lately
spoken. and who are deeply involved in the
revolutionary designs OF the southern section
OF the coniederacy, have declared that all they
asked was that the existing Constitution
should be lived up to and fairly interpreted.
1T the present Constitution is violated, what
reason have we for believing that any new
one will he better observed The present
Constitution gives no right to any party TO
interfere with slavery in The States, and no
party desires so TO inteltrrp-ccrtainlv we de-
sire no such interference, and protest against
the possession of any such power.
The platform of the republican party adop-
ted at Chicago declares " That the mainten-
ance inviolate of the rights of the States, and
especially the right of each State to order and
control its own domestic institutions, accor-
ding to It's own judgment exclusively, is es-
sential to that balance of power on which the
perfection and endurance of our political fab
rio depends and We denounce the lawless
invasion by armed force of the soil of any
State or Territory, no matter under what pre-
text. as among the gravest of crimes
By the above declaration the people of he
north will faithfully abide, and in our ildg-
ment, they will not assent to any greater guar
antees of good faith than the present Consti-
tuition gives. What good is likely TO result
from the submission OF the proposed amend
ment Will it be adopted? In our iudg-
ment, it will not 1t will be rejected, not be-
cause the people Of the n. nth desire or intend
to interfere with slavery, but because they will
regard it as humiliaiing requirement, proro-
sing. as it does, that they shall enter into
bonds for their good behaviour when they
have neither commi ted nor medtated wrong.
The submission Of such an amendment is
virtual acknowledgment by Congress that
there is danger Of such interference, and the
voting of ii down will be claimed by the
south as such a declaration Of intention TO in
terfere as will greatly add to the present hos
tile feeling and as we can see that no good
is likely TO arise from the submission of this
amendment. but only evil. we feel constran-
ed to oppose it.
The majority of the committee, as a further
remedy for existing ills. propose to admit
q
State as soon as may be-" with or without
slavery, rs her const tuition may determine
To this proposition we also feel bound to in
terpose our protesf. The people of New
Mexico have not asked to be admitted into
the Union, and there was no evidence before
the committee tina they had any such desire,
or that they possess the population or ability
to maintain a State government. On the
contrary, it was satisfactorily shown before
the committee that the entire population ct
the country sought to be brought in as State
did not exceed $4,000. scattered over vast
extent of territory. OF this number all bat
about srvsn hundred are natives of that conn
try, who do not speak our language, and the
great mass of whom are sunk in the lowest
ignorance Over one-half of the entire pop
ulatiOn are poems, or persons held as slaves
for a Limited period. The number of persons
of pure Caucasian blood is very small, but
great majority are mixture of Meyicans and
Indians. They are pastoral people, gener-
ally poor. unused to paying taxes, and unable
and unwilling 10 do so. Small as is the pop
ulaton, it is believed 10 be quite as large as
can be sustained there from the products of
the soil of that country. AS an inducement
To create New Mexico and Arizona into a
State. 1T will, no doubt, he claimed by some
that the moment 1t is admitted the free people
TIMES How far they will be likely to do so
we will presently inquire. We express the
opinion that it will come into the Union as a
slave State, and it cannot be supported as a
measure of adjustment upon any other AS
sumption. In saying that it will come i'm as
a slave State, we do not mean 10 say that it is
a country where it will ever be- profitable TO
take slaves in any considerable numbers; but
that it is a country here the sentiment is not
adverse to holding slaves is proven by the
fact that the Territory, which was free when
it was acquired. has established slavery and
adopted IA slave code of a most barbarous
character If a State is admitted. the laws
now existing establishing slavery will remain
in force and the same power that establish
ed it in the Territory will maintain it in the
State But were we certain that it would
come in without slavery, our objections to its
admission would stIll remain. The lack of
population, the inability to support a State
government. and the mongrel character of its
inhabitants. all interpOse obstacles of the gra-
vest character.
To give such State the Same weight and
influence in controlling the legislation of TIE
country as is possessed by the oil States
would be serious obiectson under any cir
cumstances but il might be overcome was
there prospect that within reasonable time
to any such control or influence. If it comes
in as free State, it will only further add to
the excitement of the south, and they will
maintain that il was the object and intention
in bringing it in, to still further d, s:roy the
balance between the two sections of the coun-
try; and that it Diseases a determination on
the part of the north to create States tor the
purpose of overwhelming them, regardless of
their want of population or other fitting rea-
sons to entitle them to admission.
To these who intend to vote for her admis-
sion on the ground that it will be free State,
and in the expectation that free white labor
ing men will seek that country as a place of
settlement. and control its institutions, we
beg To submit few facts. 1t is now over
twelve years since the most of that country
was acquired. and yet to-day it is believed
that il contains less population than at the
time of its acqust ON. Why is this 2 1t is
certainly not because that country has not
been sufficiently pulled into notice, for it is
well known that persons interested in imagi-
nary gold and silver mines there have been
indefatigable in their efforts to commend that
country to the favorable notice of the public.
To gentlemen who see in this measure
new State opened out to the world, which is to
invite the free men of Massachusetts, Ohio.
and other States TO take possession of it, we
beg to commend some descriptions of that
country.
In 1916, Major Emory passed. with GeEer
al Kearney and his military force across the
this portion of the continent. He says, sTeak-
ing of the coSntry where the San Pedro joins
the ella
7