The Shasta courier., 1871-09-16
TW ENTY ONE.

ihto e4lsbenco as IL were III udy, anu lh
place of waiting under Territorial form
OF government, through the slow passage
of ye1rs, until the requisite population was
obtained to entitle it to representative
in the lswer branch of Congress, CAME
without waiting the passage of an enabling
act, and through its epresentatives, asked
/ place in the sisterh ood Of States
! his unexp pected-action upon the part of
California was, in conjunction with other
reasons the cause of an intense excitement
i which pervaded all parts of the Union,
and for time threatened to precipitate
the nation into civil war. That we may
the better understand the reasons for this,
We propose to glance bri. fly at the history
Of our country in one respect.
Prior to 1920, the slavery question had
occupied comparatively, little place in our
legislation. In the earlier years of the
Republic, slavery was looked upon as an
evil which, it was hoped would gradually
eliminate itself from our domestic relations
in all the States, as it had already disap-
peared from some of the more Northern
ones. The invention of the cotton gin
however, opened new fields for the employ
ment of slave labor and gave new life tn
the slave trade between the States AID
when the State of Missouri applied for
admission into the Union with constitu-
tion recognizing slavery, excitement ran
high in the National Legislature, which
was only quieled by the passage OF what is
known as the Missouri Compromise"
measures, by which slavery was forever
prohibited in the territory north of GER
tain line of latitude.
From that hour forward, the Democrat
ic party, which constituted itself the spec
ial chan pion OF the prosavery interest,
aimed to prevent the Free States from
obtaining majority in the United States
Senate The advance guard of emigra-
ton set to the Westward more than to the
South, aud the Territories North of Mason
& Dixon's line filled up more rapidly than
those South. Arkansas and Michigan
were admitted about the same time, pre-
serving the "balance of power" between
the Free and Slave States in the United
States Senate, while to offset Iowa, rapidly
filling up with Northern men, Florida,
with just about population enough for a
good sized county was admitted in 1913.
The next step was to find an offset for
Wisconsin which too, would soon have the
requisite population to demand seat in the
Federal councils This was accomplished
by the the annexation cf Texas, and to
provided against future contingencies, by
the terms Of the act admitting Texas new
States, to the number of four could be
formed fom her territory whenever if was
deemed desirable.
California, which had been acquired
by conquest aud treaty, was also looked
upon as ultimately secure to the slavepower
Lying IN latitude parallel with the slave
States, it was thought that the westward
flow Of emigration would, naturally, in the
course of time, fill its limits with those
whose sympathes were in urion with
Southern institutions. The unlocked for
discovery of the gold mines 10 '4S, chang
ed, almost in the twinking of an eye the
so well laid plans. Soon as the news of
the great discovery was authenticated, i,
the country was in a ferment about its new
possessions. Ships, by the hundred were
fitted out in the Eastern ports, freighted
with eager goldseekers, while the endless
road "across the plains" was lined with the
sturdy emigration of the West 1t Was
not in American nature to remain long
without acquiring all possible rights Of
local self government, and steps were at
once taken toward the formation of a
State Constitution. The constitutional
Convention completed its abors in October,
and submitted our present constitution to
the people, VIII ch was ratified by them the
18th of November following. Representa-
tives to Congres and State officers were
chosen at the same time-the Legislature
met in December and chose two Senators,
and the Congressional delegation of the
new State proceeded at once to Washing
ton.
By clause in the Constitution, slavery
or Involuntary servitude, except as pun
ishment for crime was forever prohibited
This section had been almost unanimously
adopted, and although there were many Of
Southern birth in the State, they generally
preferred to see the gold fields kept free
from the curse of slave Ii Dor. In the
+ asst this action created intense excitem, mt.
The admission OF California would destroy
the "balance of power" in the Senate be-
tween the Free and Slave States, and for
the crime OF having Free Constitution,
California was denied place in the Fed
eral Councils for ten months Her consti-
tuition was ratified in November 1919, and
she was fually admitted on the 9th of
September, 1859
Pending the debates upon our admission,
sectional feeling ran high through the I'm
ion. and in some of the States Union and
Disunion tickets for State officers were vo-
ted for. Finally. by one of series of
acts known as the Compromise Measures of
1850, the State was admitted. These
Acts were passed in spirit of mutual
concession between the North aud the
South, although as was usual in those
years the South got the hons share
They were FIVE in number, and were lst,
the admission of California as a Free
State; I'd, the Fugitive Slave Law; Sd,
the organization of a Territorial gov rn-
ment for New Mexico without the ..Wil-
tx - ~. Il, - III.