New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-22
WASHINGTON.
4r CLAIMS OF NEW MEXICO.
A pIrI no ADMIT Ew-MEXIcO AS A STATE PAssEI

A BILL TO ADMIT w-MEXICo AS STATE PASSED
nv A SURPRISINGLY LARGE MAJORITY IN THE
HousE-AN INTERESTING DEBATE THEREON
IBY TELEGRAPH THE TRBUNEl
WASHINGTON Nav 2l-The House voted to-day,
by a surprisingly large majority, to make of New
Mexico the thirty-eighth State of the Union There
has been almost no discussion of late in the news
papers or in Congress- of the prOprety of the admis
sion of this Territory and the speedy passage OF the
enabling act by n vote of nearly three to one-l6O
Yeas TO "a Nays-asonished the warmest friends OF
the measure. The result was largely due to the i'm
preston produced by the really excellent speech OF
the new delegate from the Territory, Mr.. s. b. Elkins
1t was one of the instances that are rare nowadays
In the House, when single speech carries conviction
with it. and wins majority of the body to the sup
port of measure to which they were before either
hostile or indifferent.
The gist of Mr.. Elkins's argument was that New
Mexico had more inhabitants than is of the States
had when admitted and more than either Nevada or
Oregon now has that she has stable, orderly ana
prosperous population numbering over 600 In lo7O
and now estimated at 600 with free schools and
all the conditions of permanent, civilized, setsus
tanning society; that the settlement of the country
antedated that of any portion OF the United states
except Florida, Santa Fe being an older city than
Boston, and that the proclamation OF Gen. Kearney.
in taking possession of the territory during the
Mexican war, and the Treaty of Guadalupe, bad
also promised the people the same rights of sef-gov
eminent enjoyed by the people Of the United States
MI Elkins laid much stress upon the latter portion
of his argument, and claimed that Congress had
treated the New-Mexicans unfairly in keeping them
for 26 years in condition OF territorial Vassalage
while creating many new States with less wealth
and less adaptation for selfgovernmeDt
MI Potter opposed the bill, and found in it per
tnen and convenient text for discussing the dangers
likely to arise in the future from multiplying new
States with few thousand inhabitants each TO out
weigh in the Senate the popuOus and wealthy States
of the East. Sixteen Senators now represented
majority of the people, and 50 minority. He feared
that the large States would day, refuse to sub
init to be governed by the small ones and that there
would be a new secession movement. In the course
of his remarks, Mr.. Potter said incidentally, that If
he had the power 10 make government OF separate
States, like ours, any one or more of them should
have the right to 90 out of the Union at pleasure.
This sounded very much like an Endorsement of the
old hcresy of secession, and Mr.. Cox attacked the
sentiment sharply, thinking perhaps, that bymaking
the most of the opportunity, he might kill off one Of
the most promising candidates for the Democratic
nomination of Governor of NewYOrk
An interesting feature Of the debate. which was,
throughout unusually vigorous and pointed was
Mr. Kasson's reply to Mr.. Potters criticisms on the
character Of the Senators sent to Congress by the
small Western States, and the influence of money IN
securing their election MIR. HOskins of New-YOrk
made an effective. fve-minute speech in support OF
the BILL and Mr.. Geo. +. HOar, who found an argu-
ment against il in the fact that fve-sixtbs of the
people of the Territory 10 years of age cannot
read or write was endorsed by Mr. Kasson. who re-
minded hun that the Republican party was debarred
from raising that objection after il had refused to
impose educational qualification when it en-
franchised the blacks of the South.
The bill will be certain to encounter a much
stronger opposition in the Senate than 1t met with
IN the House. and it viii probably go until next
session without definite action.