Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-02-28
Nobate on the
Statehood Bill.
POLITICS, poLYcAnY and the CHURCH


| Early In the winter OF 1862 Gen. Sibley
left Texas with large force, probably
| from 1000 to 5000 men-nearer $780,
| perhaps, than either. | need not state
| that Gen. Sibley was West Point Off
| Ger aud a man thoroughly familiar with
the western country, lie moved into
! New Mexico. He was met soon after
| he got into New Mexico by Gen. Candy
| with three New Mexican regiments.
| Cen Canby's force was greatly inferior
| 10 that of Gen. Slbley. These New
Mexican forces under Candy held sib-
ley IN check for some time, but being
less In number, they were compelled
gradually TO retire toward the capital
Of New Mexico The point for which
| Sibley had started was first to strike
Fort Union, where the government of
the United States had then a very large
quantity OF munitions OF war, amount
ing to many millions Of dollars, The
second point to which he was reaching
was the continental stage line, to cut
off communications with California
We had In Colorado a regiment raised
the summer before in very irregular
manner, and 1t had been rejected by
the general government. 1t took the
united efforts of all the people of Col
orado for many months to get the gov
eminent Of the United States TO ac-
cept that regiment. Some time late In
the fan or early In the winter the gov
| eminent accepted II. The regiment
was composed OF about 1000 men.
We had In addition to that a battery
and about 100 cavalry. SO we had in
the Colorado force about 1000 men.
The government OF the United States
pr
a portion of them only, to New Mexico
to support Candy About two-thirds
Of the troops We're ordered into New
Mexico. The officer in command
reached a point not far from Fort Lyon
where about 400 OF the Colorado troops
were stationed. The Colorado troops so
stationed, and who were to be left In
Colorado insisted that II there was TO
be any fighting they had not enlisted TO
remain in the fort and that they would
go 10 New Mexico with the rest, and IN
spite of the protest Of the colonel, con-
trary TO the designs Of the general gov
ernment they marched out with him to
meet Candy
Courers from Gen, Candy were sent
up to the Colorado troops coming down
to hurry their passage. stating that II
was quite impossible with his Inferior
forces TO hold the Confederate army in
check and as ] stated a few moments
ago the last day this infantry made q
march Of % miles, marching all day
and all night. and In the early gray OF
the morning striking Sibley. They did
not wait for any orders from Candy but
sailed into him, burnt his baggage train,
which they struck first, and, with the
aid of the New MeXicans and Gen, Can
by, routed Gen. Sibley Sibley having
lost his baggage train, and having
failed TO reach the munitions of war at
Fort Union, of course turned his face
towards Texas.
Now, Mr.. President, ] should not have
referred 70 this matter at all, but the
statement made by the senator might
leave the inference that / had been
careless at least, In not giving TO the
people of Colorado the credit that they
were entitled to receive. l only claimed
that Candy had held In check until our
troops got there, and that was all that
could have been expected with the small
number he then had
Now, Mr.. President, / do not care to
debate this question. | am going TO
present some facts on some other oc-
caslon in connection with this debate,
IL the debate is to continue. | have
some things / desire TO say, and that |
believe ought to be said, in defense Of
those of us who think the time has
come when justice requires that these
people should be admitted into the
Union, and that too in spite of every
thing that has been written by the
committee or spoken, so far as ] know,
by the opponents Of the bill. But |
shall not attempt to do that, Mr.. Pres
ident, tonight
Mr. McCumber--Mr. President, there
has been much injustice, II seems to me,
done to these Mexicans in comparing
them with other nationaltles and
drawing an odious comparison as TO
their ability TO understand and read or
write the English language. II appears
to me that we ought TO take into con-
sideration one condition there that has
never applied TO any foreigners com
ing to any other section Of the country.
Let us remember this one fact and
then apply II,
We simply removed the boundary
line OF Mexico a few hundred miles
south. We had there a population that
was practically Mexican. That popu-
lation was segregated hundreds OF
miles from the rest OF the populated
section Of the United States. We had
TO cross hundreds OF miles OF territory
before we could reach their settlement
not only on the east but on the west.
They were practically segregated from
all the balance OF the United States.
Now, let US suppose that we had plac-
ed Germans Scandinayians, or any
other foreign-speaking element in that
same section. does any person claim
that they would have learned the Eng
lish language as readily and as proper
ly as they have done In the state of
Minnesota
II must be remembered that the for
elgners from Europe who have come 10
this country have not come as a body
They have come here gradually. They
have been learning the English lam
guage gradually. They have come into
a country where the English language
was spoken and necessity, which Is the
mother OF invention, compelled them to
learn the English language. For in
stance. Russians and that class Of peo-
pie coming to the state Of North Da-
kota or Minnesota very readily learn
the English language, but suppose we
had had them all up In Alaska and
segregated from the balance or the
United States does anyone claim that
they would have adopted the English
language readily? Suppose. II we
could reach beyond our own borders,
that we would extend our laws over a
portion Of Norway or Germany today,
where the people are surrounded by
those speaking their own language,
does any person claim that then they
would readily adopt new language?
Yet tlfis Is exactly the condition OF
those people In New Mexico. They have
never had an opportunity to under
stand the English language. They
have never been brought enough in
connection with the Engllsh-speaking
classes TO compel them to learn 1t. 1t
seems to me that II we will take any
population Of a foeign- speaking element
and place them In the same conditions
that have surrounded this little band OF
Mexicans in a territory so far from the
English speaking portion OF the United