Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-07
ADMISSION DAY
WORTH KEEPING
FORMER GOVERNOR SHELDON
EXPLAINS ITS IMPORT
PART PLAYED
BY CALIFORNIA
Entered Union at a Time When the
Question of Slavery or Freedom
Was Trembling In the
Balance

Union will he observed with the cere-
monies that each year commemorate
the entrance of the golden west INTO
the Union of the sister states. FORMER
Governor Lionel A. Sheldon, VINO mas
been one of the most prominent hgures
in and has made q comprehensive
study of the history of the state
speaks of it as follows: =.
"Granting statehood to a people IN
this country is an important event. IL
is a recognition of their sovereignty III
local affairs and the right, in large
measure, to give direction TO tnelr
destiny.
"In California the anniversary of ad-
mission is celebrated with an eclat only
less than that displayed on the ami
yersary Of national independence. IN
this respect California is exceptional,
though in a few instances there nave
been celebrations of admission days IN
other states; but no other states nave
made their annual events.
"Why this is the custom here is
subject of interesting inquiry. State
hood was achieved by California IN an
unusual way and under extraordinary
circumstances, and her admission had
an important bearing upon the future
of the nation.
1.-THE original thirteen colonies be-
came states by the simple act of rat1-
Texas was an independent nation ana
came into the Union through a sort OF
a treaty, and by joint resolutions or the
legislatures of the two countries. All
the then states, California excepted, be-
came such through the process OF or
organic acts, territorial tutelage ana
acts of congress authorizing them to
form a legislature and elect members
to the two branches of congress. Inc
period of tutelage varied in length, but
otherwise conditions were similar in
all cases.
''From the time of her secession to
the United States by Mexico to her ad-
mission as a state, California was under
military rule-that is to say, the mill
tary authorities governed In civic al
fairs, in accordance with an act OF con-
gress. No organic act was passed IN
her case. She was not, properly speak
ing, under territorial tutelage, nor was
an act passed authorizing preparations
for statehood or prescribing steps pre-
cedent to applying for admission.
"The people, acting upon the prin-
ciples of original sovereignty, did all
the work preliminary to applying for
statehood without congressional author
ity or direction from any source except
that of their own intelligence, omlttlng
nothing that made a complete Ameri-
can form of government with all the
agencies for it's successful execution
and administration. 1t is fact that
NAV be worth stating that the voters in
the larger part were newcomers 1t
may almost be said that the govern
ment was formed by non-residents.
They were from all the states of the
Union, energetic and adventurous, but
not lacking in brain force and common
sense.
Difficulties Surmounted
mo applicant for statehood ever en-
countered such difficulties in achieving
the end sought, but nothing that arose
was from any fault of California her
self. Circumstances which she had no
part in creating caused these difficult
ties. There was grave question under
solution which racked the country at
large. The session in which her adj
mission was achieved was the longest
in the history of the country, except
that of the first session OF the nTst
congress, and was characterized by the
most protracted and bitter discussions.
They were upon the slavery question
II all it's phases.
give great measures. were pending,
the fugitive slave bill, the boundary
dispute between Texas and the United
States, or more properly New Mexico,
bills for the territorial organization OF
New Mexico and Utah and the admis-
sion of California.
"All these measures had more or less
relation to the slavery question. What
Texas claimed, If allowed, would have
added to slave territory, and the fugi-
tive slave bill was In aid of slavery.
California, coming with a free constitu-
ton, gave preponderance in number to
the free states and destroyed the equil-
ibrium in the senate that then existed
between the free and the slave states.
TN consequence of the growing hos
tility to slavery in the north the plan
had been adopted of admitting states
in pairs, one free and one slave, and
for some time the rule had been re-
spected-in fact that had been the prac-
tice from 1920. when Missouri was adj
mitted on the compromise line, it be-
ing then tacitly understood that on the
north side there should be no slavery.
and on the south there should be no
slavery prohibition.
Came In as Free State
california came in as free state.
and having an area so great that 1t
would make two states much larger
than any other, except Texas, Senator
Goule of Louisiana proposed that the
Missouri compromise line should be ex-
tended through to the Pacific ocean,
and this was pressed with great vigor.
If 1t had been adopted 1t would have
divided California into two nearly equal
parts. A division was approved at the
time the first constitution Of the state
was framed and adopted. If the Goule
measure had prevailed the south half
would have been assigned to slavery.
"Mr. Clay, always a comprmiser, Sc
cured the appointment of a senate COM
mittee to take up and consider the flve
measures mentioned. 1t was to be COM
posed of six from the north and six
from the south, with Mr.. Clay as chair
man, making thirteen members in all.
The committee embodied the five
measures in one, called the omnibus
bill. Senator Benton attacked the bill
in one of the most notable speeches
ever delivered in the senate, speech
replete with argument, sarcasm, ridicule
and classical lore. The omnibus bill,
he said, was intended to compel the
senators to vote what they did not want
In order to get what they did want
The bill was defeated and the hVe
measures were taken up and passed.
Thus California became state.
Forerunner of Freedom
"She has the distinction Of Destroy
ing the equilibrium between the free
end the slave states. No slave state
has since been admitted. Californta's
admission was the forerunner in the
STRUGGLE to make the nation wholly
free. 1t was a triumph In behalf of In
diyidua1 freedom, for which California
should ever be honored, triumph that
her people should not cease to COM
memorate.
"But there is more than what has
been stated that should cause us to
celebrate her admission. California is
an Imperium in imperio" in superficial
area and natural resources, and occu-
ko1