HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



431 



question, and it remains for Congress to devise some 

 mode for its adjustment. Meanwhile, I submit to Con 

 gress the question whether it would be expedient, 

 before such adjustment, to establish a territorial 

 government, which, by including the district so 

 claimed, would practically decide the question ad 

 versely to the State of Texas, or, by excluding it, 

 would decide it in her favor. In my opinion, such a 

 course would not be expedient, especially as the peo 

 ple of this Territory still enjoy the benefit and pro 

 tection of their municipal laws, originally derived 

 from Mexico, and have a military force stationed 

 there to protect them against the Indians. It is un 

 doubtedly true that the property, lives, liberties, and 

 religion of the people of New Mexico are better pro 

 tected than they ever were before the treaty of cession. 

 Should Congress, when California shall present her 

 self for incorporation into the Union, annex a condi 

 tion to her admission as a State affecting her domes 

 tic institutions, contrary to the wishes of her people, 

 and even compel her temporarily, to comply with it, 

 yet the State, could change her Constitution at any 

 time after admission, when to her it should seem 

 expedient. Any attempt to deny to the people of the 

 State the right of self-government, in a matter which 

 peculiarly affects themselves, will infallibly be re 

 garded by them as an invasion of their rights ; and, 

 upon the principles laid down in our own Declaration 

 of Independence, they will certainly be sustained by 

 the g^eat mass of the American people. To assert 

 that they are a conquered people, and must, as a 

 State, submit to the will of their conquerors in this 

 regard, will meet with no cordial response among 

 American freemen. Great numbers of them are na- 



