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 owm Declaration 

 of Independence, they will certainly be sustained by 

 the gieat 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- 



