Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-01-01

the formation and admission OF such
state. Congress may, therefore, make il
a condition of the admission of new
state, that slavery shall be for ever pro-
hibited within the same. We may,
with the more confidence, pronounce this
to be the true construction OF the consti-
tuition, as it has been so amply confirmed
by the past decisions of congress.
Although the articles of confederation
were drawn up and approved by the old
congress, in the year l777, and soon
afterwards were ratified by some Of the
states, their complete ratification did not
take place until the year 1871. The
states which possessed small and already
settled territory, withheld their ratifca-
ton, in order to obtain from the larger
states a ccssion to the United States OF
portion of their vacant territory.
Without entering into the reasons on
which this demand was urged, it is well
known that they had an influence on
Massachusetts,, Connecticut, Newly ork,
and Virginia, which states coded 10 the
United States their respective claims to
the territory lying northwest OF the river
Ohio. This c,,ssion was made on the
express condition, that the coded terri
tory should be soldfo the common bene-
tit of the United States; that it should be
laid out into states, and that the states so
laid out should form distinct republican
states, and be admitted as members Of
the federal union, having the same rights
of sovereignty, freedom, and indepen-
.dence, as the other states. Of the four
states which made this cession, two per-
mitted, and the other two prohibited
slavery.
The United States having in this man.
ner become proprletors OF the extensive
territory northwest OF the river Ohio, al
though the considerations contained no
express provisions upon the subject,
the oply representation of the
United States, assumed, as incident to
their Office, the power to dispose of this
and for this purpose, to divide
the same into distinct states, to provide
for the temporary government of the in
habitants thereof, and for their ultimate
as new states, into the federal
union.
The ordinance for these purposes,
which was passed by congress in 1887,
contains certain articles which are called
-" Articles of compact between the
original states, and the people and states
within the said territory, for ever to re-
main unalterable unless by common con-
sent" The sixth of those unalterable
articles provides, that there shall be
neither slavery nor involuntary seryitude
n the said territory"
The constitution Of the United States
'upplies the defect that existed in the
articles of confederation, and has vested
as has been stated, with ample
powers on this important subject. Ac-
cordingly, the ordinance Of 1887, passed
BY the old congress, was ratified and con-
irmed by an act of the new congress,
Turing their first session under the con-
,titution.
The state of Virginia, which coded to
he United States her claims to this ter
'itory, consented by her delegates in the
I'D congress, to this ordinancc--Not
'nly Virginia, but North Carolina,
South Carolina, and Georgia, by the
unanimous votes oftheir delegates in the
I'D congress, approved of the ordinance
# 1887, by which slavery is for ever
polished i'll the territory north west of
he river Ohio. Without the votes of
hese states, the ordinance could not have
PASSED and there is no recollection of
IN opposition from any of these states, |
o the act Of confirmation, passed under
he actual constitution. Slavery had
ong been established in these states
he evil was felt in their institutions,
avs, and habits, and could not easily or
IT once be abolished. But these votes,
30 honorable to these states, satisfactorily
demonstrate their unwillingness to per-
nit the extension of slavery into the new
states which might be admitted by con-
gress into the union.
The states Of Ohio, Indiana, and Hi
nois, on the north west of the river Ohio,
have been admitted by congress into the
union, on the condition and conformably
10 the articles of compact, contained in
the ordinance of 1887, and by which it is
declared that there shall be neither
slavery nor involuntary servitude in any
of the said states.
Although congress possess the power
OF making the exclusion of slavery part
or condition of the act admitting new
state into the union, they may in special
cases, and for sufficient reasons, forbear
to exercise this power. Thus Kentucky