Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-03-01


LIST That out of that part of the North West Ter-
ritofy which lies south OF an east and west line pas
ing through the southern bend or extreme of lake
Michigan, Congress should form three states.
End. That Congress should form state north
OF said east and west line and east of Lake Mchi-
gan.
Bird. That fifth state should be formed north of
said line, and west of Lake Michigan.
These were the wishes of the people of Virginia
distinctly expressed by their representatives. But
Congress rejected these propositions, as follows,
viz:
"ResOtoed, That it be and is hereby recommend
ed to the Legislature of Virginia to take into cousi-
leration their of cession and revise the same so
as to empower the United States in Congress as
sembled to make such division of the territory of the
United States lying nor;herly and westerly of the
river OHIO into distinct republican states, not more
han five less than three as the situation of that
country (mark lt) and the future circumstances may
require
Before Virginia gave her assent to this resolution
Congress did the 18th December, 1857, pass the
imous Ordinance; and the subsequent year, on the
30th December, 1888, Virginia approved and rati-
fed the celebrated 9Th Artice-it being the only one
IN the Ordinance to which she had not already
scented. The act OF Virginia of the Both December
| 17oS, reads follows, TO wit:
Whereas, the United States in Congress as
sembled did on the 9TH july 1885, state certain
| sons showing that a division of the Territory
which hath been ceded to the United States by this
| commonwealth into States in conformity to the
| terms OF cession, should the same be adhered to-
would be attended with many Inconvenience, and
did recommend revision of said act of cession so
lar as to empower Congress TO make such division
OF SAID territory into distinct and republican States
not more than five nor less than three the condl-
| ton OF the country (mark t) and future circum-
stances may require, DC. and 1t is eXpedent that
TINS commonwealth do assent to the proposed alte
| ration, &c.
| BE 1t therefore enacted by the General Assembly
| that the article of compact between the original
| States and the people and States {mark it-not
Territories, but States) in the territory north
OF the river OHIO, be and the is hereby ratif-
ed and confirmed any thing to the contrary in the
deed OF cesslon of said territory by this common
wealth to the United States Notwithstanding
From the language of the ordinance, it does
appear that Congress may annex any part of Wis
consln to Illinois, If 1t be found expedient-indeed,
Illinois might with proprety still claim much lar
ger portion of the present Territory of Wisconsin
than the part which it is supposed she has already
unjustly obtained-but Wisconsin could never with
the least shadow of title claim Illinois, or the least
part of it..
But the language of the ordinance taken In con-
nectlon with the evident and palpable intent and
meaning of the parties this compact, as express
ed In the resolution of the 9TH JULY 1886, the
part of the United States and the act of the 30th
December 1888, on the part of Virginia, above
terred to, must make 1t evident to every sensible
man, that the only desire of Virginia was, that
Congress should obgate itself to divide the ceded
territory in a small number of States, of mode
rate size, and nearly equal to each other in ex-
tent of territory and natural advanta ges possible
and the only sOllctude on the part of Congress
to obtain the right OF dividing that Territory
such manner eXpedency the situation of the
country, and future circumstances should require.
Such full and discretionary powers, Congress did
,1t
following limitations, to witt That the number of
States should never exceed five. nor be less than
three; and that the northern boundaries of the three
States on the Ohio should never be south of an
east and west line drawn thro' the southern bend
of Lake Michigan.
But we are not left to conjecture on this subject
for the very preamble to the resolutions of july
1885, give~the reasons which influence Congress-
to wit: = That in fixing the limits and dimensions
of the new States due attention should be paid to
the natural boundaries, and variety of crcum-
stances which will be pointed out by per-
feet knowledge of the country so to provide for
the future wealth and prosperity of the State
Upon this principle of erpediency, then, the Con-
gress of the United States has ever been governed
in the formation of States and Territories IN the
country northwest of the river Ohio, will appear
by an examination OF the acts of 1889, 1872, 1890,
1902, 1885, 1916, 1918. 1886, IS39--and | cannot
possibly discover any reasons why Congress should
ever depart from policy so wise and benefcent.-
But that the socitude of Congress to obtain dis
cretionary power over the coded territory,
Justly founded, will further appear from the follow
ing considerations:
If YOU draw line east and west through the
southern bend or extreme of Lake Michigan, you
have more than 2l5 square miles north OF this lne,
and somewhat less than l40 thousand square miles
south of it. Congress has already formed three
States in the region south of that line, with av
erage apiece of 40 thousand square miles of sur
face. Now, as the ordinance restricts Congress
from forming th'n two states north OF that
line, If we allow to Michigan the liberal extent of
10 thousand square miles (and believe the PENN
sula of Michigan contains much less than this area
it must be evident that Wisconsin contains more
than 100 thousand square mlles-enough 10 coustl-
tute four States OF reasonable dimensions! il Wis
consin is permitted to enter the Uni with its
present limits, and in all human probability 1t will,
it is destined TO become a state of enormous power
and overshadowing dimensions Such power and
cannot fail to be dangerous to ourselves and
dangerous TO our republican institutions. Fifty 70
one hundred years hence, with population OF 10
or 20 millions, Wisconsin would groan under the
pressure OF Its own weight
But again the design or wish of the parties to
the compact aforesaid by which the country north
west OF the Ohio river became the property OF the
Federal Government, evidently was that Congress
in the division of this Territory, should have pro-
per gard 10 the natural advantag OF the country
The last clause of the 4th article of the celebra ed
ordinance provides that g The navlgable waters
leading into the Mississippi and 81. Lawrence
(mark this-St. Lawrence) and the carrying pd-
ces between them, shall be common highways and
forever free as we'll the inhabitants of the SAID
Territory as to the citizens of the United States
and any other States that may be admitted into the
Contederacy without any tax, lmpost or duty there
for. For this reason the desire OF Ohio have
jurisdiction over the mouth of the Alaumee river,
was supposed to be reasonable by Congress inlol2,
and in 1882.
But upon this part of the subjectI cannot do bet
ter than repeat the eloquent appeal made to the
House of Representatives of the United States, by
the committee of that body, which reported u. .on
the late vexed controversy between Michigan and
Ohio controversy which liked to have eadange-