Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-08-27

Fort st. Pnlp. D
Detroit and St. Vincen,s contained probably
not much more than an equal number.
The Dual population o,d not exceed hree
thousand. II is now ust sixty years since the
Congress of the Confederation-the old Cont.
mental Congress, to be remembered while his.
tory shall have pen to record or the earth a
people to admire whatever is great, noble viz.
tuou>, venerable, or admirable in human nature
put its seal to the ordinance for the settlement
Of the Northwestern Territory.
The ordinance as a legal instrument was
wisely drawn, but its wisdom aud fame rest on
the following principles, which were then or.
dained and made fundamental law in these
States;
/. 1t was ordained that the estates of both
resident and nonresident proprietors should de.
scend to their children, or the descendants Of
their children, IN equal parts.
9. The ordinance proclaimed that religion
morality, and knowledge are necessary to GOOD
government; and because they are so. ''schools
and the means OF education shall be torcrer en-.
coltrGged."
3. It ordained as a matter of compact with
the original States, that the States to be formed
out of the Northwestern Territory Z" shall for
erer rcmain part of this Conielcracy Of the
United States Of America"
S'qrery nor mro'untGry serriiuae in the salt
Territory otherwise than in the punishment o
crime, whereof the party shall have been duly
convicted
The greatest stress has been laid upon the
last Of these features, but the others were al
most or quite as important. AT that time en-
tailed estates and primogcniture were not abol
ished in all the States. On the contrary, they
subsisted for thirty years after tdat in some o
the original States But, in this ordinance, i
was thus early announced that equal Inheritance
must prevail in the States OF the Northwest, ont
of the most important features in the economy
of Republican Government.
The next feature was no less so, that educa
ton was necessary to good government ant
therefore the means should be provided for pop
ular education. This principle was faithful
carried out by Congress in the appropriation
few years after of every tiirty-sirh section q
the public land for the support of common
schools,
The third principle above stated is that the
new States shall forever remain a part Of tn
Confederacy. The importance this is panl
seen in subsequent history. Virginia, Sout
Carolina, and one or two other States have pre-
claimed the doctrine that they can seceae peace
ably from the Union, This doctrine can,
the ordinance of 1887, have no possible place i
the Northwestern States They have accepte
a charter by which they are bound TO renal
forerer in the Union.
, The next grand feature is the one chiefly spc
ken Of the perpetual obligation to keep thes
Northwestern States free from slavery or invo
; untary servitude.
What was the effect of these provisions
) They were made not to establish power by a
mics fitted for the battlefield, nor to build II
, wealth by the accumulation OF cntailed estate
nor to establish an Imperial Government on tn
ignorance OF tie many or the servitude of an il
ierior race Let the tacts be compared wit
f those in the history of any other country on I'll
5 face of the globe.
4 In lSl7 we suppose the population of II