Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-08-26
THE ORDINANCE OF 1887;
ITS HISTORY.
THos. JEFFERSON, RUFUS KING * NATHAN DANE.
From tho Cincinnati Chronicle.
ITS HISTORY.

lis nus lOt1s
THos. JEFFERSON, RUFUS KING * NATHAN DANE.
From tho Cincinnati Chronicle.
The ordinance of 1857 is now numbered
among those monuments of wisdom to
which history points as among the evidences
OF an improving virtue and asuperior inteli-
gence in humanity. 1t is admired talked
about and revered.
Much of this reverence and admiration
may be attributed to the great prosperity
and growth of the States which have grown
up under its kindly influences. Those
States are Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan
and Wisconsin. Al the time the ordinance
of 1887 was passed, they were touched by
the hand of civilization only at the ports OF
st. Vincent, Kaskaskia, Prairie du Roche,
Kehokia, Fort Chartres, Fort ST. Philip and
Detroit These were all French or Cana
dian settlements. The number of inhabi-
tants may be guessed at from the following
facts contained in report of Congress,
made i'll June 1888. That report says that
the villages Oh the Mississippi, or near there,
contained the following families
Kaskaskias, 50 families
Kehokia village. so
Prairie du Roche, IL
Fort Charities, 5 "
Fort ST. Philip, 8
Detroit and st. Vncents contained prob.
ably not more than an equal number
The total population did not exceed three
thousand. 1t is now just sixty years since
the Congress of the Confederation-the Ole
Continental Congress, to be remembered
while history shall have pen to record OF
the earth a people to admire whatever il
great, noble, virtuous, venerable or admira
BILE III human nature-put'its seal to the ord
nance for the settlement of the Northwestern
Territory.
The ordinance as legal instrument was
wisely drawn, but its wisdom and fame rests
on the following principles, which were ther
ordained and made fundamental law in these
States
Lit was ordained that the estates o
both resident and nonresident proprietor'
should descend to their children, or the de
scendants of their children, IN equal parts.
2.-The ordinance proclaimed that rel
glon morality and knowledge are necessary
to good government; and. because they are
so, schools and the means of education
shat be f0reUer encouraged"
BIT ordained, as a matter of compac
with the original States, that the States tC
be formed out of the Northwestern Terrific
ny " shall FOREVER REMAIN part of thu
Conledcracy of the United States of Amer
lea"
At ordained that there shall be nei
ther Slavery nor Involuntary serDitude il
said Territory otherwise than in the punish
ment of crime, whereof the party shall hay'
been duly convicted"
The greatest stress has been laid upoI
the last of these features, but the other
were almost or quite as important. Attha
time entaied estates and primogeniture wer
not abolished in all the States On the con
trary, they subsisted for thirty years aite
that in some of the original States. But, II
this ordinance, it was thus early announces
that equal inheritance must prevail IN tn
States of the Northwest, one of the most IN
portant features in the economy of Re
publican Government.
The next feature was not less so, that et