Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1847-09-13
From The Richmond Times.
THE ORDINANCE OF l1s5

+
nj accuracy. of the ordinance OF 1857, which has la
teiy attracted much attention. having been REQUIRED
IN connection. with the w noi Proviso, Mr.. llAMIis
oi Maine, having charged that MIR. jefferson III,
sulhor OF The prvson introduced into Congress In lSi
and ultimately incorporated m the ordinance Of 1857, b,
which slavery iuinvcr excluded itom the erfiinr,
OF the North West, The National lntoyenccr sev
efal days since. published article the subject
from the pen Of Ptlor Force Esq o " ushiugon which
correc,s IN The details given hy The Cnon
natl Chronicle The history thus furnished Ivy Mr. Force
is highly Interesting, but have ,hl been enabled IL
publish n The lhi,lligeneer states that IN seeking
mong the alehl,cs 81 The old States and among numerous
private collections of materials for his yuumnuu. work.
American Archlyos' Mr.. Force became possessed OF
the original projects and icpotis submitted To Congress
rap,c ung plan ot Government tdr the NofthW nseln
Territory, from the fst step l5Sl 10 l1s7. when the
ordnance was finally adopted. lie has n copy of the
ordinance oi lfSt, with all Its alterations marked
The clause resp, cnng slavery attached To It.
ns an amendment III The haud wiling oi Nathan Dane.
OF Massachusetts. Inc amendment was adopted with
oft alh ration, aud II stands. In this day. original,
offered hy MI Dane. The nolleenesr, upon the facts
presented IN the article by Mr.. iotee, thus remarks
II nom this careful eNpusion II clear that MI
" ebsei was right. When, III his celebrated sp cch ON
'Feo's Reselu.un. he ascnbed the hofship til not
the original ennocpon) u The clause specified. to Ma
than Dane. ii Massachusetts,"
This report, nevertheless establishes the fact that Mr.
Jeileson Mas tie anihur Of the PROPOSITION io the prlh
bllion Of slavery IN The North os introduced IN ljsi
Mr. Danes amendment embraced The plo,isiun intro
dneed 10y MI jefferson except that 1870 was not sIrc-
fed AS the TIME When the clause should take effect, md
tfr,h, provided for rcclimig jgires from Justice
without Which Mr.. Force says tbu clause would not
nave been adopted al all
Without undertaking To ollow tho minute details Of
the history Of Mr., Force las supplied us with. We will
fecnr 10 tao chci facts. In 1854 committee consisting
u Mr. Jeers N OF Virginia, Mi Chase Of Mar, land, and
Mi Howell OF Rhode island. appointed Ia prepare
plan ior The temporary Government ui HE Western Ter
nt1ry on The lst Of March, that COMMITTEE made
pom accordingly, one o the proslsonsu which fol
lonst
8 That alct the year $500 Of the Christian IRA there
shall be neither slavery involuntary soyiude any
o The SAID states, Otherwise ihon Ia punishment crm,
whereof the party shall have usen duly convicted have
been personally guilty
Tins nporl Was commit d 10 the same committee on
The l|h OF March. On The 22d The, submitted nov
report, which vas like the is save the clause which
gase names to the states which 10 be formed ont u
the territory. On the 10th Of April. Mir Speghi, If
North Carolina, moved To strike from tie report the clause
relating 10 slavery, which was carried. he question
was then taken on The amended report aud passed ey
cry State voting for II except South Carolina The States
oi Georgia aud Of Delaware were absent
From lisa To lis3 tins odlI remained the law Of
The land and Therefore did not "uy the table, tu these
three Yeas, has been stated An attempt was made
year after by Mr. King to amend the ordinance 50 as
10 preclude slavery or involuntary serYude the TER.
rioncs named IN It, Tue subject was referred To a com
mlilee, but They never lepored upon II.
The subject Was frequently before Congress dunnq
the three y,ars. On the ION May 1856 ol instance
commit tee at the head Of whom VAS Mr.. Monroe
made report which was reeommted on he 9Th lu
ly following. Onihe qth ui September that committee
slmew hat changed Mr. Johnson of Connecticut second
On lh' list acting as Chain an, reported plan which
was, after consideration, postponed on the 29h.
On The 26th APrll. l1el, The committee which had
the snIec, last under corsderuou Alc-srs johnson OF
Conn, Pinckney of South Carolina, smith oi n York
Dane of Massachusetts aud llrny OF Mary and report
ed an ordinance for the government OF the Wfs,rn ter
roIy, which, after being debated aud amended was, Oh
the lOh May ordered 10 It's thlrd reading. Il did moi
contain any provision Tor The pohlbon Of slavery, aud
was devoid ofseveral Of those great principles which dis
tnens II now M one Of the greatest monuments OF civ
jurisprudence" 1T made 40 rfovisIon.' says MI.
Force, for the equal distribution Of estates. Ii said
thing of extending the fundamental pine pies ofcyi aud
religious Bodybuilding OF the rights # conscience.
knowledge OF education. II did not contain the articles
Of compact which 10 remain unallofcd forever,
less by common cunstn .
1ne concluding portion Of Nh Forces article is Of
interesting character, that We copy II entire.
'bn the 9,hoi July, l7s1, ihe ordinance again
Ierfod. The committee consisted Of Mr. Caring
Ton oi Virginia, Mr. Dancot Mass. Mr.. H. II. Lee, ii
Nr4lna, MI Man, oi = Ganllua, aud Mr.. Smith oi
New York. Mr.. Carrngt n, Mr., Lee and Mr.. kean,
The new members, we're maI1rhy.
This committee did not merely revise The ordnance,
hey prepared and reported The great Bill u Rghts for
the territory north west Of the ONO.
The question Is here presented why MAS Mr. Caring
ton, new member 81 The committee placed a, the head
Of H. 10 the exclusion oi Nlr Dane and MI. Smith, who
had served previously In The absence Of positive eyi
dence There appears 10 be but one answer 10 this question
The opinions OF all the members known Con
gress In The o debate views had been PIE
scented, which must have been received with general ap
probation. majority Oi Tive committee the ad
vOcitcs oi tluse yeNss aud the member 10y whom they
were presented 10 the House selected as the Chair
man. There is nothing Improbable OF out o the usu
al course OF proceeding III THIS Indeed, the prompt nc
ton Ut the committee and Ut tho Copgrtss, goes very lar
10 confirm IT,
On The th July, (wo days after the reference, Mr.
Darlington reporled the ordinance tor the oil
he territory oil the United States northwest Of The river
OhIu. i his ordinance read second time on the
18TH (and amended. slated LtIow0 and the 18Th
1t was read ihIrd time, aud assed by the unanimous
vote of the eight States present IN The Congress.
On the passage Tie yeas aud nay (beIng required by
Mr.. Yates were as follows:
New llan Pshirc, (AbsenD
Massachusetts, Mr. lloon, aye.
MIR. Dane, aye.
Rhode Island, (Abseht)
Connecticut, DO.
New York, Mr.. Smith, aye
Mr.. Haring, aye
Mr.. Yates, aye.
New Jersey, MIR. Clarke, aye.
Mr.. Schureman, aye.
Pennsy lvapia, (Absent)
Delaware, Mr. kearney, aye.
Mr. Mitchell, aye
Maryland, (Ahsent)