The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-03-20

which prepared and proposed and to which ha
not now and never had' any Just application whatso
The ordinance proposed by Mr. Jefferson in 1854
which was rejected, and that which proposed b,
Mr. Dane. OF Massachusetts,, and Others and wa
adopted IN l7s7 were, IT will be seen, proposed befor
the States united under constitution, and whicl
eur fathers Cropping, By the dim lights which th
history OF that period afforded Tor plan of coned
esacy by which the territory in question. celed b.
coded by particular States for the benefit of all, shou,
be governed There was then no constitution uniting
the federal government and defining and limiting IL
powers and It was competent for individual States cedna
their territory TO prescribe such terms and provisions
they should choose aud for the States generally by suct
special agreement compact they could unite upon
10 prescribe the terms and conditions which the ceieC
territory should be governed Ii contract proposec
to be entered into by all the parties interested, and az
such derived all It's character and force And now, be
cause a certain agreement was made BY the parties
Interested for the government of the Northwestern
Territory, coded by particular States for the benefit OF all
before had stiinton to guide is insisted
that, under the constitution from which Congress de-
rlyes all its authority, and IN which such power
specified, Congress shall do, matter Of right IN def
ance of the protest OF portion OF the States the
mon property that which done by the consent of all
including the sole owner, before the constitution was
adopted The difference, when properly illustrated, being
simply this: Three individuals enter into agreeme nj
for their mutual benefit and advantage, and abide By lis
provisions Three others of equal rights, under other
circumstances not being able to satisfactorily two
OF them, nding that agreement had once been voun
aiy made by three insist that the precedent ought to be
the tnru 0y 10 submit 10 Their
terms Besides, IT there any partlcul charm belong
ing to this ordinance which entities it to be adopted,
whether applicable or not to condition, il should be
taken whole-n all its parts and with all Its provs-
ions. One OF these is as follows, and its perusa will
show the utter absudty OF its application to present
conditions
THAT both the temporary and permanent governments
shall be established on these principles their basis
that bey shall be subject to pay part OF the federal
uebts, contracted 10 be contracted. TO be appooned
on them by Congress, according to the same common
lInn
| be made on the other States"
proposal at this time TO impose upon the temporary
government OF territory portion OF the federal debts.
contracted to be contracted, would be universally
ceiyed throughout the Union with derison and ndgna
lion; and YET II may be as fairly insisted upon val
liable precedent or binding authority any other provis
| ion OF the ordinance. We must not go forward,
but all legislation must be arrested until the burial
field OF deceased documents be ransacked and the
narrowless bones OF the ordinance of ST be clothed
anew with flesh and sinews that It may perform, regard
less OF the constitution, Office 1t designed 10 dis
charge without We must be dragged back from
perfect Uiion 10 patched UP conederacy, and
ure manhood OF tins century be camped and ieered by
the swaddng habilinenls of the infant of past
Anarchy must regn and bloodshed and crime. and dis
order triumph in the territories, until demonstrate
political problem from musty precedent, and in
stead OF acting for ourselves the occasion requires
must try 10 ascertain how others have acted at other
ne upon some other occasion, that we may act like them
But seems that the cognonen by which this ordinance
has recently been known and Under which II has trans
acted somewhat extensive business is longer deemed
that cna05e, which seldom sought
slight transient causes, has been thought prudent if
not necessary My honorable colleague feeling inter
est in the success and welfare Of this deceased paper
not only burst its cerements and brought up again
revis, earth, but himself led it the political font and
performed the priestly ritual OF christening II the efcr
proviso !" II the Iusrous and venera,ed statesman
whose impress rests upon all that is en- turing and beau
lu in political system could so far participate in the
affairs of the living his acts for good perverted
TO pernlcous purposes; hear hls memory desecated By
assocatng his history with this caseless agtalon has
authority invoked Tor casting amongst us his oil
bitterness and discard and finally hear those who would
still fan the fires OF dsnnion disturb mis- repose by call
ing upon his great and spoess NAME he would eXcaim
did the prophet raised by the lncantatons OF the IA
miliar SPIRIT when the guilty Saul would have escaped
from the consequences of his perhdous "why East
thou dsquleed me to bring up " My colleague Is pro-
verbal Tor his strong OF justice, and his scrupuous
regard for the rights OF propery and yet he has, quite IN
consciously am proposed 10 do ac which must be
violation of boh-an act which his generous instincts
will prompt him to correct the first moment he the
consequences which must ensue. He is well versed IN
nave taught him that Mark Antony gave up all Tor
women, and the latter that distinguished lndivid Al
gave up all else that the provso might bear his name
and yet he cooy proposes to transfer this with all
its accumulated honors and invaluable advantages, TO
another. Sir, in the name of common justice, most
solemny protest against this marked and wanon viola
ton of private and individual right Call IL the Jetier.
provso!" Should this be attempted, the individual
by whose it has been known might cry out, some
what in the language OF laao--
Who steals my purse steals trash; It's something, moth
| ing;
Twas mine, It's his; and has been slave to thousands
| But he that hlches from me my proulso,
/ Robs me of that 1chtCi not eariches han,
| And makes me poor indeed"
My colleague Notwithstanding the degraded and disor-
derly condition and unfit character for seltgoYcrnment
which ne attributes the people of these territories,
would give them full territorial government If II could
contain his favorite clause of restriction. Now, full
territorial government heretofore given, authorizes
the election by the people OF territorial legislature and
the passage by such legislature of their mHncpa laws,
usually, but not always, subject to the supervision OF
Congress- and these relations It will be that they
called upon to exercise OF the highest privileges
of freemen If, then, they ignorant degraded, and
barbaous be untitled Tor any of the duties OF SELF
government, why propose to require them AT their hands,
object TO the preservation OF order IN more summary
form until they shall be better qualified! Bat, iii arsu
Ing the justice and propriety OF applying the restriction to
the of territorial government, he sites
that Congress stands the relation 10 the people o!
Territory that the State legislatures do TO the people OF
a Siae. From this doctrine respectfully but most un-
quaiiiedy dissent and insist THAI the relations
trey dsslmar The State legislatures the creations
of the people OF the respective States The members OF
the State Legislature elected by the people OF the
State, and their representatives and servants but
such relation exists, or has existed, between Con-
gress and the people of territory. Congress not
ated by the people of the territory They have vote in
i its members elected by they tie
wants the representatives OF the people OF the terrific
gress holds the relation the people OF the terrific
RES that the British Parliament held to the American colo
MES and the doctrines sought to be enforced by those
who advocate the restrictive policy are the same old
plolel theories OF George ILL., against which fathers
ebelic dressed clothes, that the imposition
may be the successful The principle that distant
people, in the formation OF government need master
dunn Inr