The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-04-11
WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, APRIL II. 1850.


; Alleghanian region, as crown lands acquired fro
, Great Britain by the common blood and treasure
all the States, and appealed TO the claimant Stat
10 reiinquish their pretensions. New York was Il
nrsi 10 respond 10 This appeal and her eession w
accepted by Congress In 1882 Virginia had pr
viOusiy proposed TO cede all her claim northwest
the ONO ON certain conditions but, the condition
not being admitted, the cesson was moi accepts
Consequently the contest was terminated by sati
iaetory cesslon, made by Virginia and accepted
Congress IL was an arrangement In fact whc
involved concessions on both sides VIRGINIA yielC
ed TO the United States all her claims 10 terrItor
northwest of the Ohio and the United States tacitl
surrendered to Virginia all claim to the territor
sou'heas, OF mat river, alleged 10 be withiB he
| chartered limits. ! have thought IL NV duty I
make these observations, as a Senator Of a Stat
whose rights and iDterests as well as the rights an
interests Of her sister States of PENNSYLVANIA. Indi
ana and Illinois, are affected TO some extent, by III
| claim OF exclusive title to the Western conntr
which has been advanced in behalf of Virginia
Whatever the title of Virginia NAV have been
| however, II Is certain that upon her cesson made
as have said, on the LIST of March, 1884 the Unite,
STATES came into the Iodisnnted opy,ersbiD apJ
ereigny OF the vast region northwest OF the Ohio
To dispose Of the soil and TO determine the potics
institutions OF the Territory now became the dut,
OF Congress; and the duty was promptly performed
On the very day OF the cesson, before the sun wen
down, lhomas Jefferson in behalf of a committee
| consisting OF himself, Mr. Howell of Rhode Island
and Mr.. Chase Of Maryland reported plan for m,
government of the Western Terri;ory-not that yine
north of the Ohio merely but Of ail from the norti
line OF FLORIDA to the north line of the United States
ms sir, Is memorable document of our early his
tory and propose TO read portions Of IL 20 the Sen
| ate
The territory oeded, 10 be oeded by the indvidua
States TO the United States, shall be formed al,
distinct States The settlers shall
or
receive authority, with appointments Of time and place
FOR their free males of full age, together for IN,
purpose OF establishing temporary Government
Such temporary G ,vernment shall only continue
IN force, IN any State, until il shall have acquired twenty
thousand inhabitants When giving due proof thereof 10
Congress thty shall receive from them authority with ap
ponlmenis OF time and place, TO call convention Of rep
resenailves to establish permanent Constitution and
Government Tor themselves Prorided That both the
temporary and permanent Governments be established
upon these principles as their basis
Here follow sundry provisions the last of which i,
as follows
That after The year 1890 of The Christian Era they
shat be NEITHER snre,y iar0isy serrifade in ann
the said Saies otherwise than in the punishment Of INES
rherecf The party shall hare been duly oOnrctea 10 har
been personally guilty."
This sir, was the plan and proriso of Jefferson
II met the appreciation of the American People
proved that the declaration of 776 was not an empt,
profession, but true faith. Ii proved that the spIr
of the covenant of INA yet animated the heart of tn,
nation. According TO this grand and comprehensive
scheme, the commencement of the nineteenth cen.
fury to witness the Inauguration of freedom a.
the fundamental and perpetual law of the transmon.
tame half of the American Republic
Had this plan and proviso been adopted we should
not now be discussing the questions which embarrass
us The extension of slavery would have been lin
tied by the Alleehanies, No slave could ever have
trodden foot of the soil beyond. Unhappily how
ever, the proviso was not adopted and, as have
already said that II met the approval Of the people
ask attention TO the proceedings which resulted in its
rpiap I'm ha nf Anril NJ "A
North Carolina, moved that the proviso be stricken
out. Under the Articles of Confederation, which
governed the proceedings of Congress majority of
the thirteen STATES was necessary 10 affirmative
decision OF any question and the vote of no State
could be counted, unless represented by at least two
delegates.
The question upon Mr.. Spaghts motion was put
in this form
"Sha the words moved TO be struck out stand 2 ;
The vote stood
For The Proriso, six States viz New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut New
York and Pennsylvania.
Against the Proriso three States, viz Virginia,
Maryland, and South Carolina
ma ssEss Sssf o.. rssSIf ss. New
| Virginia stood-Mr. Jefferson, aye, Messrs. Hard,
and Mercer no. Ofthe twen,y-three delegates presen
and voting sixteen voted for, and seven against, Tho
| proyiso Thus was the proviso defeated by minor
| ity vote The people were for it, the States were TO
H. but IL failed in consequence of provision which
enabled the minority TO control the majority. II 81
happened that Mr.. Beatty, the colleague of Mr.. Dick
| had left Congress day or two before, and returned
a day or two after Had he been present, or had on,
| of Mr. JetIerson's colleagues voted with him. the
suit would have been changed How vast the con
sequences which, in this instance, depended on I
Well sir the Ordinance Of 1884, thus MANNED ant
otherwise mutilated, became the law OF the land OF
the 23d of April following. In l795, Mr.. Jefferson
| went abroad as Minister TO France and was out o.
tho country until after the adoption OF the Constitn
lion. The agitation of the proviso, however. did moi
| cease In consequence of hs absence In that same
| wear 0785) Mr. King, Of Massachusetts,, again
moved the proviso in Congress, in slightly modified
| form, as follows
That there shall be neither slavery nor involuntar,
servnde i'm any the States described In the resolves
Congress of the sd Of April 1884, otherwise than IN the
nnn,shmept OF crimes whereof the party shall have been
personally guilty and that THIS regulation sha DE an ar'
| re Of compact and remain a fundamental principle o.
each nj The States described in the said resolve OF the 90
OF April, si."-i Jour. Old Cong asl
| The resolution ordered TO be committed by
| the votes of New Hampshire, Massachusetts,, Con.
necticut Rhode Island. New York, New Jersey
pennsylvania, and Maryland-eight; against the
| votes of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina
and Georgia-four Delaware was not represented
| The vote of Maryland was determined by two ayes
against one no, while that Of Virginia was determined
| by two noes against one aye. The decided favor
shown 10 this resolution by the vote for its commit
| ment was the more remarkable, iDasmuch as pro.
nosed the immediate prohibition Of slavery, instcad
Of prohibition after 1900 in all territory acquired, and
| No further action was had at this time; but In a
u,,le more than two years afterwards, the subject
was brought for the third time before Congress, In
connection. as before, with the government OF The
| Western Territory. Inc ordinance Oh ifo4 Ho"
causes into which II il not material TO inquire, had
never been carried into practical operation Settle
| menis were about TO commence In the Northwest
| and the settlers needed protection and government
Congress therefore In 1877, resumed the considera
| ton of the subject OF western Territory, ihese dc
| alterations resulted in the celebrated Ordinance o
1881 the last great act and among the greatest act
of the Congress OF the Conf deration an net which
| received the unanimous votes Oh the states ana
| with single exception from New Y Ork, Of oil tn
| delepaies This Ordinance, In Its sixth article o
comnact. expressly prohibited slavery and involnn
tary seryitude, except for crime, throughout tn
Territory. Ii abolished existing slavery, and It for
babe future slavery. II covered with this prohibition
every inch of territory then belonging 10 the Uni.e'
States II expressly declared the national polio
which this prohibition and kindred provisions con
tanned in the articles Of compac, were meant 10 ind
cate and establish. This Is Its language
aPor EXTENDING the Fundamental principles ef cir
and religious liberty wherein these republics ihs,r law
nyinciples as the basis Of all oios contributions and go'
rnnens which rerer hereafter shall be formed ~ n
said territory: DC " ofua'neu ""u "eo'a'e'
To guard against possible future departure frOI
this poicy IL was ordained that these articles shoul
Ifreyer remain unalterabe," unless altered by u
common consent Of the original States, and n
people and States In the Territory"
II is hardly possible to conceive Of more exple
declaration Of governmental policy than this. III
state of public sentiment In regard TO slavery, whic
resulted in this positive and unanimous exclusion
/, from national territory, Is well described In lett
of Mr.. Jefferson TO Dr. Price, who published abo'
that time book In favor OF emancipation. The e
ter bears date Paris, August 7th, 1856. will read O
extract
southwark Of the Chesapeake, will find bu, f.
readers concurrng with II tDr P'r book 10 sentiment
the subject Of slavery From the mouth to the head OF
80, 81, Gnd yssnsci.bIe minority ready 10 ado