New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-13

the Lower Ohio and its branches. France having
Ct ded ell her pretensons to Great Britain, the King
issutd proclamation in 1863 expressly reservips
all this territory under bis sovereignty, prOtec
" ton and dominion, for the use Of the Indians
Several attempts were made by Colonial Land spec
ulators to get parts of this territory erected into
new and distinct Colonies; but these projects did
not succeed, and thus the matter stood when the
Revolutionary War broke out
The original pretensions of Virginia to the Ter
rtory north. west Of the Ohio were based entirely
on her Colonial charters. The charter Of colonial
ton granted BY James l., in 1905, authorized the
London Company, by which the Colony of Vir-
ginia was founded to plant anywhere between 340
and 40 Of north latitude-the Plymouth Com
pany being authorized by the same instrument to
plant anywhere between 49, and 450 Of north lati-
tude; but, by the express terms of the charter,
each of these Colonies was expressly limited to
one hundred miles of coast, one hundred miles of
internal extent, and total territory of 10000
square miles.
In 1909, the london Company obtained new
charter, including all the coast north from Old
Point Comfort two hundred miles, and the same
distance south and west to the Pacific. Now, Old
Point Comfort lies in go north latitude, and two
hundred miles north would fall short of 390 north
latitude; so that, with all her vast extent under
this charter, Virginia could have no pretension to
any territory north of 800 north latitude.
Considering that this charter was expressly
vacated by quo warrantO, and that the new docu-
ment, many years aft9ward granted BY way Of
charter to Virginia contained 10 description OF
boundaries, the claim Of Virginia on this basis
at least to any Western territory at all, would not
seem to be remarkably strong. At all events,
whatever claim she might have to that small part
Of the territory northwest Of the Ohio which lies
south of 800 north latitude, the claims of Con.
nectcut and Observation-Disclosures charters also
extended to the Pacific and both of which charters
remained in full force when the Revolution broke
QUITO all that part of the territory included be-
tween the parallels Of 4lo and 43o north latitude
was thousand times stronger. There was, how
ever, stil another claim put in on the part of New
York to all this territory. The Five Nations, it
was contended, had recognized political subjec-
ton to Great Britain, exercised during colonial
times through the government of New-YOrk, which
authority over the Five Nations attached to New.
York, so it was argued, as an independent State,
carrying with it also the claim which the English
had formerly set up as against the French to the
whole Valley Of the Ohio, as having formerly been
conquered by the Five Nations, and as being occu-
pied by Indian tribes which acknowledged the
superiority of that confederacy.
Upon the top of all these State claims came in
the National claim, urged on behalf Of the United
States, as mentioned by Chief Justice fancy.
Such was the real state of the case prior to any
State cessons having been made, and such the total
baselessness of the assertion that the immense
tract Of country lying northwest Of the Ohio
"ever had been" within the acknowledged limits
of the State of Virginia.
Now for the point of the voluntary cession
on the part of Virginia
Mr.. fancy as citizen Of Maryland, might re-
collect that Maryland absolutely refused to ratify
the Articles of Confederation unless some provision
was inserted recognizing these western lands as
the common property of the Union. For a long
time, Virginia held out against this demand with
the utmost pertnacity. She pretended indeed,
that her claim had been converted into actual pos.
session bv the expedition undertaken by General
George Rogers Clarke, in 1873, under authority of
that State and resulting in tie occupation of
Kasbaskia and some other Of the old French forts
in the southern part of what is now Illinois, which
district the Virginia Assembly shortly after took
upon itself to erect, by the name Of Illinois, into
county of Virginia.
In the matter of the actual cessiOn Of western
territory, New. York took the first step. In Feb.
ruary, 1850, her Assembly intrusted her delegates
in Congress with discretionary power to cede to
the Union all her claims west Of line drawn
through the westernmost extremity Of Lake Onta-
rio, the same line which now forms the southwest.
ern boundary Of New.York. The other claimant
States, being strongly urged by Congress to follow
this example, and intimstiOns being thrown out that
unless they did so Congress would accept the New.
York cession and claim the whole territory under
it-Connecticut, in the following October, offered
to cede all her claims to the territory lying west Of
Pennsylvania, with the exception, however, Of the
district still known as the Connecticut Reserve.
But Virginia still refused to cede, and Maryland in
ccnst quence still refused to ratify the Articles of
Confede ration, which by reason of that refusal re.
manned invalid.
But what Virginia refused to yield to the just
demands of sister States was at length wrested
from her by the terrors of invasion. About this
time, Arnold landed in Virginia at the head Of
British army; and the frightened Legislature, on
fed from Richmond before the invaders hoping