The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1859-10-06
Communications.


~ OF Ale News
Senator Pugh and the oTruth Of His
tory"--The True Origin Of the
Ordinance of 1887, and the Policy
Of Prohibiting Slavery in the Ter
ritories.
In his speech at Batavia, George y.
Pugb, candidate for United States Sem
ator, sometimes called "Ohio's talented
young Senator" made the following
historical statement. Let us examine
it's historical correctness:
"Virginia surrendered al the terrific
ry northwest of the Ohio river, and she
authorized so much as now constitutes
the State of Kentucky, to become a
separate government. North Carolina
codod what at present is the State of
Tennessee, and Georgia and South Car
Olina coded a greater portion of the
present States of Alabama and Missis-
sippi Inasmuch as the population of
the slaveholding and non-slaveholding
States was about equal;-inasmuoh as
under the old articles of confederation
when the States were equally represent
ed and when all their acts Of legislation
were like treaties between sovereign
States, 10 10as concluded, jn the formation
Of the Federal Constitution, not to disturb
the line, and tbus tie Re0 territory east
Of the Mississippi Jgas equally diUided
6ctCeen the syaUehoding and nOu-slaUe-
holding States. This was not fixed as a
constitutional settlement; it was not the
act Of Congrcss;-it was the act of the
old Congress of the Confederation, act
ing not under the Constitution, but as
an Assembly Of sovereign States, repre-
sented by ambassadors and delegates F"
Now, do the historical facts sustain
this statement Where was this line
where and when was it concluded not to
disturb this line, dividing the territory
east Of the Mississippi in effect equally
Jshoecn tie SlaUcholdmg and n0p-SlqUc-
holding Satcs2 Under the old Congress
Of the Confederation were not all the
States slaveholding but oae2 What is
the evidence that a line Of division was
agreed upon by the coufoderated States?
DO we find it in the history of the Or
dinance Of 1887? What are the histor-
ical facts in regard to that Ordinance?
The facts which I shall refer to are
drawn from a late article in the Nation
al Intelligencer, which that candid pa
per says "are sustained by the best doc
umentary evidence" the sources Of
which are pointed out,
One great obstacle to the adoption Of
any Confederation at all, and that which
delayed the assent of the smaller States
for a long period, was the claim Of
some of the larger States to the vacant
lands lying within what they considered
their rightful boundaries. This claim
was resisted by Rhode Island, Della
ware, New Jersey and Maryland, who
insisted that these lands should become
the property Of the whole Union, since,
if they succeeded in achieving their in
dependence, it would be by the expendi-
ture of the blood and treasure of ALL
New Jersey was the first Of the recu-
SAINT States which acceded to the Arti-
cles Of Confederation, in the belief that
the candor and justice of the several
States would in due time remove the in
equality, Her example was not lost up
on the other States. In 1871 New York
took the lead in the patriotic work Of
remuneration, by ceding her public T.
lands to the use and benefit of the Uni
ted States, Virginia followed New
York, and surrendered her magnificent
domain to the U. States, though the
cession was not perfected until 1884.
Endowed with these territorial pos
sessions, the Congress of the Confeder-
alton found itself charged with the duty
Of providing for their management and |.
regulation. On the lst of March, 1854, |
committee consisting of Mr.. Jefferson, |
Mr.. Chase, Of Maryland, and Howell, |.
Of Rhode Island, submitted a plan for /.
the government Of the Western Terri F.
tory, "cedcd or to be ceded by individ- |.
ual States to the u. States" In this
plan it was provided that such tempo
rary government should continue in /
force until it shall have acquired twen-
ty thousand free inhabitants, when it |
shall receive from Congress authority to |
call a convention Of delegates to estab- |
lish a permanent government for them |
selves. To these conditions were an
neXed several prOvisoes: That they
shall be subject in their persons, prop
erty and territory to Congress- that their |.
respective governments shall be Repub- |
lican in form; and that after the year
1800-tbere shall be neither slaUcyy nor iu-
voluntary serUiiude, in any Of said States, /
otherwise than in the punishment Of |
crime, &c, The plan proceeded to af- |
firm that Gall the preceding articles
should be formed into a charter Of COM
pact
On motion made by Mr.. Straight, of |
North Carolina, the slavery restriction
was stricken out New JERSEY having
but one delegate present, could not |
vote, as under the Articles Of Confeder- |
alton no State could be represented by |
less than two delegates, and it required |
a majority Of all the 13 States to carry !
any measure. In this shape, and with |
out the slavery restriction, the plan |
originally reported by Mr.. Jefferson be-
came the law Of the land. OF the % |
members present, l6 voted for freedom |
in the territories, and only z for slavery, |
and yet these seven, owing to the cir !
cumstances above stated, defeated the |
proviso.
In 1885, in Congress, the anti-slavery |
provision was, on motion of Mr.. King, |
committed" as an amendment TO the |