Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1859-10-06

claims for the common benefit of the
Union"
On the 2Oth day of October, 1888, the
Legislature of Virginia passed an act
authorizing the delegates in Congress
from that State to convey to the United
States "the territory or tract of country
within the limits of the Virginia Charter,
lying and bearing TO the northwest of the
River Ohio, (which grant was to be made
upon the condition that the territory so
ceded shall be laid out and formed into
States" and that "the States so formed
shall be distinct Republican States, and
admitted members Of the Federal Union,
having the same rights of Sovereignty,
Freedom and independence as the other
States"
On the 1st day of March. 1884,
Thomas Jefferson and his colleagues in
Congress executed the deed of cession in
pursuance of the act of the Virginia Le-
gislature, which was accepted and order
ed to "be recorded and enrolled among
the acts of the United States in Congress
assembled" This was the first territory
ever acquired, held or owned by the Uni
ted States. On the same day of the deed
of cession, Mr.. Jefferson, as Chairman
/ of a Committee which had been appoint
ed, consisting of Mr.. Jefferson, of Virgi-
MIA, Mr.. Chase, of Maryland, and Mr..
Howell, of Rhode Island, submitted to
Congress ga plan for the temporary gov
ernment of the territory Ceded or to be
ceded by the individual States to the Uni
ted States"
1t is important that this Jefersonian
! Plan of government for the Territories
should be carefully considered for many
obvious reasons. 1t was the first plan of
/ government for the territories ever adOp-
ted in the United States. 1t was drawn
by the author of the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence, and revised and adopted by
those who shaped the issues which produ-
ced the Revolution, and formed the foun-
! dations upon which our whole American
system of government rests. 1t was not
intended to be either local or temporary
in its character, but was designed to apply
10 all "territory ceded or 10 be ceded, y
and to be universal in its application and
eternal in its duration, wherever and
whenever we might have a territory re-
curing a government. 1t ignored the
right of Congress to Iegislate for the peo-
pic of the territories without their con-
sent, and recognized the right of the peo-
pie Of the territories, when organized in
to political communities, to govern them
selves in respect TO their local concerns
and internal polity. 1t was adopted by
the Congress of the Confederation on the
23d day of April, 1884, and stood upon
the Statute Book as general and per-
manent plan for the government of all
territory which we then owned or should
subsequently acquire, with provision
declaring ii to he Charter of Compact,
and that It's provisions should stand as
Fundamental conditions between the
thirteen original States and those newly
described, unalterable but by the Joint
consent of the United States in Congress
E assembled, and of the particular State
, within which such alteration is proposed
to be made" Thus the Jefersoniau
Plan for the government of the terrific
: ries-thiS Charter of Compact''-these
, Fundamental conditions" which were
; declared to be "unalterable" without the
consent Of the people Of "the particular
! State (Territory) within which such al.
teration is proposed to be made,' stood
r on the statute book when the Convention
assembled at Philadelphia in l7S7 ant
proceeded TO form the Constitution of the
a United States.
Z Now let us examine the main provi
sions of the Jeffersonian plan:
Firt-"Tbat the territory ceded or to be cedcd b,
the individual State to the United States, wheneVe
the same shall have been purchased of the Indal
inhabitants and offered fer sale by the United Sta
tes shall be formed into additional States, &c.
The Plan proceeds to designate tht
boundaries aud territorial extent of the
- proposed additional States and thel
provides:
. Second-"Thqt the settlers within the territory S
To be purchased and offered for SALE SHALL either
their own petition or on the order of Congress,
eivc Authority from them, with appointments Of tim
and place for their free males Of full age to meet TO
gether for the purpose Of establishing temporar
r government, &c adopt the Constitution and laws O
= any one of these States, the thirteen original Sta
tcs So that such LAWS nevertheless shall be subiec
= to alteration by thcir ordinary Legsla ures; and t
erect subject to like alterations, counties or town
ships for the election Of members for their Legsla
c ature'
!, Having thus provided mode by whicl
n the first inhabitants or settlers of the ter
n n ritory may assemble together and choos
for themselves the Constitution and law
of some one of the thirteen original Sta
i tes, and declare the same in force for tn
government Of their territory temporaril
y with the right on The part of the peop
: to change the same, through their loca
Legislature, as they may see proper, tn
> Plan then proceeds to point ont the mod
y in which they may establish for themsel
i YES ga permanent Constitution and Gov
lernment," whenever they shall hav
) twenty thousand inhabitants, as follows
Tbird-"That such Temporary Government onl
: shall continue in force in amy State until it sha
e have acquired twenty thOnSana free inhabitant
y when, giving due proof thereof to Congress, the
: shall receive from them authority, with appoint
: ments Of time and place, TO call Convention Of RI
preSentatives establish permanent CaRstitutio
n and Government fer themselves"
e Having thus provided for the first set
n tiers ga temporary government" in thcs
additional States" and for ga perma
/ nent Constitution and Government whe