The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-09-20

Northwestern Territory, and the sam
Mr. Jefferson, as chairman Of com nit
tee, then submits "a plan for the tempo
rary government of the Territories cede,
by the individual States to the United
States" Mr.. Douglas proceeds to de
scribe how tho Territorial Government
were to be organized, what rights aut
powers we're put into the hands of th,
people. and how they were to be excr
cised; and, after having demonstrated
that the term "new States" meant the
same thing which is now designated By
Territories" be comes to the conclusion o
that the spirit pervadiug that plan was in
exact consonance with his doctrine oil
popular sovereignty" Mr.. Douglas os.
tentatiously calls this "the Jeffersopiau
plan" at was" says he, "tbe first plan
of government for the Territories ever a.
dopted iu the United States 1t was
drawn by the author of the Declaration
of Independence, and revised aud adopt,
ed by those who shaped the issues which
produced the Revolution, and formed the
foundations upon which our whole system
of American government rests" But
Mr.. Douglas skips rather nimbly over the
signi ifcant fact, that the same "author OF
the Declaration of Independence" put in
to that plan proviso, ercluding slaUcry
from tie Territories. Was that a mere
accident! Mr.. Jefferson showed thereby,
coDclusively. that, in his opinion. the ex-
clusion of Slavery BY Congressional leg
islation was By no means inconsistent
with the spirit of popular sovereignty
which Mr., Douglas discovers in the plan
of 1884; but this does not disturb Mr..
Douglas. "Tbe fifth article" says he,
"relating to the prohibition of slavery,
having been rejected by Congress, never
became part of the Jeffersonian plan of
government for the Territories, as adopt
April 23d, l7s4" Although With a
large numerical majority in its favor,
(sixteen to seven this article did indeed
fail to obtain constitutional majority,
the vote Of New Jersey not being counted
in consequence of there being but one
delegate from that State present; yet it
had been drawn up by Mr.. Jefferson, in
trodueed by Mr.. Jefferson, and sustained
by Mr.. Jefferson's vote. Nevertheless,
Mr.. Douglas presists in calling a plan,
from achtch the peculiar JeferSonsan te1-
ture had been struck out, the "JeferSoniam
plan." This is the play of Hamlet with
the character of Hamlet omitted
| Laughter
"This charter of compact" proceeds Mr..
Douglas. with its fundamental conditions
which were unaltcrable without the joint
consent of the people interested in them
as well as of the U. States, then stood upon
the statute book unrepealed and ire
pealable, when, on the 18th day of May,
1887, the Federal Convention met at
philadelphia" Does Mr. Douglas not
know that on the 10th of March, 1885, a
proposition vas introduced in Congress
by Rufus King, to exclude slavery from
the States described 10 the resolve of A
pril 23d, 1884, and to make this provis-
ion part of the compact established by
that resolved Does be not know that
this proyion, restoring the Jefersonian
feature to the "Jeffersonian plan,' was
committed, by the vote of eight States "a
gainst four Does be not know that the
plan Of 1854 never wen: into practical
operation. but was expressly set aside by
Congress in 1887 Does he not know
that the ordinance Of 1857 was the first
legislative act ever practically organizing
Territory of the United States, and that
one of its ost prominent features was
the proviso excluding slavery from all
the Territories then in possession Of the
United States
Mr. Douglass historical recolections Of
the ordinance of 1887 seem to be very
iudistinct. Indeed, be deems it only wor-
thy Of an occasional, passing, almost con-
temptuous notice. He speaks OF it as
'the ordinance of the 18th of July, 1887,
which was passed by the remnant of Con
gress of the Confederation, sitting in New
York, while, its most eminent members
were at Philadelphia, as delegates to the
Federal Convention" For three guar.
ters of a century, people were 10 the hab-
it of thinking that the ordinance of 1857
was an act of the highest order of impor-
tance, but we now learn that it was rath.
er Indifferent affair, passed on an indiffer.
ent occasion, by an exceedingly ind'ffer
ent set of fellows, while the plan of 1874
a mere abstract programme. completed y
overruled by subsequent legislation, IL
/ represented as the true glory of the age
How is this The reason is Obvious
Mr.. Douglas belongs to that class OF his
torisns who dwell upon those fsc's wbict
suit their. convenience, and upceremoni
ously drop the rest. once heard of
Jesuit college where they used tex
book of history, in which the Frencl
Revolution was never mentioned, while
the Emperor Napoleon figured there onl,
as modest Marquis Bouaparte. who hel'
a commission under Louis XVII, aDs
fought great Ssttles for the glory of tb'
Catholic Church. Laughter and Ap
plause So it is with Mr. Douglas ant
the history of this country. He ignore
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