The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1860-11-23

u
t Kansas Nebraska bill for fu
. Exposition Of that doctrine. Lookin
. to that bill, then, what do we fnt
] First, un act OF Congress for tii
t government OF the territory; secenc
, ", an arrangement for the appoin
! ment Of the Governor, Judges, an
, various ether territorial officers, b
the President, and finally, provisio
for the revision of all decisions Of tn
, territorial Courts by the Fedcrf
Judiciary. And this act, we ar
told, follows the precedent Of JoGcI
, son in the ordinance of 1854, whic
) is referred to as authority for tn
principle claimed to be the basis {
10 bill.
Let US look to this ordinance {
Jefferson. 1t certainly does gres
honor to the comprehensive and ia
seeing sagacity OF that illustriou
man. II twas prepared and propose,
at critical moment. Through Tia
cessions OF Virginia, New York
! Massachusetts and other states, Con
gress had acquired for the people 0
the United States the territor,
North West Of the Ohio, and it wa
well understood that further cession
of terIitory were to be made by Nortl
Carolina and Georgia. The duty o
providing for tho creation OF state,
out of this territory, devolved or
Congress. and the plan of Jefferson
embodied his ideas of the prope
mode OF executing this trust. lie
had cherished the idea Of inaugura
ting the nineteenth century by q
sublime act OF enfranchsement on
the part Of Virginia. He had draft
ed a Constitution Tor his native
state. which he proposed to submit
to a Convention expected to be call.
ed, one OF tho provisions OF which
declared that alter the year 1900
slavery should not exist in Virginia.
This provision would, Of course, have
prohibited slavery in Kentucky
then part ot Virginia. But pub
lie sentiment was not ripe for such q
step. The g INVENTION was no,
called, and the Constitution was moi
proposed.
Then Mr.. Jefferson transferred
his purpose to the Western territory,
and in the plan to which | have
Just referred, he incorporated a pro.
vision, that after tho year 1900
slavery should not be permitted in
any territory ceded to or to be cedcd
to the United States. Under the
articles of confederation, it required
the assent of majority OF all the
states to pass any proposition into
law. 1t SO happened that only nino
states were then represented ia ,hc
Congress. The Jeiltrsonan prop.
osition received the votes Of six OF
these states, and OF sixteen of the
twenty ti.ree delegates present in
Congress. Seven were necessary.
One was wanting. Two states were
divided. In Que the vote OF Mr..
Jefferson WAS ovcrbornc by that OF his
two colleagues, A single vote in
either OF these states would have
decided the controversy for the pro-
hibition, and the question of slavery
in the territories would have been
put az rest forever.
Without this prohibition, howev.
er, the Jefferson plan might now
serve the purpose of settling tho
slavery question, for under it that
question would be referred in good
faith to the people. /, provided for
the division OF all territory ceded or
to be ceded, into districts OF suitable
limits for new states. 1t authorized
the people in each division to meet
in Convention, and adopt the Con
etitution and laws Of some one Of the
original states for their government.
The laws so adopted might alter
ward be changed at pleasure by the
local Legislature; and the people,
under the adopted Constitution.
might elect their officers and conduct
all their affairs according to their
own discretion. IL wonld by very
slight extension. and doublless-now
that we have thirty-three state Con
stitutions--a salutary extension OF
the idea Of Jefferson, to allow the
people OF any territory, within lin
its suited tn a state government, to
frame a Constitution for themselves,
instead of requiring them to adopt
one framed for some state already in
tie Union.
The plan Of jefferson was n true
popular sovereignty plan. Compare
it with the Kansas. Nebraska bill. -
The plan of Jefferson allowed the
people to adopt their own temporary
Constitution. The Kansas s-Nebras
ka bill imposes on the people, with
out their consent, n temporary Con
situation, framed by Mr.. Dougla
and enacted into law by Congress
Tho plan of Jefferson enabled tn
people to elect their own Governor
Judges and other oflicers. TIL
Kansas Nebraska bill allows th'
people no voice in the selection c
their officials, but provides for thei
appointment by the President of tn
limited States. The plan of Jetie,
son empowered the people to protet
| themselves against slavery, as we
as every other evil. Mr.. Dougla
, and his friends refused to iuoorpo'
, alto into the Kansas. Nebraska bill
8 simple declaration, that tho peop
Q OF the territory had power under Il
D Constitution to prohibit the existcn
I OF slavery.
@ Tho relation between tho tV
r plans ia not that of similarity, >