The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-05-19
THE WESTERN RESERVE.
Hs Origin and Early Hjsf0ry.
RY Il. Ii. GILLETT, d. d.

The royal charter granted to the
colony of Connecticut in 1862, extend
ed its limits westward to I" the South
Sea" This character antedated by
nearly two years the grant made to the
Duke OF York, and by nearly twenty
years the grant made 10 William Penn.
Nearly century after it was granted,
its validity so far as it applied to lands
within what is now the State of Penn.
sylvania, was called 10 question by
those who were interested in supporting
the claims which the proprietaries made
to those lands. The Wheelock CORES.
pondence shows that the founder of
Dartmouth College had serious thoughts
of planting his institution within the
bounds IF Pennsylvania Colony, bur
jealousy Of Connecticut enterprise, as
endangering the title bv which the lands
were held, led the Proprietary Govern
ment to oppose the project.
Letters Of men holding ofiic'al posi-
ton in the colony of Connecticut, show
that the colony was not disposed to In
trude upon its neighbors, and at the
same time it was not prepared t. sur.
render the claims which it held under
its charter. A controversy arose in
which DR. Smith and MIR. lngersoll up
peared in behalf of Pennsylvania, aud
the Rev. Dr. TrumbulI in behalf of
Connecticut. The historian of the lat
ter colony, in an octave pamphlet CT
over 100 pages, presented It's title in a
strong light, refuting the assumption OF
his opponents This was printed 10
IVA, just as the Revolutionary war
was about to commence.
For several years the controversy was
suspended, but neither party was dis
posed to yield its claims. The dispute
came TO final decision befor, Court
of Commissioners appo;utcd pursuant
To the articles of Confederation, OF
Dec. both, 1882. It was then deter
mined that the State OF Connecticut
had 60 right to the l'nds included in
the Pennsylvania char er. In this de,
cision Connecticut aquiesced, but she
was no. disposed to surrender her right
to the territory still further west, which
had beeu granted by her charter. Her
General Assembly, in Oct. 1888, as.
serted her just title to the lands wesS
Of Pennsylvania lying between Al deg.
and AZ deg, and extending to the Mis-.
sissippi, and the Governor was desired
to issue his proclama ion, declaring the
rights of the State and forbiddiog all
persons to eurer or settle thereon, with
out special license and authority fr.t
Obtained
The proclamation thus called for was
issued by Gov. TrumbuiI, Nov. 18th,
1888. But the purpose OF the State to
retain its territory was modified by the
necessities of the Confederation. Va
rious motives had led some of the States
to insist tbaC others who laid claim to
extensive territory, should cede it to
the General Union. Unless this was
done, the proximate equality of the
States would ere long be utterly de-
stroyed, and weaker States would be
crushed by the superiority Of their
more fortunate rivals.
70 obviase their objections, and lead
them to unite in tho Confederacy, Con-
gress, 10 the midst of he war, Sept 6,
1880, thought it advisable to press up
on the States having claims to the
Western couBtry, Iibera! surrender of
a portion OF them; and at the close of
the war, April Is, 1888, the recommen
dation was renewed, coupled with the
expression of the hope that the vacan,
lands thus ceded might become 40 IN
portant resource for the payment Of the
National debt.
Connecticut responded in May, 1856
by empowering her delegates 10 Con-
gress to execute a deed, ceding to tn
United States all her title, jurisdic ion
aud claim to her Western lands. except
that portiou directly west of Pennsyl-
vania, extendioC westward 12O miles
and northward from the 41st to the 42d
degree of latitude. The ccssion was
promptly accepted by Congress, on the
l4th of Sept, 1855; the dele gates from
Connecticut executed their deed of
cession Thus, the portion of her
western lands extending l20 miles west
ward of Pennsylvania, Was retained by
Connecticut, and thenceforth it was
known as the WEsTERS RESERVE.
With the least possible delay, the
Legislature of Connecticut (Oct. 1850
directed survey OF their reserved ter
ritory to be maze, This survey was to
extend from the western line of Penn
sylvania to the "east of the river Cav
ahoga, to which the Indiau right has
been extinguisbed" A land cfice was
also to be opened for the sale of the
lands.
10 1882, the Legislature of Connect.
icut granted to certain citizens of the
State, as a compensation for property
dnqtrA wed hv tho enemu dnr;no bo ,vor