Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-01-20
[Fr IN the Philadelphia Weekly Age.
POLITICAL.
BIRDS-EYE VIEW OF THE
HISTORY OF THE UNITED
STATES.
BY TALLow JACKSON, ESQ.
CHAPTER III.


In 1887, Congress provided for the
government of the North Western
territory 10y an ordin ance, in which is
recited the act of Virginia, in 1888. au.
thOrizing the cessiOn uf 1854, of which
condition was that the territory 81
coded should be laid out into states, Ia
I've admitted into the Federal Union.
and have the same rights of sovereign
ty, freedom aud independence, as the
other States. 1t was also provided in the
ordinance of 1857, that the States to
be created out of this territory, should
never intefere with the primary dis
posal of tbs soil by the United States;
1t was also provided that there should
be neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude in the said territory, other
than in punishment of crime.
1t may be noticed the these cessiOns
vested title in trust in the United
States the creation Of new States.
In September, 1888, the Congress un-
der the articles of Confederation made
provision for the organization of the
Government under the lately adop-
ted Constitution, by resolving that the
first Wednesday III January, 1889,
should he the date for the appointment
of the Presidential electors in the sew
eral States; the first Wednesday in
February, the date for the electors to
assemble i'm their respective States and
vote; and the first "Wednesday in
March (4;h). 1888, TO be the time, and
the city OF New York TO he the place
for the commencing of the proceedings
under the new Constitution. The elec-
tiOIs were held pursuant to these reso-
lutlons, Washington was elected Presi-
dent. and John Adams, of Massachu-
sets, Vice President; and a Congress
under the Constitution convened in
/ New YORK on the fourth of March
but for want of a quorum, transacted
no business until April-on the sixth
/ of which month, it proceeded to the
] official enumeration of the electoral
I votes for executive officers, and dis
/ patched messengers to Washington and
] Adams with official notification OF
their election.
Adams reached New York on the DIST
of April and took the chair as Vice
President, and in the Sanate; Wash
| ing,on arrived on the 23d, and was
formerly inaugutrated as President on
the 3Oth, nearly two months later than
was arranged for.
Congress haG not however, awaited
the Inauguration of the executive
branch of the Government before pro-
ceeding TO business, but had already
taken into consideration a tariff, by
means of which TO procure a revenue
TO the new Government.
The most important act, however, oil
this Congress which did not adjourn
until October, was to prepare for the
acceptance of the States, which had
then acceded to the Union-sixteen
Amendments To the Constitution, ten
only of which were finally adopted.
These Amendments had been sug-
gested by the conventions of several
of the states when adopting the Con-
stituUion, they were not made a condi-
ton of their acceptance-but il was
confidently expected they would be
adopted. As to their desirability,
there existed different opinions.
Mr.. Jefferson, in letter from France
had expressed his wish that certain re-
served rights had been mentioned in
i'm the Constitution, but the wcll-based
reasOnings of many, were that thG
Government created by the Constitu'
! ton, being IA grantee under trust, was
possessed of no more powers than
were enumerated in the Constitution
and of such as were essential towards
CARRYING them into effect-that if reser'
vations were mentioned in the consti-
tution-an omission of a reservation
of a power might be construed to i'm
ply the grant thereof.
As Mr.. Madison was more than any
other man. active and able in advoca
ting the adoption of the Constitution
his theories regarding 1t must be high
lv esteemed. They may be defined IS
| follows That the Consultation was
compact between sOveign commune
tics: That it formed Government
formed by a majority of the people "a
one community, but by the peoples o
the several State Constitutions. Being
thus derived from the same source al
the latter-it has I'm its prescribed limit
equal authority with the State Consti
tuition, with this superiority that being
a compact between several communi
ties, each actingin its sovereign capaci
ty-it cannot be snnulIed at the viii
OF the States individually.
That the Constitution, and the law
made i'm pursuance thereof. and ali trea
sizes made under the authority OF tn