Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-01-18
SOME LOST STATES.
A Record of Curious and Ill-Fated
Schemes Which Came to Naught
Detroit Evening News.

Detroit Evening News.
Some of the Obscure facts of our his
tory relating to the formation, the
speedy rise and as speedy fall of organi
zations that promised to become pros
porous and permanent States, are full of
III terest. They have, in general, no
place in the current histories of the
country; and only the deliver in Origi-
nal records and out-of-the-way dOcu-
monts is likely to find them.
Now Connecticut included a number
of towns on both sides of the COnnecti-
cut river, which, in June. 1779 attempt
ed to form a separate government, but
the effort was short-lived. New Albion
was grant made in 1884 by the Earl of
STAFFORD, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Qhe only American grant under the
great seal of the Emerald Isle), to Ed
ward Plowden, of the present tract of
New Jersey, with all the adjacent ISL
ands. 1t was utilized by Plowden,prob-
ably on account of the Dutch claims.
New Amstel was grant to the city of
Amsterdam in 1856 by the Dutch West
India Co. of the part of that same terri
tory between the Christiankill and the
Delaware, in consideration of large
payment. 1t was named from suburb
of Amsterdam. 1t was successfully
cOlonized, but SO many difficulties were
experienced in the administration of Its
affairs that after eight years the India
company was asked to take it back
again.
The beginnings of government in Ken
lucky were made by party of nine
North Carolinians. headed by Col. Rich
ard Henderson. In defiance of the an
cient policy and statutes of Virginia,
which ruled the land, they assumed to
purchase from the Cherokees 100000
acres, between the Cumberland and Ken
lucky rivers, upon which they tried to
found "the colony of Transylvania." A
Legislature of seventeen members met
under an elm at Fort Boone, or Boones-
borough, May, % IT'S, the first Anglo
American Government west of the AL
leghenies. Sundry measures were pass
ed during the five days session, when the
Assembly adjourned, never to meet
again, as the movement was Squelched
by the Virginia Legislature, and the
refusal of the Continental Congress to
receive the delegate sent to that body.
The post-revolntionary era was prolific
in schemes for extending the American
empire. Congress looked wisely 20 the
early settlement of the western country,
and to its subdivision and erection into
States. In 1854 indeed, before the ses-
sion by Virginia of her vast tracts in the
northwest to the United StateS-an Or
dinance of that body, reported by COM
mittee of which jefferson was chair
man, provided for the subdivision of all
territory acquired or to be acquired in
the then west from the frontier of Flor
ida to the north line of the Union. With
the growth of population in each pre-
scribed division of 10000 or more, sew
enteen States in all were to be success
fully.created-e eight between the Mis-
sissippi and north and south line
drawn through the falls of the Ohio,
clRUG UcIN6tu ILLS anu
through the mouth of the great Kama
wha, and the seventeenth between the
latter and the western boundary of
Pennsylvania and Virginia. Each State,
in general, was to have breadth of just
two degrees of latitude, without regard
to natural boundaries. A provision,
doubtless introduced by Jefferson, but
which did not pass with the bill, antici-
pated the ordinance of 1887 in declaring
that there should be no slavery or in
voluntary servltude in the States form
ed Tin this case after the year 1S0Ol, ex-
cept for punishment for crime. The
proposed division was found impracti-
cable, and was superseded three years
afterward by the ordinance just named,
for the government. OF the territory
northwest of the Ohio river.
In Jefferson's original draft of the act
of 1884, he provided definite bounds and
til les for such of the States as might be
formed north of Ohio. That between
the 45th parallel and the north limit of
the United States was to be Sylvania;
next south of this, Michigania, east CT
which, in the present lower peninsular
of Michigan, would come Choronesus;
the two States south of these, Assinis-
pia on the west and MetropOtamia to
the east; between these, Illiinota and
Saratoga; between the latter and Penn
sylvania. Washington; and between the
Ohio and the 4Oth parallel. Polypotamia,
(from the many rivers within it, and
Pelipsia (from an old name of the Beau
tiful river). But when the bill was sent
back to the committee, the elaborate
prov yisi0ns fer these were stricken out.
In the same year Q7S4) North Caro-