Connecticut western news., 1888-03-21
OHIO'S BIRTHDAY.
The Hundredth Anniversary of the
 Northwest Territory.

Three Ohio cities are arranging to celebrate this year the centenary of the colonization of the Northwest. Marietta is, of course, expect ed to do so, from being the spot at which the first colony was established, in the spring of 17S9. Columbus, as the State capital is to be the seat of elaborate ceremonies, in which other States may join. Finally, Senator John Sherman has introduced resolutions into Con- gress providing for Government displays at a centennial exposition of the Ohio valley and Central States, to be held at Cincinnati on the 4th of July. This last project has excited the animosity of some of the people of Columbus where an Ohio centennial exposition is also to be held this year, on the ground that no dis elimination should be made by congress in favor of Cincinnati
 It is sufficiently clear, at any rate, that the events of a century ago will not lack celebra- tion of various sorts in Ohio. And the events are certainly we'll worthy of commemoratior, in view of the great results that have flowed from them. The war of the Revolution closed with British garrsons still in possession of the few posts scattered in the great valley of the Mississippi, between the Ohio and the lakes, occupying in part the same chain of posts that had been wrested by Great Britain from France. The tract had been yielded by the British Government. but the garrisons re- mained several years awaiting the fulflment of certain stipulations on the American side of the treaty of peace. Around or near them were a few settlements, largely French, but
 
 only by the Indians, since the conflicting claims of several States to it's ownership until the effort at last proved successful to procure its cession to the Union, prevented emigration thither.
 | When this session of the region was assured, Jefferson, as Chairman of committee of Con- gross, early in 17S4, proposed division into rectangular tracts, forming seventeen States, | with subdivisions, also by rectangular lines, | into townships and sections, these last being offered for sale to settlers at $l an acre, and, certificates of the public debt being receivable l in payment Congress also, on the 2Sd of 1 April, 1764 passed resolution for the govern ment of the Northwestern Territory. Surveys, Jefferson's original plan, and the famous ordi- nance of July Is, 178S, was enacted, td tale the | place of the resolutions of l7S4.
 The fifth article of this ordinance presfribed | that the Territory should contain not lesd than | three r more than five States
 l s'The western State shall be bounded Ny the Mississippi, the Ohio, and the Wabash Hiverss | & direct line drawn from the Wabash and Post | Vincents, due north, to the Territorial lihe be- tween the United States and Canada; and by the said Territorial line to the Lake of the Woods and Mississippi. The middle States shall be bounded by the said direct line, the Wabash from Post Vincents to the Ohio, by | the Ohio, by direct line drawn duo north | from the mouth of the Great Miami to the said l Territorial line, and by the said Territorial line. The eastern State shall be bounded by the last-mentioned direct line, the Ohio, Penn sylvania, and the said Territorial line" Provision was made for subsequently, form ing one or two States north of the parallel of the southern end of Lake Michigan. Whenever any enc of these new States had 50, 900 free in- habitants it was to be admitted by it's dele gates into the Congress of the United States, on an equal footing with the original States in all respects whatever" It is to be remen- bered that this was before the "more perfect Union" spoken of in the preamble to the Con- stitution was formed. The new State was | further to be at liberty to 'sform permanent 1 Constitution and State Government,' pro- | vided it should be republican and in con- formity to the principles contained in theso articles" It was further provided that tho admission to Congress- if consistent with the be even before the State had 60. 900 free in- | habitants
 Tie article in this ordinance which has be- come the most famous was the sixth and final | one, which was as follows:
 ssThere shall be neither slavery nor involun- tary servitude in the said Territory, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted; provided, | always, that any person escaping into the same, from whom labor or service is lawfully claimed in any one of the original States, such | fugitive may be lawfully reclaimed. and con veyed to the person claiming his or her labor | or service as aforesaid.
 But there were many other provisions of the l the descent of the estates of those who died in- testate, and for the execution of bequests by will, also for leases and other conveyances, for registry, and so on, saying however, to the French and Canadian inhabitants, and other settlers of the Kaskaskies, Saint Vincents, and the neighboring villages, who have hereto fore professed themselves citizens of Virginia, | their laws and customs now in force among them relative to the descent and conveyance of property" Careful regulations were also made f for Territorial Government established by I Congress and local General Assembly or Leg islature Six articles of compact, of which the last two have been referred to, settled the re- spective rights of the new States and the origi- | nal States.
 The passage of this ordinance in 17S7, pre- ceding the drafting of the new Constitution, and the first settlements in Ohio in the spring of l7SS, preceding the ratification of the Con- stitution by the States, were additional ties to draw the original States closer together. It was noteworthy coincidence that the settle ment of the West began with the foundation of our present Union under the Constitution, 50 that the hundredth anniversary of the one event is now upon us almost simultaneously with that of the other. '+