Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-03-24
THE NEW FAMOUS!
33 WEST MAIN STREET.

date of its acquisition until this hour, and
for all time to come, you are indebted to the
wisdom of those far-sighted men in the con.
f. derate congress who framed and adopted
''an ordinance for the government of the
territory of the United State> northwest OF
the river Ohio" This was done on the 18th
| ofJuIy, 1887, while the general government
wts carried on under the articles of con-
federation, and only two months and -four
days before the adoption Of the constitution
of the United States.
This ordinance-now seldom read, and
but little understood by the peoples the
charter of your liberties, and the founda-
ton of all Of your free institutions in Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Ii authorized the establishment of terri
torial government in this territory. 1t pro-
vided for the necessary machinery to carry
on such government. Ii regulated the
acqulsion and transfer of property therein
by purchase, descent and devise. And Ii
made provision for the maintenance of
order, the prevention of crime and the ad-
ministration. But the most important part
of the ordinance are the six articles of COM
pact which 1t contains between the original
states of this union and the people and
states of the northwest territory, and which
it declared should forever remain unalter-
able. unless by common consent.
These articles of compact were embodied
in the ordinance for the purpose Of
extending the fundamental principles of
civil and religious liberty, by making them
the basis of alllaws, constitutions and gov
ernments, which forever thereafter might
be made, adopted or formed in said terri
tory; and 10 provide for the establishment
of states, and permanent government
therein. and for their admission TO share
in the federal councils on an equal footing
With the original states.
L. They guarantee religious freedom. by
providing that no person. demeaning him
self in peaceable and orderly manner,
shall ever be molested on account of his
mode of worship, or religious sentiments.
,. They give to all of the inhabitants of
said territory the writ of hdbeds corpus,
the right of trial by jury, proportiOnate
representation of the people In the legisla-
iure, and judicial proceedings according to
the course OF the common law. They make
all persons charged with crime bailable.
unless for capital offenses where the proof
is evident or the presumption great. They
require all fines to be moderate. and pro-
hibt the iufiction of cruel and unusual
punishments They provide that no man
shall be deprived Of his liberty or property,
but by the judgment Of his peers or the
law Of the land. And they make 1t
part of the fundamental law that no
mans property shall be taken for public
use, and no mans services shall be de-
manded for the common preservation. with
out full compensation being made therefor.
8. They recognize religion, morality and
acknowledge as necessary to good govern
ment and the happiness Of mankind, and
declare that schools and the means Of edu
cation shall forever be encouraged. They
stipulate that the utmost good faith shall
always be observed towards the Indians;
that their lands and property shall never
be taken from them without their consent;
and that they shall never be invaded or
disturbed In their property. rights and
lib Ariy. unless in just aud lawful wars
authorized by congress.
4. They declare that said territory, and
the states that may be formed therein, shall
forever remain part of the United States
of America
5. They provide that not less than three
nor more than five states shall be formed in
said territory, and these states, upon COM
plying with the conditions named In the
fifth article, shall be admitted into the
union on an equal footing with the orig
inal states.
6. Aud, finally, they declare that no
slavery or involuntary servitude shall ever
exist in any part of this magnificent terri
tory, except as punishment for crime.
These are the provisions of the famous
ordinance of 17s7. Under the benign In
fiuence OF a popular government, founded
and administered upon these principles,
you and your ancestors have lived and
prospered for one hundred years. And
now if will go to the exposition at Colum-
bus in September, you can see with your
own eyes how that little colony lived at
Marietta in 1878. and what wonders a cen
tury of time has wrought In this favored