The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-05
Some Timely Topics Discussed
BY the Tines Dispatch Reader

81 Dy II
'9at9e:e
Editor Of The Times Dlspatch:
slr,--Mr. George II. purvis. OF Waynes-
borO, Vn., Is In error when he says In your
;isAuo Of this date, February 18th, that
fvrgnia when sho ceded to tho General
Government ali her vast territory, which
afterwards formed 30 many Western
States, that ''she stipulated in the deed
OF cession that no State carved out Of
this territory should eyer be admitted to
tho Union with slavery For there was
nothing In the decd OF cession at all about
that one way lor the other On the con-.
ltrary, after tho cesson had been made.
Mr., Jefferson, as chairman OF q COM
imittee, reported to the Continental Con-
gress an ordinance which prohibited slav-
cry In all the common territory OF the
United states, including that south, as
well as north Of the OHIO River. When
the vote was taken on this proposition
Virginia cast her vote against It, ana the
otlly members from the South who voted
for 1t were Mr.. Jefferson. its author.
who did not practice what ne preached
Uor he continued TO hold slaves 70 tho
day of his DEATH and Mr.. Hugh William
q
Carolina, northern man who had emil
grated to that State. Every other man
from the South voted against the propo-
sition, and 1t failed, owing TO their op-
position, and It is probably well that It
did. because had It gone through our
country would more than likely nave
never been able to acquire from FRANCE,
as 81 afterwards did, the great Louisiana
Territory, out Of which more than dos
en- States and Territories have already
been formed For all that immense region
was slave territory. and wnen France
sold 1t to us Napoleon expressly stipulat-
ed, writing It In the treaty with his own
hand that as long as any OF It remained
In territorial condition. (and some OF It
is in that condition5to this day., the poo
pie should not be disturbed IN either
their property or religion. But had Mr.
Jefferson's proposition carried In the Con-
tinental Congress, the intent OF which was
to do away with slavery in. all the COM
mon territory OF the United States, both
North and South OF the Ohio. It may
have been that Napoleon would have re-
fused to sell us the great Louisiana re-
gion in which event our country would
have continued to have had the MISSISSIPPI
nj river for It's western boundary instead
Of being extended to the Pacific ocean.
Some years after this proposition Of Mr..
Jefferson had failed, through the opposl-
ton OF Virginin and the South. another
proposition was introduced into the Con-
tinental Congress. not by. Mr.. Jefferson,
however, as he was not then member
OF Congress, to prohibit slavery In all the
tier territory OF the United States north
OF the Ohio river, still leaving the insti-
tuition to exist In territory south OF It.
And this ordinance. the ordinance OF
1857 was passed by the unanimous vote
OF all the Southern States present. five
-, co,1,htpn6d tpfth that or the
three northern States which were present.
though one northern member. MIR, ates,
of New York. after whom that State has
since named q county voted against ".
he being the only member Of Congress
who did vote against 1t. In other words.
when Mr.. Jeffersons proposition was up,
and which gave the North all the COM
mon territory OF the United States, the
South said no, we will not consent, and
voted against 1t, and 1t fell through. But
when the proposition was changed SO as
to divide the common territory OF the
United States with the North. then the
South was found unanimously for IT, and
tho mea sure was passed. And had the
principle thus established been adhered TO
there would never have been any trouble
between the North and the South. But
In after years the North undertook to
exclude the South from all the common
territory OF tho United States. First the
attempt was made In 1873. when the qucs-
ton came up In regard to the admission
OF Missouri. And still more pronounc-
edly.i n generation later. when the Re-
1,ublican party was organized on the
principle Of excluding the South from ev-
cry foot of territory which had been ac-
uuired by the common blood and COM
mon treasure OF both sections. That
wac what brought on the war. Had the
South been willing to%concede to the
North all the common territory. It could
have been owning slaves till this day. For
one Of the last things which the United
States Congress did prior to the breaking
out OF hostilities. and that, too. after the
secession Of all tho far Southern States,
was to pass through both Houses OF
Congress-, by the necessary II tW o-thlrds
vote, proposed amendment to the Con-
stitution OF the United States, which pro-
yided that no future amendment should
ever be mado to the Constitution which
should permit the abolition of slavery by
tho United States in any State. That
proposed amendment was in these words:
'That no amendment shall be made to-
the, Constitution which will authorize or
give to Congress the power to Interfere
within any State, with tho domestic In
sttutions thereof, including that. Of per-
sons held to labor or service by the laws
OF said State" This amendment. which
was to be numbered XIII. was a northern
1t had been originally In
troduced into the Senate by Mr.. Seward.
OF New York. who in a few months be-
came Lincoln's secretary Of State It
was reported favorably TO the House by
the Comittee OF Thirty-three, appointed
by the Republican speaker Of that body
bennington OF New Jersey and on Which
committee the North and the Republicans
had a large majority, many Of the South
ern States having then. seeded, OF the
two-thirds vote by which 1t passed each
House OF Congress. majority were from
tho North, and a majority OF that ma
jority were Republicans, including nearly
all the leading ones, such as, Charles
Francis Adams OF Massachusetts, Schuyler
Colfax, afterwards Vlce-P President with
Grant; John Sherman, OF Ohio. etc. Had
tho South been willing to accept that
Northern proposition, which. practically
said, give up all your rights In the COM
mon territories and we Will so fix It that
the negro SO far as we are concerned,
shall be consigned to slavery forever In
tho fifteen states where that institution
exists, because by this amendment no
amendment to the United States consti-
tutto,, "a n aver ha rnnda to freq him. Why