The Ordway new era., 1913-10-17
lnstalIment 20
Washinoton's Political Creed.

port them like gentlemen while they
are our representatives. give them
competent powers for all federal pur-
else thereof. and. lastly, 10 compel
them to close attendance in congress
during their delegation
But his thoughts took wider scope
as the months passed; and nothing
QuIckened them more than his western
trip. t
He saw how much of the future
travelled with those slow wagon trains
of immigrants into the west: realized
how they we're leaving behind them
the rivers that ran to the old ports
at the sea. and going down into the
valleys whose outlet was the great
highway OF the Mississippi and the
ports of the gulf; how the great ridge
OF the Alleghanies lay piled between
them and the older seats of settle
ment. with only here and there gap
TO let road through. only here and
there two rivers lying close enough
at their sources to link the east with
the west: and the likelihood OF a sepa-
ration between the two populations
seemed to him as obvious as the tilt Of
the mountains upon either slope.
Words Of Wisdom.
There is nothing which binds one
country or one state to another but
interest,"" he said. without this ce-
ment the western Inhabitants. who
more than probably will be composed
In great degree OF foreigners. can
have no prediction for us. and a
commercial connection is the only tie
we can have upon them"
THE western settlers" he declared.
while still fresh from the Ohio. stand
as 1t were upon pivot. The touch
OF feather would turn them any way"
down the Mississippi to Join their
Interests with those OF the Spaniard.
or back to the mountain roads and the
headwaters OF the eastern streams. to
make for themselves a new allegiance
In the east.
He was glad to see the Spaniard 30
impolitic as to close the Mississippi
against the commerce offered him. and
hoped that things might stand SO until
there should have been "a little time
allowed to open and make easy the
ways between tho Atlantic states and
the western territory
To Open the Potomac.
The opening of the upper reaches
OF the Potomac to navigation had long
been a favorite object with Washing
ton: now 1t seemed nothing less than
n necessity.
1t had been part Of the original
scheme Of the old Ohio company to
use this means OF winning a way for
commerce through the mountains
Steps had been taken more than TWEEN.
ty years ago to act in the matter
through private subscription; and ac-
tive measures for securing the neces-
sary legislation from the Assemblies
OF Virginia and Maryland were still
in course when Washington was call
ed to Cambridge and revolution drew
mems minds imperatively OF from the
business.
4 For an Empires Trade.
In 1910 Washington had written to
Jefferson Of the project as means of
opening channel for "the extensive
trade OF rising empire:" now the
empire OF which he had had a vision
was no longer Britain's. but Americas g
own. and 1t WIS become matter of
exigent political necessity to keep that
western country against estrange-
ment, winning 1t by commerce and
close sympathy to Join itself with the
old colonies in building up free COM
pany OF united states upon the great
continent.
sly fhn ttr f0r. te
formation Of new states.
Virginia had taken the broad and
national view Of her duty that Wash
tngton himself held, and had ceded to
the confederation all her ancient
claims to the lands that lay northwest
OF the Ohio river. reserving for her
self only the fair region that stretched
south Of that great stream. from her
own mountains to the Mississippi.
North CaroIlna's Settlers Defiant.
North Carolina would have ceded
her western lands beyond the
mountains. also. had they been
empty and unclaimed. like
the vast territory that lay
belond the Ohio. But for many a year
settlers had been crossing the noun.
tains into those fertile valleys. and
both this region and that which Vir.
ginia still kept showed many a clear
ing now and many rude hamlet
where hardy frontiersmen we're max
ing new home for civilization.
Rather than be handed over to con
Sress, to be disposed of by an author
tty which no one else was bound tc
obey, North Carolina's western set
tiers declared they would form 9
state of their own. and North Caroline
had to recall her gift OF their lands tc
the confederation before their plan.
Of defiance could be checked and de
Seated.
Virginia found her own frontiers
men no less ready to take the initia
tive in whatever affair touched ,hei