the fathers of the constitution-第13章

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be　entitled　to　a　representative　in　Congress　with　the　right　of　debating　but　not　of　voting。　And　finally；　when　the　inhabitants　of　any　one　of　these　districts　should　equal　in　number　those　of　the　least　populous　of　the　thirteen　original　States；　their　delegates　should　be　admitted　into　Congress　on　an　equal　footing。　Jefferson's　ordinance；　though　adopted；　was　never　put　into　operation。　Various　explanations　have　been　offered　for　this　failure　to　give　it　a　fair　trial。　It　has　been　said　that　Jefferson　himself　was　to　blame。　In　the　original　draft　of　his　ordinance　Jefferson　had　provided　for　the　abolition　of　slavery　in　the　new　States　after　the　year　1800；　and　when　Congress　refused　to　accept　this　clause　Jefferson；　in　a　manner　quite　characteristic；　seemed　to　lose　all　interest　in　the　plan。　There　were；　however；　other　objections；　for　there　were　those　who　felt　that　it　was　somewhat　indefinite　to　promise　admission　into　the　Confederation　of　certain　sections　of　the　country　as　soon　as　their　population　should　equal　in　number　that　of　the　least　populous　of　the　original　States。　If　the　original　States　should　increase　in　population　to　any　extent；　the　new　States　might　never　be　admitted。　But　on　the　other　hand；　if　from　any　cause　the　population　of　one　of　the　smaller　States　should　suddenly　decrease；　might　not　the　resulting　influx　of　new　States　prove　dangerous？　But　the　real　reason　why　the　ordinance　remained　a　dead　letter　was　that；　while　it　fixed　the　limits　within　which　local　governments　might　act；　it　left　the　creation　of　those　governments　wholly　to　the　future。　At　Vincennes；　for　example；　the　ordinance　made　no　change　in　the　political　habits　of　the　people。　〃The　local　government　bowled　along　merrily　under　this　system。　There　was　the　greatest　abundance　of　government；　for　the　more　the　United　States　neglected　them　the　more　authority　their　officials　assumed。〃*　Nor　could　the　ordinance　operate　until　settlers　became　numerous。　It　was　partly；　indeed；　to　hasten　settlement　that　the　Ordinance　of　1785　for　the　survey　and　sale　of　the　public　lands　was　passed。**　*　Jacob　Piat　Dunn；　Jr。；　〃Indiana：　A　Redemption　from　Slavery；〃　1888。　**　Although　the　machinery　was　set　in　motion；　by　the　appointment　of　men　and　the　beginning　of　work；　it　was　not　until　1789　that　the　survey　of　the　first　seven　ranges　of　townships　was　completed　and　the　land　offered　for　sale。

In　the　meantime　efforts　were　being　made　by　Congress　to　improve　the　unsatisfactory　ordinance　for　the　government　of　the　West。　Committees　were　appointed；　reports　were　made；　and　at　intervals　of　weeks　or　months　the　subject　was　considered。　Some　amendments　were　actually　adopted；　but　Congress；　notoriously　inefficient；　hesitated　to　undertake　a　fundamental　revision　of　the　ordinance。　Then；　suddenly；　in　July；　1787；　after　a　brief　period　of　adjournment；　Congress　took　up　this　subject　and　within　a　week　adopted　the　now　famous　Ordinance　of　1787。　The　stimulus　which　aroused　Congress　to　activity　seems　to　have　come　from　the　Ohio　Company。　From　the　very　beginning　of　the　public　domain　there　was　a　strong　sentiment　in　favor　of　using　western　land　for　settlement　by　Revolutionary　soldiers。　Some　of　these　lands　had　been　offered　as　bounties　to　encourage　enlistment；　and　after　the　war　the　project　of　soldiers'　settlement　in　the　West　was　vigorously　agitated。　The　Ohio　Company　of　Associates　was　made　up　of　veterans　of　the　Revolution；　who　were　looking　for　homes　in　the　West；　and　of　other　persons　who　were　willing　to　support　a　worthy　cause　by　a　subscription　which　might　turn　out　to　be　a　good　investment。　The　company　wished　to　buy　land　in　the　West；　and　Congress　had　land　which　it　wished　to　sell。　Under　such　circumstances　it　was　easy　to　strike　a　bargain。　The　land；　as　we　have　seen；　was　roughly　estimated　at　one　dollar　an　acre；　but；　as　the　company　wished　to　purchase　a　million　acres；　it　demanded　and　obtained　wholesale　rates　of　two…thirds　of　the　usual　price。　It　also　obtained　the　privilege　of　paying　at　least　a　portion　in　certificates　of　Revolutionary　indebtedness；　some　of　which　were　worth　about　twelve　and　a　half　cents　on　the　dollar。　Only　a　little　calculation　is　required　to　show　that　a　large　quantity　of　land　was　therefore　sold　at　about　eight　or　nine　cents　an　acre。　It　was　in　connection　with　this　land　sale　that　the　Ordinance　of　1787　was　adopted。　The　promoter　of　this　enterprise　undertaken　by　the　Ohio　Company　was　Manasseh　Cutler　of　Ipswich；　Massachusetts；　a　clergyman　by　profession　who　had　served　as　a　chaplain　in　the　Revolutionary　War。　But　his　interests　and　activities　extended　far　beyond　the　bounds　of　his　profession。　When　the　people　of　his　parish　were　without　proper　medical　advice　he　applied　himself　to　the　study　and　practice　of　medicine。　At　about　the　same　time　he　took　up　the　study　of　botany；　and　because　of　his　describing　several　hundred　species　of　plants　he　is　regarded　as　the　pioneer　botanist　of　New　England。　His　next　interest　seems　to　have　grown　out　of　his　Revolutionary　associations；　for　it　centered　in　this　project　for　settlement　of　the　West；　and　he　was　appointed　the　agent　of　the　Ohio　Company。　It　was　in　this　capacity　that　he　had　come　to　New　York　and　made　the　bargain　with　Congress　which　has　just　been　described。　Cutler　must　have　been　a　good　lobbyist；　for　Congress　was　not　an　efficient　body；　and　unremitting　labor；　as　well　as　diplomacy；　was　required　for　so　large　and　important　a　matter。　Two　things　indicate　his　method　of　procedure。　In　the　first　place　he　found　it　politic　to　drop　his　own　candidate　for　the　governorship　of　the　new　territory　and　to　endorse　General　Arthur　St。　Clair；　then　President　of　Congress。　And　in　the　next　place　he　accepted　the　suggestion　of　Colonel　William　Duer　for　the　formation　of　another　company；　known　as　the　Scioto　Associates；　to　purchase　five　million　acres　of　land　on　similar　terms；　〃but　that　it　should　be　kept　a　profound　secret。〃　It　was　not　an　accident　that　Colonel　Duer　was　Secretary　of　the　Board　of　the　Treasury　through　whom　these　purchases　were　made；　nor　that　associated　with　him　in　this　speculation　were　〃a　number　of　the　principal　characters　in　the　city。〃　These　land　deals　were　completed　afterwards；　but　there　is　little　doubt　that　there　was　a　direct　connection　between　them　and　the　adoption　of　the　ordinance　of　government。　The　Ordinance　of　1787　was　so　successful　in　its　working　and　its　renown　became　so　great　that　claims　of　authorship；　even　for　separate　articles；　have　been　filed　in　the　name　of　almost　every　person　who　had　the　slightest　excuse　for　being　considered。　Thousands　of　pages　have　been　written　in　eulogy　and　in　dispute；　to　the　helpful　clearing　up　of　some　points　and　to　the　obscuring　of　others。　But　the　authorship　of　this　or　of　that　clause　is　of　much　less　importance　than　the　scope　of　the　document　as　a　working　plan　of　government。　As　such　the　Ordinance　of　1787　owes　much　to　Jefferson's　Ordinance　of　1784。　Under　the　new　ordinance　a　governor　and　three　judges　were　to　be　appointed　who；　along　with　their　other　functions；　were　to　select　such　laws　as　they　thought　best　from　the　statute　books　of　all　the　States。　The　second　stage　in　self…government　would　be　reached　when　the　population　contained　five　thousand　free　men　of　age；　then　the　people　were　to　have　a　representative　legislature　with　the　usual　privilege　of　making　their　own　laws。　Provision　was　made　for　dividing　the　whole　region　northwest　of　the　Ohio　River　into　three　or　f