תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

garrifoned with one company. The excellent conftruction and execution of this work reflects honor on the abilities and industry of Captain Hart, who garrifons it with his company, and who was his own engineer.

This poft was established for the purpose of defending the frontiers of Pennfylvania, which are much expofed by the facility with which the Indians can crofs from Lake Erie, either to French creek or the Jadagghue Lake and the Conneawango branch, and thence defcend the rapid river Allegany.

FORT PITT-Has only an officer, and a few men to receive the fupplies and difpatches forwarded to the troops by the Secretary at War.

FORT MINTOSH-Is ordered to be demolished, and a block-houfe to be erected in lieu thereof, a few miles up the Big Beaver creek to protect the communication up the fame, and alfo to cover the country.

FORT HARMAR-At the mouth of Muskingum, is a well conftructed fort, with five bastions, and three cannons mounted.

It is at prefent garrifoned with four companies, and is confidered as head quarters, being conveniently fituated to reinforce any of the posts either up or down the river Ohio.

FORT STEUBEN-At the rapids of the Ohio, on the weft fide is a wellconstructed small fort, with one cannon, and is garrifoned with a major and two companies. This poft is established to cover the country from the incurfions of the Indians, and it also serves as a post of communication to Poft Vincennes on the Wabash.

POST VINCENNES--On the Wabash, is a work erected during the year 1787, and has four small brafs cannon. It is garrifoned by a major and two companies.

It is eftablifhed to curb the incurfions of the Wabash Indians into Kentucky country, and to prevent the ufurpation of the federal lands, the fertility of which have been too ftrong a temptation to the lawless people of the frontiers, who posted themselves there in force in the year 1786. Brigadier-General Harmar, by order of Congrefs, formed an expedition in Auguft, 1787, for the purpose of difpoffeffing them; but previous to his arrival, moft of the intruders had abandoned their fettlement.

Government, &c.] By an ordinance of Congress, paffed on the 13th of July, 1787, this country, for the purposes of temporary government, was erected into one district, fubject, however, to a divifion, when circumftances shall make it expedient.

In the fame ordinance it is provided, that Congrefs fhall appoint a governor, whofe commiffion fhall continue in force three years, unless fooner revoked.

The governor muft refide in the diftrict, and have a freehold eftate therein, in 1000 acres of land, while in the exercife of his office.

Congrefs, from time to time, are to appoint a fecretary, to continue in office four years, unless fooner removed, who must refide in the diftrict, and have an eftate of 500 acres of land, while in office.

The bufinefs of the fecretary is, to keep and preferve the acts and laws of the legislature, and the public records of the diftrict, and the proceedings of the governor, in his executive department; and to transmit authentic copies of fuch acts and proceedings, every fix months, to the fecretary of Congrefs.

The

The ordinance provides that Congrefs fhall appoint three judges, poffeffed each of 500 acres of land in the diftrict in which they are to refide, and to hold their commiffions during good behaviour, any two of whom, fhall form a court, who fhall have a common law jurifdiction. The governor and judges are authorized to adopt and publish in the district, fuch laws of the original states, criminal and civil, as may be neceffary and beft fuited to the circumftances of the district, and report them to Congrefs, and if approved they fhall continue in force, till the organization of the general affembly of the district, who fhall have authority to alter them. The governor is to command the militia, and appoint and commiffion their officers, except general officers, who are to be appointed and commiffioned by Congrefs.

Previous to the organization of the affembly, the governor is to appoint fuch magiftrates and civil officers, as fhall be deemed neceffary for the prefervation of peace and order.

So foon as there fhall be 5000 free male inhabitants of full age, in the diftrict, they fhall receive authority to elect reprefentatives, one for every 500 free male inhabitants, to represent them in the general affembly; the representation to encrease progreffively with the number of free male inhabitants, till there be 25 reprefentatives; after which the number and proportion of the reprefentatives fhall be regulated by the legislature. A reprefentative muft poffefs, in fee fimple, 200 acres of land, and be a refident in the district-and muft have been a citizen of the United States, or a refident in the district, three years preceding his election. An elector must have 50 acres of land in the district-must have been a citizen of one of the ftates-and must be a refident in the district-or muft poffefs the fame freehold and have been two years a refident in the district, The reprefentatives, when duly elected, are to continue in office two years.

The general affembly, or legislature, fhall confift of the governor, legiflative council, and house of reprefentatives. The legislative council thall confift of five members, to continue in office five years, unless fooner removed by Congrefs. Three make a quorum.-The council are to be thus appointed: The governor and reprefentatives, when met, fhall nominate ten perfons, residents in the district, and each poffeffed of a freehold in 500 acres of land, and return their names to Congress, who fhall appoint and commiffion five of them to serve as aforefaid.

All bills paffed by a majority in the houfe, and in the council, fhall be referred to the governor for his affent; but no bill or legiflative act whatever, fhall be of force without his affent. The governor fhall have power to convene, prorogue, and diffolve the general affembly, when, in his opinion, it fhall be expedient.

The legiflature, when organized, fhall have authority, by joint ballot, to elect a delegate to Congrefs, who fhall have a feat in Congrefs, with a right of debating, but not of voting, during this temporary govern

ment.

And for extending the fundamental principles of civil and religious liberty, which form the bafis whereon thefe republics, their laws and conftitutions are erected; to fix and establish thofe principles as the bafis of all laws, conftitutions and governments, which for ever hereafter shall be

Hh

formed

formed in the faid territory; to provide alfo for the establishment of states, and permanent government therein, and for their admiffion to share in the federal councils on an equal footing with the original ftates, at as early periods as may be confiftent with the general intereft:

It is hereby ordained and declared by the authority aforefaid, That the following articles fhall be confidered as articles of compact, between the original itates and the people, and states in the faid territory, and forever remain unalterable, unlefs by common confent, to wit:

Article ift. No perfon demeaning himself in a peaceable and orderly manner fhall ever be molefted on account of his mode of worship or religious fentiments in the faid territory.

Article 2d. The inhabitants of the faid territory fhall always be entitled to the benefits of the writ of habeas corpus, and of the trial by jury, of a proportionate reprefentation of the people in the legislature, and of judicial proceedings according to the courfe of the common law: all perfons fhall be bailable unless for capital offences, where the proof fhall be evident, or the prefumption great: all fines fhall be moderate, and no cruel or unufual punishment fhall be inflicted; no man fhall be deprived of his liberty or property but by the judgment of his peers, or of the law of the land; and fhould the public exigencies make it neceffary for the common prefervation to take any perfon's property, or to demand his particular fervices, full compenfation shall be made for the fame; and in the just preservation of the rights and property it is understood and declared, that no law ought ever to be made, or have force in the faid territory, that fhall in any manner whatever interfere with, or affect private con tracts or engagements, bona fide, and without fraud previously formed.

Article 3d. Religion, morality, and knowledge, being neceffary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education fhall forever be encouraged, the utmoft good faith fhall always be obferved towards the Indians; their lands and property fhall never be taken from them without their confent; and in their property, rights, and liberty, they shall never be invaded or disturbed, unless in just and lawful wars authorized by Congrefs; but laws founded on juftice and humanity fhall from time to time be made, for preventing wrongs being done to them, and for preferving peace and friendship with them.

Article 4th. The faid territory, and the eftates which may be formed therein, fhall forever remain a part of this confederacy of the United States of America, fubject to the articles of confederation, and to fuch alte rations therein as fhall be conftitutionally made; and to all the acts and ordinances of the United States, in Congrefs affembled, conformable thereto. The inhabitants and fettlers in the faid territory, fhall be fubject to pay a part of the federal debts contracted, or to be contracted, and a proportionable part of the expences of government to be apportioned on them by Congrefs, according to the fame common rule and meafure, by which apportionments thereof fhall be made on the other ftates, and the taxes for paying their proportion, fhall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legislatures of the district or districts, or new ftates, as in the original states, within the time agreed upon by the United States, in Congrefs affembled. The legislatures of thofe diftricts, or new ftates, Thall never interfere with the primary difpofal of the foil, by the United

States,

1

States, in Congrefs affembled, nor with any regulations Congrefs may find neceffary for fecuring the title in fuch foil to the bona fide purchasers. No tax fhall be imposed on lands the property of the United States; and in no cafe fhall non-refident proprietors be taxed higher than refidents. The navigable waters leading into the Miffifippi and St. Lawrence, and the carrying places between the fame, fhall be common highways, and forever free, as well to the inhabitants of the faid territory, as to the citizens of the United States, and those of any other states that may be admitted into the confederacy, without any tax, impoft, or duty therefor.

Article 5th. There fhall be formed in the faid territory, not lefs than three, nor more than five states; and the boundaries of the ftates, as foon as Virginia fhall alter her act of ceffion and confent to the fame, fhall become fixed and established as follows, to wit: The western state in the faid territory, fhall be bounded on the Miffifippi, the Ohio, and Wabash rivers; a direct line drawn from the Wabash and Poft Vincent's due north to the territorial line, between the United States and Canada, and by the faid territorial line to the lake of the Woods and Miffifippi. The middle state shall be bounded by the faid direct line, the Wabash from Poft Vincent's to the Ohio; by the Ohio, by a direct line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami to the faid territorial line, and by the faid territorial line. The eastern state shall be bounded by the laft mentioned direct line, the Ohio, Pennfylvania, and the faid territorial line: Provided however, and it is further understood and declared, that the boundaries of these three ftates, fhall be fubject fo far to be altered, that if Congrefs hereafter fhall find it expedient, they fhall have authority to form one, or two states in that part of the faid territory which lies north of an eaft and weft line drawn through the foutherly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan: and when any of the faid ftates fhall have 60,000 free inhabitants therein, fuch ftate fhall be admitted by its delegates into the Congrefs of the United States, on an equal footing with the original ftates in all respects whatever; and fhall be at liberty to form a permanent conftitution and ftate government: Provided the conftitution and government fo to be formed, fhall be republican, and in conformity to the principles contained in these articles, and fo far as it can be confiftent with the general intereft of the confederacy, fuch admiflion fhall be allowed at an earlier period, and when there may be a lefs number of free inhabitants in the state than 60,000.

Article 6th. There fhall be neither flavery nor involuntary fervitude in the faid territory, otherwife than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the party fhall have been duly convicted: Provided always, that any perfon efcaping into the fame, from whom labour or fervice is lawfully claimed in any one of the original ftates, fuch fugitive may be lawfully reclaimed and conveyed to the perfon claiming his or her labour or fervice as aforefaid.'

Such is the prefent government of the Western Territory, and fuch the political obligations of the adventurers into this fertile and delightful part of the United States.

In the ordinance of Congrefs, for the government of this territory, it is provided, that, after the faid territory acquires a certain degree of

From the anonymous pamphlet before quoted.

Hh 2

population,

population, it shall be divided into ftates. The eaftern ftate, that is thus provided to be made, is bounded by the Great Miami on the weft, and by the Pennfylvania line on the east. The center of this ftate will fall between the Sioto and the Hockhocking. At the mouth of one of thefe rivers will probably be the feat of government for this state: And, if we may indulge the fublime contemplation of beholding the whole territory of the United States fettled by an enlightened people, and continued under one extended government-on the river Ohio, and not far from this fpot, will be the feat of empire for the whole dominion. This is central to the whole; it will beft accommodate every part; it is the most pleasant, and probably the most healthful.'

In this connection we must not omit to add, that a fettlement is commencing, with advantageous profpects, on the western fide of the Miffifippi, oppofite the mouth of the Ohio. The fpot on which the city is to be built, is called NEW MADRID, after the capital of Spain. This fettlement, which is without the limits of the United States, in the Spanish dominions, is conducted by Colonel Morgan, under the patronage of the Spanish king.

The fettlers are to form their own conftitution, make their own laws, (provided they do not counteract the laws of Spain) choose their own magiftrates and civil officers, and are to enjoy free toleration in religion. They are, however, to be fubjects of the king of Spain. As an encouragement to fettlers, they are to be indulged with fome peculiar commercial privileges.

New Madrid, from its local fituation and adventitious privileges, is in profpect of being the great emporium of the western country, unless the free navigation of the Miffifippi fhould be opened to the United States. And even fhould this defired event take place, which probably will not without a rupture with Spain, this must be a place of great trade. For here will naturally center, the immenfe quantities of produce that will be borne down the Illinois, the Miffifippi, the Ohio, and their various branches; and if the carriers can find as good a market for their cargoes here, as at New Orleans or the Weft Indies, and can procure the articles they defire, they will gladly fave themselves the difficulties and dangers of navigating the long Miffifippi.

It has been fuppofed by fome, that all fettlers who go beyond the Miffifippi, will be forever loft to the United States. There is, I believe, little danger of this, provided they are not provoked to withdraw their friendhip. The emigrants will be made up of citizens of the United States. They will carry along with them their manners and cuftoms, their habits of government, religion, and education; and as they are to be indulged with religious freedom, and with the privilege of making their own laws, and of conducting education upon their own plans, thefe American habits will undoubtedly be cherifhed. If fo, they will be Americans in fact, though nominally the fubjects of Spain.

It is true Spain will draw a revenue from them, but in return they will enjoy peculiar commercial advantages, the benefit of which will be experi enced by the United States, and perhaps be an ample compenfation for the lofs of fo many citizens as may migrate thither. In fhort, this fettlement, if conducted with judgment and prudence, may be mutually ferviceable

both

« הקודםהמשך »