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Show 151 THE STA 1'E CONV~NTTONS in the best mnnner we could, and assig-ncrl reaRons for onr insi ·Ling on the import at ion, which there is no occasion to r pent, as they must occur to every gentleman in 1he house; n committee or the Stutes was appointctl, in order to accommodate this matter, n.nd, after a great deal of difliculty, it was settled on the foolinrr recited in the Con. lituLion. By this settlement we have sccurct1 an unlimited importation of negroes for twc11 ty years. Nor is it d celn.rcd thnt the importation shall then be stopped ; it mny be continued. \Vo have a security that the general government can Jlcvcr emancipate them, for no snch authority is granted; and it is admitted, on n.ll hunds, that the genc.ral ~o v e rnmcnt has no powers but what arc cxprcs:ly gr'~ntcd by the Constitution, and that n,ll rights not expressed were reserved by the several States. ·'fvv c have obtaincrlaright to recover onr slaves, in whatever part of A.merica they may take refuge, which is a right we had not before. In short, considering all circumstances, we have mndo the best terms for the security of this species of property it wa in our power to make. We would have made better if we coulu; but on the whole1 I do not think them bad. CIIAPTER IV. THE OllDlNANOE 0.1!' 17 87. rruE following authentic histo ry of tho Ordinance of 1787 was prepared for the National Intelhyencrw in 1841. The author bas kindly permitted us to nse it ju t hi :> volume. It is uuqucstionably the only perfect history of that Ordi~ nance ever given to the A meriean p ople. We copy it with the remarks of that journal "A discussion hav ing arisen in the public prints as to the authorship of certain important provisions embraced in the Ordinance of 1787 for the governm ent of t.he Western Territory, now constitutiug several Stutes of the Union, and especially in regard to that celebrated provi. ion which forever excluded slave1·y from that vast and f'rtile region; 011r fellow-townsman, Pl'.:TEH. FmteE, EHQ., has prcpn.rcd from authentic mn.trrials the article which appears on the preced ing page. From th is careful exposition, it seems clear tltat Mr. Web Ler was right when, in his celebrated Rpeech on Foote's resolution, he a. cribcd the authorship (if not the originn,l co 11eeption) of the clo.use above specifi ect to N ATIIAN DAN .F., of Massachusetts. "It happens that, in seeking among the archives of all the old States, and among numerous pri vate collections, for materials for his vol nminous work, 'A mericn.u Arc hi vcs,' .:M:r. F oree became possessed of the original projects an<.l reporls submitted to Congress respecting a plan of government for the North western Territory, from this step in 1184 to 17 87, when the Ord i nunce was finally adopted. lie has the copy of the Onliuancc of 17 87, wiLh all its f155) |