the fathers of the constitution-第11节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


nce　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　four　or　five　districts　and　the　final　stage　of　government　was　reached　when　any　one　of　these　districts　had　sixty　thousand　free　inhabitants；　for　it　might　then　establish　its　own　constitution　and　government　and　be　admitted　into　the　Union　on　an　equal　footing　with　the　original　States。　The　last…named　provision　for　admission　into　the　Union；　being　in　the　nature　of　a　promise　for　the　future；　was　not　included　in　the　body　of　the　document　providing　for　the　government；　but　was　contained　in　certain　〃articles　of　compact；　between　the　original　States　and　the　people　and　States　in　the　said　territory；　＇which　should＇　forever　remain　unalterable；　unless　by　common　consent。〃　These　articles　of　compact　were　in　general　similar　to　the　bills　of　rights　in　State　Constitutions；　but　one　of　them　found　no　parallel　in　any　State　Constitution。　Article　VI　reads：　〃There　shall　be　neither　slavery　nor　involuntary　servitude　in　the　said　territory；　otherwise　than　in　the　punishment　of　crimes；　whereof　the　party　shall　have　been　duly　convicted。〃　This　has　been　hailed　as　a　farsighted；　humanitarian　measure；　and　it　is　quite　true　that　many　of　the　leading　men；　in　the　South　as　well　as　in　the　North；　were　looking　forward　to　the　time　when　slavery　would　be　abolished。　But　the　motives　predominating　at　the　time　were　probably　more　nearly　represented　by　Grayson；　who　wrote　to　James　Monroe；　three　weeks　after　the　ordinance　was　passed：　〃The　clause　respecting　slavery　was　agreed　to　by　the　southern　members　for　the　purpose　of　preventing　tobacco　and　indigo　from　being　made　on　the　northwest　side　of　the　Ohio；　as　well　as　for　several　other　political　reasons。〃　It　is　over　one　hundred　and　forty　years　since　the　Ordinance　of　1787　was　adopted；　during　which　period　more　than　thirty　territories　of　the　United　States　have　been　organized；　and　there　has　never　been　a　time　when　one　or　more　territories　were　not　under　Congressional　supervision；　so　that　the　process　of　legislative　control　has　been　continuous。　Changes　have　been　made　from　time　to　time　in　order　to　adapt　the　territorial　government　to　changed　conditions；　but　for　fifty　years　the　Ordinance　of　1787　actually　remained　in　operation；　and　even　twenty　years　later　it　was　specifically　referred　to　by　statute。　The　principles　of　territorial　government　today　are　identical　with　those　of　1787；　and　those　principles　comprise　the　largest　measure　of　local　self…government　compatible　with　national　control；　a　gradual　extension　of　self…government　to　the　people　of　a　territory；　and　finally　complete　statehood　and　admission　into　the　Union　on　a　footing　of　equality　with　the　other　States。　In　1825；　when　the　military　occupation　of　Oregon　was　suggested　in　Congress；　Senator　Dickerson　of　New　Jersey　objected；　saying；　〃We　have　not　adopted　a　system　of　colonization　and　it　is　to　be　hoped　we　never　shall。〃　Yet　that　is　just　what　America　has　always　had。　Not　only　were　the　first　settlers　on　the　Atlantic　coast　colonists　from　Europe；　but　the　men　who　went　to　the　frontier　were　also　colonists　from　the　Atlantic　seaboard。　And　the　men　who　settled　the　States　in　the　West　were　colonists　from　the　older　communities。　The　Americans　had　so　recently　asserted　their　independence　that　they　regarded　the　name　of　colony　as　not　merely　indicating　dependence　but　as　implying　something　of　inferiority　and　even　of　reproach。　And　when　the　American　colonial　system　was　being　formulated　in　1783…87　the　word　〃Colony〃　was　not　used。　The　country　under　consideration　was　the　region　west　of　the　Alleghany　Mountains　and　in　particular　the　territory　north　and　west　of　the　Ohio　River　and；　being　so　referred　to　in　the　documents；　the　word　〃Territory〃　became　the　term　applied　to　all　the　colonies。　The　Northwest　Territory　increased　so　rapidly　in　population　that　in　1800　it　was　divided　into　two　districts；　and　in　1802　the　eastern　part　was　admitted　into　the　Union　as　the　State　of　Ohio。　The　rest　of　the　territory　was　divided　in　1805　and　again　in　1809；　Indiana　was　admitted　as　a　State　in　1816　and　Illinois　in　1818。　So　the　process　has　gone　on。　There　were　thirteen　original　States　and　six　more　have　become　members　of　the　Union　without　having　been　through　the　status　of　territories；　making　nineteen　in　all；　while　twenty…nine　States　have　developed　from　the　colonial　stage。　The　incorporation　of　the　colonies　into　the　Union　is　not　merely　a　political　fact；　the　inhabitants　of　the　colonies　become　an　integral　part　of　the　parent　nation　and　in　turn　become　the　progenitors　of　new　colonies。　If　such　a　process　be　long　continued；　the　colonies　will　eventually　outnumber　the　parent　States；　and　the　colonists　will　outnumber　the　citizens　of　the　original　States　and　will　themselves　become　the　nation。　Such　has　been　the　history　of　the　United　States　and　its　people。　By　1850；　indeed；　one…half　of　the　population　of　the　United　States　was　living　west　of　the　Alleghany　Mountains；　and　at　the　present　time　approximately　seventy　per　cent　are　to　be　found　in　the　West。　The　importance　of　the　Ordinance　of　1787　was　hardly　overstated　by　Webster　in　his　famous　debate　with　Hayne　when　he　said：　〃We　are　accustomed　to　praise　the　lawgivers　of　antiquity；　we　help　to　perpetuate　the　fame　of　Solon　and　Lycurgus；　but　I　doubt　whether　one　single　law　of　any　lawgiver；　ancient　or　modern；　has　produced　effects　of　more　distinct；　marked　and　lasting　character　than　the　Ordinance　of　1787。〃　While　improved　means　of　communication　and　many　other　material　ties　have　served　to　hold　the　States　of　the　Union　together；　the　political　bond　was　supplied　by　the　Ordinance　of　1787；　which　inaugurated　the　American　colonial　system。

CHAPTER　V。　DARKNESS　BEFORE　DAWN　John　Fiske　summed　up　the　prevailing　impression　of　the　government　of　the　Confederation　in　the　title　to　his　volume；　〃The　Critical　Period　of　American　History。〃　〃The　period　of　five　years；〃　says　Fiske；　〃following　the　peace　of　1783　was　the　most　critical　moment　in　all　the　history　of　the　American　people。　The　dangers　from　which　we　were　saved　in　1788　were　even　greater　than　were　the　dangers　from　which　we　were　saved　in　1865。〃　Perhaps　the　plight　of　the　Confederation　was　not　so　desperate　as　he　would　have　us　believe；　but　it　was　desperate　enough。　Two　incidents　occurring　between　the　signing　of　the　preliminary　terms　of　peace　and　the　definitive　treaty　reveal　the　danger　in　which　the　country　stood。　The　main　body　of　continental　troops　made　up　of　militiamen　and　short…term　volunteersalways　prone　to　mutinous　conductwas　collected　at　Newburg　on　the　Hudson；　watching　the　British　in　New　York。　Word　might　come　at　any　day　that　the　treaty　had　been　signed；　and　the　army　did　not　wish　to　be　disbanded　until　certain　matters　had　been　settled　primarily　the　question　of　their　pay。　The　officers　had　been　promised　half…pay　for　life；　but　nothing　definite　had　been　done　toward　carrying　out　the　promise。　The　soldiers　had　no　such　hope　to　encourage　them；　and　their　pay　was　sadly　in　arrears。　In　December；　1782；　the　officers　at　Newburg　drew　up　an　address　in　behalf　of　themselves　and　their　men　and　sent　it　to　Congress。　Therein　they　made　the　threat；　thinly　veiled；　of　taking　matters　into　their　own　hands　unless　their　grievances　were　redressed。　There　is　reason　to　suppose　that　back　of　this　movementor　at　least　in　sympathy　with　itwere　some　of　the　strongest　men　in　civil　as　in　military　life；　who；　while　not　fomenting　insurrection；　were　willing　to　bring　pressure　to　bear　on　Congress　and　the　States。　Congress　was　unable　or　unwilling　to　act；　and　in　March；　1783；　a　second　paper；　this　time　anonymous；　was　circulated　urging　the　men　not　to　disband　until　the　question　of　pay　had　been　settled　and　recommending　a　meeting　of　officers　on　the　following　day。　If　Washington's　influence　was　not　counted　upon；　it　was　at　least　hoped　that　he　would　not　interfere；　but　as　soon　as　he　learned　of　what　had　been　done　he　issued　general　orders　calling　for　a　meeting　of　officers　on　a　later　day；　thus　superseding　the　irregular　meeting　that　had　been　suggested。　On　the　day　appointed　the　Commander…in…Chief　appeared　and　spoke　with　so　much　warmth　and　feeling　that　his　〃little　address　。　。　。　drew　tears　from　many　of　the　officers。〃　He　inveighed　against　the　unsigned　paper　and　against　the　methods　that　were　talked　of；　for　they　would　mean　the　disgrace　of　the　army；　and　he　appealed　to　the　patriotism　of　the　officers；　promising　his　best　efforts　in　their