the fathers of the constitution-第8章

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　that　enabled　him；　in　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　to　give　voice　to　the　hopes　and　aspirations　of　a　rising　nationality　and　that　enabled　him　in　his　own　State　to　bring　about　so　many　reforms。　Just　how　much　actual　influence　Thomas　Jefferson　had　in　the　framing　of　the　American　land　policy　is　not　clear。　Although　the　draft　of　the　committee　report　in　1784　is　in　Jefferson's　handwriting；　it　is　altogether　probable　that　more　credit　is　to　be　given　to　Thomas　Hutchins；　the　Geographer　of　the　United　States；　and　to　William　Grayson　of　Virginia；　especially　for　the　final　form　which　the　measure　took；　for　Jefferson　retired　from　the　chairmanship　and　had　already　gone　to　Europe　when　the　Land　Ordinance　was　adopted　by　Congress　in　1785。　This　ordinance　has　been　superseded　by　later　enactments；　to　which　references　are　usually　made；　but　the　original　ordinance　is　one　of　the　great　pieces　of　American　legislation；　for　it　contained　the　fundamentals　of　the　American　land　system　which；　with　the　modifications　experience　has　introduced；　has　proved　to　be　permanently　workable　and　which　has　been　envied　and　in　several　instances　copied　by　other　countries。　Like　almost　all　successful　institutions　of　that　sort；　the　Land　Ordinance　of　1785　was　not　an　immediate　creation　but　was　a　development　out　of　former　practices　and　customs　and　was　in　the　nature　of　a　compromise。　Its　essential　features　were　the　method　of　survey　and　the　process　for　the　sale　of　land。　New　England；　with　its　town　system；　had　in　the　course　of　its　expansion　been　accustomed　to　proceed　in　an　orderly　method　but　on　a　relatively　small　scale。　The　South；　on　the　other　hand；　had　granted　lands　on　a　larger　scale　and　had　permitted　individual　selection　in　a　haphazard　manner。　The　plan　which　Congress　adopted　was　that　of　the　New　England　survey　with　the　Southern　method　of　extensive　holdings。　The　system　is　repellent　in　its　rectangular　orderliness；　but　it　made　the　process　of　recording　titles　easy　and　complete；　and　it　was　capable　of　indefinite　expansion。　These　were　matters　of　cardinal　importance；　for　in　the　course　of　one　hundred　and　forty　years　the　United　States　was　to　have　under　its　control　nearly　two　thousand　million　acres　of　land。　The　primary　feature　of　the　land　policy　was　the　orderly　survey　in　advance　of　sale。　In　the　next　place　the　township　was　taken　as　the　unit；　and　its　size　was　fixed　at　six　miles　square。　Provision　was　then　made　for　the　sale　of　townships　alternately　entire　and　by　sections　of　one　mile　square；　or　640　acres　each。　In　every　township　a　section　was　reserved　for　educational　purposes；　that　is；　the　land　was　to　be　disposed　of　and　the　proceeds　used　for　the　development　of　public　schools　in　that　region。　And；　finally；　the　United　States　reserved　four　sections　in　the　center　of　each　township　to　be　disposed　of　at　a　later　time。　It　was　expected　that　a　great　increase　in　the　value　of　the　land　would　result；　and　it　was　proposed　that　the　Government　should　reap　a　part　of　the　profits。　It　is　evident　that　the　primary　purpose　of　the　public　land　policy　as　first　developed　was　to　acquire　revenue　for　the　Government；　but　it　was　also　evident　that　there　was　a　distinct　purpose　of　encouraging　settlement。　The　two　were　not　incompatible；　but　the　greater　interest　of　the　Government　was　in　obtaining　a　return　for　the　property。　The　other　committee　of　which　Jefferson　was　chairman　made　its　report　of　a　plan　for　the　government　of　the　western　territory　upon　the　very　day　that　the　Virginia　cession　was　finally　accepted；　March　1；　1784；　and　with　some　important　modifications　Jefferson's　ordinance；　or　the　Ordinance　of　1784　as　it　was　commonly　called；　was　ultimately　adopted。　In　this　case　Jefferson　rendered　a　service　similar　to　that　of　framing　the　Declaration　of　Independence。　His　plan　was　somewhat　theoretical　and　visionary；　but　largely　practical；　and　it　was　constructive　work　of　a　high　order；　displaying　not　so　much　originality　as　sympathetic　appreciation　of　what　had　already　been　done　and　an　instinctive　forecast　of　future　development。　Jefferson　seemed　to　be　able　to　gather　up　ideas；　some　conscious　and　some　latent　in　men's　minds；　and　to　express　them　in　a　form　that　was　generally　acceptable。　It　is　interesting　to　find　in　the　Articles　of　Confederation　（Article　XI）　that；　〃Canada　acceding　to　this　confederation；　and　joining　in　the　measures　of　the　United　States；　shall　be　admitted　into；　and　entitled　to　all　the　advantages　of　this　Union：　but　no　other　colony　shall　be　admitted　into　the　same　unless　such　admission　be　agreed　to　by　nine　States。〃　The　real　importance　of　this　article　lay　in　the　suggestion　of　an　enlargement　of　the　Confederation。　The　Confederation　was　never　intended　to　be　a　union　of　only　thirteen　States。　Before　the　cession　of　their　western　claims　it　seemed　to　be　inevitable　that　some　of　the　States　should　be　broken　up　into　several　units。　At　the　very　time　that　the　formation　of　the　Confederation　was　under　discussion　Vermont　issued　a　declaration　of　independence　from　New　York　and　New　Hampshire；　with　the　expectation　of　being　admitted　into　the　Union。　It　was　impolitic　to　recognize　the　appeal　at　that　time；　but　it　seems　to　have　been　generally　understood　that　sooner　or　later　Vermont　would　come　in　as　a　full…fledged　State。　It　might　have　been　a　revolutionary　suggestion　by　Maryland；　when　the　cession　of　western　lands　was　under　discussion；　that　Congress　should　have　sole　power　to　fix　the　western　boundaries　of　the　States；　but　her　further　proposal　was　not　even　regarded　as　radical；　that　Congress　should　〃lay　out　the　land　beyond　the　boundaries　so　ascertained　into　separate　and　independent　states。〃　It　seems　to　have　been　taken　as　a　matter　of　course　in　the　procedure　of　Congress　and　was　accepted　by　the　States。　But　the　idea　was　one　thing；　its　carrying　out　was　quite　another。　Here　was　a　great　extent　of　western　territory　which　would　be　valuable　only　as　it　could　be　sold　to　prospective　settlers。　One　of　the　first　things　these　settlers　would　demand　was　protectionprotection　against　the　Indians；　possibly　also　against　the　British　and　the　Spanish；　and　protection　in　their　ordinary　civil　life。　The　former　was　a　detail　of　military　organization　and　was　in　due　time　provided　by　the　establishment　of　military　forts　and　garrisons；　the　latter　was　the　problem　which　Jefferson's　committee　was　attempting　to　solve。　The　Ordinance　of　1784　disregarded　the　natural　physical　features　of　the　western　country　and；　by　degrees　of　latitude　and　meridians　of　longitude；　arbitrarily　divided　the　public　domain　into　rectangular　districts；　to　the　first　of　which　the　following　names　were　applied：　Sylvania；　Michigania；　Cherronesus；　Assenisipia；　Metropotamia；　Illinoia；　Saratoga；　Washington；　Polypotamia；　Pelisipia。　The　amusement　which　this　absurd　and　thoroughly　Jeffersonian　nomenclature　is　bound　to　cause　ought　not　to　detract　from　the　really　important　features　of　the　Ordinance。　In　each　of　the　districts　into　which　the　country　was　divided　the　settlers　might　be　authorized　by　Congress；　for　the　purpose　of　establishing　a　temporary　government；　to　adopt　the　constitution　and　laws　of　any　one　of　the　original　States。　When　any　such　area　should　have　twenty　thousand　free　inhabitants　it　might　receive　authority　from　Congress　to　establish　a　permanent　constitution　and　government　and　should　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　la