now confederated as independent states, became a subject of solicitude in the
states and in Congress. By the terms of their charters, some of the colonies had an indefinite extension west wardly, and were only limited by the power of the grantor. Many of these charters conflicted with each other — the same territory being included within the limits of two or more totally distinct colonies. As the expenses of the revolutionary struggle began to bear heavily on the resources of the states, it was keenly felt by some that their share in the advantages of the expected triumph would be less than that of others. Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia, laid claim to spacious dominions outside of their proper boundaries; while New Hampshire, (save in Vermont,) Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and South Carolina, possessed no such boasted resources to meet the war-debts constantly augmenting. They urged, therefore, with obvious justice, that these unequal advantages ought to be surrendered, and all the lands within the territorial limits of the Union, but outside of the proper and natural boundaries of the several states, respectively, should be ceded to, and held by, Congress, in trust for the common benefit of all the states, and their proceeds employed in satisfaction of the debts and liabilities of the Confederation. This reasonable requisition was ultimately, but with some reservations, responded to. Virginia reserved a sufficiency beyond the Ohio to furnish the bounties promised to her revolutionary officers and soldiers. Connecticut, a western reserve, since largely settled from the parent state. Massachusetts reserved five millions of acres, located in Western New York, which she claimed to be entitled by her charter to own. In either of these cases, the fee only was reserved, the sovereignty being surrendered.
The cessions were severally made during, or directly after the close of the revolutionary war. And one of the most obvious duties devolved on the Continental Congress, which held its sessions in Philadelphia directly after the close of that exhausting struggle, was the framing of an act or ordinance for the government of the vast domain thus committed to its care and disposal.
The responsible duty of framing this ordinance was devolved by Congress on a select committee, consisting of Mr. Jefferson of Va., (chairman,) Chase of Md., and Howell of R. I.; who in due time reported a plan for the government of the western territory, contemplating the whole region included within our boundaries west of the old thirteen states, and as far south as our 31st degree of north latitude; territory as yet partially ceded to the Confederation, but which was expected to be so, and embracing several of our present slave states. This plan contemplated the ultimate division of this territory into seventeen states, eight of them situated below the parallel of the Falls of the Ohio, (now Louisville,) and nine above it. Among other rules reported from this committee by Mr. Jefferson, for the government of this vast region, was the following:
"That after the year 1800, of the Christian era, there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in any of the said slates, otherwise than in punishment of crimes whereof the party shall have been convicted to be personally guilty."
