Ohio with which to pay the bounties of her soldiers, while
Connecticut retained a portion of the Reserve since so famous in the
history of Ohio. The duty of framing an ordinance for the government
of the Western territory was referred to a select committee by
Congress, consisting of Mr. Jefferson of Virginia (chairman), Mr.
Chase of Maryland, and Mr. Howell of Rhode Island. The plan reported
by the committee contemplated the whole region included within our
boundaries west of the old thirteen States, and as far south as our
thirty-first degree north latitude. The plan proposed the ultimate
division of this territory into seventeen States; eight of which were
to be located below the parallel of the Falls of the Ohio (now
Louisville), and nine above it. But the most interesting rule reported
by Mr. Jefferson was the following, on the 19th of April, 1784:--

"That after the year 1800, of the Christian era, there shall
be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in any part of
the said _states_, otherwise than in punishment of crimes,
whereof the part shall have been convicted to be personally
guilty."

Mr. Spaight of North Carolina moved to amend the report by striking
out the above clause, which was seconded by Mr. Reed of South
Carolina. The question, upon a demand for the yeas and nays, was put:
"Shall the words moved to be stricken out stand?" The question was
lost, and the words were stricken out. The ordinance was further
amended, and finally adopted on the 23d of April

The last Continental Congress was held in the city of New York in
1787. The question of the government of the Western territory came up.
A committee was appointed on this subject, with Nathan Dane of
Massachusetts as chairman On the 11th of July the committee reported
"An Ordinance for the government of the Territory of the United
States, _Northwest of the Ohio_." It embodied many of the features of
Mr. Jefferson's bill, concluding with six unalterable articles of
perpetual compact, the last being the following: "There shall be
neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory,
otherwise than in punishment of crimes, whereof the parties shall be
duly convicted." When upon its passage, a stipulation was added for
the delivery of fugitives from "labor or service:"[627] and in this
shape the entire ordinance passed on the 13th of July, 1787.

Thus it is clear that under the Confederation slavery existed, a pa