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Show / , The "Mother Mother " LamF Land " of Five StatesCelebrates StatesCelebrates States StatesCelebrates Celebrates Her He 150th lSOthBirthday Birthday _ , By ELMO SCOTTV SCOTT \V V WATSONAID \ WATSON WATSONAID ATSON ATSONAlD AID AlD Daniel Webster in a speech be before ore the Umted UmtedStates UmtedStates UnitedStates " accustomed to topraise topraise States senate m 1830 : "We We are ! praIse the law-givers law givers law-glVers glVers - of antiquity antIqwty antigmty ; we help to toj toperpetuate toperpetuate toperpetuate j perpetuate the fame of Solon and Lycurgus ; butI but : I doubt whether one single smgle law of any law-giver law giver - , ancient or modern , has produced effects of a amore amore aj9 I more distinct dlstlnct and marked and lasting lastmg character characterthan characterthan character- character characterthan than this one . " - He was not speaking speakmg of any of the great documents documentswhlch documentswhich documentswhich whlch which are commonly regarded as milestones mllestones in the progress progressof of mankind mankmd toward an orderly government of its affairs . In- In Instead Instead In Instead - stead , he was referring referrmg to th the Ordinance Ordmance o of 1787 , passed by bythe bythe bythe the continental Contmental Congress just dust J s 150 years ago and often re- re - The ordinance established establishedH establishede establishedthe establishethe H the e Northwest Territory Terrltory out outof outof outof of which later were to be becarved becarved becarved carved five new states and andthis andthis andthis this month their citizens citlzens are arecelebrating arecelebrating arecelebrating celebrating the one hundred hundredand hundredand hundredand and fiftieth birthday of the the"Mother the"Mother the"Mother theMother "Mother Mother " Land " of those five fivestates fivestates fivestates states with pageantry andpII- andpII andpIIgrlmages and pil- pil pilgrimages pil pilgrimages - grimages grlmages to historical spots spotsill spotsin spotsm ill in the "Old Old " Northwest . tt " ttDur Dur Dur- Durmg Dur- Dur During During - - ing mg the celebration will W1lI be beheard beheard beheard heard once more the names namesof namesof namesof of Americans who played im- im important important im important - portant roles in establIshIng establishingthis this "Mother Mother " Landsuch Land " -such such - such suchnames suchnames suchnames names as Thomas Jefferson JeffersonRufus , Rufus King , Arthur St . Clair ClairCharles , Charles Thomson and , last lastbut lastbut lastbut but by no means least , that that"forgotten that"forgotten that"forgotten thatforgotten "forgotten forgotten " man , " Nathan NathanDane NathanDane NathanDane Dane . You never heard of Nathan NathanDane NathanDane NathanDane7 Dane ' Well , you're youre ' not much drl- drl dif- dif drlferent different dif different - - ferent from other Americans m mthat mthat mthat that respect For you will search searchyour searchyour searchyour your school histories lustorles m in vain vam for formention formention formention mention of his ills name . All tell of ofthe ofthe ofthe the Ordinance Ordmance of 1787 , of course coursebut , but concerning concernmg the man who draft draft- drafted drafted drafted - ed it , they are strangely sIlent sIlentSo silentso silentJ3o So , before proceeding proceedmg with thestory the story of the birthday party of the theICMother the"Mother the"Mother theMother ICMother "Mother Mother " Land of Five States , " It Itseems itseems itseems seems appropriate to tell about aboutthe aboutthe aboutthe the man who made this possIbleNathan possibleNathan possible possibleNathan Nathan Dane was born at Ips Ips- IpswIch Ips- Ips Ipswich Ipswich - - wich 29,1752 291752 , Mass , on December 29 , 1752 He was the descendant of ofone ofone ofone one of three brothers v . who echo ho were wereamong wereamong wereamong among the first settlers of Glou Glou- Gloucester Glou- Glou Gloucester Gloucester - - cester , Andover and Ipswich and andthe andthe andthe the son of a well to-do to do - - farmer who whosIXed whosired whosired sIXed sired five other sons and SIX SIXdaughters sixdaughters sixdaughters sixdaughtersA daughters daughtersA A Harvard Uarvard Graduate . Young Dane worked on his hlS fa- fa father's father's fa father's - - ther's thers ' farm until after he had hadcome hadcome hadcome come of age , then , having havmg prepared prepared pre- pre prepared - - pared himself for college m eIght eIghtmonths eightmonths eightmonths months , he entered Harvard He Hewas Hewas Hewas was graduated m in 1778 with a hIgh hIghreputation highreputation highreputation reputation for industry mdustry and schol schol- scholarshIp schol- schol scholarship scholarship - - arship Next he began teachmg teaching teachmgschool teachingschool teachingschool school at Beverly , Mass , and andwhIle andwhile andwhile whIle doing domg so studied law Jaw m In the theoffice theoffice theoffice office SalemIn of Judge Wetmore of Salem In . In 1782 he < hung out his shingle shmgle m in Beverly Be inBeverly mBeverly inBe erly and soon became promi promI- promInent prominent prominent - - nent in m his lus community as an able ableand ableand ableand and skillful pleader . I IElected Electedas Elected as a representative to tothe the general court of Massachu Massachu- Massachusetts Massachusetts Massachusetts - - byhis setts , he distinguished dlStmgUIshed himself by hIS ability in 10 debate , his knowl knowl- knowledge knowledge knowledge - - edge of public pubhc busmess business and the theuprIghtness theuprightness theuprightness uprIghtness and directness of hIS hISVIews hisviews hisviews VIews So it v/as v as was / only a questIon questionof of time before his ills state selected selectedhim selectedhun selectedhum hun hum to represent it m in the Conti ContI- ContInental Conti- Conti Continental Continental - - nental Congr Congress ss which was then thenstruggl10g thenstruggling thenstruggling struggl10g struggling with w1th post-RevolutIon post RevolutIon postRevolutIonproblems postRevolutionproblems post-Revolutionproblems post Revolutionproblems - 1785Dane problems First chosen choseI\ choseI choseIm \ m in 1785 , Dane v/as v as was / re-elected re elected - - - m 1786 3l1d and andagain 3l1dagam andagain agam again in 10 1787 and served on many manyimportant manyunportant unportant important committees ChIef ChIefamong Chiefamong Chiefamong among his services was his draft draft- draftmg drafting drafting - ing mg an ordinance ordmance for the govern govern- - ment government ofthe of the territory northwest of the Ohio river . In 1790 Dane retired from the thenabonal thenational thenational nabonal national arena to become a mem mem- mem- mem - - ber member of the Massachusetts senate to senateto which he was re ra elected m in 1794 1794in , m in 1796 , , and again agam m in 1797 and and1798 1798 and he then retired retIXed tempo tempo- - temporarily temporarJly temporarely rarily rarJly rarely from public pubhc service to de- de devote devote de devote - - vote his Ius time tune to his Ius law practice practiceBut But the year 1811 found hun him hunagam himagain himagain agam again active in public life We with an anappomtment anappointment anappointment appomtment appointment to revise and pubhsh publish chat chatters publishchatters pubhshchat ters that had been granted 10 in hIs inhis 10hIs native state and the next year he yearhe v/as v as was / delegated to make a publi pubh- pubh - cation publication pubhcatIon of its statutes He was a PresIdentIal aPresidential elector m 1Il in 1812 , a amember amember amember member Hartfordconvention of the historic Hartford conventIon in m 1814 . Founder rounder of Harvard Law School . School.During SchoolDuring publicservice Durmg During all these years of publIc serVice Dane bad had been active In other inother matters . He gave $15,000 15000 $ , to found the Harvard law school schoolEven schoolEven schoolEven Even if rl his role asUFather as "Father Father UFather " of the theOrdmance theOrdinance theOrdinance Ordmance Ordinance of 1787 " had not been beenenough beenenough beenenough enough to guarantee his hlS fame , lus his lusfoundmg hisfounding hisfounding foundmg founding the school , out of WhICh WhICh11ave whichhave whichhave 11ave have come so many dlstmgUIshed distinguished dlstmgUIshedlawyers distinguishedlawyers distinguishedlawyers lawyers and public pubhc officials , would wouldhave wouldhave wouldhave have done thatHIS thatHis that thatHis His long and useful career careercame careercame I Icame came to an end with his lus death m in mBeverly inBeverly inJ3everly Beverly , Mass , on February 15 , 1835 . * a . * . . .1 1 . To understand fully the impor lmpor- lmpor impor- lmportance importance importance - - tance of the document which won wonsuch wonsuch wonsuch such a tribute from the lips of ofDamel ofDaniel ofDaniel Damel Daniel Webster , it is necessary to torecall torecall torecall recall the conditions which exist eXIst- eXIsted existed existed - ed in America at the close of the theRevolution theRevolution theRevolution Revolution Although all the thestates thestates thestates states had ratified the Articles of ofConfederatIon ofConfederation ofConfederation ConfederatIon by 1781 and by bythese bythese bythese these Articles had been formed formedm formedin m in what purported to beU bea be U " a .firm firm .firmleague firmleague . firmleague league of friendship between the thestates thestates thestates states , " this was little httle more than thanan thanan thanan an idle phrase The Contmental Continental ContmentalCongress ContinentalCongress ContmentalCongress Congress , which provided what whatbtUe whatlittle whatlittle btUe little central autlionty authorIty there was wascould , could pass legislation but it had hadno hadno hadno no power to enforce its decrees decrees.While decreesWhile . WhIle composed cqmposed cgmposed of representa representa- representatIves representatives representatives - - tives from all the states , as a body bodyit It was heartily disliked dishked by most of ofthem ofthem ofthem them . Any attempt which wluch it made madeto madeto madeto to regulate the disorderedaffairs disordered dJsordered affairs affairsm affairsIn In anyone any one state was certain certam to be bemet bemet bemet met with fierce opposition of that thatstate's thatstate's thatstate's thatstates state's states ' provincial provmcial minded mmded citi CItI- CItIzenry citi- citi citizenry citizenry - - zenry . In an era of depreciated cur cur- currency currency currency - rency , financial financ1a1 distress and com com- commercIal com- com commercial commercial - - mercial disorder , each state statesought statesought statesought sought tc to tv gain gam an advantage over overItS overits overits ItS neighbors and increase mcrease Its Itscommerce itscommerce itscommerce commerce at their expense expenseWestern expenseWestern expenseWestern Western Land Disputes . But most fruitful frwtful of the causes causesfor causesfor causesfor for dispute were the confuctmgclauns confhctmgclaims conflicting confuctmg confhctmg ! claims clauns to western lands Even Evenbefore Evenbefore Evenbefore before the end of the Revolution Revolutionthere Revolutionthere Revolutionthere there had been such quarrels SIX SIXof Sixof Sixof of the states-New states New states - New Hampshire HampshireRhode , Rhode Island , New Jersey , Penn Penn- Penns Pennsylvania Pennsylvania - s sylvania ) Ivanla , Delaware and Mary Mary- MarylandwIth Marylandwith Maryland - land-wIth land wIth land with their boundaries - strict strIct- strIctly strictly strictly - ly defined , could set up no vahd valid vahdclaIms validclaims validclaims claIms to it But the other seven sevenasserted sevenasserted sevenasserted asserted their sovereignty to lands landsstretchmg landsstretching landsstretching stretchmg stretching west to the MISSISSIPpISouth MississippiSouth Mississippi MississippiSouth South of the Ohio there was lIttleground littleground little | ground for dispute Each state statemIght statemight statemight mIght take possession of the ter- ter terrItory territory ter territory - - ritory lymg lying directly to the vc \ westBut \ est estBut estBut But north of the river was a land landnot landnot landnot not only rich m in soil but also rIch rIchm richin richin m in cause for dissension Massa Massa- Massachusetts Massachusetts Massachusetts - - chusetts and Connecticut based basedtheIr basedtheir basedtheir theIr titles to it on their old char char- charters charters charters - ters andeach and each claimed a strip ex- ex extendmg extending ex extending - - tending tendmg through the Old North North- N Northwest Northwest orth- orth orthwest - west westNew enoughbased New York , curiously enough , based her claims upon the activi achvl- achvl activi- achvlties activities activities - - ties of those who had been the thedeadhest thedeadliest thedeadliest deadhest deadliest enemies of her cItizens cItizensdurmg citizensduring citizensduring durmg during the late t.onfhct-the t.onfhctthe t.onfhct tonfhct the conflict-the conflict . conflict - the Iro- Iro IroqUOIS Iroquois Iro-quois Iro quois - - - qUOIS Indians These fierce warri warrI- warrIors warriors warriors - ors were accustomed to send theIr theIrscalpL"1g theirscalping theirscalping scalpL"1g scalpL1g scalping " parties far into mto the West Westand Westand Westand and to force other tribes to ac- ac acknowledge ac acknowledge - - knowledge the sovereignty of the II acII IIknowledge SIX theSix Nations . Because of her treaties NewYork with the Iroquois , New York now novv claimed ownership over overmost overmost overmost most of the Northwest Her chIef chIefrIval chiefrival chiefrival rIval v/as v as was / Virginia Vlrgmla who based her tItle hertitle , first , on her early charter charterwluch charterwhich charterwhich wluch which described her dominion dommIOn as asrunnmg asrunning asrunning runnmg running up into mto the land "west west "westand "westand "westand westand " and northwest " and , second , on the onthe bythat conquest of this country by onI I that intrepid mtrepld Virginian VIrgmmn , George GeorgeI Rogers GeorgeRogers dark Clark . I Some of the six states , whIch whichwere whichwere . were hemmed m by definite defimte bound bound- boundaries boundaries boundaries - theArticles aries , had hesitated to sign the ArtIcles of Confederation because they becausethey feared the increased mcreased influ mflu- mflu mfluence influ- influ influence influence - - ence of those who had a great po- po po - - potential tential dominion dommlOn beyond the moun moun- - - tains tams mountains mountams MarylandespecJally Marylandespecially Maryland especially especJally had hadrefused hadrefused hadrefused refused to sign until she receIved receiveddefinite definIte assurance that the west- west western western v/est-ern v est ern / - - ern country would become the thecommon thecommon thecommon common property of th the Umted United UnitedStates UmtedStates States . In 1780 New York author author- authorIZed authorized authorized - ized her representatives to cede her cedeher entire entlre claim claun to the western onttAD " \ , a . 3 \ b \ \ \ n , - / 40 40r i I ' e Oa \ r , f frt rt rt.J ; .J J . r t r c rc ( _ r t . , ' ' ; / Pr'4 Pr4 9 rVAt rVAtPr'4 , 1Q Q . 4 1 .u u .uX X " + bs " v vRv4 t : Rv4 Rv4t Rv4i i a- a a1 - , 1 \ , Y ? a a ae e ' , ru rur r , ; % , + + + , + r ' LAND CLAIMS OF F THE JltJRTEEH JltJRTEEHORIGINAL ] HIRTEEN HIRTEENc c r ' ' , ORIGINAL STATES in 1783 1183 1783New 1183M1 M1 itia ' " + 't t ' New Yorl York : dalmcd claimed all IDO tho Jandt land ' west westof ' " 1 " ' ' ' , aDd end . north northof + S northl ' ' ' Mountailb Moualaids l + + + of IDe the AllC9hany Allegheny + ' \ ' " |