the fathers of the constitution-第9部分

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It　is　seldom　that　one's　attention　is　so　caught　and　held　as　by　the　happy　suggestion　that　American　interest　in　land　or　rather　interest　in　American　landbegan　with　the　discovery　of　the　continent。　Even　a　momentary　consideration　of　the　subject；　however；　is　sufficient　to　indicate　how　important　was　the　desire　for　land　as　a　motive　of　colonization。　The　foundation　of　European　governmental　and　social　organizations　had　been　laid　in　feudalism…　…a　system　of　landholding　and　service。　And　although　European　states　might　have　lost　their　original　feudal　character；　and　although　new　classes　had　arisen；　land…holding　still　remained　the　basis　of　social　distinction。　One　can　readily　imagine　that　America　would　be　considered　as　El　Dorado；　where　one　of　the　rarest　commodities　as　well　as　one　of　the　most　precious　possessions　was　found　in　almost　unlimited　quantities　that　family　estates　were　sought　in　America　and　that　to　the　lower　classes　it　seemed　as　if　a　heaven　were　opening　on　earth。　Even　though　available　land　appeared　to　be　almost　unlimited　in　quantity　and　easy　to　acquire；　it　was　a　possession　that　was　generally　increasing　in　value。　Of　course　wasteful　methods　of　farming　wore　out　some　lands；　especially　in　the　South；　but；　taking　it　by　and　large　throughout　the　country；　with　time　and　increasing　density　of　population　the　value　of　the　land　was　increasing。　The　acquisition　of　land　was　a　matter　of　investment　or　at　least　of　speculation。　In　fact；　the　purchase　of　land　was　one　of　the　favorite　get…rich…quick　schemes　of　the　time。　George　Washington　was　not　the　only　man　who　invested　largely　in　western　lands。　A　list　of　those　who　did　would　read　like　a　political　or　social　directory　of　the　time。　Patrick　Henry；　James　Wilson；　Robert　Morris；　Gouverneur　Morris；　Chancellor　Kent；　Henry　Knox；　and　James　Monroe　were　among　them。*　*　Not　all　the　speculators　were　able　to　keep　what　they　acquired。　Fifteen　million　acres　of　land　in　Kentucky　were　offered　for　sale　in　1800　for　nonpayment　of　taxes。　Channing；　〃History　of　the　United　States；〃　vol。　IV；　p。　91。

It　is　therefore　easy　to　understand　why　so　much　importance　attached　to　the　claims　of　the　several　States　and　to　the　cession　of　that　western　land　by　them　to　the　United　States。　But　something　more　was　necessary。　If　the　land　was　to　attain　anything　like　its　real　value；　settlers　must　be　induced　to　occupy　it。　Of　course　it　was　possible　to　let　the　people　go　out　as　they　pleased　and　take　up　land；　and　to　let　the　Government　collect　from　them　as　might　be　possible　at　a　fixed　rate。　But　experience　during　colonial　days　had　shown　the　weakness　of　such　a　method；　and　Congress　was　apparently　determined　to　keep　under　its　own　control　the　region　which　it　now　possessed；　to　provide　for　orderly　sale；　and　to　permit　settlement　only　so　far　as　it　might　not　endanger　the　national　interests。　The　method　of　land　sales　and　the　question　of　government　for　the　western　country　were　recognized　as　different　aspects　of　the　same　problem。　The　Virginia　offer　of　cession　forced　the　necessity　of　a　decision；　and　no　sooner　was　the　Virginia　offer　framed　in　an　acceptable　form；　in　1783；　than　two　committees　were　appointed　by　Congress　to　report　upon　these　two　questions　of　land　sales　and　of　government。　Thomas　Jefferson　was　made　chairman　of　both　these　committees。　He　was　then　forty　years　old　and　one　of　the　most　remarkable　men　in　the　country。　Born　on　the　frontierhis　father　from　the　upper　middle　class；　his　mother　〃a　Randolph〃he　had　been　trained　to　an　outdoor　life；　but　he　was　also　a　prodigy　in　his　studies　and　entered　William　and　Mary　College　with　advanced　standing　at　the　age　of　eighteen。　Many　stories　are　told　of　his　precocity　and　ability；　all　of　which　tend　to　forecast　the　later　man　of　catholic　tastes；　omnivorous　interest；　and　extensive　but　superficial　knowledge；　he　was　a　strange　combination　of　natural　aristocrat　and　theoretical　democrat；　of　philosopher　and　practical　politician。　After　having　been　a　student　in　the　law　office　of　George　Wythe；　and　being　a　friend　of　Patrick　Henry；　Jefferson　early　espoused　the　cause　of　the　Revolution；　and　it　was　his　hand　that　drafted　the　Declaration　of　Independence。　He　then　resigned　from　Congress　to　assist　in　the　organization　of　government　in　his　own　State。　For　two　years　and　a　half　he　served　in　the　Virginia　Assembly　and　brought　about　the　repeal　of　the　law　of　entailment；　the　abolition　of　primogeniture；　the　recognition　of　freedom　of　conscience；　and　the　encouragement　of　education。　He　was　Governor　of　Virginia　for　two　years　and　then；　having　declined　reelection；　returned　to　Congress　in　1783。　There；　among　his　other　accomplishments；　as　chairman　of　the　committee；　he　reported　the　Treaty　of　Peace　and；　as　chairman　of　another　committee；　devised　and　persuaded　Congress　to　adopt　a　national　system　of　coinage　which　in　its　essentials　is　still　in　use。　It　is　easy　to　criticize　Jefferson　and　to　pick　flaws　in　the　things　that　he　said　as　well　as　in　the　things　that　he　did；　but　practically　every　one　admits　that　he　was　closely　in　touch　with　the　course　of　events　and　understood　the　temper　of　his　contemporaries。　In　this　period　of　transition　from　the　old　order　to　the　new；　he　seems　to　have　expressed　the　genius　of　American　institutions　better　than　almost　any　other　man　of　his　generation。　He　possessed　a　quality　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