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176. Passage of the Ordinance of 1787.
176．通過1787年《西北法令》
What should be done with the lands which in this way had come into the possession of the people of all the states? It was quite impossible to divide these lands among the people of the thirteen states. They never could have agreed as to the amount due to each state. In 1785 Congress took the first step. It passed a law or an ordinance for the government of the Territory Northwest of the Ohio River. This ordinance was imperfect, and few persons emigrated to the West. There were many persons who wished to emigrate from the old states to the new region. But they were unwilling to go unless they felt sure that they would not be treated by Congress as the British government had treated the people of the original states. Dr. Cutler of Massachusetts laid these matters before Congress and did his work so well that Congress passed a new ordinance. This was in 1787. The ordinance is therefore called the Ordinance of 1787. It was so well suited to its purpose that nearly all the territories of the United States have been settled and governed under its provisions. It will be well to study this great document more at length.
怎樣處理那些以這種方式已經為各個州的人民所擁有的那些土地？將這些土地分給十三州根本就不可能，大家從來就不曾就一個州擁有多少土地達成共識。1785年國會采取第一步行動，為俄亥俄河西北部地區的政府通過一項法律或者條例。這個條例有缺陷，很少有人移民到西部去，但是，如果人們確信他們不會被國會以過去英國政府對待各州人民的方式對待自己的話，他們將愿意移民到西部，庫特勒博士將這些問題提交給國會。他的工作做得非常好，國會通過了一項新的法令，這就是1787年《西北法令》。此法令很好地達到了其最初目的，按照它的條款幾乎美國所有的領土都被明確標明并管制起來。應仔細學習這個偉大的文件。
177. The Ordinance of 1787.
177．1787年《西北法令》
In the first place the ordinance provided for the formation of one territory to be called the Territory Northwest of the Ohio. But it is more often called the Northwest Territory or simply the Old Northwest. At first it was to be governed by the persons appointed by Congress. But it was further provided that when settlers should arrive in sufficient numbers they should enjoy self-government. When fully settled the territory should be divided into five states. These should be admitted to the Confederation on a footing of equality with the original states. The settlers in the territory should enjoy full rights of citizenship. Education should be encouraged. Slavery should never be permitted. This last provision is especially important as it saved the Northwest to freedom. In this way a new political organization was invented. It was called a territory. It was really a colony; but it differed from all other colonies because in time it would become a state on a footing of entire equality with the parent states.
首先，這個法令提出"俄亥俄西北部地區"這個說法，但人們往往把它叫做西部地區或者簡單地叫做"老西北"；剛開始這個地方應該由國會任命的人來管理，但條例進一步指出，當居住者達到足夠的數量時，他們可以自治；當居住人數充分多時，這個地區要被分為五個州，居民應該享有充分的國民權利；應該鼓勵發展教育，永遠不允許有奴役。最后一個條款非常重要，因為它拯救了西北地區使之走向自由。這樣就創制了一個新的政治組織，人們把它叫做一個區域，其實它是一個殖民地，但又與其他殖民地不同，因為總有一天它會變成一個州，這個州與造就它的各個州完全平等。
