On the 1st of March, 1790, George Washington, who had been president of the Convention which framed the Constitution, approved "an Act providing for the enumeration of the inhabitants of the United States." The first Congress ever assembled, and the first President ever elected, under the Constitution, under the sanction of their respective oaths "to support the Constitution," by this Act expressed their deliberate judgment as to the true meaning of the people of the United States in adopting this section of the Constitution. What, in their judgment, was such meaning? These extracts from the Act will suffice (Act 1790, chap. 29):-- Sec. 1: "Be it enacted, &c. That the marshals of the several districts of the United States shall be, and they are hereby, authorized and required to cause the number of the inhabitants within their respective districts to be taken, omitting, in such enumeration, Indians not taxed, and distinguishing free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, from all others; distinguishing also the sexes and colors of free persons, and the free males of sixteen years and upwards from those under that age: for effecting which purpose, the marshals shall have power to appoint as many assistants within their respective districts as to them shall appear necessary, assigning to each assistant a certain division of his district," &c. These assistants were obliged to transmit to the marshals, returns in manner following:-- "The number of persons within my division, consisting of ----, appears in a schedule hereunto annexed, subscribed by me, this ----day of ---- 179 . A. B. Assistant to the Marshal of ----" +---------+----------+-----------+----------+----------+---------+ |Names of |Free white|Free white |Free white|_All other|_Slaves._| |heads of | males of |males under| females, | free | | |families.| sixteen | sixteen |including | persons._| | | |years and | years. | heads of | | | | | upwards, | | families.| | | | |including | | | | | | | heads of | | | | | | |families. | | | | | +---------+----------+-----------+----------+----------+---------+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +---------+----------+-----------+----------+----------+---------+