THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
AN ADDRESS BY BISHOP
BENJAMIN WILLIAM ARNETT, D. D.
WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCT.
11, 1899, AT MUSIC HALL, CHICAGO.
We have been called together by the
authorities of the
Autumnal Festival Celebration. First, we
are to give thanks
for the achievements of the present
century, for the triumph of
mind over matter, as well as the success
that has attended the
labors of our workmen, the harvest of
our farmers and the divi-
dends that have accrued to our
financiers. It is not only to cel-
ebrate the success in the agricultural,
the commercial, the educa-
tional and social world, but it is to
commemorate certain histor-
ical events that have proven to be the
beginning of an epoch in
the history of the country and of the
race.
I know of no subject so fraught with
interest and so mys-
terious in its workings as the
organization and the development
of the Northwestern Territory. To follow
the birth, growth
and development of this territory, it is
only to set up a true
standard of the progress and development
of our whole country.
The country, in fact the whole country,
has been one of the mar-
vels of the century. Our fathers who
laid the foundation of
our magnificent Republic laid them on
true principles, they
were laid on the Christian religion,
Christian education, Chris-
tian morality and Christian temperance.
The fathers of the
revolution cemented these foundations
with their blood and con-
secrated it with their tears. Our
fathers, I say, because it was
the Anglo-Saxon fathers, and the fathers
of the Negro race,
whose joint heroism and courage won the
battle of the Revolu-
tion and since that day the great
efforts for the development of
our country, whether north or south, has
been the joint work of
the two races.
Whatever is grand about our country,
whatever is noble
about our manhood, whatever is
progressive about our society,
whatever is beneficent in our
institutions, our churches, schools,
Vol. VIII-28.
(433)
434
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
universities and business, they are all
a part of the fruitage of the
united efforts of the races, and it is
well for us on this occasion to
consider the development of our national
wealth, national
power and national honor. Whether in
peace or in war, on
the land or on the sea, the magnificent
courage of the white man
and black man have made them invincible
against the foes with-
out and the foes within. No race or
nation has ever stood and
succeeded before the invincible army of
our nation, whether led
by Farragut on the Mississippi, Perry on
Lake Erie, or Jack-
son at New Orleans, or Dewey in the
Manila Bay.
The material expansion of our country
has been a source of
gratification to all friends of the
republican form of government.
Starting with a few states, it has
continued to develop and add
star to star; since that the thirteen
colonies formed a more per-
fect union. Thirty-two stars have been
added to the galaxies
of the nation, and as a nation they
illume the pathway of the
toiling millions and give hope to the
struggling people of the
land.
The advancement of our population has
been wonderful.
The following facts as relates to the
expansion, territorial, pop-
ulation, commercial, educational,
religious and otherwise, has
been a marvel. We have expanded by day
and by night, every
day in the week, and Sunday, too. There
has been no time in
the past that our nation has not
increased in force, in power and
in majesty.
EXPANSION.
The question is often asked, "Are
you in favor of expan-
sion?" How could I be any other
than an expansionist? It is
the doctrine of our government, of our
religion and of our civ-
ilization. The missionary thought of the
gospel is one of extend-
ing and spreading to the uttermost parts
of the earth the tidings
of man's redemption from ignorance, sin
and crime.
The genius of our civilization carries
with it the breaking
down of the walls of partition between
civilized and uncivilized,
between the barbarian and the
semi-barbarian and presented to
the unfortunate of the earth the
advantages of our homes,
churches, school houses and colleges.
The Northwest Territory. 435
The only condition that I have in
expressing my opinion in
favor of the expansion by the United
States, is that the expansion
shall be the expansion based upon the
principles of the civiliza-
tion of Plymouth Rock, rather than the
principles of the civiliza-
tion represented by Jamestown.
The two civilizations have continued for
centuries. Ply-
mouth Rock has triumphed at home, and
Plymouth Rock ought
to triumph abroad.
The principle that recognizes the
colored man are the prin-
ciples that ought to prevail.
The inhabitants of our new possessions
all belong to the
darker races, and according to the
civilization of Jamestown, are
under the ban of the Anglo-Saxon and
only fit to be hewers of
wood and drawers of water, and to be
denied their political and
social rights.
All that we ask is, that the darker
children, who are to be
invited to come in our commonwealth,
that they should be given
their seat at the table with the other
children of Uncle Sam, and
be given an opportunity to earn their
bread by the sweat of their
brow, or to acquire their place by their
skill, by their ingenuity
and by their loyalty to the flag of our
country.
We trust that this will be the beginning
of the accentuation
of the immortal principle of the
Declaration of the Independence,
and that every law, statute or decision
that discriminates against
a man on the account of his race, his
color or religion, will be
wiped off the face of the earth with the
Monroe doctrine, and
that we shall represent the teachings of
the humble Nazarene, in
all lands and in all countries, so that
wherever our flag floats, it
shall represent the principles of the
cross of Calvary.
The acquisition of the Hawaiian Islands
is a step in the right
direction. The Hawaiian Island has an
area of 6,677 square
miles, population, 95,000. On the 12th
day of August, 1898,
Admiral Miller of the U. S. Navy took
the possession of the
island in the name of the United States
government, and hoisted
the American flag in the presence of the
representatives of the
island and established a provisional
government, after which the
National Commission appointed by
President McKinley, con-
sisting of S. M. Cullom, of Illinois, J.
T. Morgan, of Alabama,
436
Ohio Arch. and His. Society
Publications.
and Hon. I. Hitt, of Illinois, convened
and formulated rules and
regulations for the temporary and
permanent government of the
island. The national authority and
dominion by this act was
extended 2,089 miles and
destroyed the oratorical expression,
"our ocean-bound republic."
The Spanish war is one of the wonders of
the 19th century.
It has taught the world a lesson in
military science. It has been
an object lesson in the relation of one
government to another.
It has accentuated the doctrine of the
solidarity of nations and
has taught a lesson of the
interdependence of man upon man
as never before, has laid upon the heart
of the civilized world
the doctrine of the Fatherhood of God
and the brotherhood of
man.
The cry of Cuba has been heard and a
million and a half of
people were delivered from the Spanish
tyranny and the chains of
four centuries have been broken, and
Cuba lifts her chainless
hands to heaven.
Porto Rico, with her eight hundred
thousand souls, has been
invited to sit down at the table with
the republics of our civiliza-
tion, while the Philippines are
resisting the authority and power
of our magnificent republic.
RECAPITULATION.
Area in square miles, Porto Rico, 3,670,
population, 813,000;
Cuba, area in square miles, 43,000,
population, 1,555,000; Phil-
ippine, square miles, 117,000; population,
9,500,000.
The total number of square miles in
Porto Rico, Cuba and
the Philippines combined are 163,670;
total aggregated popula-
tion, 11,868,000.
This is the largest number of persons
ever aggregated by
one administration since the foundation
of the Republic and the
largest possibilities lie in the
acquisition of the territory because
it is scattered over every zone of the
earth and produces all man-
ner of fruit and animals. Nothing that
we need hereafter for
our tables, need be bought outside of
the Dominion of the great
Republic. Thus, the acquisition is great
in many respects and it
brings with it greater responsibilities
for the old institutions,
customs, habits and manners of the new
territory will have to
The Northwest Territory. 437
be changed and reconstructed on the modern civilization. New
ideas will take the place of the old,
modifications in the family re-
lations will have to be dealt with very
cautiously in order to pre-
vent irritation and friction; the
married relations will have to be
changed and be modified according to the
teachings of the New
Testament.
The educational interests of our country
were never in a
better condition than now. Everywhere
all persons are now
looking forward, to the rising sun, the
hum of the wheels of
industries furnish music for the toiling
millions, and the advance
in prices is receiving the attention of
the workman, as he
returns from his day's work.
In peace and in war, William McKinley has
been the same.
He has been true, not alone to the white
man and to others, but
he has been true to the Negro, and in
every case where he had
an opportunity he has advanced him
materially and otherwise.
It has been his privilege to commission
more Negro soldiers
as officers in the United States army
than has been commis-
sioned since the foundation of the
Republic. He signed more
commissions for the Negroes than all the
Presidents since the
days of the Father of his country, and
while Lincoln was the
great emancipator, he only signed one,
Major; Grant, the
deliverer of the nation, during his term
as President, only made
one Counselor General, wherein William
McKinley has made
two, so in all the departments he has
been true to the race, true
to his country and to his God.
GROWTH OF THE REPUBLIC.
In 1772, the Territories of the
Confederation extended west-
ward to the Mississippi, and northward
to the Lakes, giving a
total area of about 800,000 square
miles, but by large acquisitions
since made, it has reached its present
size.
Its present area has been acquired as
follows: 1776-
1783 by war with England, the 13
original states, square miles
820,680, cost, $168,000,000; 1803, by
treaty with France, (Lou-
isiana), 899,576 square miles, cost
$15,000,000; 1819, by treaty
with Spain, Florida, 66,900 square
miles, cost, $3,000,000 ; 1845,
treaty by union with Mexico, Texas, 318,000 square miles;
438 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
debt of Texas on admission into the
Union, $7,500,000; 1846, by
treaty with England, Oregon and
California, 308,052 square
miles; 1846-48, by war, Mexico, New
Mexico, 522,955 square
miles, cost $5,000,000; 1853,
by treaty with Mexico, Gads'n
purchase, 45,535 square miles, cost $10,000,000; 1867,
treaty
with Russia, Alaska, 577,909 square
miles, cost $7,200,000; total
number of square miles, 3,559,687, total
cost, $225,500,000.
Its increase in population and rapid
growth and development
have been truly wonderful. In 1620 there
were 300 white set-
tlers in New England. Less than 250 years ago New
York City
was made up of a dozen log cabins, and
all the land now com-
prising the city and county of New York
was purchased for the
small pittance of $24.00.
Seventy-five years since, there were
less than 5,000 white
people in the vast region between Lake
Michigan and the Pacific
Ocean, while the population now exceeds
10,000,000. Chicago
was then a mere trading post of half a
dozen huts.
Seventy years ago these immense lakes,
Ontario, Mich-
igan, Huron and Superior were entirely
without commerce, and
an Indian's canoe was about the only
craft seen upon them, but
now they are crowded thoroughfares, and
the value of the traffic
upon these waters and navigable rivers,
is enormous.
April 2nd, 1788, a band of forty-eight
persons left for the
mouth of the Youghiogheny and the May
Flower of the West was
floated out in the Monongahela. They
merged on the broad
bosom of the Ohio and began an easier
journey down that beau-
tiful river to their chosen home below.
Five days after they
landed on the banks of the Muskingum
river April 7th, 1788,
at its confluence with the Ohio, and the
first settlement of the
Americans in the Northwest Territory
began.
On the opposite side of the Muskingum
river stood Fort
Harmar, garrisoned by a detachment of
United States soldiers.
The pioneers found protection from the
Indians and enjoyed
the society of the pioneers' defences of
the backwoods' life.
The company of settlers was composed of
excellent men,
determined upon finding homes for their
families, determined
to retrieve fortunes lost in the war of
Independence. They recog-
nized the necessity of some form of
government, hence they organ-
The Northwest Territory. 439
ized themselves into a body politic;
adopted a code of laws
and Return Jonathan Meigs was appointed
to administer them.
Mr. Meigs published the laws by nailing
them to a tree where
all could see and read them.
October 5th, 1787, the congress of the
old federation ap-
pointed Arthur St. Clair, governor, and
Winthrop Sargent, sec-
retary of the Territory North-west of
the Ohio river. On the
16th of the same month they appointed
Samuel Holden, Parsons
John Armstrong and Mitchen Varnum,
judges. John Cleves
Symmes was chosen to fill the vacancy
caused by the declination
of Mr. Armstrong. The judges were among
the early arrivals in
the settlement.
Governor St. Clair arrived in the colony
July 9th, 1788, and
on the 14th day of July published a
compact of 1787, the con-
stitution of the territory and the
commission of himself and
the three judges. He explained in the
proclamation the pro-
visions of the ordinance to the people.
He urged the settlers to
prepare a defence against the Indians;
they neglected to do so
and suffered.
On the 25th day of July the first law of
the territory was
published and the next day the Governor
issued a proclamation
creating Washington county, which
comprised a large part of
the State of Ohio. He next established
courts of probate and
Quarter Sessions. The common pleas court
was established
August 30th, and Return Jonathan Meigs,
clerk of this court,
and Ebenezer Sproat was appointed
sheriff. Rufus Putnam was
appointed Judge of the probate court and
Return Jonathan
Meigs, Jr., clerk. Thus the commission
of the government was
put in motion and Gov. St. Clair
declared the 25th day of Decem-
ber, 1788, to be kept a day of
Thanksgiving, thus following the
example of the Puritan fathers in 1620.
The establishment of the government in
the Northwest Ter-
ritory had a very important bearing on
the history of the country.
It was the beginning of the organization
to be administered on
the principles of universal liberty. The
provisions of the ordi-
nance were of such nature that, if
carried out as designed by the
authors and decreed by Congress, a
revolution, between the white
men and the black men of the new
territory, the old battle so
440 Ohio Arch. and His.
Society Publications.
stubbornly fought since the days of the
Nazarene, was to be
open on the plains of the west with the
advantage on the side of
the oppressed and with the hope of the
final triumph of the force
of freedom.
The fathers in laying the foundation of
our republic did so
without a chart. The only model they had
was the universal
desire of mankind for self-government,
self-support and self-
defence, crystalizing these sentiments
and expressing them. Jef-
ferson performed an act that will
immortalize his name to the
latest generations.
The organization of the Northwest
Territory was the legiti-
mate fruits of the labors of the Rev.
Manassah Cutler, of Massa-
chusetts, whose life and works were the
embodiment of the Dec-
laration of Independence, the true
representative of the civilization
of Plymouth Rock, a friend of the
continental soldier and advo-
cated the rights of the American negro.
He appeared before the
people of Massachusetts and of the
American Congress, advocat-
ing the consecration of a certain
portion of the Northwest
Territory for the children of freedom.
He had an important
mission on his hand. As a pioneer
reformer in government, he
has had no equal as to the results of
his work. He used as his
plea before the people, statesmen,
ministers and philanthropists,
the following words to the heroes of 1776:
"When in the course of human
events, it becomes necessary
for one people to dissolve the political
bands which have con-
nected them with another, and to assume
among the Powers
of the Earth, the separate and equal
station to which the Laws
of Nature and of Nature's God entitle
them, a decent respect to
the opinions of mankind requires that
they should declare the
causes which impel them to the
separation.
"We hold these truths to be
self-evident that all men are
created equal; that they are endowed by
their Creator with cer-
tain inalienable rights; that among
these are life, liberty and hap-
piness; that to secure these rights
governments are instituted
among men deriving their just powers
from the consent of the
governed; that whenever any form of
government becomes
destructive of these ends, it is the right
of the people to alter
or abolish it and institute a new
government, laying its foun-
The Northwest Territory. 441
dations on such principles and
organizing its powers in such form
as to them shall seem most likely to
effect their safety and
happiness."
The Declaration of Independence was the
Magna Charta
of American liberty. It was the
expression of the soul of human
freedom, and the language of the
patriots of 1776.
The expression was not learned from the
nations of anti-
quity, it was not taught in any work on
political economy,
but it was the simple utterance of the
human soul on the question
of mind, soul and body freedom.
Where was the expression from? Whence
its origin? Was
it earth or heaven born? Never in the
history of man was so
great an utterance announced as the
corner stone of a humane
government. It startled the inhabitants
of the Old World, and
made kings and the great men of the
royal aristocracy examine
their title to power and honor. It was
like the bow of hope to
the struggling government of the new
world. It was a death
blow to the doctrine of the divine right
of kings to rule the
people. The shock of that blow is still
felt in all lands where
the name of, and the fame of, our grand
Republic is known to
the earth, its inhabitants, and the
beneficent influences of the
doctrine of this government of the
people, and by the people,
and for the people, is to continue to
increase in power and influ-
ence until the inhabitants of the entire
earth shall perpetually
enjoy universal freedom.
When the fathers formed the
constitution, they used the
following language:
"We the people of the United States
in order to form a more
perfect union, establish justice, insure
domestic tranquility, pro-
vide for the common defense, promote the
general welfare, and
secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and our posterity,
do ordain and establish this
constitution for the United States."
Never was there an instrument of writing
more in harmony
with the spirit of justice and right
than was the Declaration
of Independence and the Constitution,
but it was the same year
that the Ordinance of 1787 was proposed
and the northwest was
given to freedom The spirit of liberty was abroad in the
land, in
442 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
city and country, in the valley and on
the mountain, it filled the
hearts of the people,and the sentiments
of all true patriots were
for the equality of man.
PREPARATORY STEPS TO THE ORDINANCE OF 1787.
The first step was to appeal to the
friends of liberty and
justice and secure their hearty support.
This was done, and
they by speeches, lectures, essays,
debates and books, presented
the wrongs of the Negro, and the
sinfulness of slavery was ex-
hibited to the Christian world as never
before. This was the
period of individual effort.
The second step or period was when the
friends of freedom
formed organizations, anti-slavery
societies to make and mould
public sentiment against the slave trade
in foreign lands, to pro-
test against man stealing and man
buying, to resist the non-
extension of slavery in the territories
and to prevent any State
from entering the Union with slave
population.
The third step or period was when an
effort was made to take
the slave question out of the realm of
politics as far as practicable
and put it in the domain of morals, to
make it a moral and com-
mercial question, to bring the problem
home to the gates of
commerce and the door of the church and
thus make the pulpit
take one side or the other, to show
commerce that it would be
most prosperous in a free land, with
free institutions and free
men. The matter was brought before the
bar of public opinion
and conscience, and finally before the
bar of God, by the true
sons of liberty, and the sons of
oppression. In many places the
pulpit was as dumb as the pew, and both
were deaf to the appeal
of the oppressed and the entreaties of
their friends; the ten com-
mandments and the golden rule were
imprisoned in the house of
God.
The fourth step or period was when it
became a contest
between free and slave labor. The rights
of the Negro became
a factor in the problem of commerce and
became intimately con-
nected with men of all stations and
position. The agriculturalist,
the mechanic, the merchant, the
manufacturer of wool and cotton
goods, the banker, the producer and
consumer could not ignore
The Northwest Territory. 443
the question, whether producer of manual
or mental labor;
it was to their interest to take the
side of freedom, because men
are independent beings. What is good for
the individual is good
for the whole.
Fifth, the ordinance of 1787 was one of
the greatest state
papers of the colonial period of our
government, or we may say
of the formative period of the
confederacy. It was the last great
act of the confederacy, for while the
congress in New York was
discussing its provisions, the
constitutional convention was in
session at Philadelphia, laying the
foundation of the great republic
tracing the designs of the temple of
universal liberty and equality,
where all races of men were to assist in
establishing, maintaining,
protecting a government of the people,
for the people and by the
people. Thus the legal, civil, social
and political rights of the
people demanded a definition and
understanding. If they were
citizens, then they were entitled to all
the rights enjoyed by
the most favored; if not citizens, but
men with no rights of their
own then another course was necessary.
It was a trying time,
for the very air was pregnant with the
sentiments of the Declara-
tion of Independence. The ten
commandments and the golden
rule had met and kissed each other at
the birth of the nation.
Statesmen and orators had dwelt on the
inalienable rights of men,
not white men or black men, but they had
said that all men were
created equal and endowed with certain
rights, which could not
be sold or bought, nor could they give
away, right to life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness.
Sixth step toward the establishment of
the empire of freedom
was the desire of the soldiers of the revolution
to establish a
government on the fundamental principles
for which they had
fought and suffered.
The seventh step which brought about the
ordinance was
the "Hand of God," as seen in
the providential arrangement
of the affairs of the world, so that it
was almost impossible
for the Americans to retain their
respect for England, France
and Spain without showing that their
profession of supreme love
of liberty was genuine, and that when
they said all men they meant
the black, red and white men. It was a
cancellation of a debt
to the sentiment of universal liberty.
It was a demand from
444 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
the world on the revolutionary fathers;
they paid it willingly and
we enjoy its blessings.
The eighth step or reason for the
ordinance of 1787 was that
it became a religious question. The
Negro came to the church of
the living God, and asked: Am I not a
man and brother? The
Negro received no reply, was put in the
galleries and was invited
to the "second table" to
commemorate the death and suffering
of Christ. But he would sing with them:
"My Savior's pierced side poured
out a double flood,
By water we are purified and purchased
by His blood."
The ninth step was the desire of the
Ohio company to have
land for the freemen and slaves, to
establish Christian homes and
inteligent homes, where justice and
righteousness, peace and pros-
perity reigned under the same roof, and
where all would eat at the
same table and pray to the same God.
The eleventh step was the elementary
principle of New En-
gland churchmen and statesmen combined
in the Rev. Manassah
Cutler, who for the first time in the
march of years, brought the
laws of Moses and the teaching of the
Nazarene together and
gave the world the most sublime example
of the triumph of
principle over personal interest, and
laid the corner stone of the
temple of universal freedom for all time
to come.
WHAT OHIO WAS, AND IS.
Ohio was the borderland of freedom, the
isthmus between
slavery and Canada. It was the short cut
of the underground
railway; it was the battlefield of
liberty; it was the citadel of
legal equality, and the home of civil
rights and universal eman-
cipation, and was the seat of the first
college for the sons of
oppression and daughters of bondage. It
was here liberty took
her stand and said to slavery,
"Thus far shalt thou come and
no further; here thy proud waves must
stop."
The Sons of Liberty organized and
announced these princi-
ples to the world, and nominated one of
their number for Presi-
dent of the United States, and said,
"Roll on, liberty's ball, roll
on, until every chain is broken and
every fetter loosed from the
limbs of every son of Adam. Here the genius of universal lib-
The Northwest Territory. 445
erty, immediate emancipation and equal
rights to all men, un-
furled the banner and called on the Sons
of Liberty to follow the
standard on to victory or death. Here
was the place where the
fugitive slave law found its strongest
foes; here it was checked
in its wild career; here the "Free
Soilers" had the first victory
over their foes; here the right of an
equal education was first
conceded to the colored men; here we had
men who would assist,
in the darkness of the night, the son of
bondage on his way to
freedom. It was the school of freedom,
the normal school of
liberty, the college and seminary of
human rights, and the uni-
versity where the Declaration of
Independence, ten command-
ments, and the golden rule were the only
text books, and the
motto was "The fatherhood of God
and the brotherhood of man."
The men who belonged to the Ohio company
had been sol-
diers in the revolutionary war. They had
received their pay in
Continental promises to pay; so they
wanted to secure homes
for their families in the west; they
wanted some place to settle
down, so that they and their children
could live happy and con-
tented. We find that the conditions were
for the establishment
of freedom, free men, free speech, free
press, free schools and
free ballots.
An empire of religious liberty.-Free to
worship God, or
free to have their own thoughts on God,
man, time and eternity;
free to advocate natural or revealed
theology; free to be a Meth-
odist or a Catholic. But the religious
sentiment has been one
of the strong towers of the Northwest.
It has given us an hon-
est, sober and industrious community.
An empire of knowledge.-Education was to
be encouraged
and supported, so that every child in
the States would be pre-
pared to be an intelligent and useful
citizen. It was to be a
moral as well as a secular education.
The whole man-head,
heart and hands-were to be trained,
brought out.
An empire of free homes.-Every family
was to be provided
with a home, which the family could
arrange with taste and care,
adorn and beautify, for the better
enjoyment of life; where a
family altar, dedicated to religion,
morality and knowledge, could
be established.
446
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
An empire of honest and loyal men, who
loved their country
more than self, who were consecrated to
the principle of the
Declaration of Independence, and obeyed
the ten command-
ments, and worked by the golden rule.
These were the men
whose sons were to lay down their lives
for the Constitution and
the Union in 1861-5.
To these men who founded the State it
was a safe base of
operation in the time of war, and with
the cardinal principles of
a republican form of government as the
foundation of the new
community. As they traveled westward,
their mottoes were
free soil and free men, free labor, free
speech, free press, free
schools, free ballot, free jury-box,
equal taxation, equal militia
service, equal rights to all and special
privileges to none. These
were some of the rallying cries of the
immigrants to the west
and northwest.
Thus we see how the friends of the cause
of freedom were
encouraged, and how they by their own
free will laid a founda-
tion for the success of the citizens of
the northwest; for when a
man or a number of men take truth and
justice for their guide,
they cannot go wrong-they must
succeed-for God has prom-
ised success to those who walk uprightly
in church and state.
What are some of the blessings that come
from the ordi-
nance of 1787? It gives an equality in
everything. In the South
it was churches and school houses for
the whites, while it was
the slave-pen and auction block for the
blacks.
The Ohio Territory and State was the
highway of freedom
and the breakwater of slavery. Here
caste was permitted to live,
but she was not allowed to bring her
mother along, to remain
any length of time.
It was the first field of liberty. Here
she plowed, sowed and
raised a grand crop of liberty-loving
men and women. It was a
loyal community. They loved their
country, fellow-men and God
and their fellow-men and God loved
them.
It was the highway of freedom, for
thousands of men would
have died in houses of bondage if it had
not been for Ohio's
underground railroad!
This ordinance gave us unrestricted
emigration to the west.
There was no barrier thrown in the way,
but every encourage-
The Northwest Territory. 447
ment was given to settlers of the
country, and free homes were
founded and the fires of soul-freedom
burned in all the states.
The men of Ohio were loyal to the
Constitution and Union, and
obeyed the ten commandments and the
golden rule, and when
danger threatened our institutions,
young men and old men left
farm and shop, the bank, and school
house, their father and
mother, wife and children, and presented
themselves, to fight,
suffer, defend, and if need be, die for
the heritage bequeathed
by the heroes of 1776, and preserved by
the gallantry of the
patriots of 1812, and those who
marched to the City of Mexico.
There was no set of men in the army that
had a better record
for gallantry and for personal bravery
than had the soldiers of
the State of Ohio from 1861 until the
last gun was fired and the
last foe had surrendered, to the
Constitution and the Union.
The Northwest Territory has occupied a
very important
place in the development of the Western
part of the United
States; it has furnished a large number
of the families who
occupy the western states and
territories; it also furnished a large
number of men in the army of 1861-65; it
has taken a prominent
part in all of the financial contests in
the past fifty years; it was
very pronounced in its sentiments on the
slavery question, and
within the borders of the Northwest
Territory liberty found its
strongest advocates and most able
defenders.
It is hard to account for the part that
the inhabitants of this
small territory have taken in all of the
great conflicts, financially,
morally and politically, but there is
one thing we think can be
said of the Northwestern Territory. In
the first place, the men
who occupied the territory, and the
women who were the mothers
of the children that were born in the
Northwest Territory were
of noble parentage and noble blood, and
were trained in the
school of liberty and free thought.
Consequently, when they
were coming to the West, they laid the
foundation of the social,
civil and political institutions on
principles that were immortal.
The family altar was well built and well
guarded. The
children were well trained, and
consequently they were law-
abiding and law-loving, as well as
liberty-loving families. The
children imbibed the liberty spirit of
the fathers, and the whole
community became advocates of free soil
and free men.
448 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
The second source of strength to the
Northwest was that
they built their institution on the
religion of Jesus Christ. The
altar of religion stood side by side
with the family altar, and
father and mother and child all became
imbued with the faith
that the fathers had in the religion of
Jesus Christ; that taught
the brotherhood of man and the
fatherhood of God, and every
child was taught to say, "Our
father who art in heaven;" and
then in the "our" was embraced
every nation, kindred and
tongue, consequently the obligation of
the great principle of the
brotherhood of man was easily
accomplished in the Northwest
Territory, and the articles composed in
the ordinance of 1787
contained the sentiment that religion,
morality and knowledge
were the basis of all lasting
governments.
Out fathers laid the foundation of an
educational system,
and their educational altar became so
firmly fixed that certain
sections of land dedicated by them for
the cause of education are
still bearing fruit of the labors and
toils of the fathers, so that the
altar of education was the third method
of strength and power
of the Northwest.
The fathers not only believed in the family,
religious and
educational altar, but they believed in
patriotism, and built the
altar of patriotism, side by side, with
the other altars, and the
smoke of the sacrifice ascended from it
every 4th day of July,
and the boys were given a rousing time, that
stirred up their
patriotism when the old flag was waved,
and the American eagle
made to scream, and the glories of the
fathers in the Revolution
were presented in burning words by
orators and by divines.
The fifth method of strength and power
of this community
lies in the industry of its inhabitants.
Every man, woman and
child was taught that it was honorable
to work and that labor
was royal and not degrading; that free
labor was the highest
occupation of the free man, and that a
free man living upon a free
soil and exercising free speech, going
to free schools, using a free
ballot and giving a fair count, was the
highest ambition and
greatest commission of an American
citizen.
Then the doctrine as taught by these
fathers was that there
was a personal and moral obligation that
existed between man
and man, regardless of his religion, an
obligation that was natural,
The Northwest Territory.
449
a
chain of obligations that bound each to his fellowman and
bound
family to family, race to race, nation to nation, and
finally
bound them all to the first great cause.
Thus
you see this sentiment as grown in the Northwest has
characterized
it more than any other portion of our country,
By
reason of this principle it has a place in history as the works
of
the fathers. The moral and religious forces of this section
were
organized early. The pioneer Methodist preacher and the
poor
schoolmaster were abroad in the land, and where the
pioneer
preacher and the schoolmaster join forces, to lay a foun-
dation
in the community, it is sure to prosper.
We
will give some of the figures as to the condition of this
section
of the country to-day, as contrasted with the condition of
the
country in the year 1800. We will take a hundred years'
account
of the progress of the educational, of the moral, of the
religious,
the agricultural, mechanical and financial affairs, and
see
what a wonderful progress has been made in the hundred
years
that have past; and from what we have seen of the past,
and
what we know of the present, we may judge, somewhat
faintly
of the future of this great Northwest Territory. It is an
honor
to live in such a community. It is a privilege worth a life
time
to be a member of the forces that are at work in this western
country
in the development of true manhood and true woman-
hood.
Therefore, we will now give you some of the statistics that
you
may see the astonishing growth of the territory dedicated to
religion,
to morality and to knowledge.
The
following is a general summary of the Territory that
was
known as the Northwest in 1787, and which was to be
formed
into five states, and to be the home of freemen:
State. Sq. Miles. Pop. 1800. Pop.
1880.
Ohio
................. 41,066 45,000 3,198,239
Indiana .............. 36,330 5,640 1,978,362
Illinois ............... 56,650 12,282 3,078,769
Wisconsin
............ 56,030 (1840) 30,945 1,315,480
Michigan
............. 58,915 (1810) 4,762 1,636,331
The
total number of square miles in these five states is
248,991.
The total number of inhabitants in 1800 was 98,629,
Vol.
VIII-29.
450 Ohio
Arch. and His. Society Publications.
and in the same territory we had in 188O 11,207,181. In 1800
there were 1,253 colored persons free and 455 slaves,
of a total col-
ored population of 1,708. We had in 1880 182,663
colored per-
sons, and in 1890 218,470, all free, and no slaves. These figures
are given in the last census.
Indiana was a part of the Northwest Territory and was
first
settled by Canadian voyagers in 1702, at Vincennes. It
was or-
ganized as a territory in 1800, and admitted into the
Union in
1816 with an area of 36,350 square miles, which are
contained in
its 94 counties. The following will show how her
numerical
strength has developed and how the colored people have
increased
within her borders:
Year White
Free Col'd Slaves
Total
1790................
1800................
1810................ 23,890 302 237 24,429
1820 ................ 145,758 1,230 190 147,178
1830 ............... 339,399 3,620 3 403,022
1840 ................ 678,698 7,165 685,863
1850 ................ 977,154 11,262 988,416
1860 ................ 1,339,000 11,428 1,350,428
1870 ................ 1,039,094 38,998 1,078,092
1890 ................ 2,146,736 45,668 2,192,404
Illinois contains 56,660 square miles of
territory. The first
settlement was by the French at Kaskaskia, in 1682. It
was a
part of the Northwest Territory in 1787, was organized
as a
separate territory in 1809, and admitted as a state of
the Union
in 1818. The following will give an idea of its growth
since it was
dedicated to freedom:
Year
Free Col'd Slaves
Whites Total
1790 ...............
1800 ...............
1810 ................ 613 168 11,501 12,282
1820............... 457 917 53,788 55,162
1830 ................ 1,647 747 155,061 157,455
1840................ 3,598 331 472,254 476,183
1850
.............. 5,436 841,037 846,473
1860 . .............. 7,628 1,704,323 1,711,951
1870 . ............... 28,762 2,511,096 2,539,858
1880
............... 46,248 3,032,174 3,078,422
1890 ................
57,879 3,768,572 3,826,451
The Northwest Territory. 451
Wisconsin was first settled by the French at Green Bay,
in
1669, was a
part of the Nortwest Territory in 1787, organ-
ized as a territory in 1836, and was admitted as a
state in 1847.
The following will show the numerical growth and
strength:
Year
White Persons Col'd Persons Total
1840.................... 30,749 185 30,934
1850.................... 304,753 635 305,388
1860.................... 774,710 1,171 ' 775,881
1870.................... 1,051,351 2,113 1,053,464
1880 .................... 1,309,662 2,724 1,312,386
1890.................... 1,680,473 6,407 1,687,880
The first settlement within the State of Michigan was at
Sault St. Marie, in the year 1668. It was a part of the
North-
west Territory until it was organized as a territory in
1805. It
was admitted as a state in 1837, with an area of 58,915
square
miles of land. It consists of 79 counties and has had
the follow-
ing enumerations of its population:
Year
Free Col'd Slaves
Whites Total
1790..............
1800 ...............
1810................ 120 24 4,618 4,762
1820 ............... 174 8,591 8,765
1830
............... 261 32 31,386 31,679
1840 ................ 707 212,560 213,267
1850............ 2,583 395,071 397,654
1860.......
..... 6,799 742,314 749,113
1870 ................ 11,849 1,167,282 1,179,131
1880................ 14,986 1,614,078 1,629,064
1890 ................ 16,807 1,680,473 1,697,280
POPULATION OF THE STATES COMPOSING THE NORTHWEST
TERRITORY FROM 1810 To 1890.
Year Year Year Year Year
1810 1820 1830 1840 1850
Ill .....
12,282 55,162 157,445 476,183 851,470
Year Year Year Year Year
1860 1870 1880 1890
1,711,951 2,539,891 3,077,871 3,826,351 .........
Year Year Year Year Year
1810 1820 1830 1840 1850
Ind ....
24,520 147,178 343,031 685,866 988,416
452 Ohio Arch.
and His. Society Publications.
Year Year Year Year
Year
1860 1870 1880 1890
1,350,428 1,680,637 1,978,301 2,192,404 .........
Year Year Year Year Year
1810 1820 1830 1840 1850
Mich .. 4,762 8,765 31,639 212,267 397,654
Year Year Year Year Year
1860 1870 1880 1890
749,113 1,184,059 1,636,937 2,093,889 .........
Year Year Year Year Year
1810 1820 1830 1840 1850
Ohio ..
230,760 581,295 937,903 1,519,467 2,339,511
Year Year Year Year Year
1860 1870 1880 1890
2,339,511 2,665,260 3,198,062 3,672,316 .........
Year Year Year Year Year
1840 1850 1860 1870 1880
Wis ... 30,945 305,391 775,881 1,054,670 1,315,497
Year Year Year Year Year
1890
1,686,880
NUMBER OF SQUARE MILES IN EACH STATE COMPOSING THE
NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
Extreme Breadth and Length
Gross Area in Miles. In
Miles In Miles
Illinois .......................... 56,650 205 380
Indiana ......................... 36,450 160 265
Michigan ........................ 58,915 310 400
Ohio ............................ 41,060 230 205
Wisconsin
...................... 56,040 290 300
Total ..................... 249,015 1,195 1,750
POPULATION OP WHITE AND COLORED IN THE
NORTHWEST
TERRITORY,-1890.
White Colored Total
Illinois ................ 3,768,472 57,879 3,826,351
Indiana ............... 2,146,736 45,668 2,192,404
Ohio .................. 3,584,805 87,511 3,672,316
Michigan ............. 2,092,884 21,005 2,113,889
Wisconsin ............ 1,680,473 6,407 1,686,880
Total ........... 13,273,370 218,470 18,491,740
In 1810 there were 272,324.
In 1890 there were 13,372,840.
Increase 13,100,516.
The Northwest Territory. 453
DWELLINGS AND FAMILIES IN THE
NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
Dwellings Av.
per. Dwell. Families Av. per.
Family.
Ohio .............. 720,417 5.10 785,291 4.68
Indiana ........... 452,043 7.85 467,146 4.69
Illinois ......... 669,812 5.71 778,015 4.92
Michigan ......... 434,370 4.82 455,004 4.60
Wisconsin
........ 316,163 5.34 335,456 5.03
Dwellings ... 2,592,805 Families.... 2,820,912
ASSESSED VALUATION OF PERSONAL AND
REAL PROPERTY IN THE
NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
Total Amount. Average
Ohio ................................ $1,534,360,508 $484.20
Indiana ............................. 856,838,472 390.83
Illinois .............................. 809,682,473 211.61
Michigan
........................... 898,155,532 428.94
Wisconsin ........................... 577,066,232 342.09
Total ......................... $4,676,103,216 $1,857.66
The total value of the property in the Northwest
Territory in
1890 was the magnificent sum of $4,676,103,216. The lowest
average per person was in Illinois, where it was $211.61 for every
man, woman and child.
TOTAL AMOUNT EXPENDED FOR EDUCATION IN THE NORTHWEST
TERRITORY.
Amount.
Ohio
......................................... ......... $12,473,295
Indiana
................................................. 6,636,756
Illinois .................................................. 15,635,867
M ichigan ........
....................................... 5,872,950
Wisconsin
............................................... 5,246,192
Total amount ..................................... $45,865.060
DAILY AVERAGE
ATTENDANCE OF PUPILS IN THE NORTHWEST
TERRITORY.
Ohio ...................................................... 597,925
Indiana .................................................. 401,702
Illinois ................................................... 324,623
Michigan
.................................................. 271,000
Wisconsin
................................................. 261,000
1,856,150
454 Ohio Arch. and His. Society
Publications.
TEACHERS AND
SALARIES IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
Male. Female. Total
Ohio .......................... 10,305 14,875 25,180
Indiana ......................... 7,130 7,754 14,884
Illinois .......................... 7,057 18,350 25,417
Michigan ....................... 3,634 12,379 16,013
Wisconsin ...................... 2,440 9,894 12,334
Total ..................... 13,131 40,623 53,764
Average salary of men, $47.37 per month.
Total salary of men, $1,447,901.42 per month.
Average salary of women, $40.24 per month.
Total salary of women, $2,243,308.48 per month.
Grand total, $3,691,209.90.
SCHOOL AND MILITIA AGES IN THE NORTHWEST
TERRITORY-1890.
School Ages
Militia Ages
Illinois
................................. 1,323,030 862,635
Indiana ................................ 785,172 455,323
Michigan ............................... 703,684 462,765
Ohio
................................... 1,271,031 767,975
Wisconsin
.............................. 603,846 347,469
Grand total ....................... 4,686,763 2,886,667
VOTING AGES, MALES 21 YEARS AND OVER IN
THE NORTHWEST
TERRITORY-1890.
White. Colored.
Illinois .................................... 1,054,469 18,200
Indiana ................................... 581,987 13,070
Michigan .................................. 611,008 6,437
Ohio
...................................... 990,542 25,922
Wisconsin
................................. 459,893 1,829
Grand total ......................... 3,697,899 61,458
THE MAIN CEREAL CROPS OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
1897 -CORN.
Acres Bushel Value.
Ohio ................ 2,835,864 92,165,580 $23,041,395;
Michigan ............ 990,511 31,201,096 8,424,296
Indiana ............. 3,660,844 109,825,320 23,063,317
Illinois .............. 7,167,018 232,928,085 48,914,898
Wisconsin ........... 1,019,551 33,615,183 8,411,296
Total ......... 14,673,788 499,765,264 $111,855,202
The
Northwest Territory. 455
1897- OATS.
Acres Bushel Value.
Ohio ................ 934,606 29,907,392 $5,981,478
Michigan
........... 882,325 22,940,450 5,276,304
Indiana ............. 1,116,112 33,706,582 6,404,251
Illinois .............. 2,899,953 92,798,496 16,703,729
Wisconsin ........... 1,827,215 62,125,310 11,803,809
Total ......... 1,660,211 241,478,230 $46,169,571
1897- WHEAT.
Acres Bushel Value.
Ohio ................ 2,251,428 38,049,133 $33,483,237
Michigan ............ 1,519,240 23,700,144 20,619,125
Indiana ............. 2,573,477 32,675,201 29,080,929
Illinois .............. 1,465,570 11,578,003 10,304,423
Wisconsin
.......... 615,262 7,690,775 6,460,251
Total ......... 8,338,977 113,703,256 $99,947,965
241,418,230
499,765,264
Grand total....................... 854,886,750
The Northwest Territory furnished the following troops
in
1861-65:
No. of Men Furnished. No.
for3 years. Colored.
Ohio ......
............. 313,190 240,514 5,035
Indiana ......................... 196,363 153,576 1,597
Illinois ......................... 259,092 214,133 1,841
Michigan ........................ 87,364 80,111 1,387
Wisconsin ....................... 9,134 79,260 155
Total ..................... 927,326 767,594 10,015
Total number of colored soldiers in the war from 1861-65,
186,917.
The Northwest Territory furnishes the following number
of
Congressmen:
Ohio .................................................. 21
Indiana ............................................... 13
Illinois ................................................ 22
Michigan ......... ..................................... 12
Wisconsin ............................................. 10
Total ..........
............................... 78
U. S.
Senators.......................................... 10
Total
........................................... 88
456 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
CHURCH DENOMINATIONS IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
CONGREGATIONAL -1890.
Churches Min. Members Am,t Raised
Ohio ................ 257 195 38,544 $351,502
Indiana ............. 58 38 4,589 45,098
Illinois .............. 360 280 48,896 571,655
Michigan ......... 374 272 32,377 269,441
Wisconsin ......... 252 185 22,085 210,196
Total ......... 1,265 940 146,491 $1,427,893
PRESBYTERIAN -1890.
Organizations. Churches. Valuation.
Communicants.
Ohio ............. 820 849 $6,722,875 103,607
Indiana .......... 389 412 4,649,410 77,213
Illinois ........... 752 736 4,640,410 43,351
Michigan ......... 252 243 2,242,236 25,931
Wisconsin........ 140 150 1,504,355 14,154
Total ...... 2,361 2,390 $19,259,286 266,259
PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL.
Organizations. Churches. Valuation.
Communicants.
Ohio ............. 109 106 $2,103,487 17,711
Indiana .......... 65 61 537,600 5,185
Illinois ........ 196 189 2,343,075 20,854
Michigan ......... 191 177 1,653,651 18,136
Wisconsin........ 133 117 1,035,978 10,457
Total ...... 694 730 $7,673,791 72,343
BAPTIST -1898.
Churches Min Members Valuation
Am't Contributed
Ohio..... 636 555 71,980 $2,929,821 $418,663 49
Indiana .. 583 371 62,618 1,523,175 208,778 40
Illinois... 1,129 881 115,991 24,139,153 684,334 61
Michigan . 456 386 45,685 2,183,426 292,348 81
Wisconsin. 220 166 19,717 970,255 165,109
35
Total 3,024 2,359 314,991 $11,745,830 $1,768,634
75
METHODIST - 1898.
Org Ch Val Pro Mem Min
Ohio ........ 2,340 2,296 $8,749,970 240,650 1,205
Indiana ..... 1,618 1,585 4,243,180 162,480 767
Illinois ...... 1,903 1,779 7,046,786 165,191 1,312
Michigan .... 1,085 894 3,730,850 86,958 734
Wisconsin ...
706 623 1,791,900 41,360 438
Total... 7,652 5,592 $25,562,686 697,599 4,456
The Northwest Territory. 457
CATHOLIC CHURCH.
Organizations. Churches. Valuation, Communicnats
Ohio ............. 586 515 $7,395,640 336,114
Indiana .......... 311 303 3,534,691 419,100
Illinois ........... 690 666 9,946,819 475,474
Michigan ........ 400 360 3,671,350 222,261
Wisconsin ........ 650 623 4,873,270 249,829
Total ...... 2,637 2,467 $29,421,770 1,702,778
After examining the material progress and prosperity of
the Northwest Territory, and finding such wonderful
advance-
ments and multiplication of interests, we could not
close with-
out looking at the relation of the Northwest Territory
as a stand-
ard toward the national government. First, as
administrators,
presidents of the United States, and members of
cabinets and
Supreme Judges.
The following list will be an astonishment to most
persons
who have not followed the influence that the Northwest
has had
upon the politics and administrations of our
government. Not
only has this section influence in the successes of our
country, but
in time of war there was no section that furnished a
larger num-
ber of soldiers, and no section furnished so many
eminent generals
as did the Northwest. The Northwest furnished us with
Grant,
Sherman, Sheridan, Logan, and a number of others
equally as
honorable and heroic, but we give you the list.
Presidents. Vice Presidents.
1841- W. H. Harrison, Ohio. 1869 - Indiana, Schuyler Colfax.
1861 -Abraham Lincoln, Illinois. 1885
- Indiana - Thos. A. Hend-
1869--U. S. Grant, Point Pleas- ricks.
ant, 0. 1893-
Illinois - Adlai Stevenson.
1877 -R. B. Hayes, Delaware, Presidents pro tern. of Senate.
Ohio. 1854-57
- Indiana, Jesse D. Bright.
1881--James A. Garfield, Cuya- 1867-69, Ohio, Benj. F. Wade.
hoga Co., Ohio. 1873-75,
Wisconsin, M. H. Car-
1889-Benjamin Harrison, North penter.
Bend, Ohio. 1875-79,
Michigan, Thos. F. Ferry.
1897- Wm. McKinley,
Niles, 1879-81, Ohio,
A. G. Thurman.
Ohio. 1881-83,
Illinois, David Davis.
1885-87. Ohio, John Sherman.
458 Ohio Arch. and His. Society
Publications.
Justices
Supreme Court. Ohio, 1862-Edwin M. Stanton.
Ill., 1867 - U. S. Grant (ad in.),
Ohio,
1829-61-John McLean.
Ill., 1868--Lor Thomas(ad in.}
Ohio,
1861-81 - Noah H. Swayne. Ill., 1868- Lor Thomas(ad in.)
Ill., 1869--J. A. Rawlins.
Ill., 1862-77 - David Davis.
Ohio,
1869-W. T. Sherman.
Ohio,
1864-73-Salmon P. Chase.
Ohio,
1874-88-
Morrison R. - Ohio, 1876
--Alphonso Taft.
Waite. Ill., 1881-Robert T. Lincoln.
Mich.,
1897 -Russell A. Alger.
Ohio,
1881-89--Stanley Mat-
thews. Secretaries of Interior.
Ill., 1888-
- Melville W. Ful- Ohio,
1849 - Thomas Ewing.
ler. Mich., 1853 - Robert
McClelland.
Mich.,
1890- - Henry B. Brown. Ind., 1861 -Caleb B. Smith.
Speakers
of House of Repre- Ill., 1866
-Orv. H. Browning.
sentatives. Ohio, 1869 -Jacob D. Cox.
Ind., 1845-47-
John W. Davis. Ohio, 1870-
Columbus Delano.
Ind., 1863-69 - Schuyler Colfax. Mich., 1875 - Zachariah Chandler.
Ind., 1875-76 - Michael Kerr. Wis., 1888--W. F. Vilas.
Ohio, 1881-83-John W. Keifer. Secretary of Navy.
CABINET
OFFICERS. Ind., 1877 -R. W. Thompson.
Secretaries
of State. Secretary
of Agriculture.
Mich.,
1857 -Lewis Cass.
Wis., 1889 - Jeremiah M. Rusk.
Ill., 1869- Elihu B. Washburn. Postmaster Generals.
Ind., 1892-John W. Foster. Ohio, 1814-Return J. Meigs,
Jr.
Ill., 1893- Walter Q. Gresham. Ohio, 1817 - Return J. Meigs, Jr.
Ohio,
1897-John Sherman. Ohio,
1823-John McLean.
Ohio,
1897 -Wm. R. Day. Ohio,
1825--John McLean.
Ohio,
1898 - John Hay. Ohio,
1864 - Wm. Dennison,
Secretaries
of Treasury. Ohio, 1865- W'Nm. Dennison.
Ohio,
1841 -Thomas Ewing. Wis.,
1866- A. W. Randall.
Ohio,
1850 - Thomas Corwin. Ind., 1876 - J. N. Tyner.
Ohio,
1861 - Salmon P. Chase Wis.,
1881 -T. O. Howe.
Ind., 1865 - Hugh McCulloch. Ind., 1883 -W. Q. Gresham.
Ohio,
1877 - John Sherman. Wis.,
1885- Wm. F. Vilas.
Ind., 1884 - W. Q. Gresham. Mich., 1888 - Don. M.
Dickinson.
Ind., 1884 - Hugh McCulloch. Attorney Generals.
Ohio,
1891 -Charles Foster. Ohio,
1860- Edwin M. Stanton.
Iii., 1897 - Lyman
J. Gage. Ohio, 1866
- Henry Stansberry.
Secretaries
of War. Ohio, 1876- Alphonso Taft.
Ohio,
1831- Lewis Cass. Ind., 1889 - Wm. H. H. Miller
Ohio,
1841-John McLean Ohio,
1895 -Judson Harmon.
The Northwest Territory. 459
DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENTS FROM THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
GREAT BRITAIN.
U. S. Grant: 1870, Robert C. Schenck,
Ohio.
B. Harrison: 1889: Robert T. Lincoln,
Illinois.
William McKinley; 1897, John Hay,
Ambassador, Ohio.
FRANCE.
A. Jackson: 1836, Lewis Cass, Michigan.
Martin Van Buren: 1837, Lewis Cass,
Michigan.
John Taylor: 1841, Lewis Cass, Michigan.
John Taylor: 1842, Henry Ledgard, Charge
d'Affairs, Ohio.
A. Johnson: 1866, John Hay, Charge
d'Affairs, Illinois.
U. S. Grant: 1869, E. B. Washburn,
Illinois.
R. B. Hayes: 1877, E. F. Noyes, Ohio.
AUSTRIA.
A. Johnson: 1867, John Hay, Charge
d'Affairs, Illinois.
U. S. Grant: 1875, Godlove S. Orth,
Indiana.
C. A. Arthur: 1882, Alphonso Taft, Ohio.
Wm. McKinley: 1899, Addison Harris,
Indiana.
RUSSIA.
R. B. Hayes: 1879, John W. Foster,
Indiana.
J. A. Garfield: 1880, John W. Foster,
Indiana.
C. A. Arthur: 1884, Alphonso Taft, Ohio.
Grover Cleveland: 1888, Lambart Tree,
Illinois.
GERMAN EMPIRE.
Grover Cleveland: 1885, George H.
Pendleton, Ohio.
Grover Cleveland: 1896, E. F. Ehul,
Michigan.
ITALY.
Grover Cleveland: 1885, John Stallo,
Ohio.
Benjamin Harrison: 1889, Albert G.
Porter, Indiana.
SPAIN.
A. Lincoln: 1861, Carl Schurtz,
Wisconsin.
A. Lincoln: 1862, Gustaves Krener,
Illinois.
R. B. Hayes: 1880, L. Fairchilds,
Wisconsin.
J. A. Garfield: 1880, L. Fairchilds,
Wisconsin.
C. A. Arthur: 1883, John W. Foster,
Indiana.
B. Harrison: 1889, Thomas W. Palmer, Michigan.
William McKinley: 1898, Bellamy Storer,
Ohio.
460 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
In looking over the achievements of the
century and of the
Northwestern Territory, we find that the
greatest results in the
literary world, as well as the
commercial world, have been accom-
plished in the Northwestern Territory.
In the moral and relig-
ious world, among the organization of
the activities for the bet-
terment of mankind, there is none that
occupies a more promi-
nent place than the Uniform Lesson
system of the Sunday
schools of the world.
That system which enables more than
twenty-five million
men, women and children to study the
same lesson, recite the
same outlines and commit the same golden
text on one Sunday.
This was born in the Northwestern
Territory, as well as its
half-brother, the great Chautauqua
movement of the world. It
is a child of the Rock River Conference,
and the Union of the Sun-
day-schools of the world is the work of
that eminent son of the
Northwestern Territory, B. F. Jacobs, of
Chicago.
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union
is a legitimate
child of the Temperance Crusade, begun
at Hillsboro, Ohio.
The success of this organization is
marvellous. The influence
it has exerted among the statesmen and
scholars is such that
today the danger signal is hung over the
door way of every
school house throughout our land, and
the evils of intemperance
upon the human system is taught by the
authority of our
National and State Governments. Thus the
Northwestern
Territory has produced through her
distinguished daughter,
Frances Willard, the greatest moral and
religious organization
among the women of the world. All honor
to the women who
have organized forces in the defense of
home and native land.
Uncle Tom's Cabin was built in the North
Western Terri-
tory. It was constructed at Lane
Seminary, at Walnut Hills,
Ohio, by Harriet Beecher Stowe. That
book had a wonderful
sale and a marvelous circulation. It is
translated in every lan-
guage of the world and in scores of
dialects bearing the bur-
den of the slave and pleading for
universal liberty.
Another child of the Northwest was the
World's Colum-
bian Exposition, unsurpassed in the
century by any exposition
on the western or eastern hemisphere,
while the Parliament of
Religion was conducted by the son of the
northwest, who was
The Northwest Territory. 461
wise enough to lay the foundation so
broad and strong that the
children of God of every clime, nation,
kindred and tongue
could meet on the level and worship the
one God,-the universal
Father.
The forces of our civilization are
marshaling for the grand
view of the 20th century. It is well for
this magnificent city,
and the magnificent Northwest, to have
this preliminary meeting
to examine into the assets of our past
and present, so that, as we
enter the gate of the 20th century, our
forces will stand the
inspection, will hold the post of honor
in the procession of
nations; with dignity, power and
influence as the country where
freedom has built her altar, and where
liberty has taken her
successful stand against oppression, and
shall enter the 20th
century with banners flying and with
triumphant procession.
THE AFRICAN METHODIST
EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE
NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
The A. M. E. church was organized in the
Northwest Ter-
ritory as early as 1824. It was
started in Cincinnati, Ohio,
February 4th, 1824, by the Rev. Moses
Freeman. It was organ-
ized in Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1821. The
first African Methodist
Episcopal Conference organized west of
the Allegheny mountains
was August, 1830, at
Hillsborough, Ohio, Bishop Morris Brown
presiding. The Rev. Lewis Woodson was
its secretary. The
church has grown until today the
following annual conferences
are held in the Northwest Territory:
Ohio, organized in 1830;
Indiana, organized in 1840 at Blue River,
by Bishop Morris
Brown; Illinois, organized in 1872, by
Bishop James A. Shorter;
Iowa, organized in - by Bishop M. D. Ward; Michigan,
organized at Battle Creek, in 1889 by
Bishop J. P. Campbell.
The following statistics will show the
development of the
moral and religious growth of the church
among the colored
people for whom it was established:
The Northwest Territory has the
following African Metho-
dist Episcopal annual conferences: Ohio,
North Ohio, Michigan,
Indiana, Illinois and part of Iowa, with
12 presiding
elders, 434
itinerant ministers, who received as a
salary last year, $97,645.54.
They administered to 317 churches, with
a valuation of $3,016,-
462 Ohio Arch. and
His. Society Publications.
317.48. Members and probationers,
28,935, who contributed for
all purposes during the year
$300,403.90.
In every church there is a Sunday-school
properly organized
studying the lesson systems and
contributing for religious pur-
poses according to their ability.
The liberal provision made for the
public schools of the
Northwest Territory makes it possible to
ascertain the number
of children of the race attending school.
The Rev. Lewis Woodson has the first
honor of offering the
first resolution in an annual conference
in behalf of Christian
education and Christian temperance. In
1831 he offered a reso-
lution which was adopted by the eastern
conferences of the church,
and since that time resolutions have
continued to be passed,
and the Ohio annual conferences lead in
the work of education.
In 1843 a resolution was offered in the
Ohio annual con-
ference appointing a committee to
purchase grounds for a Man-
ual Labor School. The committee reported
in 1844, and in
1845 the annual conference purchased a
farm on Darby Creek,
in Franklin county, Ohio, of 160 acres,
where they established
the Manual Labor School, the first
school of the kind organized
on the American continent for the
education of the colored race.
The school properly was organized in
1847, in Columbus, Ohio,
by Rev. John M. Brown. Mrs. Frances
Ellen Watkins was the
first teacher. Thus began the
educational work in the A. M. E.
church and the banner work of the moral
and religious training
of the Negroes of the Northwest
Territory. Out of the Manual
Labor School at Columbus has grown
Wilberforce University and
all the departments it now contains.
Wilberforce University was established
by the joint work
of the A. M. E. and the M. E. churches
in 1856. In 1863
Wilberforce was purchased by the A. M.
E. church and began its
independent career in the educational
world. It has grown in
usefulness, in power and influence,
until, today the African
Methodist Episcopal Church has the
magnificent result as seen
in the following figures:
The total number of students attending
Wilberforce from
1863 to 1876 under the administration of
Daniel A. Payne was
1554. The average attendance was
119,54-100.
The Northwest Territory. 463
The total number of students attending
Wilberforce from
1876 to 1884 under the administration of
B. F. Lee was 1179.
The average attendance was 147.
The total number of students attending
Wilberforce from
1884 to 1899 under the administration of
S. T. Mitchell was 3058.
The average attendance was 203.
The grand total attendance is 5788. The
average attendance
160, 7-9.
Bishop D. A. Payne was President from
1863 to 1876. Total
money raised $92,784.92. An average per
year of $7,137.30.
Bishop Lee was President from 1876 to
1884. Total re-
ceipts, $70,202.80. An average
per year of $9,900.35.
Rev. S. T. Mitchell was President from
1884 to 1899. Total
receipts, $232,177.05. An
average per year of $14,511.06.
Grand total receipts, from 1863 to 1899,
$404,164.77. An
average for 34 years of $11,226.70 per
year.
Total receipts for the Normal and
Industrial Department
from 1887 to 1899, $174,059.73.
Total receipts for Payne Theological
Seminary from 1891
to 1899, $27,746.85.
Great grand total from all sources for
all the Departments,
$596,971.35.
My Fellow Countrymen:-I have been
fortunate in discussing
the subject of good citizenship. It was
my privilege in 1895 to
discuss the subject in Boston on Good
Citizens' Day, a day
that will be long remembered by those
who participated in the
proceedings, or witnessed the baptism of
patriotism that fell
upon the multitude.
At twelve o'clock midday, July 10, the
citizens of Boston,
and thousands and ten thousands of
strangers marched through
the streets, or rode on the street cars,
all singing the National
anthem, "My country, 'tis of
Thee." At one time there were
at least fifty thousand people singing
the Nation's hymn, and in
Boston Commons they had assembled to
hear the words of
patriotism and words relating to human
liberty, and beneath the
shadow of Bunker Hill, and in the
presence of the monument
dedicated to Crispus Attucks, Coldwell,
Mevarick and Gray,
men, women and children dedicated
themselves anew to the
464 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
principles of our government and to our
institutions. The author
of the hymn, "My Country 'tis of
Thee," was present and joined
in with the multitude in consecrating
themselves to Good Cit-
izenship and Christian Citizenship.
Again it was my pleasure to meet you,
Father Clark, in
front of the Nation's Capitol in the
presence of the Chief Exe-
cutive of the Nation, and in the
presence of the Supreme
Judges of our land, with sixty thousand
children of all nations
and races; and there I joined them in
singing, "The Star Spangled
Banner, Long May it Wave o'er the Land
of the Free and the
Home of the Brave." Christian
Endeavor stands for Good
Citizenship.
Again in 1897, you and I met at the
Inter-Mountain gathering
at Salt Lake City, in the tabernacle of
the Latter Day Saints,
with twelve thousand American citizens
around the altars of
patriotism and religion, and there on
the holy Sabbath day,
and the Fourth of July, the Sabbath of
religion and the Sab-
bath day of patriotism met, and we
consecrated ourselves to
our country and its institutions; and
then we took up our
march, and in San Francisco, on Vanness
Avenue, the Good
Citizens' Meeting was held, and I
remember, sir, when the repre-
sentatives of Australia and Canada
joined hands with us around
the common altar of humanity and we
dedicated ourselves to
the greater citizenship of the common
wealth of Christianity.
In 1898, at the Exposition Hall in
Nashville, the blue and
the gray met together, Gen. O.O. Howard
and Gen. J. T. Mor-
gan, of the Union army joined hands with
Gen. Evans of the
Confederate army, and the blue and the
gray met together and
shook hands over the bloody chasm; and
you will remember the
scene that followed when Bishop
Fitzgerald, of the Methodist
Episcopal church South, arose, and he
and I clasped hands
beneath the stars and stripes, and the
black and the white, and the
blue and the gray, met together around
the common altars of
religion, patriotism and humanity.
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
AN ADDRESS BY BISHOP
BENJAMIN WILLIAM ARNETT, D. D.
WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCT.
11, 1899, AT MUSIC HALL, CHICAGO.
We have been called together by the
authorities of the
Autumnal Festival Celebration. First, we
are to give thanks
for the achievements of the present
century, for the triumph of
mind over matter, as well as the success
that has attended the
labors of our workmen, the harvest of
our farmers and the divi-
dends that have accrued to our
financiers. It is not only to cel-
ebrate the success in the agricultural,
the commercial, the educa-
tional and social world, but it is to
commemorate certain histor-
ical events that have proven to be the
beginning of an epoch in
the history of the country and of the
race.
I know of no subject so fraught with
interest and so mys-
terious in its workings as the
organization and the development
of the Northwestern Territory. To follow
the birth, growth
and development of this territory, it is
only to set up a true
standard of the progress and development
of our whole country.
The country, in fact the whole country,
has been one of the mar-
vels of the century. Our fathers who
laid the foundation of
our magnificent Republic laid them on
true principles, they
were laid on the Christian religion,
Christian education, Chris-
tian morality and Christian temperance.
The fathers of the
revolution cemented these foundations
with their blood and con-
secrated it with their tears. Our
fathers, I say, because it was
the Anglo-Saxon fathers, and the fathers
of the Negro race,
whose joint heroism and courage won the
battle of the Revolu-
tion and since that day the great
efforts for the development of
our country, whether north or south, has
been the joint work of
the two races.
Whatever is grand about our country,
whatever is noble
about our manhood, whatever is
progressive about our society,
whatever is beneficent in our
institutions, our churches, schools,
Vol. VIII-28.
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