Ohio History Journal

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NULLIFICATION IN OHIO

NULLIFICATION IN OHIO.

TWELVE years before the famous resistance of South

Carolina to Federal authority, the State of Ohio, through

the solemn acts of her Legislature, attempted and suc-

ceeded for a time, to nullify the laws of the United States,

and to disobey the decisions of her courts. It was not

merely a legislative nullification, but it was a complete

destruction of Federal standing within the State. The

United States Courts and the United States Banks were

denied the immunities and obedience of the law. The

writs of the former were ignored, and protection to the

latter refused. Why and how it was done cannot fail to

interest the student of political affairs, for, in addition to

being interesting to the general reader, it is a piece of

buried and forgotten history. And it detracts nothing

from the great fame of the Buckeye State, now blushing

in the pride and brilliancy of her first Centennial, to revive

the memory of her early and only political sin. It is three

score years and ten since the rebellious fallacy of State

sovereignty manifested itself in Ohio, and whatever evil

impressions it left behind have been sufficiently expiated

and erased by a subsequent record of unsurpassed loyalty

and purest patriotism. The State that in 1820 supported

and practiced the principles of the resolutions of 1798, has

since loyally stood by the Federal Government in two wars,

furnished more than three hundred thousand men to sup-

press a rebellion urged to maintain the spirit of those res-

olutions; and has given to the nation and the world the

three greatest generals of that war.

The principles of Jefferson were injected into Ohio pol-

itics very early. While President, he had removed General

Arthur St. Clair from the Governorship of the Northwest

Territory, more on account of his pronounced Federalism

than for anything else. It is a well known historical fact

that the enemies of St. Clair were all enthusiastic followers

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