Ohio History Journal

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Centennial Celebration

Centennial Celebration.                11

 

The court house square was soon covered with stone and lum-

ber for the present building, but the corner stone was not laid un-

til July 12th, 1855, when the Hon. Thomas Scott and myself had

the honor of delivering addresses on the occasion from a point

where the northeast pillar of the portico now stands.

Such was my personal connection with the building, on

whose frontage we have this day placed a tablet commemorating

'The site on which stood the first state house of Ohio wherein

was adopted the original constitution of the commonwealth."

 

 

THE FIRST CONSTITUTION.

WHAT INFLUENCED ITS ADOPTION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON OHIO.

Hon. Daniel J. Ryan was introduced by Judge J. C. Doug-

las, and spoke as follows:

 

Fellow citizens of Ohio:

In order to appreciate intelligently the event which we cele-

brate here to-day it is necessary that we have a clear conception

of the   principal actors  concerned

therein, and of the times and sur-

roundings of a century ago in the Sci-

oto Valley. The first constitutional

convention, from an intellectual stand-

point, is the greatest, as well as

the most picturesque episode in the

history of our State, and the events

which led up to it read like a romance.

The conversion of a wilderness into a

garden; the invasion of the Virgin-

ians; the overthrow of the great Ar-

thur St. Clair; the struggle for state-

hood; the victory of the people

over the aristocracy; the framing

of the constitution for a people with-

out their consultation or consent, are all events that form a back-

ground for a picture that has no parallel in American history.

And all these scenes were enacted in a theatre of intellect; the