Ohio History Journal

The Ohio-Columbus Centennial.           453

the Magna Charta, reinterpreted by the Constitution of the

United States and applied in the Ordinance of 1787; the circum-

stances arising at the close of the great struggle for American

independence; the physical gifts, of land that was good and nat-

ural resources that were rich and an economic advantage derived

from situation on transcontinental waterways of lake on the

north and river on the south, great paths through which the peo-

ple of the continent presently should pass. For the westward

march of civilization was to be by way of Ohio. All these were

instruments. Ohio owes her greatness to something more than

these. She owes her greatness to her men!

From the Pennsylvania of William Penn and of the Ger-

man, from the Massachusetts and Connecticut of the Puritan,

from the Virginia of the Cavalier, came Ohio's pioneers. Some

came from New York on the north and from Kentucky on the

south but these were a vanguard from the commonwealths al-

ready named. Ohio's earliest citizenry was representative of the

best vigor of the American continent. As an Ohio historian

(Alfred Mathews) has said: "Ohio was settled by the people

of the United States.. . . Her's was the first territory to be

representative of the entire people."

Who were the leaders among these people?

Emerson says: "It is natural to believe in great men. The

world is upheld by the veracity of good men; they make the

earth wholesome   ....  When nature removes a great man,

people explore the horizon for a successor; but none comes, and

none will. In some other and quite different field the next man

will appear."

It is grateful recognition of the wise, patriotic and prophetic

labors of the fathers that we, sons and daughters, their descen-

dants of several generations, are gathered here today.

We may not speak in detail of each of the more than two

score of men who have filled the Governor's office. To do so

would require the chronicles of a historian or the extraordinary

personal acquaintance of one like the honored William McClin-

tick, of Chillicothe. Some of you will recall Mr. McClintick's

unusual address delivered ten years ago on the occasion of the

centennial anniversary of the signing of the State Constitution.

454        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

You will then remember this patriarch's statement that he had

personally known all the governors of the state, from Edward

Tiffin, the first governor, and Thomas Worthington, to the then

governor, George Nash, with the exception of Samuel Hunting-

ton, Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr., and Ethan Allen Brown. As

their descendants, we may merge our individual loyalties in a gen-

erous appreciation of all. Each proved himself the strong man

for his time.

Fortunate in her later governors, the State was peculiarly

fortunate in her first executive. Doctor, clergyman and lawyer,

Edward Tiffin sensed the spirit of his constituents, appreciated

the state's opportunity and anticipated the future with the mind

of a prophet. The promise of what he was to be in the North-

west Territory is indicated by a letter written in 1798 by Presi-

dent Washington to Governor St. Clair:

"SIR:-Mr. Edward Tiffin solicits an opportunity in the territory

Northwest of the Ohio.

"The fairness of this character in private and public life, together

with a knowledge of law, resulting from close application for a con-

siderable time, will, I hope, justify the liberty I now take in recom-

mending him to your attention.  Regarding with due attention the

delicacy as. well as the importance of the character in which I act, I

am sure you will do me the justice to believe that nothing but the

knowledge of the gentleman's merits, founded upon a long acquaintance,

could have induced me to trouble you on this occasion.

"With sincere wishes for your happiness and welfare, I am, etc., etc.,

"GEO. WASHINGTON."

This is believed to be the only letter of recommendation for

public position written by President Washington.

Tiffin became Speaker of the Territorial Legislature, Presi-

dent of the First Constitutional Convention, and the first gover-

nor of the state. As Governor he was elected and later reelected

by the unanimous vote of the people, an honor not bestowed on

any of his successors. His inaugural address urged measures for

popular education, the opening of wagonroads, the improvement

of waterways, and means of defense against hostile tribes of

Indians. Referring to the interference by Spanish settlers of the

lower Mississippi with free navigation of that river he said, ad-

dressing the Legislature:

456        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

Governor Tiffin's prophetic vision again was demonstrated

in the matter of the Aaron Burr conspiracy. Some time before

the national government realized the situation the alert Ohio ex-

ecutive had discovered the facts. These he laid before the Legis-

lature, meeting behind closed doors. The attitude of the State

was unhesitant and the conspiracy was destroyed before the

official warning letters addressed by the President to the governor

of Ohio and Kentucky were received. This prompt action was

publicly acknowledged by President Jefferson who, in a letter to

Congress, wrote as follows:

"Governor Tiffin and the Legislature of Ohio, with a promptitude,

an energy and patriotic zeal which entitle them to a distinguished place

in the affections of their sister states, effected the seizure of all their

boats, fifteen in number, provisions and other preparations within their

reach and thus gave a first blow, materially disabling the enterprise in

its outset."

Samuel Huntington, nephew and adopted son of the Sam-

uel Huntington of Connecticut who was President of the Con-

tinental Congress, a Master of Arts from Yale and a lawyer by

profession, had come to the Northwest Territory upon the invi-

tation of Governor St. Clair. One of the representatives of the

Western Reserve in the Constitutional Convention, he became

also a member of the first senate and was elected to the first

Supreme Bench. Because of the light thrown upon conditions

prevailing at the time we may be pardoned for introducing pres-

ently direct quotations from letters to which we have personal

access. The Supreme Court held its sessions in the different

settlements, in circuit.  Travel for the supreme judges, as for

everyone else, was by horseback, by the wagonroads and bridle-

paths cut through the woods. But in a letter written from Chilli-

cothe, November 8, 1808, after writing of political conditions,

Mr. Huntington inserts this less serious paragraph:

"My silk stockings. I should be glad if you could conveniently

send them, also my cotton gloves which were forgotten. Do not send

them unless by some trusty person coming directly here."

Evidently the good housewife at Painesville sent the finery

safely through for to a letter written at Chillicothe on Decem-

ber 29, following, Mr. Huntington added this:

"P. S. The stockings and gloves came, safe."

The Ohio-Columbus Centennial.                 457

Strange contrast, -  silk stockings, buckles, gracefully shaped

coat with white ruffles at neck and wrists, - strange contrast to

those conditions which everywhere surrounded in the far-ex-

tending woods. The records of the Assembly show that many a

day was occupied by the consideration of bills for the ridding of

the country of wolves and panthers. Judge Huntington him-

self, when making the trip from his home at Painesville to

Cleveland alone, at night, on horseback, was attacked by a pack

of wolves.

Those were the days of "wars and rumors of wars."       From

his home on Lake Erie to which he had retired at the close of his

term of office as Governor, (1808-1810), Mr. Huntington wrote,

June 3, 1812:

"It seems to be the general opinion that war is inevitable, but I

think it will be a continuance of the paper war and that more ink than

blood will be shed in it......... The blustering system has so long been

in use that we do not regard a little more of it as a sure indication of

hostilities."

But the following is from a letter which on August 26, 1812,

he wrote to his wife from Ravenna:

"It was found necessary for some person to go direct to Wash-

ington City to procure Arms, &c, and the Council of War appointed

me for that purpose - -     * * * & I consider it my duty in this

emergency to go --    despatch was necessary & I could not go home

without losing a day. I accordingly set out yesterday noon with what

preparation I could make in 2 hours. I must be in Washington in a

week and shall not probably stay there more than 2 days - -  it will

take me a week more to return and I shall return by the way of Cleve-

land -     If Frank (their son) is called for he must go: -   I hope

with George and the little boys you will suffer but little inconvenience

until I return. * * *

"The Indians have all gone down to attack Fort Wayne and from

there they will proceed to Fort Vincennes on the Wabash so that for

five or six weeks they will find enough to do in that quarter and

before that time the troops will arrive from the South & until then it

will be practical to keep our militia ready for them between Cleveland

and Miami. There is no cause of apprehension this side of Huron

River and none there but from a few stragglers who may steal the

Cattle that are left, when they find the People have gone off-  -  I

hope the people at Grand River will not be scaring one another. One

wagon going off starts fifty more.-  Col. Cass is going on with me

and we are in great haste."

The Ohio-Columbus Centennial.                 459

folly of withdrawing our forces from this district & sending them be-

yond the reach of intelligence in any possible time for relief, will soon

appear -    conquering Canada by proclamation and holding it by re-

treating out of it are parts of the same system of warfare."

From Chillicothe he wrote, November 8, 1814:

"We arrived here on the 6th after traveling almost constantly in

the rain. * * * I can obtain no money for the pay of the army.

The Bankers do no business & the silver is banished (from) the

Country. I shall remain here until I can hear from Washington. From

the news received since I left home it appears we are to have a long

and bloody war, that the taxes are to be doubled & the Militia are to

be called in some shape or other - how we are to get money, nobody

can tell. In this gloomy state of things we must be prepared to make

great sacrifices and we must make them or give up all of our rights &

perhaps, the property on which we subsist. If the Country is united

- we shall do well at last."

And again:

"* * * But I ought to keep home out of my head. It distracts

me from doing the duties of my office. It must enter my mind only at

certain times, & never when on business."

Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr., a native of Connecticut, a grad-

uate of Yale, a member of the Territorial Legislature, a judge

of the first Supreme Court of the State, was twice elected to the

executive office. On December 9, 1812 Governor Meigs appeared

in person before the two Houses of the Legislature and his annual

message, which was startling in its terms, being the first official

notification of the Declaration of War against Great Britain.

The Legislature was asked to strengthen the arm of the national

Government and the response was instantaneous.

The impressive part which Ohio took in that war is evidenced

by the fact that this state alone furnished 24,000 soldiers of all

arms, being 33 per cent of the entire male population above

twenty-one years of age. In a later day, after another war, an

Ohio governor and President of the United States (Rutherford

B. Hayes) declared: "God loves Ohio or he would not have given

her such a galaxy of heroes to defend the nation in its hours of

trial."

It is of interest to us today to note that it was in Governor

Meigs' administration that a site on "the lands of John and Peter

460       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

Sells, on the West bank of the Scioto River, four and three-

fourths miles west of the town of Worthington," was selected

as the permanent seat of Government.

During the administrations of Thomas Worthington, who

had served in the Territorial Legislature and as one of the first

United States senators from Ohio, of Ethan Allen Brown, a

judge of the state Supreme Court and later elected to the United

States Senate, of Allen Trimble, seven times elected Speaker of

the State Senate, of Jeremiah Morrow, a member of the Con-

stitutional Convention, the first State Legislature, a member of

the national House and Senate and declared by Governor Ander-

son to have been "the one ablest and best of all the governors,"

the National Road, and state roads were built, the state canal

system was completed, and the public school system extended.

Duncan McArthur third of Chillicothe's four governors, of

brilliant record in the Indian wars, who had resigned from a

public position to enlist as a private in the War of 1812, but by

conspicuous service became a Brigadier-General of the regular

army, was the last of the "pioneer governors."

During the administrations of these men the newly organized

state had taken an important place among the commonwealths, the

frontier had been subdued, a treasonable conspiracy had been

quashed, a war whose brunt had fallen on this outlying people

had been waged and won, state and national turnpikes and a

canal system had been constructed. Caleb Atwater, in his Ohio

History, written at about this time, says: "It is honor enough

for any common man to be a good and worthy citizen of Ohio-

travel where he may in the Union."

With the administrations of the latter governors of the

First Constitution, and of the period immediately preceding the

Civil War, we are familiar. The names of the great "War Gov-

ernors" and of those who have served since the Civil War are

household names. The earlier and later governors of Ohio have

served as Presidents of the United States, Judges of the Supreme

Court of the United States, Senators of the United States, Mem-

bers of the Cabinet of the United States and as Foreign Repre-

sentatives of the United States. Of their patriotic services we,