Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-08-10

SouArFFR SorEREresTY.-Genl. Gas
claims to be the author and fnisher o
the silly doctrine of sSquatter Sover
eipnty.' He first made known his grea
discovery IN his Nicholson Letter, u
f8zB. which doctrine, as Mn. Benton tru'
Iysssaes IN his Anti Nebraska speech, 4
amonstrosity, born of timidity and am
b;t;6n hatebed INTO existence IN the ho'
i,,c,hstion of Presidential canvass, re
yolting to the beholders when first pre-
septed, and has continued so until the
present time. But we are reminded by
an article in late number of the Nation
al batelligsneer, that Genl. eass, aftel
all, is not the original inventor; that ne
stole his invention from the early Ter.
ritorial history of the Northwest. The
original inventor of what is now called
.Sauatter Sovereignty. was Genl. st
Clair, the first Governor of the North.
western Territory; so it is of Fedora
and not Democratic origin.
Congress passed an act, in April, | 802
authorizing the people living in what i:
now called the State of Ohio, to form q
Constitution and State Government
Congress at the same time, formed 8
Territorial Government for the Terrific
ry of Indiana, in which there were
some FIVE or six thousand inhabitants
Upto that time the whole Territory had
been under the Government of one Ter.
ritorial head. In November, 1909, the
convention met to form State constitu.
ton; on coming together, Genl. st
Clair met them and made a speech, in
which he eontended that the people o.
the Territory required no act of Con
gress to authorize them to call con-
Vention and form constitution, and
that the act of Congress was nullity.
He said for all internal affairs, we have
complete Legislature of our own, and
in them are no more bound by an act ol
Congress than he would be bound by
an edict of the first Consul Of France.
He also contended that the five thou
sand persons who were let off to the
territory of Indiana had been divested
of their rights. He also said that we
have the means in our hands to bring
Congress to reason, if we should be
forced to use them
When this speech reached Washing
ton, President Jefferson did not like it;
a love for 'Squatter Sovereignty was
not one of his failings. He therefore e
directed Mr.. Madison, who was Secre-
tary of State, to address General St.
Clair the following note: I.
"S1R: The President, observing in an
address lately delivered by you to the
Convention held at Chillicothe an intem-
perance and indecorum of language to-
wards the Legislature of the United
States, a disorganizing spirit and ten
dency of very evil example, and grossly
violating the rules of conduct enjoined
by our public station, determines that
your commission of Governor of the
Northwestern Territory shall cease on
the receipt of this notification.
l am, &c.
"JAMEs MADISON.
"AUTHoR Sr. CLAIR, Esq, Chillicothe. !"
To which Gen. st. Clair replied in a
severe letter, dated Cincinnati, 21st
December, 1902, in which occurs the
following sharp pointed paragraph:
81 request of you, sir, to present my
humble thanks to the President for that
favor, as he has thereby discharged me
from an Office l was heartily tired of
about six weeks sooner than l had de-.
termined to rid myself of it."
These historical facts show what Mr..
Jefferson and his Cabinet thought of
Sovereignty They not only
the doctrine, but repudiated
the Governor who advanced and pro-
it. In February, 1908, Ohio
was admitted into the Union, and the
Hon. John Smith and Hon. Thomas
Worthington were the first Senators
from the State, and took their seats on
the lst of April, 1905 The Hon. Jere-
niah Morrow was the first Representa-
tive.-Cin. Gazette.
q