Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-01-05

1
but when he returned, he issued all
sorts OF proelamations announcing new
acts of legislation, enacted by himself.
No man was fonder OF exercising all
the mowers that he had, and no man
was less liked than he by those he
governed. But worse than all the
other acts of his he granted large tracts
of land In the now State of Illinois, to
his near relatives. These acts being
utterly void were Of no value TO the
grantees. But we forbear, he is no
more"
We cannot help thinking that Mr..
Atwater, whose history was published
in 1888, was trifle partisan in his
estimate of st. Clair. His history is
marked by partisan feeling and per-
sonal animosity, as well as bad gram
mar; but he was at all events honest in
his own opinions and views, and his
other faults can be readily forgiven
now.
With this explation, we let him con-
tinue the narrative of pioneer times
It will be seen throughout his entire
history that he entertained a bitterness
| towards st. Clair, perhaps because of
the latter,s oId-fashioned views; and at
the same time he was warm admirer
of De Witt Clinton, who was so much
In favor because of his warm advocacy
of improvements and progress in the
! West. He continues:
"As we have already stated, st. Clair
was unpopular, and the people were
tired of his arbitrary way of doing
business. BY the census Of 1900, we
had forty-two thousand inhabitants
and our people seriously
APPLIED TO CONGRESS FOR ADMISSION
Into the Union as a State. To this ap-
plication serious opposition was made,
but De Witt Clinton in the United
States Senate, eontended powerfully
and effectually for US. In the other
house we had good friends, and our
application prevailed there also. This
law was enacted on the 30th day of
April, 1902.
"In the act of Congress, which en-
abled the people of that portionof what
remained of the Northwestern Terrific
ry, to form a separate State govern
ment, after leaving out what is now the
State of Michigan, Congress offered
serious inducement to the people to
comply with certain acquisitions, after
the State was formed and admitted
into the Union as component member
of the confederacy. Congress offered
the people one thirty-sixth part of their
whole territory for the use of schools.
They offered them also, certain lands
on which they supposed salt water
might be procured; they offered them
five per cent. of all the net proceeds of
sales of lands owned by Congress-; three
per cent. of which was to be laid out in
making roads in the State, and two
per cent. on q road to be made from
Cumberland in Maryland, to the State.
These were the principal offers Congress
held out to the people, but, Congress
required of the people of the Territory
a constitution which should be founded
upon Republican principles; which
should adopt as part of their constitu-
tion the ordinances of 1885 and 1887, so
far as was consistent with their being a
seperate State. The State constitution
was to be in strict accordance with the
constitution of the United States. The
State was prohibited from levying any
tax on the lands of the United States
lying in Ohio before they were sold;
and for five years afterwards.
LANDS FOR A COLLEGE
In the Ohio Company's purchase, and
a township in Symme's Purchase had
been given before this time, granted to
the purchasers of those lands where
with to endow an academy. Such
were the offers, and such the requisi-
tions of the act of the 30th of April,
1902. We state the substance, ami the
Convention when met accepted these
conditions and complied with them
In twenty-nine days after they as
sembled the Convention finished their
labors aud adjourned, making Chilli
cOthe the seat of Government for the
new State, during certain period.
From the landing of Rufus Putnam
and associates at Marietta, it was more
than fourteen years to the passage of
this act of Congress. The people
eagerly seized the occasion to elect dele
gates to convention to frame con-
stitution. At Chillicothe. on the first
day of November, 1902, the convention
met, elected Edward Tiffin President,
and Thomas Scott, Secretary. On the
twenty-ninth day of its session, having
finished its labors, the convention adj
journed without day.
SOUR CONSTITUTION WAS NEVER SUB
MITTED TO THE PEOPLE FOR EITHER
THEIR APPROVAL OR DISAPPRoyAL,
But 1T was submitted to Congress for
tfreir appreciation, and on the 10Th day
of February, 1903, that body passed an
act entitled IAN act to provid for the
due execution of the laws of the United
States, within the State of Ohio, BY
this act Ohio was admitted to the
Union, and became sovereign State.n
The first General Assembly under
the Constitution met at Chillicothe, on
Tuesday, March /, 1903. Michael Bald
win was elected Speaker of the House
of Representatives,, and Nathaniel
Massie, Speaker of tile Senate. Of
ficers were then appointed to fill the
executive departments Of the State, as
follows:
Secretary of State, VIM. Creighton, jr.
Auditor of State, Col. Thos. Gibson.
Treasurer, VIM. Mcfarland.
Judges ofthe Supreme Court, Return
]. Meigs, jr., Samuel Huntington and
William Sprigg.
President Judges of the first, second
and third district, Francis Dunlevy.
Wyllis Silliman and Calvin Pease.
United States Senators, Thomas
Worthington, John Smith.
First Governor elected by the people,
Edward Ttffin, who appointed the frst
Adiutant Ganaral SaYnllaf Fiplav