The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-01
ARTHUR ST. CLAIR'S CAREER
History in Brief of the Checkered Life Of
the First Governor of the Northwest.
Politics One Hundred Years Ago-A Friend Of
Washington. Major-General. and at DEATH
an Apple Peddler to Mountain Teamster.
of the INDIANAPOLIS Journal

Correspondence of the Indianapolis journal
CLEVELAND. Dec 30.--A picturesque figure,
surely. was General Arthur st. Clair. the elegant
old Governor of the Northwestern Territory.
A hasty review of his remarkable and turbulent
career while in America will leave five pictures
impressed the memory. First, we behold
him as social lion when all the doors of fash
ionable Boston were opened at his coming.
Hon. William Henry Smith. who edited his let
ters and sketched his life. declares that 'he was
master of all of the accomplishments of the
drawing room, including the art of entertaining
conversation" Next him in a major
generals uniform, fighting the King he once
had served, the friend of George Washington
and Lafayette. Again we perceive him in the
Speakers chair of the last Continental Congress.
He power then, you may well believe, and
heads inclined when he approached. Then we
remember him the chief executive of that vast
expanse of territory out of which came the mag
nifcent States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan
and Wisconsin. At his beck and nod legislature
assembled and adjourned and judges dotted and
donned the embems of their office. Finally.
we observe him with streaming white hair and
infirm step selling apples to merry teamsters in
public highway that leads from Bedford to
the city of Pittsburg, in the commonwealth of
Pennsylvania.
Politics raised st. Clair to positions exalted
and then ruthlessly drove him into the heart of
a wilderness, where he lived in poverty. digni
fed and courtly, and where he died unmournei
save by loving and faithful daughter In that
good old age, alack the day, there schemes
and scandals just there A veneer
able sentiment, beautiful. but exasperating at
the same time, would make us believe that in !.
the long ago all men patriots and above
considering self before country. Vain delusion
the contemplate will prove.
When st. Clair came over the main he was
but three and twenty. Born, reared, and edu
Gated in Scotland, he was finally indentured to
London doctor. But physic was not his forte,
and with the money left him by his mother he
bought ensign's commission in the Roya-
American Regiment of Foot-frst settling his
account with the London doctor-and sailed
away to Canada. He served with General Wolfe
against the French. and after the siege of
Quebec, went to Boston and married Miss
Phoebe Bayard. And handsome young fellow
he was to be sure TALL with refined face,
brown hair, blue eyes, and light complexion,
he was, of course, popular beau with the girls
of Boston. His marriage gave him fine wife
and So 900, and to Pennsylvania ne journeyed,
where he bought big farm in Westmoreand
county. There were many Scotch people in the
neighborhood and young st. Clair, being rich
and educated, soon became person of function
there and thereabouts Then the tea went
into the sea, and King Georges men came over
the deep in red coats and powdered wigs. to
crush the colonsts. St Clair was made a col
onel, aye, commander of a brigade, and after
awhile major general under George
Washington, the farmer from Alexandria.
So far so well, but political clouds, charged
with thunder, lightning. and all that sort of
thing. were gathering thick and fast in the East,
and fate. dire and unreenting apace.
If st. Clair had sent substitute to Trenton
and Princeton and remained at home and criti-
cised the generals at the front he might have
lived and died without event. Better STILL he
might have been President But into the smoke
he went and was sent to hold Ticonderoga.
Then General Burgoyne. of old King Georges
cause, marched up the sides of Sugar Loaf hill,
near by. and ST. Clair evacuated. However,
friends then and defenders now declare that he
did right in running because the eminence with
the confectionery name was the key to his mill
tary situation and that being lost hope was
gone Be that as it may, there a furious
outbreak among press and people. Old John
Adams in his wrath declared that ''we shall
never be able to defend post till we shoot
general" How much like the angry expostula-
tons of certain sanguinary gentlemen who dab
bled in ink and epithets at much later but
equally as bloody period!
But public rumor, the diabolical old jade that
delights to aim her cruel darts at game the
more conspicuous the better, went even further.
1t was declared, and the newspapers helped to
spread the scandal. that ST Clair was a traitor
had held communication with Burgoyne or his
military servitors, and had been paid for his
treason in silver balls which had been fred into
his camp. He was relieved of his command
and Gates, at the head of the army, com
PEELED Burgoyne to surrender at Saratoga.
Then Congress took hand in the affair and by
resolution requested st Clair to go home and
superintend his private affairs" keen and
deadly thrust. verify. Notwithstanding, justice
came, tardy. to degree perhaps. but neverthe-
less certain. The patriots in Congress, after
delays, ordered a court-martial and
St Clair was acquitted with the highest
our soldier bold went to the front again, leaving
his private affairs" to go to the dogs, which
they did with great alacrity, so that when the
red coats took to their ships and babe America
a final farewell he ruined in fortune but
his good name was intact.
And thus St Clair met and survived the first
storm that fate let loose about his ears. But
experience bad teacher in this instance,
and. instead of retiring on glory already
achieved. st. Clair plunged headlong into a
political vortex that eventually his death.
He became president of the last Continental
Congress, the body that will always live in the
history of this country for having passed the
Ordinance of 1887 for the government of the
Northwestern Territory. AT the time he
set about to build anew his finances
Among the lobbyists who 1ourished in those
yirtuous DAYS was Manasseh Cutler. of Massa-
chusetts. Cutler graduated from Yale, where
he received the degree of LII. D., and Harvard,
perceiving his worth. turned in and made him
master of arts. He preached to the soldiers of
the Revolution, made laws in Congress after
peace and related anecdotes right and left until
he was power wherever he went. Guile. good
humor and speculative bent were among the
qualities of this very amiabe and fine appearing
The Ohio Company gave him
ployment as manipulation of congressman.
and to New York, then the seat of government:
he took his way. His employers wanted real
estate in Ohio, dark and dangerous wilderness
at that time. and a form of government that
would attract settlers DR.. Cutler and the
stories he told prevailed and the Ohio Company
came into the possession of 100000 acres of
land and Congress passed the Ordinance of
which it has been said by high authority that
..it approaches as nearly to absolute perfection
as anything to be found in the legislation of
Referring to the Ordinance the
tute Cntler said in his diary zoo by it we ob,