New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-23

THE OHIO CENTENNIAL.
SONS or THE STATE IN THIS
CITY TO JOIN IN IT'S
CELEBRATION.
TABLET WILL BE UNVEILED AT CHILLI
COTHE. THE FIRST CAPITAL-CARVED
OFT OF NORTHWEST TERRITORY
MANY EMINENT OHIOANS.

TIE sons Of Ohio the world viii celebrate
next Saturday the centennial anniversary of their
rative State In the little town of Chflcothe
Ohio tablet is 10 be unveiled with peculiarly i'm
Dressive services. concentrating the signing o.
the States constitution. hundred years ago
and in this city the Ohio Society will meet. and
Join hands, II were. with their kinsmen at home
The story Of the rise Of Ohio is Of interest Ia
every American. it illustrates the powers OF
American expansion. Ohio was the first State 10
he admitted Ia the Union out Of the great North
Territory. and in the hundred years of its
statehood il has increased just hundred times.
In 1900 its population some forty thousand. AT
The present time it has over four million people,
and ranks as the fourth State in the Union New
York Pennsylvania and Illinois holding the first.
second and third places. respectively.
But what stirs the pride of a native of Ohio per
hsps more than its growth in population and ma
ferial wealth is her contribution of great men TO
the nation. Five of the twenty-five Presidents Of
the United States born in Ohio. and six are
regarded by the citizens of that State their own.
The five that belong to Ohio by nativity were
Grant born at Point Pleasant, April p. 1922 Hayes,
born Delaware Delaware County. october T.
1872; Garfield. born in Orange Township November
u 1881: Benjamin Harrison. born at North Bend,
August 20 1888 and Mckinley. born al Niles, Trum-
bul County January % 1873 The President who Is
regarded by Ohioans theirs by adoption was
william Henry Harrison. Although born in Viz
ginia. Harrison made Ohio his home, and before
he was elected the ninth President he had been
ator and United States Senator
On the United States Supreme bench Ohio has
slso had five representative They were john NC
Lean Noah H. Swayne Salmon P. Chase. Nor
rison r. Waite and Stanley Matthews. or these
Chase and Waite were Chief Justices Other ma
tsonaI characters who have come out of Ohio are
John Sherman and William R. Day. Secretaries Of
State under President Mckinley; Thomas Ewing
Thomas Corvrin and Charles Foster. who were
Secretaries Of the Treasury at different times
Lewis Cass, Edwin NJ. Stanton. William Tecumseh
Sherman and Alphonso Taft, who were all en-
rloyed IN many high positions of state. including
Tor one that Of Secretary Of War.
Few outside Of Ohio know much Of Chilicothe
where the centennial ceremony is to he held. At
the present time it is OF no great significance in
noint Of population, having not than 1900
inhabitants nor in point of situation. for it is To-
Gated n the interior Of the State in the valley Of
the Scoto River. The ceremonies of next Satur-
DAY however. will recall 10 the world time when
ChiiHcothe was great city, compared with the
other settlements the frontier. In the first
place, Chillicothe the capital Of that vast
stretch Of land known the Great Northwest
Territory. comprising the present States Of Ohio.
Indiana. Illinois. Wisconsin, Michigan and part
Of Minnesota, lying east of the Mississippi
When Ohio became State Chillicothe was its
first capital. and here the scat of government re-
manned. with the exception Of only one short
lapse, until 1916. when it was moved TO Columbus.
The early history Of the Northwest Territory fur
New-Yorkers for the reason that the ordinance
~ 1887 which established its government was
acted here when this city the seat of the gov
eminent OF the United States At that time the
national capitol stood at the corner Of Wall and
Nassau SITS. where the present Sub Treasury build
ing stands
We shall never cease to see the consequences of
the Great Ordinance Of 1857 while the Ohio shall
Tow" the words of Daniel Webster In later
times. when the vast importance Of that enact
ment began 10 he understood. Although some
modern day scholars may overlook the fact never
theess. it is said. this Ordinance should be re-
garded one of the great factors in preserving
the Union, in the Civil War. Among its provisions
were these:
No person shall ever be molested OF account of
his mode OF worship religious sentiments.
There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude in the said territory"
Thus freedom OF person, freedom of property,
freedom Of education and freedom Of conscience
insured to the settlers of the great Territory
Slavery never crossed its boundaries. When the
Civil War broke out, il is estimated that the five
states Of which it consisted supplied the Union
Army with one-third its troops Based on this
same ordinance, the Thirteenth. Fourteenth and
Fifteenth amendments TO the constitution were