The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-01-21

JOdN MlICHELL y 100 ME
ton over the Lake Erie strip.
The Ohio adjutant general re-
ported to Lucas that 10000 mill
tia were ready to march and
drive the Michiganders out of Luz
cas- county where fights between
the rival factions were occurring
almost daily.
Jackson Intervenes.
As the situation became in
creasingly critical the federal
government began to take notice.
President Andrew Jackson re-
quested both sides to declare a
truce until congress could settle
the dispute. That was perfectly
satisfactory to the Buckeyes, for
they knew that the President was
on their side in the matter. In
congress Illinois and Indiana
lined up with Ohio and her cause
was further aided in August,
1885, when Governor Mason was
removed from office for his war
like activities. General Brown
then disbanded the Michigan
troops and the Toledo war" was
over.
While it was in progress Mich
igan had begun its long struggle
for statehood. In January, 1885,
the territorial legislature had
passed an act enabling the peo-
pie of Michigan to form a gov
eminent and draw up a consti-
tuition. By a census taken the
previous year there were some
$1,000 residents in Michigan, IT,
600 more than the minimum of
10000 demanded by congress. A
constitutional convention was
held on May II and not only was
a constitution drawn up but an
election of state officers, mem
bers to the legislature and rep
resentativeS to congress was
planned for the first Monday in
October.
Congress was unwilling to &C
cept Michigan's bid for statehood
because of the southern bound
airy described in the state consti-
tuition; because the election of
1886 was at hand and the adj
ministration was afraid of losing
the important bloc of electoral
votes from Ohio, Indiana and Il
linois if the Michigan boundaries
were accepted; and because the
adnittance of Michigan would
upset the equilibrium of pro and
anti-slave states.
At the state election former
Governor Mason, more popular
than ever because of his activity
around Toledo, was elected gov
ernor and during the first three
days of November, 1885, a de
facto state was organized. Mich
igan's representative and her two
senators were refused their seats
in congress, although Senator
Thomas Benton of Missouri
championed the cause of the
Wolverines in reporting the SEN
ate bill for admission.
For more than a year the wordy
battle and the parliamentary
struggle had continued. All this
time Michigan existed in the en-
barrassing position of being a
government within the bounda-
ries of the United States and yet
not part of the Union.
Victory at Last.
Finally congress proposed a
compromise. Ohio was to get
the disputed seven-mile-wide
strip and in return Michigan
was given the upper peninsula,
although the east end of the pc
ninsula had always been Michi-
gan's. In this trade Michigan
gained the Lake Superior copper
district, although its true value
was not known for some time.
Arkansas having been admitted
to the Union, the slave states no
longer opposed Michigan's en-
trance and on January 26, 1887,
the Wolverine state was formally
admitted into the Union.
Earlier in this article reference
was made to the Importance of
one man in the history of the
state which is celebrating its one
hundredth birthday on January
26. Although Lewis Cass did not
play any direct part in the strug-
gle of Michigan for statehood,
had it not been for his earlier