Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-08-18

n1ture. In writing about this u
: Fearing, st. Clair said, "...I shoult
have laughed at the effigy.. .th'
meeting on Christmas eve was no
dispersed until,,,,it was threatened
to put Mr.. Baldwin to DEATH
A committee was appointed tt
. Investigate these riots and the!
said -. (they) wished to concea
and draw veil over. ...the transac
tions.. the promoters seemed to be
actuated from intoxication."
~ The general assembly was ad
journed on January %, 1902, anG
ST. Clair had his customary address
to make to them.
AS they had been pickering SC
much very little was accomplished
and they agreed to meet again on
the fourth Monday of November
next (1SO2).
i ST. Clair overlooked much that
had taken place, but he felt he had
some say coming, so he told them
I"....if the power of DISPENSING.
with the laws. can ever be placed
in any one man....it must be the
lchief executive...." I'll can never
consent. that (it) shall be vested
in a subordinate Officer" !"
This remark was caused by an
attempt to pass law authorizing
common law marriages.
He closed his remarks by saying,
Ga. (yoU are now adjourned. to be
|recommenced....a Cincinnati. lin
the county of Hamilton..." :"
| But this general assembly never
met again.
The state party, headed by Tiffin,
had secured the passage of an act
by congress providing for the erec-
ton of the eastern division into a
state, and prevented the state legis-
| lature from having any part in the
| business. l have noted the diff
culties that arose, from time to
time, between St. Clair and Tiffin
and their followers, but a full dis
| cussion Of the subject would be too
| ticles.
Acts were passed by this session
| to incorporate the towns of Cincin-
natl, Chillicothe and Detroit; (what
was to be the state of Michigan was
included in the territory to estab-
lish a university at Athens, one of
the pet ideas of st. Clair, and to
change the seat of government
from Chillicothe to Cincinnati.
Political excitement was at fever
heat and personal collisions were of
daily occurrence.
Marietta was against forming a
state. and in the Scioto Gazette Of
October, there appeared a remark
able statement of their side of the
question. This article said: "...a
change was ill-adapted to the gen.
iIs and feelings of Americans. ...."
And the writer was convinced ...of
the utter impossibility of a govern
ment conducive to....happiness... be-
ing administered under it.unless
by person more than mortal. -
Massie wrote to James Madison
long letter in which he brought
person charges against St. Clair,
and these were finally presented to
the president, Jefferson, by the state
party under this heading: Charges
exhibited to the president of the
United States against the Honorabl
Arthur st. Clair, as governor of the
territory of the United States,
northwest Of the river Ohio Drawn
UP by Nathaniel Massie and pre-
ferred by Thomas Worthington,
agent of the state party, and Repub-
lican leader"
There were ten specific charges
brought, which I condense to say,
ne was charged with usurping legis-
lative power; misused the power of
his veto; asked fees to perform his
official duties; and wound up charg-
ing him with '....hostility to the
form and substance of Republican
government" "....asserting that.
a Monarchical government was the
only form that could or ought to
be supported...."
Madison, who was secretary of
state, was not unfriendly to ST.
Clair and so wrote him and inform
ed him of what was going on.
large number of letters passed be-
tween st. Clair and his friends in
congress make very interesting
reading.
Also the state party was not idle
and they too, wrote many letters,
in all OF which they stress that they
are not against st. Clair as a per-
son, only as an official.
Jefferson took no action, he want
ed to pass the action back to the
general assembly and hoped moth
ing would occur to prevent the for
nation of another state to add to
the Republican column. The delay
was getting on the nerves of Tiffin
and his crowd and they began to
accuse each other of treachery.
They had selected Massie as the
successor to st. Clair, and he had
written how he was going to handle
matters when he got into office, but
he saw how things were going and
wanted to get in the clear, so he
wrote Worthington in February of
1902, "....you ask me in your let.
ter....who was to be the man. when
the old man (meaning ST. Clair)
was removed. land asked me to ac-
cept the office...." "....Be assured.
that nothing on earth. would in
duce me to accept the office...."
g. My greatest wish...is to get him
est. Clair) from the head of our
government"
st. Clair had so far refrained
from making any statement in his
own behalf, but he reached the end
of his patience in February of 1902,
and on the 18th wrote President
(Jefferson) "....the basest means.
the vilest falsehoods.. 1.-The foulest
calumnies.. ...were resorted to-.
(when) at that very moment. lev
cry one of them.... (was) guilty of
the blacklist ingratitude." g.. For
ten years of the twelve, I have held
the government the confidence, the
appreciation, and the good wishes of
the people constantly attended
me...." Ell challenge the whole
world....to produce an occasion. lin