Biographical and historical record of Clarke County, Iowa, Part 1

Author: Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago (Ill.)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 990


USA > Iowa > Clarke County > Biographical and historical record of Clarke County, Iowa > Part 1


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55


ميسي


عمـ


Gc 977.701 C55b 1613392


M. L.


REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION


E


ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01077 3452


Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center


http://www.archive.org/details/biographicalhist00inlewi


+1


BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL


RECORD


OF


Clarke County, lowa.


CONTAINING PORTRAITS OF ALL THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES FROM WASHINGTON TO CLEVELAND, WITH ACCOMPANYING BIOGRAPHIES OF EACH; A CONDENSED HISTORY OF THE STATE OF IOWA ; PORTRAITS AND BIOGRAPHIES OF THE GOVERNORS OF THE TERRI- TORY AND STATE; ENGRAVINGS OF PROMINENT CITIZENS IN CLARKE COUNTY, WITH PERSONAL HISTORIES OF MANY OF THE LEADING FAMILIES, AND A CONCISE HISTORY OF CLARKE COUNTY AND ITS CITIES AND VILLAGES.


LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY, 113 ADAMS STREET, CHICAGO. ISS6.


,


49122 . 09


1613392


1


GAYET


PREFATORY. - >>>PRERATORY ;<


N placing this volume before their patrons, the publishers feel that their work will stand the test of can- did criticism, and that the BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL RECORD OF CLARKE COUNTY will be re- ceived and perused with pleas- ure by all. This is not merely a local work, but one which in some measure is interesting to every true citizen of the United States. The nation justly is proud of its rulers, and their portraits and biographies will prove of interest in every American home. A State looks with pride over its develop- ment and growth from a barren tract to its present position among its sisters, and is interested in knowing something of the men who have stood at the head of its affairs ; and in like manner the citizens of a county are interested in hearing and reading of those who have labored to make their county and its cities what they are to-day. Thus we have endeavored to meet all these desires and have prepared this volume. It may contain some errors, as perfection is not attainable in this world, but we trust they are so trivial that they will be over- shadowed by the many entertaining and in-


structive points that are free from error. In some instances we have noticed that members of the same family differ in the spelling of the name, and also in the dates of certain events. In these cases we have tried to " follow copy," not knowing which was correct. Thus it will be seen that if members of the same family differ, mem- bers of a community also will not agree in relating the same circumstance, and the historian is often at a loss to know which statement 'to record. We have tried to prove all things and to give to our readers those items which are of interest in as re- liable a form as is possible.


We are glad to be able to give to the citi- zens of Clarke County this RECORD, and feel sure that as the years go by it will grow in interest and value, giving the ris- ing generation an account of the lives and adventures of their forefathers -- the pio- neers, who labored to make the homes they now enjoy. Many of these, were it not for works of this kind, would soon be forgotten, and the part they took in the early days would in many cases be ascribed to others ; but in after years, when the his- torian is gathering data he will examine and cull from this RECORD the items with which to prepare a memorial of the early settlers of Clarke County.


THE PUBLISHERS.


CHICAGO, July, 1886.


CONTENTS.


PRESIDENTS * OF + THE UNITEDSTATES.


George Washington .. 9


John Adams 14


Thomas Jefferson 20


James Madison. 26


James Monroe.


32


John Quincy Adams.


38


Andrew Jackson.


47


Martin Van Buren.


52


William Henry Harrison 56


John Tyler.


60


James K. Polk.


64


Zachary Taylor


68


. Millard Fillmore.


72


Franklin Pierce.


76


James Buchanan.


So


Abraham Lincoln.


S.4


Andrew Johnson


93


Ulysses S. Grant


96


Rutherford B. Hayes .102


James A. Garfield. .100


Chester A. Arthur.


.113


Grover Cleveland.


117


HISTORY + OF + IOW A.k


Aboriginal. 123.


Caucasian


121


James Clarke. .


175


Pioneer Life.


133


Ansel Briggs


179


Louisiana Territory


137


Stephen Hempstead.


183


Iowa Territory


132


State Organization and Subse- quent History 141


Patriotism .. 146


Iowa Since the War. 151


State Institutions 151


Educational.


154


Statistical


157


John Il. Gear ..


.215


Physical Features


158


Geology


158


Climate


163


HISTORY OF CLARKE COUNTY.


BIOGRAPHICAL + SKETCHES.F


A.


Abernathy, George. .241


Adams, R. M .. .426


Adams, William. 474


Adkins, G. C. .433


Adkins, R. M.


.243


Adkins, W. II.


440


Beede, W. W. .296 Adkins, Wyatt. 386


Agnew, W. G. 400


Anderson, O. P. .439


Anderson, T. J. .337


Arnett, Thomas .. 434


Arnold, Benjamin .3.56


Arnold, J. J.


.301


Atkins, E. A. . 271


Avres, C. T.


.351


Ayres, Justin. .345


B.


Babb, S. R.


.291


Baldwin, John


318


Baldwin, J. L. .317


Ball, J. M .. .245


Banker, G. W.


Barnard, Theodore. .365


Bates, Randall. 404


Bechtel, D. B. . 367


Beckett, A. J .412


Bell, Edgar .. .309


Bennett, Lemon .263


Benson, Alester .242


Bevard, J. F .292


Bevard, Jonathan .290


Black, L. F. .394


Blythe, Cuvin .324


Boden, J. W. .355


Boyle, L .. . 200


Brown, B. F. 278


Brown, E. 11.


.395


Combs, J. D.


425


Bumgardner, George.


.40S


Burgus, Ferdinand A. .424


Burgus, John .250


Burrows, A. II .. .282


Burrows, Hon. B.


.018


C.


Carder, George.


. 429


Carder, J. M .. .360


Carson, Abraham .251 Carter, Abraham .235


Carter, Casper.


.3.16


Chaney, John .248


Chapman, B. F. .292


Chew, R. L. .304


Clark, DeW. A. 292


Clark, James .393


Clark, J. A. . .300


Cochran, M. J. 297


Conaway, Warren.


237


Burgus, Charles.


238


Coon, Josiah


-306


Census of Iowa. .


.164


Territorial Officers.


,164


State Officers.


165


GOVERNORS CF + IOWA.k


Robert Lucas.


John Chambers


173


James W. Grimes


IS7


Ralph P. Lowe.


.191


Samuel J. Kirkwood


195


William M. Stone


Samuel Merrill.


.203


Cyrus C. Carpenter


.207


Joshua G. Newhold.


.311


Buren R. Sherman


.219


William Larrabee.


.223


CONTENTS.


Coppock, Benjamin, .417


Cowles, G. H 248


Cox, Israel 313


Crew, A. J. 257


Crowley, Jacob.


.359


Curtis, Francis.


435


D.


Daniel, J. S. 251


Daniel, j. W 428


Day, T. W .237


Deitrick, B.


.270


lloffman, Nicholas


.253


Delong, Ephraim.


.305


Denly, T. J. .237


Diehl, John.


.314


Donner, Charles .433


Duke, H. R. . 322


Duncan, W. M.


392


.


E.


Emary, F. J. Sr


.432


Emary, F. J. .. .416


Emary, W. B. F. .334


Emery, Jesse.


.321


Erb, E. A


.405


Evans, E. J


.340


Evans, M. L.


383


Evans, W. G


236


F.


Farley, J. H.


.372


Farley, W. T.


.310


Felger, Benjamin . 284


Findlay, R. S.


.373


Flynn, Michael.


.381


Folger, H. C ..


418


Forster, M. C ..


. 361


Fouch, G. W.


.405


Fouch, Isaac


.400


Fowler, P. L ..


.357


Fox, Patrick.


.238


Freeman, L. B.


.392


Funston, T. C.


308


G.


Gardner, Alphonzo


.38


Gardner, R. E.


.352


Gardner, W. H.


319


Garretson, B. F.


.410


Gates, J. M.


.431


Gibson, E. P.


.212


Graves, Elon, .294


Graves, J. N.


.317


Gregg, Thomas.


.313


Gregg, Wesley.


.246


Grigg, R. C.


.245


Gross, H. F.


.297


Gutches, George. 352


H.


Hadley, A. M.


.239


Hadley, Jesse. .413


Hall. D. F. .393


Hall, J. W


.397


IIall, W HI.


.427


Halling, H. P. 266


Halloway, J. P 382


Ilan,ilton, W. J. .436


Ifanks, Isaiah.


. 361


liarlan, George.


379


Ilarlan, John .261


llarper, W. E. .323


Harrison, J. C. .413


la:rison, T. V


.393


Hart, Elijah ..


425


llendrick, W. S. .403


Hermance, H. B. 363


Hill, A. .335 Manly, B. II. .352


Manly, William. 370


Marquis, J. II. .353


Marquis, S. N. . 358


Marquis, W. W .355


Martin, M. T .. .47


Martindale, J. H. .360


Mathews, W. T. 336


Maxwell, D. K.


414


Mayturn, William 205


McAuley, J. O ..


. 395


McCartney, P. H. .35)


McDonough, John. 233


Melntire, C. C .. . .304


Mckinney, Lemuel 245 McKnight, James. 36.1.


McNeil, D. T.


EX1


Mc Nichols, Nathaniel .299


Meany, Michael. .394


Messenger, S. C.


.344


Miller, Frederick


.423


Milier, Philip .293


Moore, E. J. .326


Morris, Rev. J. 1


. 257


Morris, J. S.


.262


Morrow, W. E .. .261


Mowrey, Conrad 370


Moyers, R. R 357


Mullen, 11. M. 291


Musselinan, John


Musselman, S. G 305


Myers, L. P.


304


Myer, W. L.


N.


Neal, C. W.


.425


Neist, Frederick


.fi


Newsome, Jolin.


. 307


O.


Oehlert, Hans


241


O'Neall, T. B.


.235


Otis, W. G.


277


Kerns, Adam.


.249


Painter, J. C.


.390


Parker, S. W.


285


Parrish, W. O.


.239


Klien, Theobald.


.4.39


Perdue, C. C.


. 306


Knotts, Jedidiah.


.337


Perdue, Daniel


251


Kyte, F. M.


.254


Piper, John.


. 303


Kyte, John.


.272


Pitt, R.


239


L.


Lambertson, P. N


.298


Lamson, M. R


.431


Landis, A. C.


.410


Landis, S. L


.334


Lane, j B ..


320


Lanham, E. A.


.312


Lawrence, Edward.


.415


Laws, E, M.


.379


Leave!, R. J.


.256


Lent, James


.309


Lewis, John. .343


Likes, William. .270


L.inder, J. M. .365


Lowe, W. S.


.393


Luce, W. S.


411


Lyons, Anderson.


425


M.


Hill, Mordecai. 300


Hodges, Albert. .3SS


Hodges, Charles. .344


Hogue, William . 315


Holcomb, Cyrus.


283


Holloway, T. W.


.386


Ilood, J. W .300


Horton, C. C. .252


Howe, Charles .294


Howe, G. W. .231


Huber, J. B. .354


Hudgel, R. T .. .399


Huff, P .. W ..


.325


Hlumiston, James,


.324


Hutsinpiller, W. B. H.


.331


F


Jackson, Andrew .339


Jamison, J. 11 .37!


Jamison, Robert. .259


Jenkins, William.


389


Jenks, Edward.


.415


Jenks, Jerry ...


.311


Jennison, J. C. . 366


Johnson, A. C. .414


Johnson, A. S .. . 38!


Johnson, Beniamin


.366


Johnson, C. R.


.434


Johnson, F. W


-332


Johnson, M. T.


265


Jolinson, T. P. . 269


Johnson, Thomas.


.321


Johnson, T. E .372


Johnson, W. H.


-385


Jolly, N. J.


.412


Jones, J. A. . 341


K.


Karr, H. L.


.369


Keenan, Thomas.


.378


Kelley, J. B


.277


Kelley, J. W.


.253


Kelley, Joseph.


.315


Kerr, John .. .240


Porterfield, Nathaniel.


416


Powell, St. Clair.


.333


Proudfoot, Jacob.


. 311


R.


Rankin, E. E.


397


Rarick, A. C.


-377


Rarick, A. C.


-397


Read, (. H.


.293


Ream, Levi ..


.335


Layton, Alexander ..


.272


Regan, Jeremiah


.355


Reich, Somiue!


249


Rice, jemes.


.31:5


Ford, William. . 380


Glenn, S. P. .232


Kerr, Matthias. .267 Green, J. E. .286


CONTENTS.


Richards, J. W. . 358


Richards, W. S .377


Ricker, E. F. .271


Rinner, Peter. .341


Riley, E. F.


.250


Robins, B. M. . 431


Robinson, Erastus


.371


Rodgers, J. M.


277


Rogers, Milton,


.200


Ronk, A. J .294


Rook, T. J.


. 362


Ryan, 11. H. 26S


S.


Sanders, Abisha .323


Schaff, Matthew .391


Scott, A. L. .409


Sherer, F. M.


.342


Sherer, John ..


.2SS


Sherman, J. W. & J. H .368


Shockling, Sebastian. 373


Smith, A. P 264


Smith, C. B .. . 299


Smith, Rev. G. W


. 388


Smith, I. G . 299


Spellerberg, Henry .429


Standish, W. A .. .407


Stephenson, James .430 Stevens, W. H. 309 Stiffler, J. W 263 Stiffler, Wesley. .423


Stivers, Henry


.3.51


Stoner, 11. A


. 382


Strawn, J. C.


.252


Swan, J. O. .258


Switzer, J. F.


.333


Switzer, J. T


336


T.


Tallman, W. B.


2S6


Taylor, J. J.


.39S


Taylor, K. P .316


Tedrow, J. L.


279


Zink, Lewis.


403


Teller, Tobias. .354


Thrasher, V. F


.366


Tillotson, G. N


.427


Trobough, G. A


.424


Turner, G. W.


.200


Turner, Phineas.


U.


Ury, Charles


261


V.


Vaught, G. W.


.316


Vinson, T. G.


356


W.


Wade, J. A.


4.32


Wallace, J. M.


.33S


Watson, W. C.


.295


Weakland. S. A


. 285


Webster, Dickinson.


.374


Welch, Andrew


.368


Whaling. Isaac. -395


Wharff, William 400


Wiant, Isaac.


.243


Williams, I. S.


257


The Press


.487


Williams, W. W .405 The Par. 490


Williamson, E E ..


.423


The Medical Profession


.494


Williamson, Richard,


.398


Educational.


495


Wilson, W. M


260


Agricultura !.


.500


Woodbury, J. A


281


Railroads.


. 507


Miscellaneous.


.500


Woodward, H. D.


268


Osceola


.515


Wyatt, S.


234


Y.


Young, J. S.


-319


Young, W. J


409


7 ..


PORTRAITS &


Agnew, W. G.


Carter, Casper.


.31S


Carter, Mrs. Casper.


.349


Folger, 11. C.


.420


Folger, Mrs. Einily


421


llamilton, W. J


437


Hood, J. W.


-301


Howe, G. W


.230


Kyte, F. M.


.255


Kyte, Mrs. N. L.


.256


Kyte, John.


.274


Kyte, Mrs. M. J.


.275


McDonough, John.


.233


Moore, E. J,.


32S


Moore, Mrs. E. J.


329


Webster, Dickinson,


375


GENERAL İ HISTORY.R


Introductory.


415


Early and Civil History


419


Political


453


The Civil War


471


Villages


525


'Woods, A. A ..


.240


Snider, J. G ..


2So


Wells, J. B.


.339


PRESIDENTSE


OF THE


4.1.4.5


-



-


٫٠٠


-


lin


9


GEORGE WASHINGTON.


MIEYE


GEORGE


rand


ASHINGTON.


EORGE WASHING- TON, the " Father of his Country" and its first President, 1739- '97, was born Febru- ary 22, 1732, in Wash- ington Parish, West- moreland County, Virginia. His father, Augustine Wash- ington, first married Jane But- ler, who bore him four chil- dren, and March 6, 1730, he married Mary Ball. Of six children by his second mar- 1 riage, George was the eldest, the others being Betty, Samuel, John, Au- gustine, Charles and Mildred, of whom the youngest died in infancy. Little is known of the early years of Washington, beyond the fact that the house in which he was born was burned during his early child- hood, and that his father thereupon moved to another farm, inherited from his paternal ancestors, situated in Stafford County, on the north bank of the Rappahannock, where he acted as agent of the Principio Iron Works in the immediate vicinity, and died there in 1743.


From earliest childhood George devel- oped a noble character. He had a vigorous constitution, a fine form, and great bodily strength. His education was somewhat de-


fective, being confined to the elementary branches taught him by his mother and at a neighboring school. He developed, how- ever, a fondness for mathematics, and en- joyed in that branch the instructions of a private teacher. On leaving school he re- sided for some time at Mount Vernon with his half brother, Lawrence, who acted as his guardian, and who had married a daugh- ter of his neighbor at Belvoir on the Poto- mac, the wealthy William Fairfax, for some time president of the executive council of the colony. Both Fairfax and his son-in-law, Lawrence Washington, had served with dis- tinction in 1740 as officers of an American battalion at the siege of Carthagena, and were friends and correspondents of Admiral Vernon, for whom the latter's residence on the Potomac has been named. George's inclinations were for a similar career, and a midshipman's warrant was procured for him, probably through the influence of the Admiral ; but through the opposition of his mother the project was abandoned. The family connection with the Fairfaxes, how- ever, opened another carcer for the young man, who, at the age of sixteen, was ap- pointed surveyor to the immense estates of the eccentric Lord Fairfax, who was then on a visit at Belvoir, and who shortly after- ward established his baronial residence at Greenway Court, in the Shenandoah Valley.


5.4.


10


PRESIDENIS OF THE UNITED STATES.


Three years were passed by young Wash- ington in a rough frontier life, gaining ex- perience which afterward proved very es- sential to him.


In 1751, when the Virginia militia were put under training with a view to active service against France, Washington, though only nineteen years of age, was appointed Adjutant with the rank of Major. In Sep- tember of that year the failing health of Lawrence Washington rendered it neces- sary for him to seek a warmer climate, and George accompanied him in a voyage to Barbadoes. They returned early in 1752, and Lawrence shortly afterward died, leav- ing his large property to an infant daughter. In his will George was named one of the executors and as eventual heir to Mount Vernon, and by the death of the infant niece soon succeeded to that estate.


On the arrival of Robert Dinwiddie as . Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia in 1752 the militia was reorganized, and the prov- , ince divided into four districts. Washing- ton was commissioned by Dinwiddie Adju- · tant-General of the Northern District in 1753, and in November of that year a most important as well as hazardous mission was assigned him. This was to proceed to the Canadian posts recently established on French Creek, near Lake Erie, to demand in the name of the King of England the withdrawal of the French from a territory claimed by Virginia. This enterprise had been declined by more than one officer, 1 January 17, 1759, Washington married Mrs. Martha (Dandridge) Custis, a young and beautiful widow of great wealth, and de- voted himself for the ensuing fifteen years to the quiet pursuits of agriculture, inter- rupted only by his annual attendance in winter upon the Colonial Legislature at Williamsburg, until summoned by his country to enter upon that other arena in which his fame was to become world wide. since it involved a journey through an ex- tensive and almost unexplored wilderness in the occupancy of savage Indian tribes, either hostile to the English, or of doubtful attachment. Major Washington, however, accepted the commission with alacrity ; and, accompanied by Captain Gist, he reached Fort Le Bœuf on French Creek, delivered his dispatches and received reply, which, of course, was a polite refusal to surrender the It is unnecessary here to trace the details posts. This reply was of such a character , of the struggle upon the question of local


as to induce the Assembly of Virginia to authorize the cxecutive to raise a regiment of 300 men for the purpose of maintaining the asserted rights of the British crown over the territory claimed. As Washing- ton declined to be a candidate for that post, the command of this regiment was given to Colonel Joshua Fry, and Major Washing- ton, at his own request, was commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel. On the march to Ohio, news was received that a party previously sent to build a fort at the confluence of the Monongahela with the Ohio had been driven back by a considerable French force, which had completed the work there be- gun, and named it Fort Duquesne, in honor of the Marquis Duquesne, then Governor of Canada. This was the beginning of the great " French and Indian war," which con- tinned seven years. On the death of Colonel Fry, Washington succeeded to the com- mand of the regiment, and so well did he fulfill his trust that the Virginia Assembly commissioned him as Commander-in-Chief of all the forces raised in the colony.


A cessation of all Indian hostility on the frontier having followed the expulsion of the French from the Ohio, the object of Washington was accomplished and he re- signed his commission as Commander-in- Chief of the Virginia forces. He then pro- ceeded to Williamsburg to take his seat in the General Assembly, of which he had been elected a member.


GEORGE WASHINGTON.


self-government, which, after ten years, cul- minated by act of Parliament of the port of Boston. It was at the instance of Virginia that a congress of all the colonies was called to meet at Philadelphia September 5, 1774, to secure their common liberties-if possible by peaceful means. To this Congress Colonel Washington was sent as a dele- gate. On dissolving in October, it recom- mended the colonies to send deputies to another Congress the following spring. In the meantime several of the colonies felt impelled to raise local forces to repel in- sults and aggressions on the part of British troops, so that on the assembling of the next Congress, May 10, 1775, the war prepara- tions of the mother country were unmis- takable. The battles of Concord and Lex- ington had been fought. Among the earliest acts, therefore, of the Congress was the selection of a commander-in-chief of the colonial forces. This office was unani- mously conferred upon Washington, still a member of the Congress. He accepted it on June 19, but on the express condition he should receive no salary.


He immediately repaired to the vicinity of Boston, against which point the British ministry had concentrated their forces. As early as April General Gage had 3,000 troops in and around this proscribed city. During the fall and winter the British policy clearly indicated a purpose to divide pub- lic sentiment and to build up a British party in the colonies. Those who sided with the ministry were stigmatized by the patriots as " Tories," while the patriots took to them- selves the name of " Whigs."


As early as 1776 the leading men had come to the conclusion that there was no hope except in separation and indepen- dence. In May of that year Washington wrote from the head of the army in New York: "A reconciliation with Great Brit- ain is impossible. When I took command of the army, I abhorred the idea


of independence ; but I am now fully satis- fied that nothing else will save us."


It is not the object of this sketch to trace the military acts of the patriot hero, to whose hands the fortunes and liberties of the United States were confided during the seven years' bloody struggle that ensued until the treaty of 1783, in which England acknowledged the independence of each of the thirteen States, and negotiated with them, jointly, as separate sovereignties. The merits of Washington as a military chief- tain have been considerably discussed, espe- cially by writers in his own country. Dur- ing the war he was most bitterly assailed for incompetency, and great efforts were made to displace him ; but he never for a moment lost the confidence of either the Congress or the people. December 4, 1783, the great commander took leave of his offi- cers in most affectionate and patriotic terms, and went to Annapolis, Maryland, where the Congress of the States was in session, and to that body, when peace and order prevailed everywhere, resigned his com- mission and retired to Mount Vernon.


It was in 1788 that Washington was called to the chief magistracy of the nation. He received every electoral vote cast in all the colleges of the States voting for the office of President. The 4th of March, 1789, was the time appointed for the Government of the United States to begin its operations, but several weeks elapsed before quorums of both the newly constituted houses of the Congress were assembled. The city of New York was the place where the Congress then met. April 16 Washington left his home to enter upon the discharge of his new duties. He set out with a purpose of traveling privately, and without attracting any public attention ; but this was impossi- ble. Everywhere on his way he was met with thronging crowds, eager to see the man whom they regarded as the chief de- fender of their liberties, and everywhere


... 4 >


12


PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.


he was hailed with those public manifesta- tions of joy, regard and love which spring spontaneously from the hearts of an affec- tionate and grateful people. His reception in New York was marked by a grandeur and an enthusiasm never before witnessed in that metropolis. The inauguration took place April 30, in the presence of an immense multitude which had assembled to witness the new and imposing ceremony. The oath of office was administered by Robert R. Livingston, Chancellor of the State. When this sacred pledge was given, he retired with the other officials into the Senate chamber, where he delivered his inaugural address to both houses of the newly con- stituted Congress in joint assembly.


In the manifold details of his civil ad- ministration, Washington proved himself equal to the requirements of his position. The greater portion of the first session of the first Congress was occupied in passing the necessary statutes for putting the new organization into complete operation. In the discussions brought up in the course of this legislation the nature and character of the new system came under general review. On no one of them did any decided antag .- nisi of opinion arisc. All held it to be a limited government, clothed only with spe- cific powers conferred by delegation from the States. There was no change in the name of the legislative department ; it still remained "the Congress of the United States of America." There was no change in the original flag of the country, and none in the seal, which still remains with the Grecian escutcheon borne by the eagle, with other emblems, under the great and expressive motto, " E Pluribus Unum."


The first division of parties arose upon the manner of construing the powers dele- gated, and they were first styled " strict constructionists" and "latitudinarian con- structionists." The former were for con- fining the action of the Government strictly


within its specific and limited sphere, while the others were for enlarging its powers by inference and implication. Hamilton and Jefferson, both members of the first cabinet, were regarded as the chief leaders, respect- ively, of these rising antagonistic parties, which have existed, under different names, from that day to this. Washington was re- gardedas holding a neutral position between them, though, by mature deliberation, he vetoed the first apportionment bill, in 1790, passed by the party headed by Hamilton, which was based upon a principle construct- ively leading to centralization or consoli- dation. This was the first exercise of the veto power under the present Constitution. It created considerable excitement at the time. Another bill was soon passed in pur- snance of Mr. Jefferson's views, which has been adhered to in principle in every ap- portionment act passed since.


At the second session of the new Con- gress, Washington announced the gratify- ing fact of "the accession of North Caro- lina" to the Constitution of 1787, and June I of the same year he announced by special message the like " accession of the State of Rhode Island," with his congratulations on the happy event which " united under the general Government" all the States which were originally confederated.




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.