USA > Ohio > Adams County > A history of Adams County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, including character sketches of the prominent persons identified with the first century of the country's growth > Part 28
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Clair, the very embodiment of aristocracy, and the head of the Feder- alists in the Territory, believed the people but ill qualified to decide political questions for themselves. "He believed that a wise and good man, provided like himself, by some far-away superior power, was much better fitted to be intrusted with all such matters."
St. Clair, in speaking of these people, had expressed the opinion that a "multidude of indigent and ignorant people are but ill qualified to form a government and constitution for themselves." And he had further said that they were "too far removed from the seat of govern- ment to be impressed with its powers," deploring the fact that if they were permitted to form a government that "it would most probably be democratic in form, oligarchic in its execution, and more troublesome than Kentucky."
It was the ambition of Massie to make Manchester the county town and seat of justice of the new county which must of necessity be soon erected in the Virginia Military District. It was a central point between its eastern and western boundaries on the Ohio River, and the mass of population in the district centered about it. With this in view, he had selected for himself a fine plantation of one thousand acres, on which he had erected a magnificent dwelling, which he named Buckeye Station, situated on a high plateau, overlooking the green hills of Kentucky and commanding a fine view of the Ohio River for miles up and down its course (see Buckeye Station). This was to be his country seat and future home, being about four miles by river to the eastward of Man- chester. But the presumptious authority of St. Clair was interposed in all matters of government in the Territory, even to the organization of the new counties and the fixing of the seats of justice for them. At the organization of Adams County, in September, 1797, Massie succeeded in having Manchester named as the county town. But the scheming Federalists, through a majority of the Court of Quarter Sessions ap- pointed by the Governor, directly thereafter fixed the seat of justice at an out-of-the-way point, where there were absolutely no accommoda- tions for the public, at what was named Adamsville, in honor of John Adams, the Federal President, but which was called in derision "Scant- ville." Afterwards, while Massie's brother-in-law, Charles Willing Byrd, was Secretary of the Territory, and in the absence of St. Clair, who was at the seat of the Federal Government at Philadelphia, schem- ing to thwart the plans of the "Virginians" to form a state government, and thus rid themselves of the "old tyrant," as St. Clair was designated, the seat of justice was removed to Manchester for one session of the court. 'Then it was established by the opposition at a point named Washington, at the mouth of Ohio Brush Creek, where it remained until fixed at West Union, the present county seat, a name signifying the burying of the hatchet. But this contest engendered by St. Clair was carried down among the people to the year 1871, when a vote was taken by authority of an act of the Legislature on the question of re- moval of the county seat to Manchester.
While this contest between Massie and St. Clair was being waged in Adams County, the Governor, by proclamation, erected in 1798 the county of Ross from the northern portion of Adams. This he named after his friend, Senator Ross, of
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Pennsylvania, a rabid Federalist. This county contained the site of a new town, Chillicothe, laid out by Massie, which was largely settled by Virginians, many of whom were relatives and personal friends of its founder. Among them none were more conspicuous than Thomas Worthington, a brother-in-law of Edward Tiffin, the first Governor of Ohio, and who himself became Governor of the State. Worthington had served with Massie as a member of the first Court of Quarter Ses- sions held at Manchester, and was Massie's confidential friend and po- litical adviser. It was through his diplomacy as the political envoy of the "Virginians" to the seat of the Federal Government when Jefferson became President that St. Clair and the Federalists in the Northwest Territory were so completely overthrown and Ohio made a State.
In 1799, the first Territorial Legislature convened at Cincinnati. Nathaniel Massie and Joseph Darlinton represented Adams County. Thomas Worthington was one of the members from Ross County. A bill was passed fixing Manchester as the county seat of Adams County; and other bills were passed dividing other counties and creating new ones. The Governor, at the close of the session, vetoed these bills, holding that under the Ordinance of 1787, "the erection of new counties was properly the business of the Executive," and not of the Legisla- ture. However, Congress finally determined the right in favor of the Legislature. Hostilities now between the Federalists, headed by St. Clair, and the "Virginians," led by Massie and Worthington, opened in a broader field. The questions at issue became political, extending throughout the Territory. It was "Democrats," as the Republican admirers of Jefferson were derisively styled, against the aristocratic Federalists. The "Virginians" planned operations on a large scale : to divide the Territory, form a State, and lay its foundations on true re- publican principles, the right of the people to govern themselves. Mas- sie's idea to make Manchester the principal city was abandoned; he disposed of his home at Buckeye Station, and plans were perfected to make Chillicothe the chief city in the district, and the capital of the new State.
The Federalists, in anticipation of this movement, sought to have the Territory divided, but in such a manner as to prevent the erection of a new State. The scheme, for scheme it was, was to make the eastern division a Federalist territory, to so divide the "Virginians" as to place them in a hopeless minority. This will be best shown by quoting from St. Clair's letter to Senator Ross, of Pennsylvania, mention of whom has heretofore been made. This letter can be found in St. Clair's published correspondence in what is known as the "St. Clair Papers."" On the subject of dividing the Territory, he says: "But it is not every division that would answer those purposes (to keep the 'Virginians from control of the government-Ed.), but such a one as would probably keep them in the colonial state for a good many years to come. In a letter which I wrote to the Secretary of State by the last post, on this subject, I men- tioned the proper boundaries to them (the dividing line then proposed was from the mouth of the Scioto River north-Ed.), but on further re- flection, I think it would not answer; that it would divide the present inhabitants in such a manner as to make the upper or eastern division surely Federal, and form a counterpoise from opposing local interests
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in the western division to those who are unfriendly to the general gov- ernment, I think is certain; but the eastern division is too thinly in- habited, and the design would be too evident. A line drawn due north from the mouth of Eagle Creek, where it empties itself into the Ohio, would answer better. * *
* The division of the Territory, I am persuaded, will be pressed, and I believe it to be a part of Col. Worth- ington's business in Philadelphia ; and the Great Miami, or a line drawn from the mouth of it, will be set forth in the strongest manner as the proper line. The people of Ross County are very desirous it should take place. Their views are natural and innocent enough. They look no further than giving consequence to Chillicothe. But I am very much mistaken if their leaders have not another and more extensive view. They think the division in that way would but little retard their becom- ing a state, and, as almost all of them are Democrats, whatever they pre- tend to the contrary, they expect that both the power and the influence would come into their hands, and that they would be able to model it as they please ; and it is my fixed belief it would be in a manner as un- friendly to the United States as possible. This, however, is in strict confidence, and I particularly request that my sentiments may not be confided to Col. Worthington, who, I have discovered, not to be en- tirely the candid man I once represented him to you, and who I now think a very designing one."
It was a fortunate condition for the "Democrats" in the Territory that the Territorial Representative in Congress,* William Henry Harri- son, was a Virginian with Democratic ideas of government. He sympa- thized with Massie and Worthington in their efforts to rid the Territory of St. Clair and his advisers, and heartily assisted in carrying out their plan to do so, which was to divide the Territory by the Greenville treaty line, thus giving the "Virginians" the coveted right to demand that the eastern division, by reason of sufficient population, be admitted a State of the Union. In May, 1800, Congress passed an act dividing the Ter- ritory as desired by Massie and Worthington. The eastern division retained the name Northwest Territory, and the western division was named Indiana Territory. Vincennes was made the capital of the lat- ter, and Massie's new town, Chillicothe, became the capital of the for- mer. This was a great victory for the "Virginians" or "Democrats," as the advocates of republican government were derisively called by the Federalists. Party lines were now closely drawn, and Federalists or "Tories" and Republicans or "Democrats" battled with fury for su- premacy in the Territory. In this year, the "Father of Democracy," Thomas Jefferson, was elected President, and the hopes of the "Vir- ginians" in the Territory for statehood ran high. But President Adams reappointed St. Clair Governor, and the Senate confirmed his appoint- ment a few days before the inauguration of the "Sage of Monticello."
St. Clair, enraged to desperation, set about to elect a Territorial Legislature favorable to the Federalists and himself, which by a small majority he succeeded in doing. His scheme was to make the Scioto
*The first Territorial Legislature which sat in Cincinnati in 1799 elected William Henry Harri- son then Secretary of the Northwest Territory, delegate in Congress, over Arthur St. Clair, Jr., by two votes out of twenty-two cast. The votes of Nathaniel Massie and Joseph Darlinton. the representatives from Adams county in this Legislature decided the contest against young St. Clair, a fortunate matter for the " Virginians" in their memorable contest with the Federalists as above narrated.
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the western boundary of the Northwest Territory, and thus keep it in its Territorial stage for years to come. The Legislature, which met at Chillicothe in November, 1801, among other partisan acts, passed a bill removing the capital from Chillicothe back to Cincinnati, and an- other declaring the assent of the Territory necessary to a change of boundaries of the States to be formed from the Territory as provided in the Ordinance of 1787. St. Clair approved both these acts. At this session of the Territorial Legislature, Joseph Darlinton represented Adams County in the House, and was a warm supporter of Massie, as opposed to St. Clair. Immediately upon the passage of these acts, Massie dispatched Worthington and Michael Baldwin to Washington to oppose the approval of the act changing the boundaries of the Ter- ritory. Paul Fearing, the territorial delegate then in Congress, was a Federalist, and favored making the Scioto the western boundary.
There was no trouble in preventing the proposed division of the Territory, for Jefferson and his party supporters were anxious to help their fellow "Democrats" triumph over the Federalists. Congress passed an act authorizing a convention of delegates to be elected by the people of the Territory to form a State government. The contest over the selection of these delegates was one of the fiercest. The "Virgin- ians" triumphed and statehood quickly followed, builded upon a consti- tution most liberally "Democratic," and which, as a safeguard against future tyrants, provided that the Governor should not have power to veto acts of the Legislature, which provision is carried down in the constitution of the State today. Adams County was carried over- whelmingly by the Democrats at the election to select delegates, Jo- seph Darlinton, Israel Donalson, and Thomas Kirker having been chosen to represent the county.
"The constitutional convention," says a writer, "was the first fruits of republican victory. It was their convention. The men who had sided with Massie and his fellow Chillicotheans controlled it completely. Edward Tiffin was its President, and a careful study of its committees and proceedings will disclose what an iron grip they had on it, and how fully they directed its work.
"For years these men had been contending for the right of the peo- ple to govern themselves through their representatives, and had been fighting the paternal policy of their Governor. It was but natural when the opportunity came, for them to try to secure perpetually these princi- ples. and to embody them in the Constitution. The Governor was made a mere figure head, given no control whatever over the Legisla- ture, by the right of vetoing its acts or otherwise; he was not even re- quired to sign its laws before they went into effect (provisions still in force) ; was shorn of all patronage and allowed to name no officers ex- cept an adjutant general. The Legislature made all the appointments of state officers, including the judiciary; its powers were bounded only by the constitution itself, which protects the people by a large and liberal bill of rights, and provides an easy way of amending its provis- ions. This constitution was the full and complete triumph of Democ- racy, and is the crowning glory of those who brought it about; for the history of the Anglo-Saxon race in its broadest sense is a record of the struggles of the people to assert themselves against their rulers.
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"The great trophies in this contest are the Magna Charta and the Bill of Rights of 1689 won by our ancestors in their old homes across the sea, and the Declaration of Independence, made good by our Rev- olutionary forefathers in America. Each of these mark a long step forward toward a "government of the people, by the people, and for the people," but none go quite so far as to claim for the people absolute power, freed from all control by king or president or governor. The first to reach that goal were the founders of Ohio, led by the Chillicothe statesmen, who had been trained in their backwoods struggles with savage men and rugged nature to rely upon themselves alone, and to allow no man to dictate what was best for them and theirs."
Adams County remained steadfastly true to the principles of Democ- racy and the party of Jefferson from the erection of the State until the year 1826, when Allen Trimble, of Highland County, and a follower of Henry Clay, carried it by a plurality of ninety-one votes over his highest opponent, John Bigger. At this election Alexander Campbell received ninety-two votes, Benjamin Tappan twenty-seven votes, and there were scattering twelve votes. On the question of the war with Great Britain in 1812, the people of the county were nearly unanimous for its vigorous prosecution. In the period from 1820 to 1830 the ques- tions of public schools, public highways, and canals occupied the public mind. In this period, the Presbyterians, who were dominant in the county, were bitterly attacked by members of other sects jealous of their power and wealth, as well as by some secularists, for their loyalty to the cause of President Andrew Jackson. The Presbyterians in those days were Jacksonian Democrats-Judge Morrison, a pillar of the Cherry Fork congregation, being the Jackson presidential elector in 1824 from the district to which Adams County belonged.
Some of the leading politicians of this period were John W. Camp- bell, William Russell, Israel Donalson, Thomas Kirker, John Means, John Lodwick, Joseph Riggs, Joseph Darlinton, John and Nathaniel Beasley, John Fisher, Joseph Mocre, Robert Lucas (afterwards of Scioto County), Col. Kincaid, Judge Morrison, Thomas Mason and Edward Browning, of "Browning's Inn."
Although Colonel Trimble had in 1826 carried the State by an as- tonishing majority, receiving nearly five-sixths of the vote cast, and had swept Adams County from its Democratic moorings, yet in 1828 while he was re-elected, Jackson carried the State, and John W. Campbell, Trimble's opponent, carried Adams County by the decisive vote of 1065 to 216 with but one scattering vote.
Through all the years of bitter contention between the Whigs and Democrats in the period from 1830 to 1860, not even the matchless oratory of the "Wagon Boy of the Miami Valley," although personally known to the citizens of Adams County, could wrest it from the Democrats. They held steadfast and unfaltering to the political teachings of Jefferson, Jackson and Benton. In 1840 with the brilliant military record of General Harrison and his hundreds of personal admirers who had served under him in the last war with England, as the presidential candidate on the Whig ticket, Corwin, as the gubernatorial candidate on that ticket, failed to carry the county over Wilson Shannon, his Democratic opponent, although Corwin car-
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ried the State. In 1842 Shannon again carried the county over Corwin and defeated him in the State. In the memorable campaign of 1844, David Tod, Democrat, received 1,605 votes as against 1,213 for Mor- dlecai Bartley, Whig, and Leicester King, Free Soiler, 88, for Governor.
Ten years later William Medill, Democrat, received 1,314 votes; Nelson Barrere, Whig, 861 votes, and Samuel Lewis 304 votes for Gov- ernor. In the campaign of 1857, Medill received 1,422; Allen Trimble, 207; and Salmon Chase, 1,130 votes. In 1859, Rufus P. Ranney, Dem- ocrat, carried the county by 348 majority over William Dennison, Re- publican, for Governor .. This was the beginning of the war period, when old party lines were almost obliterated. In 1863, John Brough received 2,322 votes as against 1,798 for C. L. Vallandigham. This was the sec- ond time in the history of the county, that it had been lost to the Dem- ocrats. In 1865 Jacob D. Cox carried it over Geo. W. Morgan, Demo- crat, but in 1867 after the return of the soldiers from the army, Allen G. Thurman, Democrat, carried the county over R. B. Hayes, Republican, by a vote of 2,300 to 1,982.
About the time the War of the Rebellion the old line Democratic party became known as "Douglas" Democrats and "Breckenridge" Democrats. The old time "Virginians," who had early come into the county, for the most part took the southern view of the question of Negro Slavery, and were classed as "Breckenridge" Democrats, as favoring the presidential candidacy of John C. Breckenridge, of Ken- tucky. They opposed as a class the extension of slavery and further agitation of that question. The younger and more liberal element, how- ever, dissented from the opinions of their fathers, and adopted the ideas of Stephen A. Douglas, advocating "Squatter Sovereignty" a kind of "local option" as to Negro Slavery. But when the War of the Re- bellion came on, party opinions were laid aside and all were "War Dem- ocrats" for the suppression of the rebellion. Adams County shows by undisputed records that she sent to the front in that war more soldiers, based upon her population, than any other county of the State. In round numbers, from first to last, 2,000 of the flower of her manhood took up arms in defense of the Union. The valiant 70th Regiment, O. V. I., was essentially made up of volunteer soldiers of the county.
The Covenanters, a respectable religious body in the northwestern portion of the county, for years refused to take part in politics, but dur- ing and since the war they have, as a body, been acting with the Re- publican party.
The eastern portion of the county has a very large soldier element scattered throughout the hilly section who are largely dependent upon their pensions for a living. They contribute much strength to the Re- publican party.
The sons of Adams County who have enrolled their names among those prominent in political affairs of the State and nation are too nu- merous to name individually here. The biographies of many of them appear in this volume. Some of them, as will be seen, have molded the policies of Governors and Presidents.
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In closing this sketch, we call attention of the reader who may have high political aspirations, to the following parody on Holmes' "Last Leaf," written by an Adams Countian, who went through the "whirl- wind and flame" of the Buchanan campaign, 1856.
The Fourth of March.
"Blessed are they that expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed."
I saw hit-he had come From his far distant home In the West. A jingling purse he showed, And in the latest mode He was drest.
His face was all a smile, And he talked all the while How he took Such an interest in the late Election in his State For old Buck.
He always felt the ties, Of party-let it rise Let it fall. 'Twas not for reward That he had worked so hard, Not at all.
But office he could bear As the bravest soldier 'd wear Epaulets, Which fix his rank, you know- And to the public show, What he gets.
I saw him after that, And he had a kinky hat On his head ; His shoes were worn away And his pockets seemed to say, "Nary red."
And loudly he declared, That for party men he cared Not a jot ; He scorned their dirty tricks, And as for politics, 'Twas a plot.
Folks saw the sudden change, And thought it wondrous strange At least. Our friend did not explain, But took an early train, For the West.
16a
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Vote for Governor, 1803-1899.
Since the War of the Rebellion and the reconstruction period fol- lowing, the county has been very closely divided politically on both state and national issues, while locally neither party has had any advantage over the other, the county officers within the entire period being about equally divided.
The following is the vote for Governor with the exception of that for Edward Tiffin, the first Governor, who practically had no opposi- tion, from the organization of the State to the present time. It will be observed, that prior to the new constitution of 1851, the vote was taken in even years. Since then in odd years.
Year.
Candidate.
Political party.
Votes.
*1806
Nathaniel Massie
Democrat.
441
R. J. Meigs
Democrat.
114
1808.
Thomas Kirker
Democrat
390
Thomas Worthington.
Democrat
176
Samuel Huntington.
Democrat
5
1810.
Thomas Worthington R. J. Meigs
Democrat.
487
Democrat
157
1812.
Thomas Scott
Democrat
580
R. J. Meigs
Democrat.
7
1814
Thomas Worthington
Democrat
629
Othiel Looker
Democrat.
300
1816.
Thomas Worthington
Democrat
627
James Dunlap
Democrat
400
1818 ..
Ethan A. Brown James Dunlap
Democrat.
496
1820 ....
Jeremiah Morrow
Democrat
605
Ethan A. Brown
Democrat
85
Wm. H. Harrison
Democrat.
10
Scattering
4
1822.
Jeremiah Morrow
Democrat
408
Allen Trimble
Clay Republican.
344
Wm. W. Irvin
10
1824
Jeremiah Morrow. Allen Trimble
Clay Republican.
368
1826.
Allen Trimble
Clay Republican.
556
John Bigger
Jackson Democrat.
465
Alexander Campbell
Jackson Democrat
92
Benjamin Tappan
Clay Republican, ..
27
Scattering.
12
1828.
John W. Campbell
Democrat
1,065
Allen Trimble
Whig
216
Scattering.
1
*The first vote for Governor, January 12, 1803, is not a matter of record that we have been able to find. Neither is the second vote taken the following year. Edward Tiffin, the Democratic candidate, had practically no opposition.
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Democrat
627
Democrat
734
POLITICS AND POLITICAL PARTIES
243 VOTE FOR GOVERNOR -- Continued.
Year.
Candidate.
Political Party.
Votes.
1830
..
Robert Lucas.
Democrat
783
Duncan McArthur
Whig
567
Scattering.
9
1832.
Robert Lucas
Democrat
959
Darius Lyman
Whig
498
Scattering
1
1834.
...
Robert Lucas. James Findley
Democrat
926
Whig
489
1836
Eli Baldwin
Democrat
977
Joseph Vance.
Whig
749
1838.
Wilson Shannon.
Democrat
1,002 .
Wilson Shannon
Democrat
1,384
Thomas Corwin
Whig ...
1,166
1842.
Wilson Shannon
Democrat
1,270
Thomas Corwin
Whig
1,091
Leicester King
Free Soiler.
40
1844.
David Tod.
Democrat
1,605
Mordecai Bartley
Whig
1,213
Leicester King
88
1846.
David Tod.
Democrat
1,298
William Bebb
Whig
949
Samuel Lewis
108
1848.
John B. Weller Seabury Ford
Whig
1,295
1850.
Reuben Wood
Democrat
1,295
William Johnson
Whig
960
Edward Smith
Free Soiler.
31
1851
Reuben Wood
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