USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections > Part 28
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District-Bradford (two members) .- 1843-45, John Elliott, Irad Wilson ; 1845-46, John L. Webb, Victor E. Piollet ; 1846-47, V. E. Piollet, Francis Smith; 18447-8, Francis Smith, Arunah Wattles; 1848-49. Arunah Wattles, Charles Stockwell; 1849-50, Joseph C. Powell, Charles Stockwell ; 1850-52, Addison Mckean, Henry Gibbs ; 1852-54, Wm. E. Barton, John Passmore ; 1854-56, Bartholomew La- porte, Judson Holcomb ; 1856-58, C. F. Nichols, J. B. G. Babcock ; 1858-60. O. H. P. Kinney, Thomas Smead ; 1860-62, Henry W. Tracy, C. T. Bliss ; 1862-63, Drummer Lilley, B. Laporte ; 1863-64, D. Lillev, Jos. H. Marsh ; 1864-65, Jos. H. Marsh, Lorenzo Grennell ; 1865-66, G. W. Kinney, L. Grennell ; 1866-67. Jas. H. Webb, G. W. Kinney ; 1867-70, Jas. Il. Webb, John F. Chamberlain ; 1870-71, Jas. H. Webb,
273
HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.
P. H. Buck; 1871-72, P. H. Buck, B. S. Dartt ; 1872-73, B. S. Dartt, E. Reed Myer ; 1873-74, E. Reed Myer, Jas. H. Webb.
District-Bradford (three members) .- 1874-76, Geo. Moscrip, Eli- jah G. Tracy, Uriah Terry ; 1876-78, E. Reed Myer, James Foster, John F. Gillett ; 1878-80, S. D. Harkness, H. J. Madill, Asa Nichols; 1880-82, J. H. Marsh, E. L. Hillis, L. D. Taylor ; 1882-84, E. J. Ayers, Benj. B. Mitchell, J. P. Coburn ; 1884-86, J. H. Shaw, H. Howell, S. D. Sterigere ; 1886-88, C. W. Juton, W. B. Heckman, W. S. Kinney ; 1888-90, M. O. Loomis, J. C. Faulkner, L. J. Culver ; 1890-92, Loren Forrest, L. Lewis, A. B. Sumner.
DELEGATES TO CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
1837-Almon H. Reed, Senatorial (Bradford, Susquehanna). Nath- aniel Clapp, Representative (Bradford); 1873-George F. Horton, Jos. G. Patton.
PRESIDENT JUDGES.
John B. Gibson, 1812 to Sept., 1816; Thomas Burnside, 1817; Edward Herrick, Sept., 1818, to Sept., 1839 ; John N. Conyngham, 1839 to 1849 ; Horace Williston, 1849 to 1851 ; David Wilmot, 1851 to 1861 ; Ulysses Mercur, 1861 to 1865 ; Ferris B. Streeter, 1865 to 1874; Paul D. Morrow, 1874 to 1890; B. M. Peck, 1890 (incumbent).
ADDITIONAL LAW JUDGE. Paul D. Morrow, 1870 to 1874.
ASSOCIATE JUDGES.
Geo. Scott, Oct., 1812, to May, 1818; John McKean, Oct., 1812, to May, 1837; Jonathan Stevens, May, 1818, to 1840-41; John Laporte, 1839 to 1845 ; Abraham Goodwin, 1841 to 1844; David M. Bull, 1845; Harry Morgan, 1846 to 1851; Reuben Wilber, 1846 to 1851; Myron Ballard, elected 1851 ; Harry Ackley, elected 1851; Aaron Chubbuck, elected 1856; John F. Long, elected 1856; John Passmore, elected 1858; V. M. Long, elected 1861 ; L. P. Stalford, elected 1863; J. Wilson Vandyke, elected 1866; Zebulon Frisbie, elected 1868; Stephen D. Harkness, elected 1871; Chauncey S. Russell, 1873 to 1875.
SHERIFFS .*
Abner C. Rockwell, appointed December 9, 1812; John Spald- ing, 2d, appointed December 9, 1815; Lemuel Streeter, appointed December 14, 1818; Joseph C. Powell, appointed October 30, 1821; Reuben Wilber, appointed October 28, 1824; Benjamin McKean, appointed November 27, 1827; Lockwood Smith, Jr., appointed December, 1830; John L. Webb, appointed December, 1833; Guy Tozer, appointed November, 1836 ; Ira H. Stephens, elected October, 1839; John N. Weston, elected October, 1842 ; John F. Means, elected October, 1845; William S. Dobbins, elected October, 1848; Chester Thomas, elected October, 1851; John A. Codding, elected October 1854 ; Thomas M. Woodruff elected, October, 1857; A. Hanson Spald- ing, elected October. 1860; J. Monroe Smith, elected October, 1863 ; William Griffis, elected October, 1866; J. Perry Van Fleet, elected October, 1869 ; J. Monroe Smith, elected October, 1872 ; Andrew J. Layton, elected November, 1875; Peter J. Dean, elected November,
* The two candidates having the highest number of votes were returned to the Governor, of whom he appointed one to be sheriff. The same rule held in regard to coroner.
274
HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.
1878; William T. Horton, elected November, 1881; Dallas J. Sweet, elected November, 1884; Morris Shepard, elected November, 1887; Joseph Powell, elected November, 1890.
PROTHONOTARY, CLERK OF OYER AND TERMINER AND QUARTER SESSIONS.
Charles F. Welles, 1812 to 1818; George Scott, 1818 to 1830; Darius Bullock, 1830 to 1831; Alpheus Ingham, 1831; James P. Bull, May, 1831 to 1836; Samuel Strait, 1836; Joseph C. Powell, Oct., 1836 to 1839; David Cash, elected 1839; Aaron Chubbuck, elected 1842; Addison Mckean, elected 1845; Allen Mckean, elected 1848-51-54- 57: E. O'Meara Goodrich, elected 1860-63, Wm. A. Thomas, elected 1866-69 ; Benjamin M. Peck, elected 1872-75; Geo. W. Blackman, elected 1878-81; Wm. J. Young, elected 1884-90; H. J. Madill, elected (incumbent) 1891.
REGISTER OF WILLS, RECORDER OF DEEDS, AND CLERK OF ORPHANS' COURT.
Charles F. Welles, appointed, 1812-1818; Geo. Scott, Clerk Or- phans' Court, 1818 to 1830; Eliphalet Mason, Register and Recorder, 1818 to 1820; Charles Whithead, Register and Recorder, 1820 to 1824; Alpheus Ingham, Register and Recorder and Clerk, 1824 to 1831; Elisha S. Goodrich, 1831 to 1836 ; George A. Mix, 1836 to 1838; Drum- mer Lilley, 1838 to 1839; Ephraim W. Baird, elected, 1839; Julius Russell, elected 1842; Lyman De Wolf, elected 1845 ; Horatio Black, elected 1848 ; H. Lawrence Scott, elected 1851; James H. Webb, elected 1854 and 1857; Nathan C. Elsbree, elected 1860 and 1863; Henry J. Madill, elected 1866 ; Chas. E. Gladding, elected 1869; Otis J. Chubbuck, elected 1872 ; Cephas E. Andrus, elected 1875 ; Addison C. Frisbie, elected 1878; James H. Webb, elected 1881 ; Adelbert D. Munn, elected 1884; James Hurst, elected 1887; Chas. M. Hall, elected 1890.
DISTRICT ATTORNEYS.
Thomas Smead, elected October, 1850 ; James Macfarlane, elected October, 1853 .; Paul D. Morrow, elected October, 1856; Guy H. Wat- kins elected October, 1859; George D. Montanye, elected October, 1862; William T. Davies, elected October, 1865; Warner H. Carnochan, elected October, 1868 ; Joseph B. Reeve, elected October, 1871 ; John N. Califf, elected October, 1874 ; Isaiah McPherson, elected November, 1877; Adelbert Fanning, elected November, 1880; Eleazer J. Angle, elected November, 1883; J. A. Wilt, elected November, 1886 ; J. W. Codding, elected November, 1889.
COUNTY TREASURERS .*
Harry Spalding, appointed January, 1813-14; William Means, appointed January, 1815 ; Simon Kinney, appointed January, 1816-17; Henry Mercur, appointed January, 1818-20; Gurdon Hewitt, appointed January, 1821-22; George Scott, appointed January, 1823 ; Andrew Irvine, appointed January, 1824-26 ; James P. Bull, appointed January, 1827-28; Alpheus Ingham, appointed January, 1829; Andrew Irvine, appointed January, 1830; William Russell, appointed January, 1831-32; Chauncey Frisbie, appointed January, 1833-34, David M. Bull, appointed January, 1835-37; John E. Hale, appointed January, 1838-40; Wm. B. Storm, appointed January, 1841; Charles Stockwell, elected
*Appointments were made by the commissioners.
2 Detaylor Granville Centre Bradford Co Pa
277
HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.
October, 1841 ; Leonard Pierce, elected October, 1843; Jacob Reel, elected October, 1845 ; James M. Peck, elected October, 1847; John Horton, elected October, 1849 ; Benj. Wilcox, elected October, 1851. Preceptor Forbes, elected Oct., 1853; Ezra C. Kellogg, elected Oct., 1855 ; E. Percival Shaw, elected Oct., 1857 ; Wm. Griffis, elected, Oct., 1859 ; Francis Watts, elected Oct., 1861 ; Stephen D. Harkness, elected Oct., 1863 ; J. Perry VanFleet, elected Oct., 1865 ; Chas. A. Morey, elected Oct., 1867 ; C. K. Ladd, elected Oct., 1869 ; Wm. Bunyan, elected Oct., 1871 ; Matthew Marshall, elected Oct., 1873 ; James C. Robinson, elected Nov., 1875 , John H. Grant, elected Nov., 1878 ; Eben Lilley, elected Nov., 1881 ; J. Leman Elsbree, elected Nov., 1884 ; Luman Putnam, elected Nov., 1887 ; C. T. Hull, elected Nov., 1890. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
Joseph Kinney, elected Oct., 1812 : Justus Gaylord, elected Oct., 1812 ; Wm. Mver, elected Oct., 1812 ; Burr Ridgway, elected Oct., 1813; Samuel Mckean, elected Oct., 1814; Salmon Bosworth, elected Oct., 1815 ; Nathaniel Allen, elected Oct., 1815 ; Eliphalet Mason, elected Oct., 1816; Joseph C. Powell, elected Oct., 1817 ; Barthol- omew Laporte, elected Oct., 1818 ; Wm. Myer, elected Oct., 1819 ; Geo. Hyde, elected Oct., 1820 ; Lemuel Streeter, elected Oct., 1821 ; Darius Bullock, elected Oct., 1822 ; John Taylor, elected Oct., 1823 ; Theodore Leonard, elected Oct., 1824 ; Gould Seymour, elected Oct., 1825 ; Burton Strait, elected Oct., 1826 ; Churchill Barnes, elected Oct., 1827 ; Hezekiah Dunham, elected Oct., 1828 ; Eliphalet Mason, elected Oct., 1829 ; John L. Webb, elected Oct., 1830 ; Isaac Cooley, elected Oct., 1831 ; John Elliott, elected Oct., 1832 ; Morris Spalding, elected Oct., 1833 ; Elias Rockwell, elected Oct., 1834 ; Harry Morgan, elected Oct., 1835 ; E. S. Goodrich, elected Oct., 1836 ; Daniel Parke, elected Oct., 1837 ; Ira Stevens, elected Oct., 1838 ; Myron Ballard, elected Oct., 1839 ; Irad S. Wilson, elected Oct., 1839; Benjamin Buffington, elected Oct., 1840 ; Edson Aspenwall, elected Oct., 1841 ; Daniel Brink, elected Oct., 1842 ; Joseph Towner, elected Oct., 1843 ; Luman Putman, elected Oct., 1844 ; Ashbel L. Cranmer, elected Oct., 1845 ; John H. Black, elected Oct., 1846 ; Hiram Spear, elected Oct., 1847 ; Simeon Decker, elected Oct., 1848 ; Aug. S. Smith, elected Oct., 1849 ; Sturges Squires, elected Oct., 1850 ; Daniel B. Cotton, elected Oct. 1851 ; Isaac A. Park, elected Oct. 1852, Stuart Smiley, elected Oct., 1853 ; George H. Bull, elected Oct., 1854 ; Perley H. Buck, elected Oct., 1855 ; Drummer Lilley, elected Oct., 1856 ; William A. Thomas, elected Oct., 1859 ; Wm. H. Decker, elected Oct., 1860; Isaac Lyon, elected Oct., 1861 ; Josephus Campbell, elected Oct., 1862 ; Wm. D. Dodge, elected Oct., 1863 ; John Beardslee, elected Oct., 1864. Sterne McKee, elected Oct., 1865; Wm. B. Dodge, elected Oct., 1866 ; John A. Moody, elected Oct., 1867; Ezra Loomis, elected Oct., 1868; John B. Hines, elected Oct., 1869; E. C. Kellogg, elected Oct., 1870; Morris Shepard, elected Oct., 1871; Benj. Kuykendall, elected Oct., 1872; Abram Snell, elected Oct., 1873; Morris Shepard, elected Oct., 1874; M. J. Coolbaugh, elected Nov., 1875; George W. Kilmer, elected Nov., 1875; John Baldwin, elected Nov., 1875; James H. Hurst, elected Nov., 1878; Daniel Bradford, elected Nov., 1878; M.
15
278
HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.
F. Ransom, elected Nov., 1878; Daniel Bradford, elected Nov., 1881 ; Myron Kingsley, elected Nov., 1881; M. F. Ransom, elected Nov., 1881; Milton O. Loomis, elected Nov., 1884; Levi W. Towner, elected Nov., 1884; Geo. H. Vandyke, elected Nov., 1884; Sheldon Lindley, Levi Towner, Geo. H. Vandyke, elected 1887; Sheldon Lindley, P. S. Squires H. W. McCraney, elected 1890.
COUNTY AUDITORS.
Clement Paine, Moses Coolbaugh, Jonathan Stephens, elected Oct., 1813; Eliphalet Mason, Wm. F. Dininger, Salmon Bosworth, elected Oct., 1814; Ethan Baldwin, elected Oct., 1815; Lemuel Streeter, Ed- ward Herrick, elected Oct., 1816; Jonathan Stevens, elected Oct., 1817; Wm. Means, Geo. Hyde, B. J. Woodruff, elected Oct., 1818; Samuel Bartlett, elected Oct., 1819; Harry Morgan, elected Oct., 1820; J. M. Piollet, elected Oct., 1821; Nathaniel Clapp, elected Oct., 1822; Burton Strait, elected Oct., 1823; Charles Comstock, elected Oct., 1824 ; Asa Pratt, elected Oct., 1825; John Laporte, elected Oct., 1826 ; Harry Morgan, elected Oct., 1827; J. M. Piollet, elected Oct., 1828; Isaac Cooley, elected Oct., 1828; John E. Hale, elected Oct., 1829; Myron Ballard, elected Oct., 1830; Samuel Stevens, elected Oct., 1831 ; Abraham Goodwin, elected Oct., 1832; Alpheus Holcomb, elected Oct., 1833; Aaron Chubbuck, elected Oct., 1834; Allen Mckean, elected Oct., 1835 ; G. F. Horton, elected Oct., 1836; Harry Ackley, elected Oct., 1837; Luman Putnam, elected Oct. 1838; James M. Edsall, elected Oct., 1839; Arunah Wattles, elected Oct., 1840; Chester Welles, elected Oct., 1841; Horace Willey, elected Oct., 1842; John Watkins, elected Oct., 1843; J. M. Bishop, elected Oct., 1844; Chas. Homet, elected Oct., 1845; Lemuel S. Maynard, elected Oct., 1846; Samuel W. Shepard, elected Oct., 1847; F. S. Whitman, elected Oct., 1848; Wm. H. Peck, elected Oct .. 1849; Wm. Overton, elected Oct., 1850; Edward C. Welles, elected Oct., 1851; Wm. H. Peck, elected Oct., 1852 ; C. F. Nichols, elected Oct., 1853 ; Jonathan Buttles, elected Oct., 1854; Christopher Child, elected Oct., 1855; Francis Homet, elected Oct., 1856; Lewis B. Pierce, elected Oct., 1857; Robt. Mason, elected Oct., 1858; Jeremiah Travis, Jr., elected Oct., 1859 ; E.Reuben DeLong, elected Oct., 1860; Robert Mason, elected Oct., 1861; Geo. R. Acroyd, elected October, 1862; C. H. Corbin, elected October, 1863 ; Bobert Mason, elected October, 1864 ; George W. Elliott, elected October, 1865; Isaac D. Soper, elected October, 1866; O. D. Field, elected October, 1867; Asa McKee, Jr., elected October, 1868 ; Walter S. Bowman, elected October, 1869; John S. Quick, elected October, 1870 ; A. R. Brown, elected October, 1871; Ira Crane, elected October, 1872; E. Reuben DeLong, elected October, 1873 ; George W. Brink, elected October, 1874 ; Danvers Bourne, J. R. Brasted, William L. Lantz, elected November, 1875 ; Joseph HI. Hurst, Ulysses M. Pratt, Charles P. Welles, elected November, 1878; William W. Moody, Joseph T. Hested, Charles P. Welles, elected November, 1881; Clement F. Heverly, Earl V. Nichols; Job Morley, elected November, 1884 ; L. L. Gregory, George H. Terry, James Foyle, elected 1887; H. H. Heald, A. Lent, Jr., Charles Jennings, elected 1890.
279
HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.
CLERKS OF COMMISSIONERS.
Joseph Kingsbury, appointed January, 1813-14; George Scott, appointed January, 1815-20 ; Burr Ridgway, appointed January, 1820; Edwin Benjamin, appointed January, 1821-22; Morris Spalding, appointed January, 1823-24; James P. Bull, appointed January, 1825-26 ; Warren Brown, appointed January, 1827-29; Miller Fox, appointed January, 1830-35; John E. Hale, appointed January, 1836-37; Charles Stockwell, appointed January, 1838-41; A. S. Chamberlain, appointed January, 1842-44; John M. Wattles, appointed January, 1845-47 ; C. S. Russell, appointed January, 1848-50; E. M. Farrar, appointed January, 1851-56 ; E. B. Coolbaugh, appointed January, 1857-62 ; G. E. Fox, appointed January, 1863 ; E. B. Coolbaugh, appointed January, 1864-75 ; William Lewis, appointed January, 1876-82 ; Samuel W. Buck (incumbent), appointed Novem- ber, 1882.
JURY COMMISSIONERS.
Joseph Foulke, W. R. Storrs, elected October, 1867; E. Reuben DeLong, S. W. Buck, elected October, 1870; B. Frank Knapp, C. Edson Ferguson, elected 1873 ; Thomas A. Lee, Frank E. Jayne, elected November, 1876; Volney M. Wilson, Thomas J. Smiley, elected November, 1879; Nelson Gilbert, J. Monroe Ayers, elected Novem- ber, 1882; Mahlon M. Hicks, John R. Fulford, elected November, 1885. Horace Barnes, John E. Dobbins, elected 1888.
CORONERS.
John Horton, appointed 1813; Reuben Wilber, appointed 1815; John Minier, appointed 1818; Chauncey Frisbie, appointed 1820 ; John Fox, appointed 1824 ; John L. Webb, appointed 1827 ; John Vandyke, appointed 1830; Edwin L. Paine, appointed 1833; Aaron Knapp, appointed 1836 ; Henry S. Salisbury, elected 1839; Calvin Storm, elected 1842 ; John Hatch, elected 1845 ; Thomas J. Ingham, elected 1848 ; Geo. M. Black, elected 1851; W. W. Eastabrooks, elected 1854 : Newell Leonard, elected 1857; Jeremiah Culp, elected 1860; Abram Snell, Jr., elected 1863; Joseph H. Hurst, elected 1866; John F. Dodge, elected 1869 ; J. Valentine Geiger, elected 1872; Daniel B. Walker, elected 1875-78-81 ; Clinton H. Scott, elected 1882 ; Volney Homet, elected 1884 ; Ben. T. Strunk, elected 1887; Ben. T. Strunk, elected 1890.
COUNTY SURVEYORS.
Jonathan Stevens, appointed Deputy Surveyor 1812; Zephen Flower, appointed Deputy Surveyor 1821 ; Eliphalet Mason, appointed Deputy Surveyor 1824 ; Gordon F. Mason, appointed Deputy Surveyor 1830 ; James M. Edsall, appointed Deputy Surveyor 1833; Rowland Wilcox, appointed Deputy Surveyor 1836 ; Edgar G. Nichols, elected 1850; James A. Paine, elected 1853 ; Joseph E. Spalding, elected 1856; Josiah J. Newell, elected 1859-62-65 ; Oliver W. Stevens, elected 1868 ; Joseph E. Spalding, elected 1871 ; George V. Myer, elected 1874 ; T. A. Seward, elected 1877-80 ; Oliver A. Gilbert, elected 1883; Hiram E. Bull, present incumbent.
COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS.
Emanuel Guyer, elected 1854; Charles R. Coburn, elected 1857-
280
HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.
60 ; Otis J. Chubbuck. elected 1863-66; Austin A. Keeney, elected 1869-72-75 ; J. Andrew Wilt, appointed to fill vacancy. January, 1878 ; George W. Ryan (incumbent), elected 1878-81-84-87-90.
PRESENT COUNTY OFFICIALS.
President Judge, Benjamin M. Peck. Sheriff, Joseph Powell ; Thomas F. Foley, Deputy. Prothonotary, II. J. Madill ; C. F. Heverly, Deputy. Register and Recorder and Clerk of the Orphans' Court, Charles M. Hall; O. L. Smiley, Deputy. District Attorney, John W. Codding. Court Stenographer, Arthur Head. County Commissioners, S. H. Lindley, P. S. Squires, W. H. McCraney ; John Dean, Clerk. Treasurer, Charles T. IIull; William Maxwell, Deputy. Coroner, Benjamin T. Strunk. County Surveyor, Hiram E. Bull. Jury Com- missioners, John E. Dobbins, Horace Barnes.
CHAPTER XV.
POLITICAL.
FIRST MEETINGS AND ELECTIONS-WHY FEDERALISTS- JEFFERSON AND HAMILTON-LAND QUESTION -- FIRST TWO VOTING DISTRICTS-FED- ERAL AND WHIG PARTIES OVERTHROWN-OLD LABOR PARTY-LIN- COLN, DOUGLAS AND TRUMBULL, AN EPISODE-ELECTION RETURNS TO DATE-Erc.
T HERE had been permanent settlers here a considerable time before there was such a thing as distinctive American politics ; before even there was any strong point for neighbors to argue and contend about, except some question relating to their religion, or the conduct of the French-Indian war, or something of that nature. After the " Boston Tea Party" there was furnished all a bone of contention. The controlling element in society were the Anglo-Saxons, a race in- tensely patriotic, bowing with an Eastern devotion at the shrine of royalty, and yet fiercely jealous of any encroachment upon the most trivial reserved rights of the people; their ancestors had made great kings, and chopped off the heads of a greater number of them than had any other people in history ; savagely religions, they had struck the temporal power of the Pope the blow that in time destroyed it. When the war of Independence was happily ended and our people had, by a mere hair's breadth, escaped placing themselves under their own chosen crowned head ; the greatest man in the tide of time, incomparably great in war for the liberty of the people, but far nobler and greater in peace, was at the head of affairs, as the wise mentor of a people confronting the supreme problem of founding the Republic; then arose the first glimmer of what, in the one hundred years, grew to be the wide-branching and fruitful tree, American politics. The ship of State had been successfully launched, and now she must be ably
281
HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.
manned, officered, and piloted in the unknown waters, on treacherons seas where were no charts or beacon lights to point the way to the peaceful haven.
A short paragraph is given in some of our histories to a little inci- dent that is full of deep significance the more it is studied. In laying the very foundation of the Republic, almost the first question, after peace was declared, was the indebtedness that had been incurred in the prosecution of the war. In addition to what was dne our own people, it was found that there were nine million dollars due to foreign nations. The executive body chosen to consider this great problem, all realized that here was perhaps the greatest difficulty menacing the new government, the presiding officer of which was the immortal Benjamin Franklin. This immense debt was the young Nation's nightmare, and these great and good men realized much of the black hopelessness that stared them in the face; in considering it, days and nights and patient weeks and months, they reasoned on the subject of how to pro- vide for it-a very ghost at the feast that would not down. The deliberative body, composed of men who have had few equals, and no superiors, solemnly concluded finally that the young Republic could never pay the enormous amount, and that all that could be done was to break up the Government, and divide the territory among the Nation's creditors-if they would accept that as full payment. This delicate subject was handled as one of the State secrets of the time ; not thrown before the people for their consideration and discussion ; whether because they assumed the people would not understand it, or it might result in great evil influence on the public mind, is not now known. Our Government still has its "State secrets," which, in the judgment of some good men, is but a relic transmitted from the old feudal monarchies.
To the glory of mankind, our infant Republic was not broken up and divided among its creditors in payment of the hopeless debt of $9,000,000. As to the great and brave men, Americans, who had suf- fered so much in the long and cruel war, so many lives sacrificed, and such indescribable suffering and want, broken homes and hearts, and fortunes upon the altars of freedom, the indebtedness to them in dollars and cents was a matter largely of indifference; it was the people's Government, and whatever it might owe its people was simply due to itself and could stand indefinitely, but all foreign debts must be paid, and how was it possible to extract blood from a turnip ? In 1789 Washington became President, and, for the next eight years, the half- dozen families in Bradford county had no defined lines in politics, on which to divide in contention. In 1797 John Adams succeeded Wash- ington, and then the faint lines of the opposition to the Federalists became visible, as they shot athwart the political horizon. The four years of Adams, as the Chief Executive of the nation, prepared the way for Jefferson's succession, and the line of division in parties became constantly more and more clearly defined. The eight years of Jeffer- son brought matters down to nearly the hour of the creation of Brad- ford county, when every man in the community was expected to both preach, and pray, and vote for his own chosen party. The first four
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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.
of Madison's eight years in the office of President were but half gone when Bradford county completed its civil organization, and the people were called upon to express their judgments on local affairs through the ballot box.
Whether Jefferson stood in the way of that imperial mind, Hamilton, or not, and thwarted his cherished idea of a strong central government, or whether Jefferson called into active existence the very prominent political life of Hamilton, men may now differ in regard to the fact, but certain it is these are the representatives of the central opposing political ideas that have run throughout the life of our Nation.
The history of the formation of the Federal Constitution shows clearly that there was at that time a large and influential body of men in this country who seriously doubted, if they did not absolutely deny, the capacity of the people to govern themselves. They believed in the establishment and maintenance of a great central power, as far removed from the influence of populor opinion as possible with an Executive and Senators, as well as judges, chosen for life; and Mr. Hamilton, went so far as to declare that he was in favor of extinguishing the State Governments entirely, but did not actually propose such a measure, for the sole reason, as he stated, that it would shock public sentiment. In his plan of government submitted to Mr. Madison he proposed that the President should be chosen for life, and should possess an absolute power to veto the acts of Congress. Senators were also to be chosen for life, and the Senate was to have the sole power to declare war: the right of suffrage in the choice of Senators and Presidential electors was to be limited to those who owned real estate in their own right, or in the right of their wives ; and in order that the people of the several States might be more effectually deprived of the right of self-government, it was provided that their governors should be appointed under the authority of the United States, for indefinite terms, and should have the absolute power to negative all acts of the State Legislatures. In his speeches in the Convention, he distinctly announced that he had no faith in popular government in this country, and contemptuously said that no matter how such govern- ments might be modified, they were " but pork still, with a change of sauce." In relation to the powers, duties and responsibilities of the Executive, he declared that the English model was the only good one, and he wanted an American President as nearly like a British King as possible, except that he should hold his office for life by election instead of inheritance. Hamilton was a man who believed in the authority of precedent, and for this as a guide there were supreme reasons for his judgment that the English form of government was at that time the best in the world or in history, and not only that, but possibly the best that the world's intelligence would bear -- the power of the King Fetich, the infallible ruler, who should be regardful only of the reserved rights of the rich aristocrats, and these two combined would the best care for and protect the people-the hewers of wood and haulers of water. This at that time was the world's best experience, and the true interpretation of man in his best and highest form.
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