Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/100

 HISTORY OF OHIO.

��again. It was not destined, however, that the Territorial Assembly should meet again anywhere. The unpopularity of the Governor caused many to long for a State government, where they could choose their own rulers. The unpopularity of St. Clair arose partly from the feeling connected with his defeat ; in part from his being connected with the Federal party, fast falling into disrepute ; and, in part, from his assuming powers which must thought he had no right to exercise, especially the power of subdividing the counties of the Terri- tory.

The opposition, though powerful out of the Assembly, was in the minority there. During the month of December, 1801, it was forced to protest against a measure brought forward in the Council, for changing the ordinance of 1787 in such a man- ner as to make the Scioto, and a line drawn from the intersection of that river and the Indian boundary to the western extremity of the Reserve, the limits of the most eastern State, to be formed from the Territory. Had this change been made, the formation of a State government beyond the Ohio would have been long delayed. Against it, RepresentativesWorthington,Langham, Darlington, Massie, Dunlavy and Morrow, recorded their pro- test. Not content with this, they sent Thomas Worthington, who obtained a leave of absence, to the seat of government, on behalf of the objectors, there to protest, before Congress, against the pro- posed boundary. While Worthington was on his way, Massie presented, the 4th of January, 1802, a resolution for choosing a committee to address Congress in respect to the proposed State govern- ment. This, the next day, the House refused to do, by a vote of twelve to five. An attempt was next made to procure a census of the Ter- ritory, and an act for that purpose passed the House, but the Council postponed the considera- tion of it until the next session, which would com- mence at Cincinnati, the fourth Monday of No- vember.

Meanwhile, Worthington pursued the ends of his mission, using his influence to effect that organ- ization, "which, terminating the influence of tyr- anny," was to "meliorate the circumstances of thou- sands, by freeing them from the domination of a despotic chief" His eff'orts were successful, and, the 4th of March, a report was made to the House in favor of authorizing a State convention. This report was based on the assumption that there were now over sixty thousand inhabitants in the proposed boundaries, estimating that emigration had

��increased the census of 1800, which gave the Ter- ritory forty-five thousand inhabitants, to that num- ber. The convention was to ascertain whether it were expedient to form such a government, and to prepare a constitution if such organization were deemed best. In the formation of the State, a change in the boundaries was proposed, by which all the territory north of a line drawn due east from the head of Lake Michigan to Lake Erie was to be excluded from the new government about to be called into existence.

The committee appointed by Congress to report upon the feasibility of forming the State, suggested that Congress reserve out of every township sections numbered 8, 11, 26 and 29, for their own use, and that Section 16 be reserved for the maintenance of schools. The committee also suggested, that, "religion, education and morality being necessary to the good government and happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged."

Various other recommendations were given by the committee, in accordance with which, Congress, April 30, passed the resolution authorizing the calling of a convention. As this accorded with the feelings of the majority of the inhabitants of the Northwest, no opposition was experienced ; even the Legislature giving way to this embryo gov- ernment, and failing to assemble according to ad- journment.

The convention met the 1st of November. Its members were generally Jeffersonian in their na- tional politics, and had been opposed to the change of boundaries proposed the year before. Before proceeding to business, Gov. St. Clair proposed to address them in his official character. This propo- sition was resisted by several of the members ; but, after a motion, it was agreed to allow him to speak to them as a citizen. St. Clair did so, advising the postponement of a State government until the people of the original eastern division were plainly entitled to demand it, and were not subject to be bound by conditions. This advice, given as it was, caused Jefferson instantly to remove St. Clair, at which time his office ceased.* " When the vote was taken," says Judge Burnet, "upon doing what

Vallpy, Pennsylvania, where he lived with his children in alniuHt atiject poverty. He had lost money in his public life, as In gave close attention to public affairs, to the detriment of his own business. He presented a claim to Congress, afterward, for supplies furni^lled to the army, but the claim was outlawed. After trying in vain to get the claim allowed, ho returned to his home. Pennsylvania, learning of his distress, granted him an annuity of 8350, afterward raised to SfiOO. He lived to enjoy this but a short time, his death occurring August 31, 1818. He was eighty-four years of age.
 * After this, St. Clair returned to his old home in the Ligonier

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