Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/137

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��HISTORY OF OHIO.

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��February 10, they proceeded to fill all these va- cant offices, from State officers down to the lowest county office, either by appointment or by ordering an election in the manner prescribed by law.

The Constitution provided that the office of judges should continue for seven years, evidently seven years from the time they were elected, and not from the date of the admission of the State, which latter construction this headlong Legisla- ture had construed as the meaning. Many of the counties had been organized but a year or two, others three or four years ; hence an indescribable confusion arose as soon as the new set of officers were appointed or elected. The new order of things could not be made to work, and finally, so utterly impossible did the justness of the proceed- ings become, that it was dropped. The decisions of the courts were upheld, and the invidious doc- trine of supremacy in State legislation received such a check that it is not likely ever to be repeated.

Another act of the Assembly, during this pe- riod, shows its construction. Congress had granted a township of land for the use of a university, and located the township in Symmes' purchase. This Assembly located the university on land outside of this purchase, ignoring the act of Congress, as they had done before, showing not only ignorance of the true scope of law, but a lack of respect un- becoming such bodies.

The seat of government was also moved from Chillicothe to Zanesville, which vainly hoped to be made the permanent State capital, but the next session it was again taken to Chillicothe, and com- missioners appointed to locate a permanent capital site.

These commissioners were James Findley, Jo- seph Darlington, Wyllys Silliman, Reason Beall, and William McFarland. It is stated that they reported at first in favor of Dublin, a small town on the Scioto about fourteen miles above Colum- bus. At the session of 1812-18, the Assembly accepted the proposals of Col. James Johnston, Alexander McLaughlin, John Kerr, and Lyne Starling, who owned the site ot Columbus. The Assembly also decreed that the temporary seat of government should remain at ChiUicothe until the buildings necessary for the State officers should be

��erected, when it would be taken there, forever to remain. This was done in 1816, in December of that year the first meeting of the Assembly being held there.

The site selected for the capital was on the east bank of the Scioto, about a mile below its junction with the Olentangy. Wide streets were laid out, and preparations for a city made. The expecta- tions of the founders have been, in this respect, re- alized. The town was laid out in the spring of 1812, under the direction of Moses Wright. A short time after, the contract for making it the capital was signed. June 18, the same day war was declared against Great Britain, the sale of lots took place. Among the early settlers were George McCor- mick, George B. Harvey, John Shields, Michael Patton, Alexander Patton, William Altman, John CoUett, William McElvain, Daniel Kooser, Peter Putnam, Jacob Hare, Christian Heyl, Jarvis, George and Benjamin Pike, William Long, and Dr. John M. Edminsou. In 1814, a house of worship was built, a school opened, a newspaper — The Wtstern Intelligencer and Columbus Gazette, now the Ohio State Journal — was started, and the old State House erected. In 1816, the "Borough of Columbus" was incorporated, and a mail route once a weeb between Chillicothe and Columbus started. In 1819, the old United States Court House was erected, and the seat of justice removed from Franklinton to Columbus. Until 1826, times were exceedingly " slow " in the new capital, and but lit- tle growth experienced. The improvBment period revived the capital, and enlivened its trade and growth so that in 1834, a city charter was granted. The city is now about third in size in the State, and contains many of the most prominent public institutions. The present capitol building, one of the best in the West, is patterned somewhat after the national Capitol at Washington City.

From the close of the agitation of the " Sweeping Resolutions," until the opening of the war of 1812, but a short time elapsed. In fact, scarcely had one subsided, ere the other was upon the country. Though the war was national, its theater of opera- tions was partly in Ohio, that State taking an act- ive part in its operations. Indeed, its Uberty depended on the war.

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