Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/294

 CLINTON

CLINTON

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Orano:e county, and was graduated from Colum- bia an A.M. in 1786; studied law with Samuel Jones, Esquire, in New York city and was ad- mitted to practice in 1788. He was made private secretary to his uncle, George Clinton, in 1790,

and through the press ably defend- ed his administra- tion as governor of the state. In the organization of the board of re- gents of the state university he was made secretary and was appoint- ed to a similar po- sition on the board of commissioners of state fortifica- tions, holding both offices until the re- tirement of Gov- ernor Clinton in 1795. In opposition to his polit- ical belief he prepared for a war with France by raising a company of artillery, which he equipped and commanded. He was elected, by the in- fluence of the Tammany society, to the state assembly in 1797, and to the state senate in 1798, serving until 1802. In 1801 he was a member of the governor's council and claimed for that body powers of recrimination co-ordinate with that of the governor. This political opposition caused Governor Clinton to adjourn the council, and when Senator Clinton carried the question to the legislature, it amended the state constitution and thus supported his claim. In the senate he advocated the abolition of slavery in the state and of imprisonment for debt. He advocated the use of steam in navigation, the fostering of manufacturing interests, the encouragement of agriculture and the arts, and the strengthening of iDublic defence. In 1801 he was a member of the constitutional convention of the state and the same year the legislature of the state elected him U.S.' senator to succeed Joshua Armstrong, resigned, and his first speech in the 7th congress was against war with Spain. In 1803 he resigned his seat in the senate to accept the office of mayor of New York, to which he had been ap- pointed through the influence of the Tammany society. In 1808 he was reappointed mayor in spite of the opposition of Tammany, which society found in the growing statesman a man it could not control. He was, however, removed from office by Governor Lewis on the accession of that official to the governorship through tlie election of Gov. George Clinton as vice-president. He -was reappointed mayor in 1816 by Governor

Tompkins, holding the office until 1815. He was also state senator, 1805-11; lieutenant-governor, 1811-13, and a member of the governor's council. He opposed the policy of many of President Jefferson's acts and did not sustain President Madison before 1812. He was a bitter partisan and made himself many political enemies. He was a candidate for president before the Repub- lican caucus at Washington in 1812, and in the election received the electoral vote of New York, although opposed by Tammany ; but his defeat was a victory for Tammany, and made its pres- tige and influence in New York supreme. The society at once called for the removal of Clinton from the mayoralty and on being succeeded in 1815 by John Ferguson, grand sacliem of Tam- many, Clinton was obliged to resort to his pen for the support of his family. In 1809 he had served on the commission to survej^ a route for a canal from the Hudson river to the lakes and in 1812 had presented the project to congress in behalf of the legislature of New York. After his removal from the office of mayor he prepared to advance his canal project, and held public meet- ings and petitioned the state legislature, person- ally appearing before tliat body and presenting the bill authorizing the construction of the Erie canal, which passed in 1817. His advocacy of this measure strengthened his waning popularity, and in 1817 he was elected governor of New York by a combination of Democrats and Federalists, in the face of the opposition of Tammany. He broke the ground that commenced the construc- tion of the canal, July 4, 1817. His supporters became known as Clintonians and secured his re-election in 1819, but he refused a renomination in 1822. He was canal commissioner from 1816 to 1824, but in 1824 his political opponents caused him to be removed. Popular resentment again turning in his behalf he was elected governor in the same year by a larger majority than had ever been given to a gubernatorial candidate, and was re-elected in 1826. In 1825, upon the opening of the Erie canal. Governor Clinton was carried on a gaily decorated boat the entire length of the canal, and was received along the route with great enthusiasm. He aeclined the mission to England, offered to him by President Adams in 1825. He was a regent of the University of the state of New York from 1808 to 1825. He was married to Maria Franklin of New York city and after her death was married, in 1818, to Catha- rine, daughter of Dr. Thomas Jones of New York. His son, George W. Jones Clinton (born 1807, died 1885), was a graduate of Hamilton college. The degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by Rutgers college in 1812, by Ohio university in 1825, and by Columbia college in 1826. His published works include : Discourses before the New York His-