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was pursuing the same course with those who opposed her, viz: That orders had been issued from this office, to General Bell, to call out his Division for the purpose of establishing the boundary by force of arms. Whereas, although it was early ascertained that force had been threatened, and subsequently, that men had been raised, and arms, ammunition, &c. provided to oppose her, this show of hostility was answered by Ohio, as far as military movements were concerned, no further than in the above order to General Bell, issued at the same time with similar orders to the civil authorities; and by which he was directed to organize the northern part of his Division, if the same had not before been organized, and which consisted, at most, of but three or four militia companies.

The military jurisdiction of the State, notwithstanding the great show of resistance which had been made, was extended by General Bell, without difficulty, over the portion of territory in dispute, and the officers elected under our laws, were all commissioned as early as the 3d day of April. Subsequently, however, it was deemed expedient to summon a number of troops for the protection of our Commissioners; and a general order was accordingly issued on the 15th of April, to General Bell, directing him to proceed and detail 500 men from his Division, for this purpose. The proceedings of General Bell, under this order, are herewith submitted, in his report to this office, and contained in the papers, marked B.

In concluding this report, it will be proper for me to make the remark, that in all my official communications on the subject of our boundary, to officers of the militia, the directions of your Excellency, enjoining a pacific course of conduct, have been uniformly observed; and the officers who have been addressed, and who have acted, have, as far as my knowledge extends, observed the same conciliatory course. Having understood it from the beginning, as being your fixed determination, that Ohio, in the event of the present difficulties assuming a more serious shape hereafter, should not, as far as the conduct of her affairs devolved on you, be found the aggressor-this sentiment has still been the rule in all the subordinate operations of this department. It has, however, in many instances, been difficult to repress the feelings of men; and the offers of voluntary service, which, from a great number of Brigades, Regiments and Companies of our Militia, have been constantly forwarded to this office, evince a resolution to sustain the authority of the State; and in many instances, a determination difficult to repress, of instantly coming forward to avenge what is considered its violated rights and injured honor. Although the state of our Militia is, in many respects, extremely imperfect, yet it is, I am convinced, as a body,

composed of brave men-and such as, should any unhappy emergency arise, requiring their interference, would never be found wanting in what could be considered, their duty to the country. Respectfully submitted,

SAMUEL C. ANDREWS,

Adjutant General Ó. M.

A.

Copy of the reply to the communication of General Bell, (marked A.) referred to in the foregoing Report.

ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Columbus, Ohio, March 18, 1835.

To Major General JOHN BELL.

SIR:

Yours of March 13th is received, and has been laid before the Commander-in-Chief. He is perfectly satisfied with the conciliatory manner in which you have proceeded in the discharge of your duties, thus far. It is his wish to avoid entirely the hasty and inconsiderate course pursued by Michigan; but, at the same time, he is resolved upon proceeding in the most determined manner. It will therefore be necessary that the company districts be immediately set off and ascertained; and the officers must, if possible, be elected by the first Monday in April. The organization of the civil jurisdiction, it is presumed, has already been commenced; or if not, that it will soon be so, and the civil officers elected by that time. As for the operations of the Commissioners, (referred to in your letter) it is impossible, at this time, to say at what point these will be commenced. It may, perhaps, be so, that the Commissioners will find it necessary to commence their work at the other end of the line—that is, at some point about the southern extremity of Lake Michigan, in the State of Indiana. This is a point as yet unsettled. Should they pursue this latter course, it will be some time before they will proceed so far as to come upon any part of the territory claimed by Michigan. This will give the people there time to cool themselves and reflect, which it is believed they will do, when they perceive Ohio deliberately moving to assert her rightnot provoking, or replying to their threats, but resolved, in case

of the most urgent and undoubted necessity, only to support her rights by force.

Yours, &c.

SAML. C. ANDREWS,

Adjutant General.

B.

Report of General Bell, (marked R.) referred to in the foregoing

Report.

HEAD QUARTERS 17TH DIVISION OHIO MILITIA,

Lower Sandusky, May 10, A. D. 1835.

To SAMUEL C. ANDREWS, Esq.

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DEAR SIR:

Adjutant General.

I herewith forward to you a report of my proceedings, as General of the 17th Division of Ohio Militia, that the same may be laid before the Commander-in-Chief.

On the 28th of February last, I received a General Order, directing me to proceed and organize that part of my division lying on the northern boundary of the State, agreeably to the act of the General Assembly of last winter; and accordingly issued an order to that effect, which was promptly complied with, and the organization of that part of my division made complete agreeably to the requisition contained in said General Order.

On the 15th of April, I received another General Order, dated at Defiance, as head quarters, requiring 500 troops to be raised from the 17th division, as a guard to protect the Commissioners in the discharge of their duty; and accordingly ordered 200 men from the 1st brigade, and 300 from the 2d brigade, to rendezvous at Port Miami as soon as possible. On the arrival of the volunteers, however, I found that, in consequence of the want of arms, &c. I had only 292 men fit for actual service.

On the 23d of April I wrote a note, of which the following is a copy, to the Commissioners:

"GENTLEMEN:

"I have in readiness, as a guard, a sufficient number of soldiers, ready to meet you at such time and place as you may think best for the promotion of the object contemplated. The opposition, from the best information I am able to obtain, are collecting their

forces at Tecumseh, in Lenawee county, at which place the Court is now in session. Yours, respectfully,

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"Messrs. PATTERSON, SEELY and TAYLOR."

"JOHN BELL.

It is to be regretted that the Commissioners never received. this note until after they were interrupted on the line; and the first intimation I received from the Commissioners, was from one of them, after the Michigan forces had taken a number of their party prisoners. On the 30th April, I received the following note from the Commissioners:

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"It becomes our duty to inform you, that, under existing circumstances, we have thought it advisable to suspend, for the present time, the running of our northern boundary line, for the protection of which your troops have been assembled. In taking leave of you for the present, we beg you to accept the assurance of our high respect, &c.

Respectfully, yours,

J. PATTERSON,
J. TAYLOR,

W. SEELY,
Commissioners."

And thereupon, considering the object for which the troops were raised at an end, and having no means to sustain them, I dismissed them. You will, sir, see the necessity of having more arms in the 17th division. If the laws are to be enforced and carried into effect in the northern part of the 17th division, the surest and only way to effect that object is, to let those who are disposed to violate them and resist their execution, know, that we have not only the disposition, but the means to secure respect and obedience to our rights and laws.

I have the honor, sir, to be,
Your obedient servant,

On motion of Mr. Osborn,

JOHN BELL,
Maj. Gen. 17th D. O. M.

The communication of his Excellency the Governor, and the accompanying document from the Secretary of State, be referred to the Standing Committee on the Judiciary.

On motion of Mr. Spangler,

The communication from his Excellency the Governor, and the accompanying documents from the Adjutant General, be laid on the table, and the printing dispensed with.

The Speaker announced the following Standing Committee: On Militia and Military Affairs-Messrs. Taylor, Blake and Kendall. On motion of Mr. Newell,

The Senate adjourned until two o'clock, P. M.

Two o'clock, P. M.-Senate met pursuant to adjournment.

Mr. McDowell,

From the Joint Select Committee to whom was referred the Governor's Message and the accompanying documents, reported that said Committee had had the same under consideration, and submit the following Report and Resolutions, to wit:

The Select Joint Committee, to whom were referred the Governor's Message and sundry accompanying documents, have examined the same, and now

REPORT:

That the subject matter involved in the controversy, as disclosed in the Message of his Excellency, the Governor, and the documents appended thereto, having already excited great interest in various parts of the Union, your committee feel that they cannot discharge the duty assigned them upon this occasion, to the acceptance of the public, without adverting to the prominent facts which may seem to elucidate the matter in controversy, and place it upon its proper ground.

This controversy, about the north boundary of the State of Ohio, was not commenced or sought for by Ohio, or the General Government; but by a Territory, which has been thrown into existence by the action of the Congress of the United States, subsequently to Ohio having taken her position as one of the independent sovereignties of this Union. Such being the origin of the controversy, Ohio is placed in a perfectly innocent attitude; but the misrepresentations, which have gone abroad, have subjected her to prejudices, as unjust, as the grounds, upon which they are based, are false; and let her action on the subject be what it may, under this state of the case, those who will not examine the history of the controversy, may, like a distinguished individual in Congress last session, say, that it is a mighty State waging war and oppression against a weak, and, in point of pow er, an insignificant Territory; for it is a principle of human nature, to sympathize with the weak, and condemn the strong, without due regard to the relative rights and positions of the parties concerned.

But we challenge the world to point to a single act of Ohio, evincing a disposition to wrest from Michigan any right with which she is legitimately vested by the Congress of the United

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