omission to require its submission to the people of the proposed State for acceptance or rejection, and of the advantage which would probably be taken of that omission by the State party in the convention, as he had of any of the expressed provisions in the act. That he nevertheless promptly approved it, furnishes a suggestive commentary upon his constantly iterated and reiterated phrases about the "natural rights of the individual man"; "the liberties of the people"; "rights of the people"; etc., etc. One cannot help remembering, in this connection, the use made of the words "citizen " and "citizeness," by the leaders of the Sans-culottes during the bloody days of the French Revolution.*

So industriously and intelligently did the convention labor, under the guidance of President Tiffin, that it required but twenty-nine days-Sundays included—to formulate a body of organic law under which Ohio flourished and grew in population and wealth to the status of a magnificent empire, before it was thought necessary, half a century later, to revise its work.

After supplementing the constitution with a schedule which provided for the transition from territorial to State conditions, and for the issue of writs of election by the president of the convention (thus again ignoring Governor St. Clair) for the elec

* See Appendix B.

tion of a governor of the State, members of a General Assembly, sheriffs and coroners for the several counties, and unanimously ratifying and signing their finished production, the convention adjourned, sine die, on the evening of November 29, 1802.

CHAPTER IX

The Removal of St. Clair accomplished-Madison's Curt Letter of Dismissal-St. Clair lets fly a Parthian Arrow at Jefferson and Madison-First Election under State Constitution-Tiffin elected Governor-Inaugurated March 3, 1803-" When did Ohio become a State?"— Congressional Action in Regard to the Admission— United States Senators and State Officers elected by the Legislature " To the Victors belong the Spoils "-How History of Ohio has been written-Tiffin's First Message-Free Navigation of the Mississippi demanded.

It

THE hatred of St. Clair entertained by "the Virginia Junto," was not mitigated by the fact that the end of his official career as governor of the Territory was now inevitably near at hand. will be remembered that as soon as the convention was organized he asked, and was accorded, permission to address it. That his speech upon that occasion was, under the circumstances and conditions attending it, bitter and vituperative goes without the saying. Some one I hope it was not Tiffin, and do not believe it was-sent a copy or report of this address to President Jefferson. The immediate result was that St. Clair received, through the hands of his most malignant and

implacable personal enemy, Charles Willing Byrd, the territorial secretary, the following curt and cruel official communication:

"DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

"WASHINGTON, November 22d, 1802.

"ARTHUR ST. CLAIR, ESQ.

"Sir:-The President observing, in an address lately delivered by you to the convention held at Chillicothe, an intemperance and indecorum of language toward the Legislature of the United States, and a disorganizing spirit and tendency of very evil example, and grossly violating the rules of conduct enjoined by your public station, determines that your commission of governor of the North-Western Territory shall cease on the receipt of this notification.

"I am, etc.,

"JAMES MADISON."

This letter was enclosed in another addressed to Mr. Byrd, of which the following is a copy:

"DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

"WASHINGTON, November 22nd, 1802.

"Sir:-Enclosed is a letter to Governor St. Clair, from a copy of which, also enclosed, you

will find that his commission of governor of the Northwestern Territory is to cease on his receipt of the notification. It is only to be added that no successor has yet been appointed and, consequently, the functions of the office devolve on you as secretary of the said territory.

Note the difference in the form and politeness of the subscriptions to these two letters. Poor St. Clair! One cannot help feeling sympathy for him and indignation toward his persecutors.

The receipt of this note of dismissal from the governorship of the Territory forever closed the public career of General Arthur St. Clair. His biographer, William Henry Smith, at this point closes the story of his official life with the epigrammatic line: "Exit Arthur St. Clair, Federalist; enter Edward Tiffin, Republican!" Yet before the spirited and brave old man, now sixty-eight years of age, turned his face to Pennsylvania, where his last days were spent, he let fly a Parthian arrow at Jefferson and Madison in the form of a letter addressed to the