ple desired. He was a Federalist of the school of Washington and Hamilton and was a strong advocate of centralized government. He claimed the right to locate county seats and erect new counties and when the Legislature denied that he possessed such powers and attempted to enact laws on these subjects he promptly vetoed all such bills. His Federalistic propensities did much to strengthen the political doctrines of Jefferson throughout Ohio, and the Democratic spirit was not long in crystallizing into a party opposing him and therefore opposing Federalism. The Republicans looked toward statehood as a means by which to obtain truly representative government, and assiduously worked toward that end. Parties became sharply defined and party feeling ran high. The shibboleth of the Federalists was Washington and St. Clair; that of the Republicans was Jefferson and Madison. The animosity between the two parties became so intense, it is recorded, that a Fourth of July celebration in Cincinnati was conducted by each party separately. Finally Thomas Worthington, the state Republican leader, filed charges with President Jefferson against Governor St. Clair attacking not only his official conduct but also his integrity. Through the persistent efforts of Thomas Worthington, Nathaniel Massie and Edward Tiffin an act was passed in the United States Congress, on April 30, 1802, enabling the people of Ohio to form a constitution and state government, and on November 1st of that year a constitutional convention met in Chillicothe. That convention prepared the first state constitution in the short space of twenty-five days. Governor St. Clair was invited to address the convention and took advantage of this opportunity to declare his opposition to the formation of the state and to criticize the administration at Washington. For this arrogance he was removed from the position of Governor by President Jefferson, and Charles W. Byrd, then Secretary of the Territory, served as Governor until the state was formed.

The constitution framed by the first constitutional convention at Chillicothe served the people of Ohio for more than fifty years. It was never submitted to the people but was drawn up and adopted by the convention itself, yet able lawyers have characterized it as a sound and practical instrument of organic law. Even at this day the

only criticism that can be made of it is that it provided no check whatever upon the legislative power and that it gave the governor no right to veto. Its restriction of the governor's powers, however, was inspired by the experience which the people had had with Governor St. Clair. A copy of the constitution was forwarded to Washington, and by an act of Congress, approved February 19, 1803, Ohio became a recognized state of the Union. It was the Seventeenth in the order of admission and sixteen had larger populations.

The first constitution of the state of Ohio specified that no property qualification was necessary for a man to become a member of the Legislature and that the Legislature should meet yearly. The governor might be reelected twice, but he had no veto power, nor, in fact, anything to do with the business of the Legislature. The governor and all other civil officers were liable to impeachment by the House of Representatives and were subject to trial by the Senate, but the sole punishment prescribed was dismissal from office. The elective franchise was conferred upon all white male citizens of the age of twenty-one years, and in this respect the state of Ohio when admitted to the Union was in advance of all the Eastern and Southern states.

Pursuant to the new constitution, on the 2nd of January, 1803, an election was held to choose a governor and members of the Legislature. Edward Tiffin of Chillicothe was the gubernatorial candidate of the Republicans. The Federalists wished to put forward St. Clair, but he issued an address to the people declining to permit his name to be used as a candidate. The result was the almost unanimous election of Tiffin. The returns of the election give 4,565 as the total number of votes cast, of which Tiffin received 4,564. The explanation of this apparent landslide to Tiffin is that the Federals generally declined to vote.

According to the census the population of Ohio in 1800 was 42,000 and it is estimated that when admitted to the Union there were not more than 45,000 people in the state.

The first State Legislature of Ohio met at Chillicothe, March 1, 1803. Nathaniel Massie was elected Speaker of the Senate and Michael Baldwin Speaker of the House. The first constitution made

no provision for a Lieutenant-Governor. State officers were appointed by the Legislature under the constitution as follows: Secretary of State, William Creighton, Jr.; Auditor of State, Thomas Gibson; Treasurer of State William McFarland; Judges of Supreme Court, Samuel Huntington, William Sprague and Return J. Meigs, Jr., Thomas Worthington and John Smith were elected United States Senators from Ohio. The state at that time had one member of Congress, all its population demanded.

The first Ohio Legislature passed only a few bills, confining itself to the ordinary necessities of a new state. It created courts of law, passed election laws, fixed salaries, made the necessary appropriations and organized a few counties.

The second General Assembly convened at Chillicothe, December 5, 1803, with Nathaniel Massie President of the Senate and Elias Langham Speaker of the House. All territorial laws relating to the militia were repealed and replaced by state laws. Provision was made for dividing the state into counties and for the systematic collection of taxes. This Assembly gave aliens the same proprietory rights as citizens and enacted much meritorious legislation, but the effort to change territorial laws to state laws was not speedily successful and the Third General Assembly took a vigorous hold on the question, revised the whole system and gave the state a complete code of statute laws.

Although the constitution gave the governor very limited powers, Governor Tiffin undoubtedly exerted a great influence on legislation during his term of office. He possessed a genius for administration, had the fullest confidence of his party, and being the first governor of the state had greater opportunities to display his statesmanship and executive ability than any of his successors have had. Upon him and the General Assemblies which met during his terms of office devolved the responsibility of organizing the new state and framing laws to suit formative conditions, and, so far as the governor was concerned, that responsibility could not have been intrusted to better hands. He had a complete knowledge of the wants and resources of the new state, and his public acts, without exception, indicate that he was governed by an unselfish and patriotic ambition to supply the

needs and develop the resources of the state. He held decided views on politics, was an ardent Jeffersonian and an uncompromising AntiFederalist, but in his administration of state affairs his record is that of a statesman and not of a mere politician.

Edward Tiffin was born at Carlisle, England, June 19, 1766, and his boyhood days were spent in his native city. He emigrated to America when he was eighteen years of age, entered the University of Pennsylvania where he took the medical course, obtained his degree and settled in Berkeley, Virginia, to practice his profession. There he spent several years as a quiet country doctor.

After the Treaty of Greenville which resulted from the victories of Gen. Anthony Wayne over the Indians, the rich new territory of Ohio became attractive to settlers, and, like many others, Dr. Tiffin was attracted to the new territory. Many Virginians were settling in the Scioto Valley, in which the new settlement of Chillicothe was planted and in 1797 Edward Tiffin settled in that village. There he continued the practice of his profession where he was successful both professionally and financially. In the course of his practice he traveled over many miles of country and in that way became acquainted with the people generally, which in some degree accounts for his popularity in after years. He held very decided views on politics, was an uncompromising disciple of Jefferson and a strong anti-Federalist.

In 1799 the people of the Northwest Territory established a legislative form of government, and, in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance of 1787, elected a Legislature. Dr. Tiffin was sent as a representative from Chillicothe and upon the assembling of the first Territorial Legislature at Cincinnati, he was unanimously chosen Speaker of the House of Representatives. That position he held until Ohio became a state and in the discharge of his duties exhibited that ability and gained that public experience which afterwards fitted him to be Governor.

When the first Constitutional Convention of Ohio met in 1802, Edward Tiffin was elected its president where he still further attracted the attention of the people and became so universally popular that he was elected Governor of the state in 1803 without opposition. He was reelected in 1805, also without opposition and in 1807 declined

a third term which he could have had for the asking. It was during his second term as Governor that he aided in suppressing the conspiracy of Aaron Burr and his prompt and vigorous methods on that occasion brought him a letter of thanks from President Jefferson. In 1807 he was elected United States Senator from Ohio and while in the Senate was able to secure much valuable legislation for his state. He was the first to obtain appropriations for the Ohio River and a bill providing for the surveying of public lands was also carried through by his efforts. He resigned from the Senate in March, 1809, because of the death of his wife and decided to retire into private life. But notwithstanding his desire to remain a private citizen the rest of his days he was elected to the State Legislature where he was unanimously elected Speaker of the House. After this he was appointed Commissioner of the Land Office. He was the first to hold that position and performed much valuable service in systematizing the surveys and the claims relating to public lands. He was in Washington in 1814 when the city was burned by the British and was the only department officer who saved the papers of his office. As these related to land grants and surveys they were of the utmost importance, but they were easily carried into security because of the compact and systematic form in which they were kept. His last public office was that of Surveyor General of the West, which he held under the administrations of four presidents, namely, Madison, Monroe, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. He died in Chillicothe, August 9, 1829. It is worthy of note that Edward Tiffin was a man of strong religious and moral convictions. He was reared an Episcopalian but in 1790 joined the Methodist Church and became a local preacher under Bishop Francis Asbury. Upon his entry into the church he manumitted his slaves.

During the first year of Governor Tiffin's regime occurred an event of vast importance to Ohio and to the Union-the purchase of Louisiana by the United States in the year 1803. Nothing more beneficial to Ohio occurred during the first era of her history as a state. It opened up a large and valuable territory to her commerce in which she had previously been restricted. Her citizens were not able to take entire advantage of this situation until the admission of Louis