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Arthur St. Clair Letter to Judges Parsons and Varnum

Om74_1146999_032

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Title	Arthur St. Clair Letter to Judges Parsons and Varnum
Subject	Ohio Government Presidents and Politics Northwest Territory Justice--Administration of Judges Governors
Place	Northwest Territory
Description	This letter from Northwest Territory Governor Arthur St. Clair to Judges Parsons and Varnum dated July 23, 1788 asks an opinion of how much power the territorial governor should have over appointments of judges. St. Clair believed that he needed more; Parsons and Varnum believed that St. Clair needed less. The one-page letter measures 6" by 9" (16 by 23 cm) and is part of a larger collection of Arthur St. Clair letters that is owned by the State Library of Ohio and on permanent deposit at the Ohio Historical Society. Arthur St. Clair (1734-1818) was governor of the Northwest Territory and administrator of Indian affairs for the western territories from 1787 to 1802. St. Clair led an army against the American Indians, who threatened war after their land was given to the U. S. government without their authorization, in November 1791. St. Clair suffered a disastrous defeat, losing half of his men. In response, President George Washington appointed General Anthony Wayne to defeat the Indians, which he did in 1794 at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. St. Clair also had many disagreements with the territorial legislature. He supported the division of the territory into different states that would be admitted separately to the Union despite the opposition of members of the legislature, including Thomas Worthington, who wished to hasten Ohio's admission for statehood. In 1802, Worthington and others asked President Thomas Jefferson to dismiss St. Clair from office, which he did on November 22, thus clearing the way for the legislature to begin drafting Ohio's constitution. St. Clair retired to his home in Lingonier, Pennsylvania and died there in 1818.
Creator	St. Clair, Arthur, 1734-1818
Date of Original	July 23, 1788
Collection	Arthur St. Clair Papers
Source	Unpublished material (archives/manuscripts); MIC 96
Format	manuscripts
Submitting Institution	Ohio Historical Society
Rights	Online access is provided for research purposes only. For rights and reproduction requests or more information, go to http://www.ohiohistory.org/images/information
Type	Text
Date created	2010-10-19

Title	Om74_1146999_032
Rights	Online access is provided for research purposes only. For rights and reproduction requests or more information, go to http://www.ohiohistory.org/images/information
File Name	Om74_1146999_032.tif
Image Height	4436
Image Width	3106
File Size	4123.584 KB
Full Text	[written in another hand in corner]1788 [written in another hand] July 23 Fort Harmar July 23 d[superscript] 1788 Gent n.[superscript] In the Ordinance for the establishing [crossed out] the Government of the Territory of the U. S. N. W. of the Ohio I find this paragraph "Provides to the organization of the General Assembly the Governor shall appoint such Magistrates and other court officers in each County or Township as he shall find necessary for the preservation of the Peace and good order in the same: after the organization of [crossed out] General Assembly shall be organized the powers and duties of Magistrates and other court officers shall be regulated by [crossed out] the [crossed out] and defined by the said Assembly; but all Magistrates and other court officers, not herein otherwise directed, shall, during the - continuance of this temporary Government be appointed by the Governor" _ I am a little at a loss to determine the true construction of it _ that is how Congress designed the power and duties of these officers even to be defined and regulated previous to the organization of the Assembly You will oblige me Genl n. [superscript] if you will please to consider it and honour me with your Opinion upon it. I am with great Respect & esteem [illegible Abbreviated signature?] The honble Judge Parsons & Judge Varnum
Date created	2008-12-18

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Arthur St. Clair Letter to Judges Parsons and Varnum

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