272 HISTORY OF OHIO. 



him, from men, however contemptible in themselves, yet men 

 who carried along with them the rabble of New York, under 

 the name of republicanism; to see such a man standing among 

 us, after he had triumphed over all opposition, at home, and 

 had come here, to see the commencement of our canals, and to 

 encourage our people in their undertaking, was exhilerating to 

 the minds of our citizens. Its moral effect was greater, and 

 possibly of more importance than is now generally supposed. 



Had the Governor lived, until our Ohio and Erie canal had 

 been finished, arrangements would have been made, to an- 

 nounce the completion in the city of New York, as soon as sound 

 could carry the news there, from Portsmouth, on the Ohio river. 

 This was to have been done by placing cannon so near each 

 other, all they way from place to place that the sound of each 

 gun, would be heard by those who were stationed at the next 

 gun. Governor Clinton's death frustrated the design, inasmuch 

 as the state of New York, then fell under the dominion of her 

 own, and our worst political enemies. 



Mr. Clinton's labors have been so beneficial to this state, 

 that his history belongs to ours. No sooner was his death an- 

 nounced in the capitol of New York, the legislature being 

 then in session, than one of his worst enemies, then a member 

 of assembly, from Albany, perhaps, siezed that very moment, 

 to introduce resolutions into the house, expressive of a sorrow 

 for the event, which he certainly did not feel. He next intro- 

 duced a bill for the relief of Mr. Clinton's family, granting, by 

 the great and wealthy state of New York, the pitiful sum of ten 

 thousand dollars! The bill passed into a law, the money was 

 invested in the stock of insurance companies, in the city of 

 NeAv York. By the great fire in that city, the companies fail- 

 ed, and the family were left without a dollar in the world. 



When the news of Mr. Clinton's death reached Washington, 

 congress was in session, and the members from New York, 

 had a meeting on that occasion, at which general Stephen 

 Van Renselaer presided. The principal speaker at that meet- 

 ing, had a seat in the United States senate. Among other 

 things brought forward by this speaker, for the purpose of de- 



