CHAPTER XLIX DETROIT MEN IN PUBLIC LIFE BY WILLIAM STOCKING DETROIT MEN IN PUBLIC LIFE-NEW ENGLAND'S CONTRIBUTIONS DURING THE FORMATIVE PERIOD-MEN WHO ESTABLISHED THE CHARACTER OF THE NEW COMMONWEALTH-DISTINGUISHED GOVERNORS AND EMINENT JUDGES A LONG LINE OF UNITED STATES SENATORS FROM DETROIT-A FEW CABINET OFFICERS AND FOREIGN MINISTERS. Many of the activities of the Michigan men who were most prominent in public life are recounted in other chapters of this publication, but the men themselves may properly be grouped in this chapter. The most striking fact about the history of the state in its formative period is the great preponderance of men of New England birth. In 1823 when representative government first took form the governor, the territorial secretary, all four of the supreme court judges and more than half of the territorial council were from that section. The two men, Cass and Chandler, who were successively the dominant figures in Michigan politics from 1813 to 1879, were from one little corner of New Hampshire. Every New England state furnished Michigan with one or more governors and eleven United States senators had their birthplace in the same prolific area. The career of General Cass occupies first place in the early history of the state. He was born at Exeter, New Hampshire, October 9, 1782. He started for the Northwest Territory in 1801, crossed the Alleghany Mountains on foot, studied law in Marietta, Ohio, and practiced there and in Zanesville till 1812, when, as colonel of the Third Ohio Militia, he accompanied General Hull's army to Michigan. He was appointed governor of the territory in 1813, and held that office for eighteen years. As governor he promoted the security and expansion of the settlements in the Northwest by Indian treaties, made wide journeys of exploration, inaugurated a comprehensive system of territorial roads and promoted the adoption of representative government in territory, county and town. He was secretary of war in President Jackson's cabinet, 1831-6; minister to France, 1836-42; United States senator, 1845-8 and 1849-57; democratic candidate for president in 1848 and might have had the same honor in 1856 but declined it. He was secretary of state in President Buchanan's cabinet, 1857-60. He was chairman of an immense union meeting in Detroit, April 24, 1861. The last act of his public life was to appear on the platform at a recruiting meeting in Hillsdale, August 13, 1862, and lift his voice once more for the preservation of the Union. The most intimate associate of Governor Cass in territorial affairs was William Woodbridge, who was born in Norwich, Connecticut, August 20, 1780. He followed his father to Marietta, Ohio, in 1791, and lived alternately in Connecticut and Ohio till 1806 when he was admitted to the bar in the latter state. He was a member of the Ohio assembly and senate, and prosecuting attorney of his county. He came to Michigan in 1819 as territorial secretary and ex-officio collector of customs and was the first delegate in congress from the territory. He cooperated with Governor Cass in promoting local self government and in securing the territorial roads. He was presiding justice of the territorial supreme court from 1828 till 1832, and was elected governor in 1839, the only whig governor ever chosen in this old democratic state. He was elected United States senator in 1840 by vote of the democrats and a few whigs who had bolted their party nominee, J. Wright Gordon. It was this event, together with the succession of two other governors to the senatorship during that period which led to the adoption in the constitution of 1850 of a clause which made the governor ineligible to any office or appointment from the legislature. Intimately associated with these executive officers in moulding the character of the young commonwealth were the judges of the supreme court. When the executive, legislative and judicial departments were separated in 1823 this court was reorganized. James Witherell was appointed chief justice; Solomon Sibley, John Hunt and James Duane Doty, associates. Judge Doty was assigned to remote parts of the territory. The other three were resident in Detroit, where they all took part in public affairs as well as performing their judicial duties. Judge Witherell had a varied career. He was born in Mansfield, Massachusetts, in 1759, enlisted as a private in the Revolutionary Army when sixteen years old and served through seven years of the war. He then settled in Connecticut, studied medicine, went to Vermont to practice, then took up the study of law, served on the bench, in the legislature and in Congress. In 1808 he was appointed one of the judges of Michigan territory and contributed to the unique history of the governor and judges' rule. When the War of 1812 broke out he took command of the local militia, known as the legion, as its colonel. He refused to surrender his command in compliance with the terms of Hull's capitulation, and told his men to disband and go home. He was, himself, taken prisoner and held till 1814 when he was paroled and returned to his judicial duties. His term as chief justice expired in 1828, when he became territorial secretary and continued in that office till the retirement of Governor Cass in 1831. Solomon Sibley was born in Sutton, Massachusetts, in 1769, and came to Detroit in 1797. Two years later he was elected to represent Wayne County in the general assembly of the Northwest Territory, and was largely instrumental in securing the act incorporating the town of Detroit in 1802. He was the first mayor after the town was incorporated as a city in 1806. He was auditor of the territory from 1814 to 1817, United States district attorney from 1815 to 1823, elected delegate in congress in 1821 and was a justice of the supreme court through four national administrations from 1824 to 1837. He was characterized as "one of the wisest and best men that ever lived in Michigan." The third supreme court justice, John Hunt, was a native of Massachusetts and came to Michigan in 1819. He was active in politics, especially in the exciting four cornered congressional campaign of 1823 when he was manager for Austin E. Wing, the successful candidate. He died in 1827 and was suc |