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FIRST GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF INDIANA.
I became acquainted with Governor Jennings
during the first sale of town lots in Indianapolis in
October, 1821; from that time up to his death I met him
frequently. In July, 1832, I was employed by the late
Judge James Morrison, who was at that time Secretary of
State, to bear to the Governor, at his residence in
Clarke county, his commission and instructions from
President Jackson to treat with the Pottawatomie and
Miami Indians for their lands in Northern Indiana and
Southern Michigan.
I arrived at his residence, three miles west
of Charlestown, on Saturday afternoon. I found him
sitting on his portico, reading. He at once recognized
me, and, after his usual "How do you do?" and welcome,
after reading the papers of which I was bearer, he
requested me to remain with him over Sabbath, which I
did. During the day he brought pen, ink and paper, and
requested me to write my name, then his, and asked me
how I would like to accompany him to the treaty ground
in September. Said he, "I will make you my private
secretary; it will be money in your pocket."
I at once accepted his kind offer and kept
myself in readiness to join him when he should arrive en
route for the treaty ground, which was at the forks of
the Wabash, near where the city of Huntington is
situated. He was also joined at this place by General
James P. Drake, Alexander F. Morrison, Arthur St. Clair,
Bazil Brown and other personal friends.
Our route lay through the wilderness, and we
had to camp out two nights. The Governor requested me
to act as commissary. It was during these few weeks
with Governor Jennings that I learned much of his
simplicity of character and kindness of heart.
The associate commissioners were Dr. John W.
Davis, of Sullivan county, and Mark Crume, of Fayette.
During the preliminary council Dr. Davis, who was a
pompous, big-feeling man, said something that gave
offense to Obanoby, one of the head chiefs of the
Pottawatomies. The chief addressed Governor Jennings,
saying: "Does our great father intend to insult us by
sending such men to treat with us? Why did he not send
Generals Case and Tipton? You (pointing to the
Governor) good man, and know how to treat us. (Pointing
to Crume): He chipped beef for the squaws at Wabash
(meaning that Crume was the beef contractor at the
treaty of 1826. Then pointing to Dr. Davis, said): Big
man and damned fool." The chief then spoke a few words
to the Pottawatomies present, who gave one of their
peculiar yells and left the council house, and could
only be induced to return after several days, and then
only through the great influence of Governor Jennings
with them and the interpreters and traders.
At this treaty a large portion of the northern
part of Indiana was ceded to the United States, and I
believe it was the last official act of Governor
Jennings. In executive ability he had but few equals.
He possessed, in an extraordinary degree, the
confidence of the people, and in political life could
command the earnest and enthusiastic support of devoted
friends, his main forte being his genial and bland
manner, a warm shake of the hand, a smile and pleasant
word for all whom he met.
During the Presidential term of James Monroe,
John C. Calhoun was Secretary of War. He and the
Governor had been intimate friends when the Governor was
a delegate in Congress. He wished the Secretary to send
him some ordnance for the protection of the State. The
order he couched in this laconic way:
These were the guns used in saluting General Lafayette, when he visited Indiana in the summer of 1824.
Governor Jennings was
twice married, but had no children. In height he was
about five feet nine inches, would weigh about one
hundred and eighty pounds, was of rotund form without
corpulency, had round, smooth features, a mild blue eye,
fluid complexion and light hair.
Jonathan Jennings, the
first Governor of Indiana, was born in Rockbridge
county, State of Virginia, in 1784. His father, Rev.
Jacob Jennings, a Presbyterian minister, emigrated from
New Jersey to Virginia at the close of the Revolutionary
war, and thence removed to Fayette county, Pennsylvania,
about the year 1790. His early life was spent on his
father's farm on Dunlap's creek, where he acquired a
common school education. At a suitable age, he was sent
to the grammar school of the Rev. John McMillin, D. D.,
at Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania. Having availed himself of
the advantages of this school in obtaining a knowledge
of the Latin and Greek languages, and of mathematics, he
commenced the study of law, and before being admitted to
practice emigrated to the Indiana territory. Proceeding
to Vincennes, he obtained employment as a clerk in the
office of Nathaniel Ewing, receiver of public money at
that place, and during the intervals of service as clerk
progressed with his law studies. At the election for a
delegate to Congress from the Indiana territory, in the
year 1809, Jennings was elected after an exciting
canvass with an able and popular competitor. He was
re-elected and served as delegate in Congress until
1816. In a letter ot the citizens of the territory,
July 27, 1813, he informed them that the general
government had authorized the raising of four additional
companies of rangers for the protection of the frontier.
On the 14th of December, 1815, he presented the
memorial of the territorial Legislature praying Congress
to order an election of members to a convention to form
a constitution, and State government for Indiana. This
was referred to a committee of which he was chairman,
and on the 5th of January, 1816, he reported a bill to
enable the people to form a constitution and State
government. To this convention he was elected a
representative from the county of Clarke, and at the
assembling of the convention, June 1, 1816, was chosen
its president. The able manner in which the duties of
that convention were performed is exhibited in the
ordinances and constitution adopted. The old
constitution is of itself a monument to the projectors.
This year, 1816, Mr. Jennings was elected first
Governor of Indiana, a brave and gallant officer of the
Revolution. His first message to the Legislative
Assembly was delivered November 7, 1816, in which he
recommended the enactment of laws for the promotion of
morals, the prevention of crime, trial and punishment of
criminals, the dissemination of useful knowledge, a plan
of education as prescribed by the constitution, a law to
prevent unlawful seizur of persons of color legally
entitled to their freedom. At this first session of the
Legislature a code of laws was enacted suited to the
wants of the people. The members of the Assembly being
from different States of the Union, and bringing with
them prejudices as diversified as the laws and
localities from whence they came, exhibited much zeal
and temper in the transaction of legislative business.
To reconcile conflicting opinions, and allay factious
opposition, required tact and prudence of no ordinary
character, and to Jonathan Jennings muh is due for the
accomplishment of this object.
The laws enacted by the
Assembly in 1816 were accepted and approved by the
people, and Indiana emerged from a territorial to a
State government, under bright auspices. During the
first term as Governor Mr. Jennings was appointed a
commissioner to treat with the Indians, and was mainly
instrumental in procuring the relinquishment of Undian
title to the lands in this Sate known as the "New
Purchase." His acceptance and discharge of the duties
of this appointment was deemed incompatible with the
exercise of his duties as Governor under the
constitution of the State, and it was asserted that he
had forfeited his commission as Governor. The
Lieutenant Governor claimed to be, ex-officio, the
executive of the State, and much excitement prevailed at
the capital. The succeeding Legislature decided the
question, and recognized Jennings as the proper
Governor. At the second election, in 1819, he had little
opposition, and succeeded by a large majority. His
messages to the General Assembly during the six
gubernatorial years are able State papers; valuable to
the politician on account of the peculiar crisis in the
monetary affairs of the country, which they cover, and
commendable for the watchfulness and care manifested for
the interests and prosperity of the State. They are in
the archives of the State, and too voluminous to append
to this notice. The constitution of the State limited
the office of Governor to two successive terms, and in
1822 Mr. Jennings was again returned to Congress by the
voters of the Second Congressional District of Indiana.
This district he continued to represent until 1831. At
the Presidential contest in 1824 he cast his own vote
and the vote of the State in the House of
Representatives for Andrew Jackson, and throughout his
service as Representative in Congress adhered to and
voted with the Democratic party. The canvass for
Congress in 1831 terminated against him. He was beaten
by a small majority. On the 14th day of July, 1832, he
was commissioned, with John W. Davis and Mark Crume, as
commissioner to treat with the Miami and Pottawatomie
Indians, for all the Indian lands in the State of
Indiana, and for the relinquishment of the Pottawatomie
title to all lands in Michigan. The commissioners,
after much difficulty and several councils with the
Indians, succeeded in making treaties by which the
Indian title was extinguished to all lands in this Sate,
and by which the Indians agreed to remove to lands
provided for them west of the Missouri river. This
commission terminated the public services of Jonathan
Jennings. After leaving Congress he was frequently
urged to become a candidate for the State Legislature
and could have been elected almost by acclamation but he
declined these solicitations without assigning a cause.
He died on his farm, about three miles west of
Charlestown, Clarke county, Indiana, in the year 1834
and was buried in the old graveyard in Charlestown.
Governor Jennings
possessed thorough knowledge of the history and politics
of our country. His contest for delegate in Congress at
the first election, the subsequent contest for his seat
on the floor of the House of Representatives, the
official influence and personal exertions of the
Governor of the territory against him at the succeeding
election, his entrance on the political field at a
period when many of our Revolutionary worthies and
statesmen were still in the meridian of their usefulness
and their honors, and his personal association with
Messrs. Clay, Pinckney, Calhoun and others of high
distinction, all contributed to make him an able
statesman and politician. His personal popularity at
home in his own State has scarce a precedent. Free,
open and generous, he was fond of social enjoyment, and
cared little for money beyond the present use, and with
a true heart for a friend and open hand for the
distressed and needy, he died poor in this world's
goods.
During his gubernatorial
term the revenue of the State was deficient, and resort
was had to a loan from the Bank of Vincennes, then the
State Bank of Indiana, and in order to meet the payment
of the loan the Legislature passed an act authorizing
the reception of the paper of the bank and branches for
taxes. In the meantime the bank transferred the State
obligations to the United States in part for a debt due
the government, and suspended payment on her notes,
which became entirely worthless. The consequence to the
State of Indiana was a full treasury of depreciated,
worthless paper, and not a cent to pay ordinary
expenses. A resort was had to treasury notes; then also
depreciated, and the salary of the Governor, fixed at
one thousand dollars, was paid in treasury notes worth
about six hundred dollars. The amount of salary thus
paid was insufficient for the support of a private
family and greatly below the requirements of the
hospitality of a Wester Governor, and especially for the
liberal hospitality of Governor Jennings. His
expenditures whilst Governor were more than double the
salary and involved him in debts from which
after-exertion did not relieve him. The early settlers
of Indiana were generally poor; they entered their
homesteads at two dollars per acre and made on payment.
Their privations and difficulties prevented their
securing the second payment and their lands became
forfeited for the failure. In this crisis, when their
earthly comfort and happiness to the exertions of Mr.
Jennings in this their trial hour. He was not only
their representative in Congress, but neighbor, friend,
brother.
Governor Jennings [page
60]
Nowland, John H. B., Sketches of Prominent Citizens
of 1876, with a Few of the Pioneers of the City and
County Who Have Passed Away, A Sequel to “Early
Reminiscences of Indianapolis.” 1820-’76, c. 1877,
Indianapolis, Tilford & Carlon, Printers., p. 55-
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