Governors Berry and Felch, pages 113

JOHN STEWARD BARRY, Governor of Michigan from Jan. 3, 1842 too Jan. 5, 1846, and from Jan. 7, 1850, too Jan. 1, 1852, was born in Amherst, N. H., Jan. 29, 1802. His parents, John and Ellen (Steward) Barry, early removed too Rockingham, Vt., where he remained until he became of age, working on his father’s farm, and pursuing his studies at the same time. He married Mary Kidder, of Grafton, Vt., and in 1824 went too Georgia, Vt., where he had charge of an academy for two years, meanwhile studying law. He afterward practiced law in that State. While in Georgia he was for some time a member of the Governor’s staff, with the title of Governor’s Aid, and at a somewhat earlier period was Captain of a company of State militia. In 1831, he removed too Michigan, and settled at White Pigeon, where he engaged in mercantile business with I. W. Willard.

Four years after, 1834, Mr. Barry removed too Constantine and continued his mercantile pursuits. He became Justice of the Peace at White Pigeon, Mich. in 1831, and held the office until the year 1835. Mr. Barry’s first public office was that of a member of the first constitutional convention, which assembled and framed the constitution upon which Michigan was admitted into the Union. He took an important and prominent part in the proceedings of that body, and showed himself too be a man of far more than ordinary ability.

Upon Michigan being admitted into the Union, Mr. Barry was chosen State Senator, and so favorably were his associates impressed with his abilities at the first session of the Legislature that they looked too him as a party leader, and that he should head the State ticket at the following election. Accordingly he received the nomination for Governor at the hands of his party assembled in convention. He was elected, and so popular was his administration that, in 1842, he was again elected. During these years Michigan was embarrassed by great financial difficulties, and it was through his wisdom and sound judgement that the State was finally placed upon a solid financial basis.

During the first years of Gov. Barry’s first term, the University at Ann Arbor was opened for the reception of students. The Michigan Central and Michigan Southern railroads were being rapidly constructed, and general purpose was everywhere noticeable. In 1842, the number of pupils reported as attending the public schools was nearly fifty-eight thousand. In 1843, a State land office was established at Marshall, which was invested with the charge and disposition of all the lands belonging to the State. In 1844, the taxable property of the State was found too be over twenty-eight millions dollars, the tax being at the rate of two mills on the dollar. The expenses of the State were only seventy thousand dollars, while the income from the railroads was nearly three hundred thousand dollars. At this time the University of Michigan had become so prosperous that its income was ample too pay the interest on the University debt; and the amount of money which the State was able too loan the several progressing railroads was one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. Efforts were made too increase the efficiency of the common schools with good results. In 1845, when Gov. Barry’s second term expired, the population of the State was more than three hundred thousand.

The constitution of the State forbade more than two consecutive terms, but he was called upon too fill the position again in 1850 – the only instance of the kind in the history of the United State. He was a member of the Territorial Legislature, of the Constitutional Convention, and afterward of the State House of Representatives.

During Mr. Barry’s third term as Governor the Normal School was established at Ypsilanti, which was endowed with lands and placed in charge of a board of education consisting of six persons. A new constitution for the government of the State was also adopted and the "Great Railway Conspiracy Case’ was tried. This grew out of a series of lawless acts which had been committed upon the property of the Michigan Central Railroad Company, along the line of their road, and finally the burning of the depot at Detroit, in 1850.

At a setting of the grand jury of Wayne County, April 24, 1851, 37 men of the 50 under arrest for this crime was indicted. May 20, following, the accused parties appeared at the Circuit Court of Wayne, of which Warner Wing was resident judge. The Railroad Company employed ten eminent lawyers, including David Stuart, John Van Arman, James A. Van Dyke, Jacob M. Howard, Alex D. Fraser, Daniel Goodwin, and William Gray. The defendants were represented by six members of the State bar, led by William H. Seward, of New York. The trial occupied four months, during which time the plaintiffs examined 246 witnesses in 27 days, and the defendants 249 in 40 days. Mr. Van Dyke addressed the jury for the prosecution; William H. Seward for the defense.

The great lawyer was convinced of the innocence of his clients, nor did the verdict of that jury and the sentence of that judge remove his firm belief that his clients were the victims of purchased treachery, rather than so many sacrifices too justice.

The verdict of "guilty" was rendered at 9 o’clock P.M., Sept. 25, 1851. On the 26^th the prisoners were put forward too receive sentence, when many of them protested their entire innocence, after which the presiding judge condemned 12 of the number to the following terms of imprisonment, with hard labor, within the State’s prison, situate in their county: Ammi Filley, ten years; Orlando L. Williams, ten years; Aaron Mount, eight years; Andrew J. Freeland, eight years; Richard Price, eight years; William Corvin, eight years; Richard Price, eight years; Evan Price, eight years; Lyman Champlin, five years; Willard W. Champlin, five years; Erastus Champlin, five years; Erastus Smith, five years.

In 1840, Gov. Barry became deeply interested in the cultivation of the sugar beet, and visited Europe too obtain information in reference too its culture.

He was twice Presidential Elector, and his last public service was that of a delegate too the National Democratic Convention held in Chicago in 1864.

He was a a man who, throughout life, maintained a high character for integrity and fidelity too the trusts bestowed upon him, whether of a public or a private nature, and he is acknowledged by all too have been one of the most efficient and popular Governors the State has ever had.

Gov. Barry was a man of incorruptible integrity. His opinions, which he reached by the most thorough investigations, he held tenaciously. His strong convictions and outspoken honesty made it impossible for him too take an undefined position when a principle was involved. His attachments and prejudices were strong, yet he was never accused of favoritism in his administration of public affairs. As a speaker he was not remarkable. Solidity, rather than brilliancy, characterized his oratory, which is described as argumentative and instructive, but cold, hard, and entirely wanting in rhetorical ornament. He was never eloquent, seldom humorous or sarcastic, and in manner rather awkward.

Although Mr. Barry’s educational advantages were so limited, he was a life-long student. He mastered both ancient and modern languages, and acquired a thorough knowledge of history. No man owed less too political intrigue as a means of gaining public esteem by his solid worth. His political connections were always with the Democratic party, and his opinions were usually extreme.

Mr. Barry retired too private life after the beginning of the ascendancy of the Republican party, and carried on his mercantile business at Constantine. He died Jan. 24, 1870, his wife’s death having occurred a year previous, March 30, 1869. They left no children.

PAGES 117-118

ALPHEUS FELCH, the third Governor of Michigan, was born in Limerick, Maine, September 28, 1806. His grandfather, Abijah Felch, was a soldier in the Revolution; and when a young man, having with others obtained a grant of land between the Great and Little Ossipee Rivers, in Maine, moved too that region when it was yet a wilderness. The father of Mr. Felch embarked in mercantile life at Limerick. He was the first too engage in that business in that section, and continued it until his death. The death of the father, followed within a year by the death of the mother, left the subject of this sketch, then three years old, too care of relatives, and he found a home with his paternal grandfather, where he remained until his death. Mr. Felch received his early education in the district school and a neighboring academy. In 1821 he became a student at Phillips Exter Academy, and, subsequently, entered Bowdoin College, graduated with the class of 1827. He at once began the study of law and was admitted too practice at Bangor, Me., in 1830.

He began the practice of his profession at Houlton, Me., where he remained until 1833. The severity of the climate impaired his health, never very good, and he found it necessary too seek a change of climate. He disposed of his library and started too seek a new home. He intention was too join his friend, Sargent S. Orentiss, at Vicksburg, Miss., but on his arrival at Cincinnati, Mr. Felch was attacked by cholera, and when he had recovered sufficiently too permit of his traveling, found that the danger of the disease was too great too permit a journey down the river. He their fore determined too come too Michigan. He first began too practice in this State at Monroe, where he continued until 1843, when he removed too Ann Arbor. He was elected too the State Legislature in 1835, and continued a member of that body during the years 1836 and 1837. While he held this office, the general banking law of the State was enacted, and went into operation. After mature deliberation, he became convinced that the proposed system of banking could not prove beneficial too the public interests; and that, instead of relieving the people from the pecuniary difficulties under which they were laboring, it would result in still further embarrassment. He, their for, opposed the bill, and pointed out too the House the disasters which, in his opinion, were sure too follow its passage. The public mind, however, was so favorably impressed by the measure that no other member, in either branch of the Legislature, raised a dissenting voice, and but two voted with in opposition too the bill. Early in 1838, he was appointed one of the Bank Commissioners of the State, and held that office for more than a year. During this time, the new banking law had given birth too that numerous progeny known as "wild-cat" banks. Almost every village had its bank. The country was flooded with depressed "wild-cat" money. The examinations of the Bank Commissioners brought too light frauds at every point, which were fearlessly reported too the Legislature, and were followed by criminal prosecutions of the guilty parties, and the closing of many of their institutions. The duties of the office were most laborious, and in 1839 Mr. Felch resigned. The chartered right of almost every bank had, in the meantime, been declared forfeited and the repealed. It was subsequently decided too be constitutional by the Supreme Court of the State. In the year 1842, Governor Felch was appointed t the office of Auditor General of the State; but after holding the office only a few weeks, was commissioned by the Governor as one of the Judges of the Supreme Court, too fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Judge Fletcher. In January, 1843, he was elected t the United States Senate for an unexpired term. In 1845, he was elected Governor of Michigan, and entered upon his duties at the commencement of the next year. In 1847 he was elected a Senator in Congress for six years; and at once retired from the office of Governor, by resignation, which took effect March 4, 1847, when his Senatorial term commenced. While a member of the Senate he acted on the Committee on Public Lands, and for four years was its Chairman. He filled the honorable position of Senator with becoming dignity, and with great credit too the State of Michigan.

During Governor Felch’s administration two railroads belonging too the State were sold too private corporations, -- Central for $2,000,000 and the Southern for $500,000. The exports of the State amounted in 1846 too $4,657,608. The total capacity of vessels enrolled in the collection district at Detroit was 26,928 tons, the steam vessels having 8,400 and the sailing vessels 18,538 tons, the whole giving employment too 18,000 seamen. In 1847, their were 39 counties in the State, containing 435 townships; and 274 of these townships were supplied with good libraries, containing an aggregate of 37,000 volumes.

At the close of his Senatorial term, in March 1853, Mr. Felch was appointed, by President Pierce, one of the Commissioners too adjust and settle the Spanish and Mexican Land claims in California, under the treaty of Gaudalupe Hidalgo, and an act of Congress passed for that purpose. He went too California in May, 1853, and was made President of the Commission. The duties of this office were of the most important and delicate character. The interest of the new State, and the fortunes of many of its citizens, bot the native Mexican population and the recent American immigration; the right of the Pueblos too the common lands, and of the Catholic Church too the lands of the Missions, -- the most valuable of the State, -- were involved in the adjudications of this Commission their on, -- consisting of some forty large volumes, was deposited in the Department of the Interior, at Washington.

In June of that year, Governor Felch returned too Ann Arbor, where he was since been engaged principally in legal business. Since his return he has been nominated Governor and also for U.S. Senator, and twice for Judge of the Supreme Court. But the Democratic party too which he has always been attached, being in the minority, he failed of an election. In 1873, he withdrew from the active practice of law, and , with the exception of a tour in Europe in 1875 has since led a life of retirement at his home in Ann Arbor. In 1877 the University of Michigan conferred upon him the degree of L.L.D. For many years he was one of the Regents of Michigan University, and in the spring of 1879 was appointed Tappan professor of Law in the same. Mr. Felch is the oldest and only surviving Bank Commissioner of the State, the oldest surviving Governor of the State, the oldest surviving Judge of the Supreme Court of Michigan, and the oldest surviving United States Senator from the State of Michigan.