Randolph County, Missouri - Chapter 5: Admission and Organization of State, 1920

Chapter 5: Admission and Organization of State

The Territorial Legislature convened in December, 1818 and at this session which continued into 1819, application was made by this legislature that Missouri Territory be admitted into the Union as a state. Slavery existed generally in the territory at that time and the presentation of this application for admission, fanned into flame the slavery question, not only in Congress, but throughout the states of the Union and for the next three years the "Missouri Question" was the bone of contention, the absorbing political theme. Finally by an act of Congress, concurred in by both House and Senate on February 28, 1821, Missouri was admitted on conditions. At a special session of the Legislature held at St. Charles in June following, assent was given to the conditions of admission and thereafter, on August 10, 1821, President Monroe by proclamation announced the admission of Missouri into the Union as a State.

At the time Missouri was so admitted, its territory was divided into twenty-seven counties, and by subdividing later, we now have one hundred counties within the state as admitted, and six others organized within the Platte purchase, and added to the State in 1833, and the city of St. Louis which is a county, making a total of one hundred and fifteen counties. Any reader, curious to know, may trace the trend of the set-

Prior to the admission of Missouri as a state, a convention to frame a constitution was assembled on July 19, 1820; a constitution was framed and adopted in anticipation of admission as a state. One provision of this organic law proved to be distasteful to Congress, and by the terms of the Missouri Compromise, Missouri was to be admitted upon condition that this objectionable feature of its constitution be eliminated, which was accordingly done, as we have seen in a preceding paragraph.

This constitution provided that an election be held on August 28, 1820 to elect a governor, and other state officers, members of the General Assembly, county officers. United States Senators and a member of Congress. Alexander McNair was elected governor, a total of 9,132 votes being cast. John Scott was elected to Congress and other state and county officers were voted for and elected throughout the territory.

The General Assembly so elected in August, met on Sept. 19, 1820 and after organizing by their votes elected David Barton and Thomas H. Benton to the United States Senate. Mathias McGirk, John D. Cook, and John R. Jones were appointed judges of the Supreme Court, each to hold office until he reached the age of 60 years. When the territory a year later finally became the State of Missouri, these state and county officers had already been installed in office and when Congress convened in December, 1821, these senators and the representatives were sworn in and became members.

Thus it came about that Alexander McNair became the first governor of Missouri, and Mathias McGirk, John D. Cook and John R. Jones the first judges of the Supreme Court and David Barton and Thomas H. Benton the first United States Senators from the State of Missouri.

Both of these senators were men of ability, and served their State, and the nation as well with fidelity. David Barton served for ten years, and was succeeded by Alexander Buckner. Senator Benton served thereafter continuously for thirty years, until 1850.

Both Barton and Benton were men of ability, Benton, especially so, and during this long service ranked in the Senate as one of its ablest members. He was not possesed of the peronal charm nor persuasive oratory of Henry Clay, nor the overpowering eloquence of Daniel Webster, but in practical statesmanship, he was probably the superior of either of them.

Governors Of Missouri United States Senators From Missouri

As we have seen Randolph County was a part of Howard County auring the territorial dayis ^roxn 1816 uirtil 1820. Chariton County was organized in 1820 and therefore until 1829 Randolph County was a part of Chariton County. After Missouri was admitted as a state the first representative to the General Assembly from Chariton County was Hon. George Burckhartt, who resided about six miles and a half from'Huntsville in the now county of Randolph. Mr. Burckhartt was reelected in 1824 and again in 1826, and was afterward twice elected to the General Assembly from Randolph County.