Cyrus Griffin 10th President of the United States in Congress Assembled,
married nobility and supported the new US Constitution - A Stan Klos Biography
Cyrus Griffin
10th President of the United States
in Congress Assembled
January 22, 1788 to March 4, 1789
GRIFFIN, Cyrus, jurist, born in Farnham,
Richmond County, Virginia in 1749; died in Yorktown, Virginia, 14 December 1810. He was educated in England
studying law at the University of Edinburgh and at the Temple in London. While
in England Griffin courted nobility and married a Lady
Christhena, daughter of John Stuart, sixth Earl of
Traquair. He returned to Virginia and as a young lawyer gave early
adhesion to the patriot cause. Griffin was elected a member of the State house
of delegates in 1777, 1778, 1786, and 1787. , was a member of the Virginia legislature.
Cyrus Griffin was elected a delegate to the Continental Congress in
1778 and served until 1761. He was elected as a delegate to the United
States in Congress Assembled in 1787. On January 22, 1788 Griffin was
elected President of the United States in Congress Assembled serving until
the government's demise in 1789. The Chronology of his presidency is as
follows:
January 21
Convenes seven states represented. January 22
Elects Cyrus Griffin president. January
23-31 Fails to achieve quorum
February 1 Reviews backlog of
reports and letters. February 5 Receives
report on Massachusetts-New York boundary survey.
February 6-9 Fails to achieve quorum.
February 12 Authorizes secretary for foreign affairs to issue sea
letters. February 14 Sets date for
reception of new French minister, comte de Moustier.
February 19 Elects John Cleves Symmes judge
of the Northwest territory. February 25
Debates appointment job superintendent of Indian affairs for the southern
department. February 26 Holds
audience for comte de Moustier. February 28
Receives treasury report on foreign debt. February
29 Appoints Samuel Provost and John Rodgers chaplains of Congress,
and Richard Winn superintendent of Indian affairs for the southern department;
debates Kentucky statehood motion.
March 4
Debates Kentucky statehood in committee of the whole.
March 6
Receives reports on the claims of French settlers in the
Illinois
country and on the survey of western lands.
March 10-11
Fails to achieve quorum. March 12 Receives report on military bounty lands.
March 18 Receives communications on Indian affairs.
March 19 Debates western land ordinance amendment.
March 24-27 Debates western land ordinance amendment.
March 31 Fails to achieve quorum.
April 1-30
Fails to achieve quorum.
May 1
Fails to achieve quorum. May 2
Receives treasury report on proposed new Dutch loan, three war office reports
on Indian affairs, and ten communications from the secretary for foreign
affairs. May 5 Receives reports on western land issues.
May 8 Elects Jonathan Burrall and Benjamin Walker commissioners
for settling the accounts of the five wartime departments.
May 20 Authorizes fortnightly posts between
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
May 21
Receives treasury report on coinage.
May 22
Orders institution of suits to collect outstanding Continental accounts.
May 26 Receives treasury report on western land contracts and war
department report on settler violations of Cherokee treaty rights.
May 27-29 Debates western land ordinance amendment.
May 30
Debates Kentucky statehood in committee of the whole.
June 2
Receives committee of the whole report recommending Kentucky statehood.
June 3 Elects grand committee on
Kentucky statehood.
June 5 Fails to achieve quorum.
June 6
Authorizes survey of
New York;
Pennsylvania boundary preparatory to granting Pennsylvania greater access to
Lake Erie. June 9
Directs treasury to submit 1788--;89 fiscal estimates.
June 12 Receives report on land reserve for French settlers in the
Illinois country.
June 13 Responds to French protest against
Virginia's harboring a
French pirate. June 17 Receives war office report on manpower and recruitment.
June 18 Receives report opposing state inspection of the mails.
June 19 Debates western land ordinance amendment.
June 20 Elects Joseph Martin Continental agent to the Cherokees;
authorizes negotiation of western land contract with George Morgan associates.
June 24 Authorizes three-month extension of Continental claims.
June 25 Abolishes office of inspector of Continental troops.
June 27 Debates report on
Georgia--;Creek Indian affairs.
July 2
Debates western land ordinance amendment; receives notification of the
ratification of the Constitution by the ninth state (New Hampshire); appoints
committee "for putting the said constitution into operation."
July 3 Postpones action on
Kentucky statehood until
proceedings shall commence under the new Constitution.
July 7-8
Debates western land ordinance amendment.
July 9
Refers fiscal estimates to committee; adopts "supplement" to western
land ordinance. July 14
Debates report on implementing the Constitution.
July 15
Rejects terms of Georgia's western land cession, but accepts responsibility
for southwestern frontier defense.
July 17 Directs resumption of western land surveys; rejects
proposed Virginia
western land reserve for military bounties.
July 21
Receives report on Continental Army manpower needs.
July 25
Orders deployment of Continental troops to pacify Luzerne County, Pa.
July 28
Debates report on implementing the Constitution; rejects motion to establish
capital at Philadelphia.
July 30
Rejects motion to establish capital at New York.
August 1
Extends term of northern superintendent of Indian affairs.
August 4
Extends term of southern superintendent of Indian affairs.
August 5-6 Debates motions on the location of the capital.
August 7 Debates status of delegates from states that have not
ratified the Constitution. August
12 Plans
mobilization of frontier militia against western Indians.
August 13
Debates report on implementing the Constitution.
August 20
Adopts 1788 requisition. August 26
Debates report on implementing the Constitution; seeks Spanish cooperation for
apprehending fugitive slaves fleeing to
Florida.
August 28
Revises George Morgan associates western land contract.
August 29 Confirms land titles of French settlers in the
Illinois country.
September 1
Condemns settler encroachments on Cherokee lands.
September 2
Debates report on implementing the Constitution.
September 3 Reserves
Ohio lands of Christian
Delaware Indians; rejects motion to establish capital at Annapolis.
September 4
Debates report on implementing the Constitution; confirms land contract giving
Pennsylvania large tract bordering Lake Erie.
September 8
Receives John Jay report on
negotiations with Spain concerning the Mississippi question.
September 13 Adopts plan for implementing the Constitution.
September 16 Recommends that states ban importation of felons; directs
suspension of negotiations concerning the
Mississippi question.
September 18-24 Fails to achieve quorum. September 26-29 Fails to achieve quorum.
September 30
Receives report on treasury department inquiry. October 1 Rejects Silas Deane
settlement of Beaumarchais' accounts.
October 2
Receives report on war department inquiry.
October 6-7
Fails to achieve quorum. October 8
Receives communications on Indian relations in the western territory.
October 10
Suspends the work of the commissioners appointed to settle the states'
Continental accounts; adjourns what proves to be its final session under the
Articles of Confederation. October
13-16 Fails to
achieve quorum. October 21
November 1
Fails to achieve quorum. November 3
Assembles for the new federal year---;only two delegates attending.
November 15-
1789 March 2 Secretary Charles Thomson records occasional attendance of 17
additional delegates.
July 25,
Secretary Thomson delivers papers and records of the Confederation to new
federal government.
President's Griffin social status as US President in New York
was second to none under the Articles of Confederation. His office,
English education, and marriage to nobility solidified his status as the
pinnacle of society among his nation's legal elite. Lady
Christhena's state parties for foreign dignitaries were legendary. The Griffin's
set the benchmark for Presidential entertaining that wasn't surpassed until well
into the next century.
Some Authors on Griffin, who was the US President during the
ratification process, maintain that he was an anti-federalist. In
this April 7th, 1788 letter as President to he
congratulates James Madison, Father of the US Constitution, on his
election to Virginia's delegation to consider ratification of the Constitution:
My dear Sir,
... Rhode Island have in fact rejected the constitution; so that only eight
states can have adopted the system before the Session of Virginia. We all much
rejoiced to hear of your election, especially as your being present, we are
told, was absolutely necessary to counter- act some unwarrantable proceedings
...
At some convenient hour I hope you will give me your opinion upon the prospect
of the new-Constitution; the Elections now finished.
News papers enclosed. I am, my dear Sir, with the highest respect &
friendship, your obedient Servant,
C Griffin, President
On May 5th he writes Madison again stating:
Maryland has acceded to the proposed
Constitution by a great majority. Chase, Paca, Martin, and Mercer opposed it
with their utmost vigor and abilities, but with decency. South Carolina will
adopt the system very soon. The opposition in Virginia is much to be lamented
and in New York also; however from the present appearance of things I rather
incline to believe that in the course of 12 months we shall have the
Government in operation ...
Finally on May 26th with the Constitution's passage hanging in the balance
over New York and Virginia's indecisiveness Griffin writes to Madison:
The Courtiers are ridiculing our
situation very much, and say upon all occasions in a laughing manner that when
the united states shall assume some sort of Government then England will speak
out.
Gentlemen are perpetually calling to
know what will be the event of the Constitution in Virginia---;do, my kind
friend, at this particular crisis write to me from time to time that I may
give the best information upon the subject.
Clearly Griffin, a Virginian, in the 1788 pivotal role of President of the
United States in Congress Assembled not only supported the Constitution's
passage but feared for the nation's survival if the New Plan for The Federal
Government was not ratified. The Constitution was finally ratified and
President Griffin well into 1789 help eased the nation into this new form of
government as evidenced by this letter to Beverley Randolph:
March 9th. 1789.
I am honored by your excellency's letter of the 13th of Feby(1) only this
morning.
I did not understand that any person was appointed to come forward with the
accounts of the State against the united States, or most certainly myself
would not have been mentioned.(2) Colonel Davies is a man very proper to
answer the purpose, and I think will be found extremely useful. The Board of
Commissioners met on the 17th of January, and are now ready to act upon the
business of their destination.
I am favored also with the Returns of nine of the Representatives of Virginia
enclosed by your excellency, which I shall deliver to Colonel White, the only
member at present from that State. There are only eight Senators and 18
Representatives assembled---;a very unfortunate thing.
Be so kind to accept the enclosed papers, and to believe me with sincere
respect and attachment, Your excellency's most obedient Servant,
C Griffin
After the presidency Griffin was apoointed president of the Supreme Court of admiralty from its creation until its abolition, was commissioner to the Creek nation in 1789, and was judge of the
First Federal Appeals Court for the district of Virginia from December, 1789, until his death
in Yorktown on December 14, 1810. He is interred with his wife,
Lady Christhena, in
Bruton Churchyard, Williamsburg, Va.
JOHN GRIFFIN, son, born 1770 and in Philadelphia on Friday the
3d of August 1849, Judge , in the 79th year of his age. He was a man of
nobility, of fine education, and great intelligence and uprightness of
character. He received the appointment of U.S. Judge for the Northwest
Territory, from the elder Admis, and at the time of his death, was the nearest
male heir, in the line of entail, to the Earldom of Traquair, in Scotland, his
mother having been the Lady Christhena Stuart, of that ancient house.
GRIFFIN, Cyrus, jurist, born in Virginia in 1749; died in Yorktown, Virginia, 14 December 1810. He was educated in England, and while there married a lady belonging to a noble family. He gave early adhesion to the patriot cause, was a member of the Virginia legislature, a delegate to the old congress in 1778-'81 and in 1787-'8, and was president, in the latter year. He was president of the Supreme Court of admiralty from its creation until its abolition, was commissioner to the Creek nation in 1789, and was judge of the United States court for the district of Virginia from December, 1789, until his death.
