Craft Masonry in Oneida County, New York - Onondaga and ...

numbered among his kindred. He died at his home near Plattsburg, February 22, 1834, in his 65 th year. Helen Livingston his wife,
died at the residence of her son Zephaniah, at Yonkers, N. Y., April 8, 1859, aged 93.
It is with reference to Judge Jonas Platt and his father’s family that the N. Y. Genealogical Record justly says: “Few families have
furnished so many distinguished names, and all in close proximity to each other, to the civil service of the State.” Every one of the
nine sons of Judge Zephaniah Platt and Mary Van Wyck, with one exception, held prominent positions in public life. Mrs. Bayard
Boyd, nee Manetta Lansing, has very valuable portraits of Judge Jonas Platt, and his wife Helen Livingston, painted shortly after
their marriage. Another one of the Judge, painted later by Trumbull, is in the possession of her sister, Mrs. Judge Willard. These
paintings are at the residences of the grand-daughters in Washington, D. C. There is an interesting incident about the last portrait.
Trumbull’s wife was an English lady, and he petitioned the New York Legislature to allow her to own property in this country. On the
final vote, (it was in the midst of the excitement just before the war of 1812), Senator Platt stood alone in favor of granting the
petition. He deemed it just, and though it periled his popularity when he was in nomination for the governorship of the state, yet he
strenuously defended his position. Trumbull put on the back of his portrait of the Judge the date of this vote, and this motto–“Justum
et tenacem propositi virum, non civium ardor prava jubentium mente quatit solida.” A just man and tenacious of the right, no popular
passion shakes him from his firm purpose. This is an admirable estimate of his character. Trumbull, who had been an aid to
Washington, was indignant at the refusal, and highly appreciated his friend’s wisdom, justice and courage.
The New York State Historical Association
Mr. Platt was the son of Hon. Zephoniah Platt, and was born at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., June 30 th , 1769. The father was a member of
the Continental Congress, the Committee of Safety, the Provincial Congress of New York and later, State Senator and first Judge of
Dutchess County. He was a very wealthy man and a very extensive landholder, including among his possessions a one fourth
interest in the Sadequada or Saquoit patent of six thousand acres, located in Whitestown.
Jonas Platt had not been trained to a life of ignoble ease and very early turned his attention to the study of law, which he prosecuted
under Richard Varick, the Attorney General of the State.
He was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court, July 27 th , 1790, and in the following month located in Whitesboro, where with his
young wife he was soon installed in a log cabin.
He was County Clerk of Herkimer and Oneida Counties and in 1799 was elected to Congress. In 1810 he was elected to the State
Senate, remaining for two terms.
His success as a standard bearer of the Federal party, in a hitherto invincible district of the Jeffersonian Republicans, led to his
nomination in 1810 for Governor, but resulted in defeat.
While in the State Senate he drafted the resolution for the appointment of a commission to examine and survey the route from Lake
Erie to the Hudson River, which was consummated in the Erie Canal. The passage of the resolution followed the united efforts of
Mr. Platt and DeWitt Clinton.
During the more than twenty years since his advent in Whitesboro, he had been an active practitioner in the courts. He drew the bill
in equity, referred to earlier in this paper, laying due emphasis upon the outrage perpetrated upon his client’s rights in the effort to
coerce the complainant to become a Presbyterian and though defeated in the trial court, success came to him in the Court of Errors.
His opponent was Thomas R. Gold, who, doubtless knew well of the long controversy in which the Rev. Hezekiah Gold, senior,
upbore the standards of Congregationalism with the rector of the Episcopal Church in Stratford.
As early as 1807, he had been seriously considered for a seat on the Supreme Court bench, but failed by one vote. In 1814, he
succeeded by one vote, though the Federalists were in a minority in the Council of Appointment.
The first three terms of court in Oneida County held by Judge Platt, were December, 1817, at Whitesboro, at Rome in June, 1818,
and in November at Utica. At the first term there were two hundred and fifty causes on the calendar and one hundred and one jury
trials took place. At the second term, which lasted four days, there were thirty-four jury trials and at the Utica term he presided at
seventy-two. He opened the court early in the morning and held the sessions until nearly midnight. Stenographers were unknown in
the courts. A voice from the past might well address many of the trial judges of the present days, exclaiming, “Go tot he ant, thou
sluggard; consider her ways and be wise.”
The influence of Judge Platt, as early as 1820, located a term of the Supreme Court at Utica, thus enhancing throughout the state
the importance of the locality, Albany and New York being the only other places where the court sat in bane.
From the first session in 1820, the people became familiar with the distinguished lawyers of the State.
A gentleman long a resident of Utica informed me that he well remembered Col. Aaron Burr in his visits to the city and said that he
was much impressed by his dignified bearing. Col. Burr was always followed at a short distance by a negro in his employ, who bore
a bag of breen baize, containing the legal documents of Col. Burr.
Judge Platt is perhaps better known to the bar for his judicial attainments, by reason of a vigorous dissenting opinion in Vosburg vs.
Thayer, 12 Johnson’s Rep. 461. The high sense of morality there displayed undoubtedly forced the majority of the court, in order to
defend their action, to take a position on the question of the admissibility in evidence of books of account, which has exhausted the
ingenuity of succeeding courts, in their efforts to do justice and sustain that decision.
Upon his retirement from the bench, his personal fortune was nearly exhausted and he at once resumed the practice of the law at
Utica, his son, Zephaniah Platt, (Hamilton 1815), being associated with him. Patronage came to him from all parts of the State and
he soon located in New York City.
“His morals were perfectly pure, he possessed a high sense of honor and had acquired, apparently, an entire control over his
passions. His address was unobtrusive, modest and conciliatory. He had a high regard to courtesy in respect to political conduct as
well as in the private and social concerns of life.”
In middle life he became interested in religion and was for many years president of the Oneida Bible Society.
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