HISTOR I.: S' LINQIS Class (~ .'5'ih-' Book. ■'-? ijJl_ GopightN". COPyRIGHT DEPOSm \ HISTORY OF ILLINOIS BY L. E. ROBINSON, A.M. PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH, MONMOUTH COLLEGE AND IRVING MOORE NEW YORK •:• CINCINNATI •:• CHICAGO AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY LIBRARY of CONGRESS Two CoDies Received wiAH 23 iv^oy OLASS Cw. KXa No. Oo(*Y a. Copyright. 1909, by AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY Entered at Stationers' Hall. London E. P. I PREFACE It is important that every American citizen should know the history of his state as well as the history of his country. This knowledge of state history can best be ac- quired in the pul)lic schools, and it is primarily to furnish a convenient and comprehensive text for the schools of the Prairie State that the authors have prepared this History of Illinois. It is believed that teachers who use the book will be able to make the study of Illinois history more interesting and instructive if they correlate it with the history of the United States, using the history of the nation as a background for the study of state history. It will be easy to show pupils how the state history fits into the story of the nation, especially in chapters of state history on such subjects as Joliet and Marquette, La Salle, George Rogers Clark, The French and Indian War, Slavery in Illinois, Railroads, Lincoln-Douglas Debates, and Outbreak of the Civil War. If the school library contains books treating of the par- ticular topics where the state history and national history meet, the plan of correlating the two subjects should in- clude references for outside reading. There are many such books, among which the following will be found particu- larly helpful: Parkman's La Salle, and The Jesuits in North America, Baldwin's Discovery of the Old Northwest, and The Conquest of the Old Northwest (for young people), Hins- 3 4 PREFACE dale's The Old Northwest, Thwaites's How George Rogers Clark Won the Northwest, Wilson's The Slave Power in Amer- ica, Linn's Story of the Mormons, Warman's Story of the Railroad, Johnson's Life of Douglas, Nicolay's or Tarbell's Life of Lincoln, Baldwin's Abraham Lincoln (for young people), Grant's Memoirs, Macy's or Woodburn's History of Political Parties, Johnston's History of American Politics, Fiske's The Mississippi Valley in the Civil War, and Hosmer's History of the Mississippi Valley. The bibliography found in the Appendix is intended for those who wish to pursue the stud}^ of Illinois history further than is provided for in the text. It would be well if the school libraries were pro- vided with copies of the more important state publications, such as the Blue Book, the reports of the State Historical Society, the session laws of the general assembly, and the annual reports of the Farmers' Institute, the Geological Survey, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and other officers. In the preparation of this book the authors have en- deavored to keep in mind not only the needs of teachers and pupils, but those of the general reader as well. As a convenient book of reference, also, they venture to hope that the History of Hlinois may commend itself to librarians. The thanks of the authors are due to Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber, Secretary of the State Historical Society, and to Mr. Hugh R. Moffet and Mr. Rufus H. Scott of Monmouth, for use of illustrative material. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. Introduction 7 II. Mound Builders and Indians 13 III. JoLiET AND Marquette 18 IV. La Salle 25 V. The First Settlements 31 VI. The French in Illinois : 35 Vll. The French and Indian War (1754-1763). ... 39 VIII. Illinois under the British (1765-1778) 45 IX. George Rogers Clark 49 X. Illinois a County of Virginia (1778-1784) ... 58 XI. The Ordinance of 1787 61 XII. Northwest Territory, and Indiana Territory 64 XIII. The Territory of Illinois 68 XIV. The Fort Dearborn Massacre 70 XV. Illinois at the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century 73 XVI. Admission to the Union; the First Constitu- tion 79 XVII. Slavery in Illinois 83 XVIII. Administration of Ninian Edwards (1826- 1830) 90 XIX. The Black Hawk War. 92 XX. Illinois in 1830-1840 99 XXI. Steamboats on the Mississippi 104 XXII. The Animals of Illinois 109 XXIII. Administration of Duncan (1834-1838). 112 XXIV. Hard Times. . : 118 XXV. The Mormons 121 XXVI. Constitution of 1848; French's Administra- tion (1846-1853) 126 5 6 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XXVII. The Common School System 129 XXVIII. Railroads 132 XXIX. The Abolitionists 135 XXX. Stephen A. Douglas and the Kansas-Nebraska Bill .138 XXXI. The Beginning of the Republican Party in Illinois 143 XXXII. Lincoln-Douglas Debates 148 XXXIII. The Nomination and Election of Lincoln. . . . 154 XXXIV. Illinois in 1860 160 XXXV. Outbreak of the War 162 XXXVI. Illinois's Share in the Struggle 168 XXXVII. At Home During the War 170 XXXVIII. Chicago 177 XXXIX. Under the Constitution of 1870 188 XL. State Boards and Institutions 195 XLI. Schools 211 XLII. Illinois Since 1870 215 Appendix 1. Chronology 227 2. Reference Books 229 3. Origin of Certain Illinois Names 230 4. List of Counties 237 5. United States Senators from Illinois . . . . , 239 6. List of Governors of Illinois 240 7. Constitution of Illinois. 241 Index 284 MAPS General Map of Illinois .Frontispiece Illinois in 1834 100 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS I. INTRODUCTION Illinois embraces an area of 56,650 square miles — just about the average size of the states in our country. Of this area 650 square miles are made up of water surface, principally rivers. Illinois is 218 miles wide at its widest part. Its extreme length is 385 miles, reaching as far north as Boston, Mass., and as far south as Richmond, Va. It is very fortimate in its boundaries. Its entire western side is washed by the Mississippi, while its southern end reaches to the Ohio. It is bounded on the north by Wis- consin, and on the east by Lake Michigan, Indiana, and the Wabash River. Thus more than two thirds of its boundary is made up of navigable water. This fact has been of great importance in the settlement and commercial growth of the state. The Illinois River, also, has facili- tated the development of the interior. The rivers of the state are so well distributed that no extensive section is without an outlet for its surplus rainfall. The surrounding states are all of a higher altitude than Illinois. Its average height above the sea level is about 600 feet. The highest point is Charles Mound, in Jo Daviess County, which is 1,257 feet above the sea and 600 7 8 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS feet above the Mississippi. The surface of the state, as a whole, slopes gently southward ; about 50 miles from the south end, however, it is crossed by the Ozark Ridge, the highest point of which is 985 feet above the sea. Beyond this ridge the slope continues southward to Cairo, the low- est point in the state, about 300 feet above the sea. The great length of the state gives it a somewhat vary- ing climate. A summer temperature of 105 degrees is not uncommon in the southern part, while in the northern counties a winter temperature of 35 degrees below zero has been registered. The average temperature is about 58 degrees. The average rainfall is about 34 inches a year in the northern part and 41 inches at Cairo. About 35 inches is desirable for the best yield of corn. Although corn and other cereals can be grown in every part of the state, yet the great corn belt is in the central part. The southern portion of the state is adapted to wheat, while in the northern counties much attention is given to dairying. The state is for the most part composed of a wonderfully rich and level prairie land. The French word prairie, meaning meadow, was used by Hennepin and other French explorers in the seventeenth century to describe the vast plains they found in this region. At that time these great plains were covered with a thick growth of tall blue- stem and other varieties • of wild grass. Many flowers of brilliant hues were scattered everywhere — it was a land of flowers. It is uncertain how the prairies are to be ac- counted for. The Indians were accustomed to set fire to the prairie grass in the fall in order tp provide tender pas- INTRODUCTION 9 turage in the spring for their game; and some think that these prairie fires prevented the spread of trees. When the first white men came to IlHnois they found about three fourths of its area treeless. What forests there were con- sisted of walnut, ash, elm, maple, honey locust, buckeye, Cottonwood, pecan, hickory, oak, poplar, sycamore, some wild fruit trees such as papaw, plum, crab apple, and such undergrowth as grapevines, redbud, and hazel. Trees were more abundant in the southern counties and for some years supported an important lumber industry there. But north- ward the trees have always been limited, so far as we know, to the margins of streams. The settlers were spared the necessity of clearing off an overgrowth of heavy vegetation, as had been necessary in the states from which they came. The soil of the older states when cleared of timber was mellow and easily broken by a wooden plow with a sharp iron sheath in front. But in Illinois the deep, thickset roots of the prairie grass did not yield easily to these frail half-wooden plows. This was the first state where the settlers had to face the problems of prairie tillage in a large way, and the demand for more effective machinery stimulated invention. The first steel plow in America was invented in 1837 by Harvey May, a citizen of Knox County. This was the beginning of nu- merous Illinois inventions which have contributed to make the state rank first in the manufacture of agricultural implements. New York and Pennsylvania are the only states that have a greater population than Illinois. By the census of 10 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS 1900, Illinois had 4,821,550 inhabitants. Since then the population has grown considerably beyond the five million mark. There are 102 counties and about 1,000 incorpo- rated towns and cities in the state. More than half of the people live in towns and cities of over 4,000 inhabitants each. The chief city, Chicago, is the second largest city in the New World. The capital of Illinois, Springfield, is an inland city of over 36,000. The state ranks fir^t in the Union in the total value of farm lands and improvements; and first in the total value of all cereals produced. Illinois likewise holds first place in the slaughtering and meat-packing industry, with a pro- duction valued at more than one third of the total of that industry in the United States. In an important sense, Chicago is the meat market of the nation. Illinois is the third manufacturing state in the Union, and Chicago is the second manufacturing city. Illinois manufactures more agricultural implements than any other state, and there is scarcely a place in the civilized world where the imple- ments made here are not used. It ranks first also in the manufacture of watches and of distilled liquors; and second in the manufacture of furniture, musical instruments, soap, and men's clothing. While there are no forests to speak of in Illinois, yet it has the lumber industries of Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, . and Canada to draw upon. The furniture industry of Illinois owes much of its prosperity to the central location of the state and its excellent transpor- tation facilities. Illinois manufactures more railway cars than any other INTRODUCTION 11 state, and has the greatest steam railway mileage. The 20,000 miles of railway in operation furnish abundant transportation facilities to all parts of the commonwealth. Chicago is the greatest railroad center in the world. There are more than 1,200 banking institutions in the state, with a grand total of more than $150,000,000, capital and surplus. Illinois ranks second among the states of the Union in print- ing and publishing. More than 1,700 periodicals of all kinds are published in the state. Among the states of the Mississippi valley, Illinois expends the most money for ed- ucational purposes, and publishes the largest number of books, newspapers, and periodicals. This is a remarkable development for a state less than a century old. Among the causes that have brought about this rapid growth are her large area of fertile soil underlain with great stores of mineral wealth, and her fortunate position in the heart of two of the greatest river valleys of the continent. Geographically, Illinois is the natural cen- ter of trade and exchange for the eastern and western halves of the United States; and the position of Chicago on the shore of Lake Michigan gives the state a focal point for this trade. By the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and Lake Michigan, Illinois has deep-water communication with the world. About 40,000 square miles, or two thirds of the surface of the state, is underlain with a fine quality of soft or bituminous coal, — the largest coal area possessed by a single state in the country. The first coal discovered in America was found in Illinois by a French priest, Father 12 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Hennepin, in 1679, near the present site of Ottawa. Coal was first mined in the state in 1810, in Jackson County. The abundance of coal is a source of great wealth and is an important factor in making Illinois a manufacturing state. Oil was for some years found in small quantities only. In 1905 important discoveries were made in a number of coun- ties in the southern part of the state, and now the state ranks high in the production of petroleum. Illinois has another source of wealth in her widely dis- tributed clay deposits. More than 500 Illinois firms are engaged in the manufacture of commercial, paving, and pressed brick, draintile, roofing tile, sewer pipe, and vari- ous kinds of pottery. Limestone is found in large quantities. More than 160 quarries in thirty different counties are in operation. The harder kinds of stone are used for building; the softer, for making lime and cement. The quarries of the state have furnished stone for many of the important buildings in Chi- cago and elsewhere in the state. Lead and zinc ores have been found in paying quantities in Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties. Lead was first mined in Illinois about 1826, and zinc was first marketed in 1860. The mines in the region about Galena produced the largest amounts of ore between 1840 and 1850. Fluorspar was discovered near Shawneetown in 1819. This mineral was first mined in Hardin County, and this county still has one of the largest mines of fluorspar in the United States. It is used in making enamel and glassware, in steel making, and in other foundry work. II. MOUND BUILDERS AND INDIANS Illinois was once the home of a people whom we call the Mound Builders, from the strange earthen mounds which they built throughout the Mississippi valley. But who they were, whence they came, and whither they went, no one knows, not even the Indians whom the first white men found here. Perhaps they were the ancestors of the Az- tecs or the Incas, or perhaps they were exterminated or as- similated by the Indians of the Mississippi valley. The most recent view is that they were simply the ancestors of the Indians of this region. The mounds they made vary in size and shape, represent- Relics found in Mounds ing in some instances birds, beasts, reptiles, also pyramids and other geometric figures which indicate that the Mound Builders were somewhat removed from savagery. Some of these earthworks were built for war, some for burial, some for religious purposes ; but it is impossible to say to what use others were put. In them along with the bones of the build- ers are found their tools and weapons of stone and copper, 13 14 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS fragments of the cloth they wove, and pottery they made. For instance, chopping axes made of grooved stone and weighing sometimes as much as twenty-three pounds, grooved stone hammers, battle-axes, various agricultural implements, stone trays, pipes of numerous designs, and small stone idols have been taken from these mounds. One of the most remarkable things found there was an image of human form made from a large piece of fluorspar. These mounds are found in different parts of the state, especially along the Rock and Ilhnois rivers. In Craw- ford County there is a group of fifty mounds. But the chief dwelling of this people seems to have been in the ''Great American Bottom," that is, the low fertile tract about 75 miles long and from five to ten miles wide along the Mississippi River south of East St. Louis. At the old site of Cahokia, across from St. Louis, there are about one hundred mounds. One of this group is the largest earthwork in the United States. Shaped some- what like a pyramid, it rises in four terraces to a height of one hundred feet; its base covers fourteen acres, an area larger than that covered by the largest Eg^^jtian pyramid. The Indians of Illinois were very little different from the Wigwam MOUND BUILDERS AND INDIANS 15 other Indians of North America. They hved in lodges or wigwams, and clothed themselves in skins of animals. The forest, prairie, and stream abundantly supplied them with meat, and the squaws raised small patches of corn and vege- tables. Their learning was. confined to the ways of the for- est, and their religion was but a superstition. Hence they made but little progress and lived on in the same way from generation to generation. The densest Indian population of the West was along Cjif^ Buffalo the Illinois River, where there were several large Indian towns. And no wonder, for Illinois, with its broad })rairies where fed the buffalo and deer, and its streams and forests full of all manner of fish and fowl, was a very congenial home for the red man. The different nations within its 16 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS bounds were often at war with one another for its posses- sion, and it is not surprising that so beautiful and produc- tive a country should be coveted by other tribes as well. Its fame spread even to the Iroquois in New York, who desired it very much for a hunting ground, and who, in the latter part of the seventeenth century, made a great raid down the Illinois River. Five hundred picked Iro- quois attacked the Illinois Indians and put them to rout. Thereafter the Long House, as the Iroquois Indians were called, laid claim to the country, although they never came here to live. At the beginning of the eighteenth century the state was inhabited by several different tribes. The most numerous of these were the Illinois, who had returned after their de- feat by the Iroquois. They were a confederation composed of the Kaskaskias, Peorias, Tamaroas, Cahokias, and Miche- gameas. Their largest villages were on the Illinois River, and their favorite hunting ground was in central Illinois, but they claimed all the country westward from the Illi- nois to the Mississippi, and southward to the Ohio. Father Membre, one of La Salle's exploring party, tells us that they were ''tall of stature, strong and robust, the swiftest runners in the world, and good archers, proud yet affa- ble .. . idle, revengeful, jealous, cunning, dissolute, and thievish." The combined tribes of Sacs and Foxes lived near Rock Island; the Miamis near the eastern boundary of the state; the Pottawatomies in the region between Lake Michigan and the Illinois River. The Kickapoos, the most ambi- MOUND BUILDERS AND INDIANS 17 tious and the most bitter against the white man, built their wigwams on the prairies around the present sites of Springfield and Bloomington. There were also renmants of several other tribes in the state. As their places of abode were constantly changing, the boundaries of the different tribes were not well defined; and as they became fewer in numbers several tribes would often unite and form a new tribe or confederation. In many cases the white settlers were to blame for the trouble the Indians caused them. The whites often treated the red man as if he were a brute instead of a human being. They cheated him, took his land even when they did not need it, and violated many of his rights. The savages were thus often stirred up to revenge in the form of pillage, fire, and murder. The Indians were not altogether a hindrance. In some ways they were an aid to the exploration and settlement of the state. They acted as guides for the explorer, and be- ing on good terms with the French, sold them furs and often furnished them with food. Their trade led to the settle- ment of the country. Although the red men have van- ished they have a lasting monument in the names they have left on our map — the name of the state itself, the names of its largest rivers, of some of its counties, and of many of its towns and cities. Illinois— 2 III. JOLIET AND MARQUETTE . The first white man to visit the IlHnois country of whom there is any record was a Frenchman by the name of Jean Nicolet. He discovered Lake Michigan in 1634, and at the same time perhaps visited the region about Fox River and the northern villages of the lUinois Indians. Following him came the French coureurs de hois and voya- geurs, the fur traders and the trappers, w^ho in all probabil- ity roamed over Illinois before the coming of Joliet or La Salle, but left no written account of their adventures. The French in Canada had long heard from the Indians stories of the far away Mississippi and the land of the Illi- nois. Bold and restless, they wished very much to see this region for themselves and claim it for their king. So Louis Joliet (1645-1700), who had visited the copper mines of Lake Superior, and who was perhaps the first white man to sail on Lake Erie, obtained from Frontenac, the governor of Canada, a commission to find the Mississippi and ex- plore the regions roundabout. He secured as a companion Father Jaccjues Marquette, and a better qualified man for the undertaking he could not have found, for this Jesuit priest had a knowledge of half a dozen Indian dialects and a singular faculty for gaining the good will of the savages. Joliet joined Marquette on the festival of the Immacu- late Conception. The good father, having long desired to 18 JOLIET AND MARQUETTE 19 undertake the expedition, was so full of joy that he resolved to name the first mission that he should establish in the un- known country the Mission of the Immaculate Conception. And so he did. To the Indians who tried to turn him from the venture by picturing the dangers of the way and the JoLiET AND Marquette on their Journey wildness of the men, he replied in these brave words: ''I shall gladly lay down my life for the salvation of men." On the 17th of May, 1673, accompanied by five men, Joliet and Marquette started on their perilous journey, with two birchbark canoes, a bag of corn meal, some smoked meat, a blanket apiece, and beads and crosses. They ascended to the head of Fox River, carried their 20 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS canoes across the narrow portage to the Wisconsin River, and sailed down the Wisconsin until their frail birchbarks floated on the mighty waters of the Mississippi. They were the first white men to view the upper waters of the river. As they floated dow^n the Mississippi they came upon a path on the west bank of the river. Following this, Marquette and Jolict came in sight of an Indian village. Four men came to meet them, offered them the peace pipe, and escorted them to the village, where the whole tribe gathered to w^elcome them with much ceremony. The old chief addressed them in words something like these: "I thank thee, black gown, and thee, Frenchman, for taking so much pains to come and visit us. Never has the earth been so beautiful, nor the sun so bright as to-day. Never has our river been so calm nor so free from rocks and sandbars which your canoes have removed in passing; never has our tobacco had so fine a flavor, nor our corn appeared so beautiful. I pray thee to take pity upon me and on all my nation. Thou knowest the Great Spirit w^ho made us all. Thou speakest to him and hearest his words. Ask him to give me life and health, and come and dwell with us that we may know him." Marquette and Joliet floated down the Mississippi until, it is supposed, they came to the Arkansas. Satisfied that the Mississippi flowed into the Gulf of Mexico and fearing to descend farther on account of the Spaniards, who held control of the lower river, they turned back and began the laborious journey upstream. When they came to the mouth of the Illinois, being assured by the Indians that it of- JOLIET AND MARQUETTE 21 fered an easier and shorter route home to Canada, they took it. As they passed up the ilUnois they were enchanted by the beauty of the country. Prairies, dotted with the brightest flowers, stretched out beyond the reach of vision. Great herds of buffalo and deer grazed on the rich pas- tures, and wild fruit, fish, and fowl abounded on every hand. No wonder they spoke of it as a terrestrial para- dise. They visited the villages of the Peoria Indians, and Marquette preached at the Indian town called Kaskaskia and promised to visit it again and estabhsh a mission there. ''Had this voyage," wrote he, "caused but the salvation of a single soul, I ^should deem all my fatigue well repaid." They made their way to Lake Michigan, and to Green Bay, where Marquette remained to recruit his strength, while Joliet returned to Quebec. On the 25th of October, 1674, Marquette, with two Frenchmen and a number of Indians, set out for Kaskas- kia to fulfill his promise. But on the way, when he had reached the Chicago River, he was taken with a sickness brought on by privation and exposure, and it was neces- sary to build a hut and wait until the opening of spring. During the winter the Frenchmen lived on the game they shot, and the neighboring Indians furnished them with corn and greatly cheered them by kindly attentions. When again in the spring Marquette came among the Illinois he was received with great respect and reverence. As he moved among them in their rude wigwams, with his quiet and gentle manners, he must have seemed to them 22 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS indeed like an angel of light. A great number gathered on the plains to hear him preach, and here at Kaskaskia on the Illinois River, near the present site of Utica, he established the first mission in Illinois. But ill health compelled him to leave again. On his way north, with his two French companions he grew weaker and died, May 18, 1675, in the vast wilderness he had given his life to redeem. He was buried on the east shore of Lake Michigan, and a great cross was raised over his grave. A year and a half later, some Ottawa In- dians to whom he had preached repaired to his grave, reverently disinterred the remains, placed them in a box of birchbark, and with an escort of thirty canoes removed them to the nearest Catholic church, at Mackinac, where they laid them in their final resting place. Illinois may well be proud that the name of such a man, greater than prince or potentate, appears in her annals. He was the most successful of all the missionaries to the Indians. Through the peace, purity, and humility of his own life he softened their savage natures and developed their higher and better feelings. His hold upon the affections of all was wonderful. His participation in the expedition with Joliet won him a place in history; but his cheerful, self-sacrificing, lofty character has gained him a more en- viable place in the hearts of men. Through Marquette and others the early history of the state becomes connected with that remarkable religious order, the Jesuits. Their work in the wilderness of Amer- ica calls for much approval. They seem to have been JOLIET AND MARQUETTE 23 peculiarly fitted to gain the confidence of the Indians. Wherever the savages pitched their wigwams, there they penetrated, erected the cross, preached to the wandering braves, and dwelt with them . until they won them. Neither winter's cold nor sum- mer's heat, nor pesti- lence nor scalping knife, could deter them. With no weapons but the cru- cifix and lj>reviary, with no aids but the compass and savage guides, with no earthl}^ comforts to cheer them and no earthly gains to lure them, they paddled their frail canoes up unknown and hazardous streams, carried them over tedious and difficult portages, made their way across trackless prairies and through pathless woods, braved hostile tribes, courted cruel punishment and death, all for their church and their king. A Portage ^ La Salle 24 IV. LA SALLE Robert Cavelier, Sicur dc la Salle, was the greatest of the French explorers, though both man and nature seemed leagued against his undertakings and made his life a tragedy. Through his efforts the Mississippi valley was secured to the French crown. Long before his contempo- raries he saw the value of this region, and tried to colonize it and make it a part of New France, secure against the molestation of its enemies. La Salle came to Canada at an early age, explores I Lakes Ontario and Erie, and it is claimed that he discoA^ered the Ohio River. At any rate, he came to see the greatness of the country and determined that it should belong to France. So in 1677 he returned to France and interested the court of Louis XIV. in the Mississippi valley. He pro- posed to connect it with Canada by a line of military posts, and returned to America with funds to carry out his plans. With him came one whose name will ever be linked with his, Henry de Tonty, an Italian soldier of fortune, who, with devotion and faithfulness that balked at no labor or danger, was to follow him through almost intolerable toils and sufferings. Tonty had lost a hand in the Sicilian wars, in place of which he carried a hand of copper which he used with good effect against his enemies, so that the In- dians called him the Man with the Iron Hand. 25 26 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS In 1679, with the aid of Tonty, La Salle built on the shores of Lake Erie a ship, which he called the Griffin. This was to assist him in his explorations, to furnish him with easy communication with Canada, to carry back furs and supply him with provisions. In this same year, with a party of thirty-three, among whom were Tonty, Father Hennepin, and Father Membre, he set out to find the Mis- sissippi. He ascended the St. Joseph River, transported the canoes across the short portage to the Kankakee, and descended it until he came to the Illinois. On January 5th, 1680, he passed through Lake Peoria, and came upon- a vil- "I lage of the Illinois In- dians. Fearing that ; f- they might be hostile, he arranged his canoes in warlike order and bore down upon them. The Indians were frightened and many of them fled at his approach. The others offered overtures of peace and showed him many courte- sies. However, a Frenchman who was unfriendly to him sent word to the Indians that La Salle was a spy of their dreaded enemies the Iroquois, and they became sullen and tried to dissuade him from the journey by magnifying the dangers. Many of his men, hearing these stories from the Indians, and already dissatisfied with following him on so The Griffin LA SALLE 27 wild an undertaking, resolved to return home before going too far, and so deserted him. An attempt was made to poison him. To add to his troubles he could not hear from the Grifjin, which was to furnish him with provisions. He feared that it was lost and that conseciuently the expedition would have to be abandoned. P^or the protection of his party he built a fort on the eastern bank of the Illinois River, and because of his many misfortunes, called it Crevecoeur (broken-hearted). Here he began to build another ship, in which to descend the river. Not hearing from the Grifjin, and needing supplies, in March, 1680, he left Tonty in command at the fort, and with four Frenchmen and an Indian guide, set out for Can- ada. With only a blanket and a few skins from which to make moccasins, with no food but what the gun afforded, he traveled twelve hundred miles by canoe and on foot through forests, marshes, and melting snow^s, only to find that his ship had been destroyed and his goods stolen. No better fortune awaited Tonty at Fort Crevecoeur. His men mutinied, took possession of the ammunition and suppHes, destroyed the fort, and deserted him. He retired to the Indian villages, where a worse thing befell him. It was just then that the Iroquois made their great attack upon the Illinois (p. 16), and in his efforts to make peace between the w^arring tribes, he was wounded, and was sus- pected by both sides, and he barely escaped with his life. After many wanderings and hardships he found his way to a village of the Pottawatomies, where he spent the fol- lowing winter. 28 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Becoming anxious for Tonty, upon whom he rehed so much, La Salle, in August, 1680, set out for the Indian villages near Peoria. But he found them deserted and destroyed, and Tonty and he did not meet until the next spring. Although his enemies were plotting against him and striving to seize his goods to satisfy the debts incurred in the former expedition, yet he set out again in December, 1681, to explore the Mississippi to its mouth. He went by way of the Chicago and Des Plaines rivers to the Illinois. La Salle on the Mississippi He passed down that stream, and down the Mississippi, and at length on April 7, 1682, after years of toil, danger, and disappointment, he was rewarded by the sight of the Gulf of Mexico, where the great river ended. At one of its mouths he erected a column bearing the arms of France, LA SALLE 29 and after chanting the Te Deum, amid volleys of musketry and shouts of Vive le Roi, he took possession of the country, which he called Louisiana in honor of Louis XI\'., his king. Returning to Illinois, he proceeded to carry out his plans by establishing a colony at Starved Rock — a naturally for- tified place on thc^ Illinois River near the present site of Ltica. The space was cleared of trees and underbrush, a blockhouse, storehouse, and dwelling were built, outworks thrown up, and palisades erected. Father Membre offered the dedicatory prayer, and the place was named Fort 8t. Louis of the Rock. The Indians gathered around the fort for protection and trade. Frenchmen came in numbers to assist in the building of the colony, and many of them remained, built themselves homes, and planted large fields of corn. La Salle spent the summer here, and Tonty re- mained several years. But Frontenac was succeeded as governor of Canada by one who from selfish motives op- posed La Salle's scheme, and the surrounding Indian tribes were driven south and west by the Iroquois, so that the colony of Fort St. Louis of the Rock — the first in Illinois — declined and was finally abandoned. In 1684 La Salle was again in France and again found favor at court. He returned with four ships and a large number of all sorts and conditions of men to establish a fort at the mouth of the Mississippi and colonize its valley. But by mistake the mouth of the river was passed, and the commander of the ships refused to turn back in search of it. A landing was made and a fort built on the Texas coast. La Salle set out on foot to find the Mississippi, but 30 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS his men became mutinous, deserted him, and finally assas- sinated him, March 19, 1687. The Texas colony soon perished. In spite of La Salle's unheard-of labors and his fearful journeys, in spite of faithless countrymen and treacherous savages, he persevered to the end against obstacles that would have stopped forever one less bold and hardy. Brave men were these early explorers. Their thirst for adventure together with their sense of the strategic and commercial importance of particular localities, and of the Mississippi valley in general, was marvelous. But none of them was wiser or braver than the great La Salle. V. THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS It will be remembered that just before Marquette's death, he established a mission at the Indian village of Kaskaskia on the Illinois River. His work was not aban- doned. In 1677, Father Allouez (al-loo-a) erected a cross twenty-five feet high in the village, celebrated mass, and administered the sacrament of baptism: from that time on the village was not without a priest. In all probability other Frenchmen were there besides the priest, for the erec- tion of the mission house and the presence of a priest al- ways formed the nucleus for a settlement of traders and trappers. Not infrequently these hardy adventurers took to themselves Indian wives, built houses, and cultivated small pieces of ground. In some such way began the French settlements in Illinois. But through fear of the Iroquois, and perhaps to gain the trade of the trappers who were coming down the Mis- sissippi by way of the Fox and the Wisconsin rivers, in- stead of by the Illinois as at first, the Indians around the Mission of the Immaculate Conception left their village and pitched their wigwams where the Kaskaskia flows into the Mississippi. They gave their new tow^n the name of the old one. The mission moved with the Indians. Thus was begun the present town of Kaskaskia. This was about 1700. Perhaps a little earlier than this occurred the 31 32 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS founding of the settlement at Cahokia. For it appears that in the same year there were three French mission- aries and a number of traders at that place. Both settlements grew rapidly; for they were favorably located on the highway of the trapper and trader, the cli- mate and soil w^ere favorable to production, and the forest and river abounded with game and fish. At Cahokia the priests lived on a large farm, and built mills to grind corn and cut lumber. At Kaskaskia they built a monastery in 1721; at the same place they had a stone church and chapel, an extensive brewery and storehouses, and a well stocked farm of more than two hundred acres. Both French and Indians would gather in the little chapels for religious instruction. The priests w^re not idle, and from their letters we learn of their attempts to christianize the savages, which they found to be a very discouraging task. Soon other villages arose near by — Prairie du Rocher, and Prairie du Pont. In 1717 there were about 300 white people in the Illinois country. Prior to 1712 Illinois w^as a part of Canada, but in that year it was joined with the settlements of the lower Mis- sissippi under the name of Louisiana. Even then it is probable that the only government was the authority and restraining power of the priests. A rumor became current in France that the new territory was rich in gold and silver. The French king, thinking to enrich his treasury, issued a royal grant to one of his favorites, Crozat, giving him the exclusive right to mine precious metals and to trade in the territory of Louisiana. But no gold or silver was found, THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS 33 and Crozat, failing to make himself rich, surrendered the charter to the crown, 1717. The failure of Crozat did not dispel from the French mind the idea that the Mississippi valley was rich in the precious metals, so a company was formed, called the Com- pany of the West, to have control of Louisiana — its mines, commerce, colonization, and government. At its head was the notorious John Law, who was seconded in his schemes by the regent of France. It promised great returns for all money invested, and many people, in their haste to get rich, put into it all they had. A frenzy for gambling and speculation seized France, and all moderate and honest gains became despised. Even princes, 'nobles, prelates, and women of position, as well as the dregs of society, entered into the wild scramble to get rich by buy- ing and selling shares in this and other companies. Paris swarmed with nearly half a million strangers, so that even granaries had to be turned into sleeping apartments. But in time the price of shares went down suddenly: the '^ Mis- sissippi Bubble" burst, and the people awoke to their senses. Although the company was very disastrous to France, yet it was a help to Illinois, for many who came to mine gold remained to till the soil. Artisans were added to the popu- lation. Flourishing settlements sprang up on the lower Mississippi, and the agents of the company opened a mar- ket for the surplus agricultural products of Illinois and for the peltries gathered in trade with the Indians. The Com- pany of the West exercised jurisdiction over Illinois from Illinois— 3 34 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS 1717 to 1732, and gave the country the first local govern- ment it ever had. The director-general of the mines estab- lished his headquarters in Illinois. He brought with him 250 soldiers and miners, and a large number of slaves from Santo Domingo to work the mines. Indians had sometimes been enslaved, and this practice was the beginning of slav- ery in Illinois. To protect the colonies and its own interests as well, the Company of the West decided to erect a fort in the Illinois country. In 1718 a place was chosen between Kaskaskia and Cahokia, about a mile back from the east bank of the Mississippi. The soldiers of France cut down trees, cleared away the branches, hewed out timbers, and brought stone from the quarries along the river. When the fort was completed it was called Fort Chartres, in honor of Due de Chartres, who was the son of the regent of France. Here the Company of the West built its warehouses, and here it was that Boisbriant, the first local governor, established his headquarters. The fort was a boon to Illinois, for, offering protection as it did to the settlements, it assured their permanence and invited newcomers. As the center of authority in the West, it speedily came into prominence, and it was a saying that ^'all roads lead to Fort Chartres." Near by, the village of New Chartres sprang up. Life was merry in both the village and the fort, and the fashions of far away Paris were copied here on the lonely Mississippi. VI. THE FRENCH IN ILLINOIS Away from the struggle for wealth and power, the life of the French in Illinois was comparatively quiet and un- eventful. The Indians were their friends and companions. The fertile land, the prolific waters, the successful chase supplied all their wants. A missionary writing from Fort Chartres in 1750, says: '^Most of the French till the soil; they raise wheat, cattle, pigs, and horses, and Hve like princes. Three times as much is produced as can be con- sumed, and great quantities of grain and flour are sent to New Orleans." The settlers also raised oats, rye, hops, and tobacco. Indian corn they used chiefly for fattening their swine. Their farming implements w^ere of the rudest kind — wooden plows, hand flails to thrash the grain, and wooden carts without a particle of iron. The common churn being unknown, butter was, made by shaking the cream in a bottle. No spinning wheels or looms were to be seen. Most of the men were engaged in fur hunting and trading and farming. There were a few carpenters, stonemasons, boatbuilders, and blacksmiths, who went from place to place in quest of work. Barges and flatboats, manned by excellent boatmen, carried flour, bacon, and hides clown to New Orleans, and brought back sugar, rice, cotton cloth, and other dress goods. The men wore shirts and waistcoats of cotton, and blue 35 36 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS cloth or deerskin trousers; in winter they wore a long woolen coat with a blue hood attached, which, in wet or cold weather, was drawn up over the head. Among the traders and voyagenrs the head was often covered with a blue cotton handkerchief folded in the shape of a turban. The dress of the women was very plain, and blue was their favorite color. Both men and women wore moccasins of Indian make. All lived in towns and villages where the houses were built in a row and were very much alike. The houses were one story high and were protected on all sides by porches. They were built by setting the timbers of the framework firmly in the ground, and filling the spaces between the timbers with walls made of clay and straw. The walls were whitewashed within and without. The rooms were airy and neat, with but little furniture and that homemade. To every village was attached two tracts of land — the common field and the commons. The former contained several hundred acres set apart for agricultural purposes, and in it each family had a plat to cultivate, fenced off from the rest. The commons was a still larger tract al- lowed the villagers for wood and pasturage, to which all had a general right. In every village rose the spire of the little church where the sacrament of baptism was administered, the marriage ceremony spoken, and the last sad rites and masses for the dead were held. These have been called the halcyon days of Illinois, when a virtuous and honest people needed no government. Al- THE FRENCH IN ILLINOIS 37 though the commandant at the fort was the representative of the king, yet the real authority was the priest, who acted as judge between man and man, and who was their com- panion and teacher as well as their spiritual adviser. The French of Illinois were a merry people, with plenty of leisure and amuse- ments in which both young and old, and even the Indian and the slave, joined. Yet there is a darker side to the picture. It has been said that they were not only light-hearted, but also light-headed. Some of them cared for nothing beyond a merry time. There were no schools ex A French Dance cept those taught by the priest, and most of the people were ignorant, illiterate, and altogether unfitted for the duties and privileges of citizenship. They were lacking in many of the higher qualities of heart and head, and m many ways stooped to the habits and morals of the In- dians instead of bringing the Indians up to a higher way of living. , . r -1 1 The French had a genius for exploration, and yet tailed to utihze the results of their explorations. They were not 38 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS a colonizing people as were the English, but were hunters and traders, and only in a few localities confined themselves to agricultural pursuits. While the French in North America were enjoying the hunt with the Indians and were roaming the country over, the Enghsh stuck to the soil, established schools and printing presses, and zealously held to their rights and privileges. For reasons such as these the English colonies grew stronger than the French, as was proved in the final struggle between them, of which we shall read in the next chapter. VII. THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR (1754-1763) England and France had been at war for several years, and the bitterness was carried to their colonies in the New World. No fixed boundary fines had been established be- tween these colonies, and a strug.de over the Ohio and Washington's Journey to the Ohio Valley Mississippi valleys was inevitable. Both nations were ag- gressive. The English were rapidly pushing their way westward, and often their traders would penetrate hun- dreds of miles beyond the frontiers. The French in turn built a line of forts to stay these encroachments, and some 39 40 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS ' of these forts were within the territory claimed by the EngHsh. Hearing of this, the governor of Virginia sent a young surveyor, George Washington, to look into the mat- ter. He brought back such a report of the activity of the French that Virginia at once took measures to build a fort at the junction of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers. But while the colonists were building the fort, the French suddenly appeared on the scene, drove them away, finished the fort for themselves and called it Fort Duquesne. This was in 1754. Then the struggle was on for the mastery of the continent. Foreseeing the struggle, the French had rebuilt Fort Chartres in the Illinois country, enlarging and strengthen- ing it at the cost of much labor and money. Where it had been wood they made it stone. Skilled workmen were brought from France, as was the iron that entered into the fort. The walls were eighteen feet high, and inclosed forty acres. Within were the great storehouses, the govern- ment house, magazines, guardhouse, and barracks, all of stone. The fort, under Chevalier Macarty, was reenforced with a sufficient number of companies to form a regiment of grenadiers. When it was completed in 1754 it was called ^Hhe most convenient and best-built fort in America." A few years later a fort on the Ohio River, about forty miles from its mouth, was also strengthened. It had been established on a small scale as a fort and mission house by the French in 171 1 . Later on almost all of the garrison were massacred by the Indians, who decoyed the soldiers from the fort by appearing on the Kentucky side of the river, THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR (1754-1763) 41 dressed in bearskins and creeping about like so many bears. Some of the soldiers crossed the river to kill the bears and the others went to the water's edge to see the sport. A band of Indians crept up behind the latter, who were defenseless and at their mercy. The fort was burned by the savages, but it was later rebuilt by the French and christened Fort Massacre. Now in 1758 a force from Fort Duquesne came down the river, again rebuilt the fort, and named it after Site of Fort Massac their commander, Massac. At the beginning of the nine- teenth century it was occupied for a time by two companies of United States troops. The site is owned by the state, and has been turned into a public park. The brave Macarty led the soldiers of Fort Chartres out to take part in the war, and they fought on many battle- fields. They helped to force the surrender of George 42 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Washington at Fort Necessity in July, 1754. They were present at Braddock's defeat (1755), and they were among the last to leave Fort Duquesne when it was abandoned on Washington's approach in 1758. The French villages in Illinois were called upon to furnish provisions for the war. A large number of volunteers from Illinois were in the French ranks, especially at the fall of Fort Niagara, in 1759. The bulletin of that siege said of them: ''Of the French from Illinois many were killed and many more were taken prisoners." Despair settled upon Fort Char- tres. Macarty wrote: ^'The defeat at Niagara has cost me the flower of my men. My garrison is weaker than ever." When the French were worsted and the war was over, it was generally supposed that France would give up Canada, but would still retain Illinois and the rest of Louisiana. Consequently many French left Canada and came to Illi- nois, thinking to find here a home under the flag of France and a rallying point from which they could retake Canada. Great was their dismay when they learned that their king had deserted them and by the treaty of 1763 ceded to England all the territory (save New Orleans) east of the Mississippi. And still later it was learned that the territory west of the river had been given to Spain. It was agreed that the French should hold the forts in the territory ceded to England, until English officers came to take command. St. Ange, who had formerly been com- mandant at Vincennes, was left to guard Fort Chartres with a small garrison. One by one all the other forts were THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR (1754-17G3) 43 turned over to the English, but when they came to take charge of Fort Chartres the Indian chief, Pontiac, stood in the way. Pontiac combined the best and worst traits of his race, and his great abihties gained him ahnost absohite control over the Indians of the Northwest. The Indians from the first were the friends of the French. They had sided with them against the English and were not willing to abide by the treaty of [)eace. Pontiac gathered them around him, and disputed the p'ossession of the English for over two years. His league included the Illinois Indians, and Illinois was a hotbed of resistance against English occupation. At one time Pontiac ordered some of the Illinois who were camp- ing near Fort Chartres to join him in the war, but they were little disposed to do so. He said to them: ^'Hesi- tate not, or I destroy you as fire does the prairie grass. Listen and recollect these are the words of Pontiac." And immediately they changed their minds. In hope of persuading the French to take up arms again and resist the common foe, he marched under the high stone archway of Chartres to where St. Ange was sitting in the government house, and said to him: '' Father, I have long wished to see you, to recall the battles which we fought together against the misguided Indians and the English dogs. I love the French, and have come here with my warriors to avenge their wrongs." But St. Ange told him that all was over, that the French could no longer aid their red brothers, and that the Indians must make peace with the English. 44 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Pontiac finally ceased his struggle, and allowed Captain Stirling with a detachment of the 42nd Highlanders, the famous Black Watch, to come from Fort Pitt to the Illi- nois country. And in October, 1765, St. Ange surrendered Fort Chartres to him, and the flag of Great Britain floated over Illinois. St. Ange, his garrison, and many other French, withdrew to St. Louis, where St. Ange became head of the military post. Soon after, it is said, the English commander at Fort Chartres suddenly died, and as there was no one competent to take his place, government came to an end. When St. Ange heard this at St. Louis, he came back to his old post, assumed control, restored order, and held the place until another English oflficer could arrive. For more than fifty years he was connected with the history of this state, as scout, oflfiicer, and commandant. All who knew him, friends and foes alike, were impressed by the courage, up- rightness, and nobility of Louis St. Ange de Belle Rive, the last French commander of Illinois. VIII. ILLINOIS UNDER THE BRITISH (1765-1778) The short rule of the British brought httle change to Ilhnois. At the close of the French and Indian war the population could not have exceeded 3,000, and when it passed from the control of Great Britain it was still about the same. The few newcomers were mostly English traders and land speculators. And although many of the French removed from the territory yet the settlements remained French in character. When the English took possession it was proclaimed to the French: ^' That his majesty grants to the inhabitants of Illinois the liberty of the Catholic religion as it has been granted to his subjects in Can- ada. . . . That his majesty moreover agrees that the French inhabitants and others who have been the subjects of the most Christian king [of France] may retire in full safety and freedom wherever they please. . . . That those who choose to retain their lands and become subjects of his majesty, shall enjoy the same rights and privileges, the same securit}^ for their persons and effects and liberties as the old subjects of the king." The government at London desired to make the terri- tory a hunting ground where only English agents could buy furs and trade with the Indians. To this end colonists v\ere to be prohibited from settling in Illinois. Such a policy would have kept it a vast wilderness. But the 45 46 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS royal governors in America violated their king's command and granted large tracts to their friends and permitted companies to buy the land from the Indians. Happily the English king was not to rule long over Illinois. Among the British commanders of Illinois was Colonel Wilkins, who in 1768 attempted to establish a court and trial by jury, but the French did not take kindly to the English judicial customs and preferred to settle their disputes by the aid of the priests. In 1772 Fort Chartres was abandoned by the English Ruins of Fort Chartres garrison, for the Mississippi, which for several years had been changing its course toward the eastern bank, washed ILLINOIS UNDER THE BRITISH (1765-1778) 47 away a part of the walls of the fort. It was never after- wards used. Some of its ruins still are to be seen, including the old stone powder magazine. It is to be regretted that some action has not been taken by the people of the state to preserve the only monument of French sway in Illinois. The English stores and the garrison were removed to a fort near Kaskaskia, which was called Fort Gage, after the commander of King George's troops in America. Kas- kaskia became the seat of government. Although the French in Illinois had been reared under an absolute monarchy, and although they were far distant from the English colonies on the Atlantic seaboard and had been prejudiced against the Americans by British officers and agents, yet not a few of them were in full sympathy with the thirteen colonies in their struggle for liberty. In 1771 these liberty-loving French gathered at Kaskaskia and sent a request to London for a charter like that of Connecticut, which was the most liberal of all. The London government treated the request as absurd, and instead gave them a government in which all the officers were appointed by the crown instead of being elected by the people. The indignant settlers under Daniel Blouin protested against such government ''as oppressive and ab- surd, much worse than that of any French or even Spanish •colonies," and they boldly declared that ''should a govern- ment so evidently tyrannical be established it could be of no long duration." Doubtless the British would have taken steps to subdue the unrulv Frenchmen had not the demand for troops elsewhere been imperative. 48 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS At the beginning of the Revohition the British garrison was withdrawn from Ilhnois to serve in the field against the Americans, and its place was taken by local militia under British ofhcers. In spite of this garrison some sympathizers with the American cause began to plan expeditions against English military posts in the West. In 1777 an Irishman, Tom Brady, gathered a band of six- teen volunteers and crossed the prairies to Fort St. Joseph, in Michigan, which was considered an important point, but was guarded by only a small garrison. Brady's party came upon it in the night, defeated and paroled the troops, captured a large amount of merchandise, set fire to the palisades and buildings, and started for home. But during the night they were overpowered near the Chicago River by the British, who had called the Indians to their assist- ance. Fort St. Joseph was then rebuilt. To avenge Brady, a French Canadian, Paulette Meillet, the founder of Peoria, captured Fort St. Joseph in 177(S, with a force of 300 French and Indians, and sent the prisoners to Canada. IX. GEORGE ROGERS CLARE During the Revolutionary War the scattered settlers on the American frontier suffered considerably from Indian raids. Kentucky was then the western county of Virginia, and Virginia laid claim also to the whole country north of the Ohio. George Rogers Clark, a young Virginian at the head of the Ken- tucky militia, found that the British agents in the Northwest, especially at Detroit, Vincennes, and Kaskaskia, were the cause of the trouble, inasmuch as they were supplying the Indians with arms and ammuni- tion and inciting them against the Americans. Clark saw that if these British posts could be taken, the whole terri- tory would fall to the Americans by right of conquest, the Indian raids would be checked, and possibly the French, w^ho were but lukewarm in their allegiance to England and were most influential with the savages, might be gained Illinois— 4 49 George Rogers Clark 50 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS over to the American cause. From two spies whom he sent to Kaskaskia, Clark learned that, though it would be a laborious and hazardous undertaking, requiring the ut- most secrecy, yet only a comparatively small force would be needed to conquer the territory; and so he determined to attempt it. , He laid his plan before Patrick Henry, the governor of Virginia, who was much pleased with the idea, and who, after conferring with Thomas Jefferson and other prominent Virginians, authorized him to raise troops and march against Ilhnois. Clark was given a sum of money and orders for ammuni- tion, while the Virginia legislature was to be persuaded to grant 300 acres of land to each one who participated. He was to recruit his men from the frontiers so as not to weaken the resistance at home against King George. The whole burden was laid upon Clark, who with the utmost difficulty gathered from the clearings and scattered hunters' camps four small companies that amounted to about 200 men. The destination and purpose of the expedition were kept a secret until they came near Louisville, Kentucky. There Clark made the men acquainted with the object of the enterprise, and w^hile many of them were eager for so dangerous a task, yet some were not, and deserted at the first opportunity. Coming down the Ohio until near Fort Massac, where he landed, Clark began the terrible journey northwest on foot through the wilderness to Kaskaskia. He fell in with a party of hunters, who went along with him as guides. He had weeded out those unable to stand fatigue GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 51 and hardship, and his equipment was as Hght as that of an Indian war party. As Reynolds says in his history: 'Clark's warriors had no wagons, pack horses, or other means of conveyance of their munitions of war or baggage other than their own robust and hardy selves." Scouts were sent ahead to kill game for the sustenance of the little army and to capture any straggling French or In- dians. The first fifty miles led through tangled and pathless forests. The way was^ less difficult when they got out on the prairies, but the danger of being seen was increased many fold, and their only chance for success lay in secrecy and noiseless speed. Once the guide lost his way and Clark feared that he was a traitor, but the trail was soon found, and on the evening of July 4th, 1778, they were within three miles of Kaskaskia. So far their advance had been unobserved. Clark hid his men until nightfall. From several farmers they took captive they learned that the garrison was not looking for an attack, and that but few Indians were then in Kaskaskia, which was fortunate. Clark then divided his men into two parties, one of which was to surround the town to prevent any one from escaping, while he led the other band to take the fort. It is said that a ball was in progress at the fort, to which the young people of the village had been invited. As an attack was not expected no sentinels were on duty. As the little band of Americans approached the fort, lights were streaming from the windows and the sound of music and 52 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS merriment floated on the breeze. They were led into the fort either by some captive or by some one friendly to their cause. The commander, a Frenchman, was captured in bed. Clark, it is said, going to the hall where the revel was on, leaned silently with folded arms against the door- post, looking at the dancers. After a while, an Indian saw him and sprang to his feet with a terri- ble war whoop. The dance ended, the women screamed, and the soldiers ran to their quarters. But Clark, standing unmoved, shouted to them to go on with their fun; and told them that they were now dancing under the flag of Virginia instead of Great Britain. At the same time his men rushed in and captured all the officers and men. The other band, hearing the shout of victory, hurried into the town, secured every street, and drove the terrified people into their homes. Runners were sent through the Clark at Kaskaskia GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 5g town ordering all to keep close within doors on pain of death. For should any escape, Clark feared that they would spread alarm throughout the country and bring down on him a large force of French and Indians. All through the night the backw^oodsmen patrolled the streets in little squads and kept up their whooping in the most approved Indian fashion. The panic-stricken people cowered in their low-roofed houses. By daylight they were all dis- armed and the place was won without spilling a drop of blood . To strengthen their hold on the French settlers the British agents and officers had told them horrible tales of the brutality and ferocity of the Americans, especially the Long Knives, as the Kentuckians were called from the long knives they carried. The Long Knives were repre- sented as the most inhuman wretches that ever lived. So nothing could have filled the French with greater dismay than to hear their neighbors crying that the Long Knives were upon them. The unlooked for and sudden onset of these wild and uncouth backwoodsmen, and the ominous silence of their commander filled them with fearful fore- bodings. They passed a dreadful night. Even should their lives be spared they expected nothing less than separation and exile from their families. And Clark, understanding the nature of the French, was well pleased to see the horror with which they regarded his men, for in this frame of mind they would not offer resistance and would be all the more grateful when they found the Americans meant them well and not ill. 64 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS The next day the people were allowed to walk the streets, but as soon as they were seen congregating some of them were arrested and put in chains. The village priest, Father Gibault, and five or six elderly men obtained leave to speak to Clark, but when they came into his presence they did not know whom to address as commander until he was pointed out, because of the ragged and unkempt appear- ance of all the men. Saying that they expected to be separated never to meet again, they begged his permission to assemble in the church to take final leave of one another. Clark told them that they might hold such a meeting if they wished, but that on no account must any person leave the town. After the service a second deputation waited on Clark to express their thanks. They assured him that they did not understand the nature of the conflict between England and America, that some of their number had expressed themselves in favor of the Americans, and others would have done so had they dared, but that their conduct had been influenced by the British at the fort. ''We are sensible," said the priest, ''that our present situation is the fate of war. We can submit to the loss of property, but we beg that the men may not be separated from their wives and children, and that they be permitted to obtain some clothes and provisions for their future support." Clark judged that it was now time to reveal his intentions to them. He therefore addressed them: " What do you take us to be? Do you think we are savages — that we intend to massacre you all? Do you think Americans will strip GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 55 women and children and take bread out of their mouths? My countrymen disdain to make war on the helpless and innocent. It was to protect our wives and children from Indian barbarity and cruelty that we have penetrated the wilderness. We do not make war against Frenchmen. The king of France, your former master, is our ally. His ships and soldiers are fighting for the Americans. Go and enjoy your religion and worship where you please. Any insult to it will be immediately punished. Your friends in confinement will be released. Your fellow-citizens may dismiss all apprehensions and are at liberty to conduct themselves as usual. No man's property shall be molested. We are convinced that you have been misinformed and have been prejudiced against America by British agents. We are your friends and have come to deliver you from British authority and usurpation." The French went wild with joy. The Te Deum was sung, cannon roared, and the air resounded with huzzas for freedom and America. A small detachment of Americans was sent to Cahokia, accompanied by a volunteer company of French, who eas- ily persuaded their countrymen at that place to take the oath of allegiance to America as the Kaskaskians had done. Clark determined to march next against Vincennes, but the French begged him not to do so, as many of their friends and relatives lived there; and the priest, Father Gibault, volunteered to go to Vincennes and persuade them to transfer their allegiance. With but two companions he set out on his mission, and at his suggestion the people of Vincennes marched to the fort, where there were but a few 56 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS soldiers, hauled down the English flag, and hoisted the American instead. Later on the British from Detroit re- took the fort, but when Clark heard of it, he marched across Illinois through swamp and swollen stream and com- pelled the British to surrender it again. The British garrisons had been captured and the French won over, yet there remained the difficult task of either subduing or gaining the good wdll of the Indians who were allies of the British. A meeting of the savages was called at Cahokia and the streets of the little town swarmed with warriors from almost every tribe of the West, anxious to learn what had happened. Happily Clark knew how to deal with them. Instead of appearing eager to gain their friendship, he acted very independently and compelled them to make the first advances. The French did much to bring the Indians over to the Americans by telling them that their old master, the king of France, was angry with them for siding with the English. Shortly after Clark's occupation of Illinois, there ap- peared in Illinois a French officer of education and refine- ment, LaBalme, who began to recruit a force to take Detroit, one of the most important British forts in the West. His appearance in the Illinois villages created a deep im- pression. One who saw him said: ''The people run after him as if he were the very Messiah himself." With a com- pany of young men from Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vin- cennes, he attacked an English trading post near Fort Wayne, Indiana, and captured it. Flushed with success and laden with booty, his party kept no watch at night, GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 57 and like Brady's men, they were surprised and overpow- ered by the traders and Indians. LaBalme was slain and many of his men were killed. In 1779 Spain declared war against Great Britain. At this time the Spaniards held all the territory west of the Mississippi. They claimed the region east of the Missis- sippi as far north as the Ohio, and they desired to add to their dominion the territory north of the Ohio as well. This they could do only by conquering it, and to this end, in January, 1781, about 150 armed men left St. Louis, the Spanish headquarters, crossed the Mississippi on the ice, marched across the prairies of Illinois to Fort St. Joseph, Michigan, captured the fort, and hoisted the Spanish stand- ard to the flagstaff. A trace of this expedition, consisting of a small piece of artillery and three cannon balls of Eu- ropean make, w^as found some years ago near Danville. ''They suffered," says a contemporary account, ''in so ex- tensive a march, and so rigorous a season, the greatest incon- venience from cold and hunger." But nothing ever came of this pretended Spanish conquest of the Illinois country. The annals of the Revolution contain no more daring, brilliant, or important achievement than George Rogers Clark's winning of Illinois. When the treaty of peace was made, the fact that the Northwest was in the hands of the Americans decided its fate and added to our nation the territory now comprising Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota. Clark remained in con- trol of the militia of the territory until 1783. He finally died in poverty and bitterness. X. ILLINOIS A COUNTY OF VIRGINIA (1778-1784) Claiming Illinois by virtue of ancient charters and Clark's conquest, the Virginia Assembly in October, 1778, erected the Illinois country into a county of Virginia, granting to its inhabitants all the rights and privileges enjoyed by the people of the state. Patrick Henr}^, gov- ernor of Virginia, and thus the first American governor of Illinois, appointed Col. John Todd lieutenant governor of Illinois, and George Rogers Clark head of the militia. Todd was instructed by Patrick Henry to gain the con- fidence of the French and Indians, and on all occasions to impress upon the people the value and duties of citizenship. There was certainly need of the latter injunction. Todd upon his arrival ordered an election of civil officers, includ- ing members of the courts at Kaskaskia and Cahokia. This was perhaps the first exercise of the elective franchise in Illinois. Those elected were all Frenchmen with one ex- ception, and so little did they appreciate their position that Todd had to remonstrate with them for adjourning their courts from time to time without trying any cases. Todd had land speculators also to deal with. And his old record book, now in the Library of the Chicago Historical Society, mentions the condemnation of a negro slave, who, for witchcraft, was to be chained to a post at the waterside, burned alive, and his ashes scattered. 58 ILLINOIS A COUNTY OF VIRGINIA (1778-1784) 59 At this time the French along the Mississippi and a few scattered settlers on the Illinois and Wabash rivers were about all the white people in Illinois. But in 1779-80 westward migration from the Atlantic states began. Ow- ing to Clark's conquest, many families from Virginia and Maryland and a number of Clark's men descended the Ohio and went up the Mississippi to Kaskaskia. Among them was John Doyle, the first schoolmaster to settle in the state. When the thirteen colonies came to form a united gov- ernment, among the obstacles to the ratification of the Articles of Confederation were the claims that several of the states made to the same Western lands. Moreover, the smaller states protested against any one state holding as much territory, and consequently as much power, as some of the larger states held. Both Virginia and New York claimed the Northw^est — Virginia by right of ancient charters and Clark's conquest, and New York through her treaties with the Iroquois, who contended that it was theirs by right of conquest. Massachusetts and Connecticut also, by virtue of charters, claimed each a strip across the territory, including what is now northern Illinois. But in 1780, to hasten the confederation, New York ceded its claims to the Federal government. Then Congress earnestly recommended those states that had claims to the Western country to surrender them and thus remove the only obstacle to confederation, proposing that these West- ern lands be formed into distinct states which should be- come members of the Federal Union, with the same rights as the other states. Accordingly, on December 20, 1783, 60 ■ HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Virginia passed an act ceding to Congress her lands north- west of the Ohio River on condition that the United States meet the expenses incurred in Clark's expedition, that the land titles of the settlers be confirmed to them, and that 150,000 acres of land be given to Colonel Clark and his men. On March 1, 1784, the deed of cession, signed by Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Hardy, Arthur Lee, and James Monroe, was formally executed and accepted. Massachu- setts ceded her claim in 1785, and Connecticut most of hers in 1786. Thus Illinois passed under the jurisdiction of the Federal government. XL THE ORDINANCE OF 1787 It appears that for several years prior to 1786 there had been little or no government in Illinois. In August of that year the inhabitants of Illinois petitioned Congress to pro- vide means by which they could form a good government. In the spring of the next year a number of New England- ers, Dr. Manasseh Cutler among them, formed the Ohio Company, whose oliject was to purchase a large tract of land on the Ohio River and establish a settlement. Many of the members of the company had been in the Revolu- tion and all of them desired that a suitable government should be erected in the territory where they were to settle. They laid the matter before the Continental Congress. Ac- cording to their wish, Congress, on July 13, 1787, passetl the famous Northwest Ordinance, which with slight changes has proved adequate to the needs of territorial government in our country up to the present time, and of which Daniel Webster said: "I doubt whether one single law, ancient or modern, has produced effects of more distinct and lasting character than the Ordinance of 1787." ■ The Ordinance of 1787 molded the destiny of our com- monwealth; in large measure, it determined the nature of our social, political, and educational institutions. It provided that all civil government in the Northwest Territory should be vested in a governor, appointed by the 61 62 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS President, and three judges, until such a time as there were 5,000 free male inhabitants of legal age in the territory, when a general assembly was to be elected with a repre- sentative for every 500 voters. The upper house, or coun- cil, was to be composed of five men chosen by the lower house and approved by Congress. Among other things, the ordinance ordained and declared that '^No person demeaning himself in a peaceable and orderly manner, shall ever be molested on account of his mode of worship or religious sentiments in the said Territory. '' The inhabitants of the said Territory shall always be entitled to the benefit of the writ of habeas corpus, and of trial by jury; of a proportionate representation of the people in the legislature, and of judicial proceedings accord- ing to the course of the common law. All persons shall be bailable unless for capital offenses, where the proof shall be evident or the presumption great. All fines shall be mod- erate, and no cruel or unusual punishments shall be inflicted. No man shall be deprived of his liberty or property but by the judgment of his peers, or the law of the land; and should the public exigencies make it necessary for the common preservation to take any person's property, or to demand his particular services, full compensation shall be made for the same. ... '' Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged. . . . ''The said Territory, and the States which may be THE ORDINANCE OF 1787 63 formed therein, shall forever remain a part of this confed- eracy of the United States of America, subject to the Articles of Confederation, and to such alteration therein, as shall be constitutionally made; and to all the acts and ordinances of the United States, in Congress assembled, conformable thereto. . . . ''There shall be formed in the said Territory not less than three, nor more than five States; . . . '' There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servi- tude in the said Territory, otherwise than in the punish- ment of crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted." XII. NORTHWEST TERRITORY, AND INDIANA TERRITORY President Washington appointed as first governor of the Northwest Territory, General Arthur St. Clair, who had fought in the Revolutionary War and had given much of his private means to the cause. It was part of his duty as governor to provide wholesome laws for the white set- tlers, to treat with the Indians, who far outnumbered the whites, and to settle land disputes that had arisen from conflicting grants. He was arbitrary and quarrelsome, and his administration was not wholly successful. It was in 1790 that St. Clair first visited Illinois. The Illinois settlements were organized into a county with Cahokia as county seat, and named, in his honor, St. Clair County. This county extended from the Ohio to the Illinois River and from the Mississippi to a line drawn from near Fort Massac to the mouth of the Mackinaw River on the Illinois. A court of common pleas was established and three judges were appointed to hold court at Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Prairie du Rocher. The governor had diffi- culty in finding officers for the court, as not one man in fifty was able to read or write. The same year the first lawyer, John Rice Jones, came to Illinois. St. Clair found the French settlers very poor. They had given beyond their means to the support of Clark's men and had never been 64 NORTHWEST TERRITORY 6-5 ~ff i^^i^' repaid, and their crops either had been poor or had been destroyed by the high waters of the Mississippi. During St. Clair's administration the Indians were very troublesome. After the Revolutionary War the pioneers began to pour over the Appalachian Mountains into the Northwest Territory. Naturally the Indian determined that he would not be crowded out of his best hunting ground, and to secure his rights resolved to wage a war of ex- termination against the whites. In this movement the In- dians of Illinois were foremost, and the sit- uation of the settlers became extremely perilous. Many were killed and all were in constant alarm. They were obliged to carry their guns with them while at work in the fields, and to guard their houses by night. Finally, it became necessary for them to retire into blockhouses. These blockhouses were built of heavy logs and were generally two stories high. The lower story was provided with portholes through which to shoot; the second story projected three or four feet over the first, and the floor Illinois — 5 Blockhouse 66 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS of this projection was perforated with similar holes. Several families could take shelter in one blockhouse. Sometimes four such houses would be built on the corners of a square piece of ground, which was fenced in by pali- sades. These palisades were about fifteen feet high, and were made by setting heavy timbers lengthwise in the ground close together. Within the inclosure were cabins for the famihes. A well was dug, the trees around the inclosure were cut down to guard against ambush, and when danger was imminent the stock was driven within the palisades. Actual warfare was waged against the savages in Ohio and Indiana. General St. Clair took the field against them, but was defeated. Then '' Mad Anthony " Wayne marched against them, routed them, and brought the war to a close by the treaty of Greenville, August 3, 1795. Peace was hailed with great joy throughout the West. The danger from Indians past, immigration revived and large numbers came -to Illinois. In 1795, St. Clair County was divided and Randolph County was established.^ When it was ascertained that the Northwest Territory contained 5,000 voters, it was advanced to a territory of the second grade, and in 1799 its first general assembly met at Cincin- nati. Shadrach Bond, of St. Clair County, and John Edgar, from Randolph County, were elected representatives from Illinois. ^ The boundaries of these counties were enlarged and altered from time to time, till in 1809 Randolph included the southeastern fifth of the present state, and St. Clair all the rest. INDIANA TERRITORY 67 The large extent of the Northwest Territory rendered the operations of government, especially the administration of justice, very uncertain and burdensome. To mend this difficulty, on May 7, ISOO, Congress passed an act dividing the territory into two separate territories. The western part was called Indiana and included the present states of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, part of Minnesota, and part (later all) of Michigan. The capital was at \lncennes, and General William Henry Harrison was appointed governor. In July, 1805, the first general assembly of Indiana Terri- tory was held. In the same year Michigan was erected into a separate territory. Through the efforts of Harrison, most of the land in Illi- nois and southern Indiana w^as ceded to the United States by the resident Indians. His name appears on a dozen or more treaties wath them, and he became known as the Great Treaty Maker. But when the Shawnees under Te- cumseh and the Prophet saw the land being signed away to the whites by the Indians of Illinois and Indiana they became very angry. The Pottawatomies and the Kicka- poos, always ready to fight the Americans, joined them, as did other tribes, until a strong combination was formed. Harrison, however, routed these Indians at the battle of Tippecanoe, November 11, 1811. This famous battle ter- minated the trouble and brought Harrison into great and lasting popularity. When he was nominated for Presi- dent, nearly thirty years later, he was elected by a large majority. XIIL THE TERRITORY OF ILLINOIS The name Illinois was revived by the act of Congress, February 3, 1809, which cut off the western part of Indiana territory to form a separate government. The new terri- tory of Illinois included the present state and all the land north of it to Canada. Kaskaskia was made the capital. Ninian Edwards, chief justice of Kentucky, was appointed governor by President Madison; he remained governor as long as Illinois was a territory. At first the governor and three appointed judges formed themselves into a legislative body and enacted laws — mostly copies of old ones— for the new territory. But in 1812 lUinois became a territory of the second grade. The first election was held in October, 1812. Shadrach Bond was elected as the first delegate to Congress from the ter- ritory of Illinois. The first general assembly of the ter- ritory met in November, 1812. The defeat at Tippecanoe only intensified the hatred of the Indians against the whites, and Tecumseh again went on the warpath. Urged on by British agents, the Indians in 1811 became very bold and committed many depreda- tions. This was a foretaste of the War of 1812 with Eng- land. Reynolds says: ^'It is strange that the pioneers on the frontiers could discover sooner the movements of 68 THE TERRITORY OF ILLINOIS ' 69 the British government through the Indians than our government could by its ministers in Europe." Anticipating the struggle with England, Governor Ed- wards without delay began to make such preparations for the defense of the territory as his own means permitted, ad- vancing large sums of money to buy arms and build stock- ades. The militia was called out, companies of rangers organized, and mounted men chosen to guard the frontier. In 1812 Fort Russell was built near the town of Edwards- ville. It was the strongest fort in the territory and was the headquarters of the militia. In September, 1812, a force of 350 men marched from Fort Russell against the Indians at Peoria Lake, and at Peoria built a fort which they called Fort Clark, in honor of George Rogers Clark. Zachary Tay- lor, afterwards President, engaged the Indians near Rock Island, but finding his force insufficient to cope with the enemy, withdrew and left the Indians and British in con- trol of all the country north of the Illinois River. Mean- while, on August 15, 1812, occurred the massacre of the garrison of Fort Dearborn — the bloodiest collision that had occurred between the whites and Indians in Illinois. XIV. THE FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE As early as 1675 the name Chicago was appHecl by ex- plorers to lakes, ports, and routes. A French trading post and mission existed under that name prior to 1700, but its exact location cannot be ascertained. It is certain, how- ever, that the present site of Chicago was from early times a favorite resort and trading point with trapper and In- dian. The name Chicago was the title of a long line of Indian chiefs who resided in the community. The first official mention of the name occurs in the treaty of Green-/ ville, 1795, by which treaty the Pottawatomies ceded to the government six square miles of territory at the mouth of the Chicago River. This place became so important and so much frequented by traders that in 1803 General Dearborn, the Secretary of War under President Jefferson, ordered a company of sol- diers to proceed from the post at Detroit to the mouth of the Chicago River, and there to construct a fort for the protection of the traders and, no doubt, the interests of the Federal government. The fort consisted of two block- houses, a parade ground, and sally port, and was sur- rounded by a stockade. It was named Fort Dearborn. A few French and Canadians had settled in the vicinity. At the beginning of the War of 1812 the Americans at- tempted to invade Canada, but failed. To retaliate, the 70 THE FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE 71 British laid siege to Detroit and captured it. By this they came into control of all the American posts in Michigan, and with the loss of Michigan the Americans lost control of the Indian tribes of the Northwest, who scattered them- selves on the frontiers and began their horrible atrocities. With the British army before Detroit and the animosity of the Indians growing fiercer day by day, it was judged fool- hardy to attempt to hold Fort Dearborn. Captain Nathan Heald was therefore ordered to evacuate it and march his garrison to Fort Wayne, if he thought such a course wise. The order was brought to him by a friendly Pottawato- mie chief, who, knowing the intentions of the Indians and knowing that the fort was in good condition to withstand a siege, urged the captain to disregard the order; or if he should evacuate the fort, to do it at once, before the In- dians could gather for an attack. But blindly ignoring the red man's suggestion, as well as the wishes of his sub- ordinates, Captain Heald notified the surrounding tribes of his intention to abandon the fort and to distribute the pro- visions among them as a peace offering. Immediately they became surly and insulting. On August 14 supplies of broadcloth, calico, and paint were distributed among the Indians, but no liquor or am- munition, which they wanted most of all. And when they discovered broken muskets here and there and found broken casks from which the liquor had been emptied upon the ground, they became very angry and claimed that the Americans had broken faith with them. So threatening were they that the garrison decided to leave on the morrow. 72 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS On the fatal morning of the 15th, the troops left the fort with martial music and with flags flying. Captain Wells, who understood Indian warfare very well, and who had come to escort them to Fort Wayne, with his face painted hke a savage's, led the advance guard at the head of some friendly Miamis. The garrison followed with loaded arms, then the baggage wagons with the sick and the women and children. About 500 Pottawatomies, pledged to escort them in safety, brought up the rear. The caravan took the road along the lake shore and had gone but a mile or so when it was discovered that the Potta- watomies had surrounded the whites. Then began a most savage massacre. In fifteen minutes the Indians had pos- session of the baggage wagons and were slaying women and children. When it was all over the captain was wounded and half his men were killed. He had marched from the fort with a party of 93 white persons; of these, 38 soldiers, two women, and twelve children were killed. This most dreadful crime was avenged when these Pottawatomies later on met General Harrison at Fort Wayne, and at the battle of the Thames, where many of them met their death. XV. ILLINOIS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY So full of privation and danger was the life of the back- woodsman that it appealed only to the most hardy. Re- moved from the influence of civilized communities, much in the company of friendly Indians, and frequently in peril from hostile ones, it happened that the backwoodsman came to resemble the red man in disposition and man- ner of life. A fur cap, a loose hunt- ing shirt, buckskin pantaloons, and leggings of deerskin, ornamented in Indian fashion, constituted his dress, with moccasins on his feet, knife and tomahawk in his belt, and his rifle on his shoulder. His home was a log cabin in which the logs were held together by wooden pegs, and oiled paper served for window glass. Even the hinges of the door were wooden, as was the latch also, which was lifted from without by a thong run through a hole. If 'Hhe latchstring was out" friends were at Hberty to enter. Within, the furniture was of the rudest sort. Uten- sils of metal were very rare. Huge fireplaces that burned 73 A Backwoodsman 74 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS great logs served in place of stoves. Skins and furs com- posed the bed. Like the Indians, the backwoodsmen were hunters rather than farmers, and depended on their guns for most of their food. They raised a little corn, and a few pota- toes and other vegetables. Nearly all of them had served in the border wars against the Indians. They resembled A Train of Settlers' Wagons the Indians also in their dislike of thickly settled commu- nities and near neighbors, and in their laziness and lack of ambition. At home in the forest, rough, hardy, illiterate, — such were the pioneers of the mighty West. But soon another and better class began to settle in Illi- nois. They came from the Atlantic states; the majority of them were from the South — Virginia, Maryland, and South BEGINNING OF NINETEENTH CENTURY Carolina. A fair proportion of them had received a rudi- mentary education, and among them were men who after- wards served the state in places of trust and honor. Some of them came to Kaskaskia by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers; but most of them came overland in covered wag- ons drawn by horses or oxen. The men would walk before the caravan to hunt for food and ward off danger, and at night would lie down, wrapped in blankets, around the Building a Log House camp fire. The women and children spent most of the time in the wagons. The journey was not free from peril, and sometimes it occupied three or four months. These people often settled in or near the old French vil- lages. They took to the hill country along rivers and streams. They shunned the open prairies because of the absence of water, shade, and fuel, because of green-headed 76 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS flies that swarmed there, and because of their idea that the prairies were unhealthful and the soil unproductive. Thus they left unoccupied some of the best portions of the state and chose the river bottoms where crops were unreliable and sickness common. They had few of the comforts and not always all the ne- cessities of life as we see it now. Books were very scarce and schools were scarcer still. Sometimes the schoolmas- ter held school in his own house. The work of the men was very arduous — clearing lands, splitting rails, planting, and harvesting with only the rudest implements. The winters were very severe, and the houses were far from comfortable. The Indians were always ready to make trouble in one way or another. Fever and ague afflicted afl. Great rainfalls and heavy snows were common, and the constant high winds were very disagreeable. Yet the settlers had much leisure and many merrymak- ings. Story-telling was an art much cultivated. Dancing, logrolling, house raising, husking bees, and apple parings were popular amusements, but horse racing was the most popular of all. The whole population would turn out for a race. It gave a good opportunity for the men to visit and trade horses with one another. Much whisky was used by both men and women, and a race generally ended in a fight. The first Protestant religious service in Illinois was held by a Baptist minister, the Reverend James Smith, who visited New Design in 1787, five years after that place was founded by Clark's men on the highlands overlooking the Kaskaskia and the Mississippi. At this place the first BEGINNING OF NINETEENTH CENTURY 77 Protestant church in the state was built in 1796. The first circuit rider appeared in 1804. The restraining influence of these early ministers upon the habits and manners of the people was wholesome and much needed. By and by the immigrants from Europe began to find their way to Illinois. The first were a few Irish families who settled along the Ohio River about 1805. Moses Birkbeck brought a large colony from England in which there was much refinement and wealth, and located in Edwards County. After 1815 Germans came in large numbers. The four years that followed the close of the War of 1812 were years of unprecedented growth. Many new towns were laid out, and the number of counties in Illinois grew to fifteen. In 1820 the population amounted to 55,211. The new settlements, for the most part, were still found along the rivers and in the southern part of the state. Of the population scarcely one twentieth were of French de- scent; the rest were Americans. With the exception of a few Pennsylvanians, they were mostly from the Southern states, and they stamped the manners and customs of the South upon all southern Illinois. In 1821 all the state north and west of the Kankakee and Illinois rivers was es- tablished into one large county, called Pike. South of these rivers, in 1821, the state was divided into twenty-five counties. As fear of the Indians decreased, farms became larger and settlements grew into little villages. Herds of sheep were pastured on the hills and in the woods, and clothing 78 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS made of cotton, flax, and wool came to take the place of that made from furs and skins. In 1805 a mail route was established from Vincennes to Cahokia, and in 1810 routes were established by act of Congress from Vincennes to St., Louis by way of Kaskaskia, Prairie du Rocher, and Cahokia. The first newspaper in Illinois, The Illinois Her- ald, was established at Kaskaskia about 1814; the second, The Illinois Emigrant, at Shawneetown, 1818; the third. The Spectator, at Edwardsville, 1819. The first steamboat on the upper Mississippi reached St. Louis in 1817. The people gradually began to live more like their countrymen in the East, and as time crept slowly on signs became visible of the mighty civilization that was soon to flourish on the prairies of lUinois. XVI. ADMISSION TO THE UNION; THE FIRST CONSTITUTION The population had so much increased that the IlUnois territorial legislature, in January, 1818, asked the Con- gressional delegate, Nathaniel Pope, to petition Congress to admit Illinois into the Union. A bill for that purpose was soon introduced in Congress. It fixed the boundary lines as they are at present with the exception of the northern line, which was run farther south, at 41° 39'. But Pope asked that it be made at 42° 30', as it is now — and no man ever rendered the state a greater service. He argued that if 41° 39' were made the boundary, the commerce of Illi- nois, which he said was destined to become a populous state, would be confined to the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and so be mostly with the Southern states, and should the slave states ever attempt to withdraw from the Union, Illinois would naturally cast her lot with them. But on the other hand, to fix the boundary at 42° 30' would give' a northern outlet to her commerce by way of Lake Michi- gan, which would unite her interests with those of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. And, declared Pope, by the adoption of such a line Illinois might become at some future time the keystone to the perpetuity of the Union, — as indeed it did in less than fifty years. The fourteen counties erected out of the strip of territory sixty miles 79 80 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS wide which he secured to Illinois, elected the republican state ticket in 1856, secured the state to that party, and made more certain the nomination and election of Lincoln to the Presidency four years later. Pope further argued that if the port of Chicago were included in Illinois, the state would become interested in the proposed canal connecting Lake Michigan and the Illi- nois River, as that water way would then be altogether within its limits. Such a canal, besides developing the country, would open up a new channel of trade between the East and West and bind them closer together. Had not Chicago been included in the state, perhaps it would not have grown so rapidly, for the Illinois and Michigan Canal and the Illinois Central Railroad, which contributed so largely to its development, were the outcome of Illi- nois enterprise and statesmanship, and might never have been built, had their terminus, Chicago, been outside the state. Pope's request having been granted, the '^ Enabling Act" was passed and became law, April 18. Under its provisions, Illinois was declared a state by resolution of Congress, December 3, 1818. Pope secured the admission of Illinois on a smaller popu- lation than was usually required, only 40,000; and it is doubtful if the territory had even 40,000, for so eager were the people for statehood that many were counted twice, and even emigrants were counted as they passed through the territory. The constitutional convention met at Kaskaskia, and THE FIRST CONSTITUTION , 81 the first constitution of Illinois was signed and established August 26, 1818. It was largely copied from the constitu- tions of Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. The governor, lieutenant governor, sheriffs, coroners, county commissioners, and the delegates to the general as- sembly were elected by the people, but other officers named in the constitution were to be appointed, some by the gov- ernor and some by the legislature. Frequent clashes be- tween the governor and the assembly were caused by the fact that the constitution did not make clear whether the executive or the legislature was to appoint to additional offices later created by the legislature. The constitution of Illinois was one of the first constitu- tions to prohibit imprisonment for debt. It granted the right to vote to all white males over twenty-one years of age, who had resided six months in the state. Shadrach Bond was the most popular man in the state and was elected governor without opposition. He was jo- vial, thoroughly honest, and unostentatious. A French- man, Pierre Menard, who could speak but little English, but who was of sound judgment, hospitable and benevolent to all, was the first lieutenant governor. Elias Kent Kane was appointed secretary of state. Ninian Edwards and Jesse B. Thomas were the first United States senators from Illinois. The first legislature was made up of fourteen senators and twenty-eight representatives. The first message of the governor recommended more lenient punishments for crimes, the leasing of the school lands for the sake of edu- Illinois — 6 32 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS cation, and the construction at an early date of the Ilhnois and Michigan Canal. At the second session of the legisla- ture a commission was appointed to lay out a town and erect a temporary statehouse. Vandalia was the site chosen for the new capitol. XVII. SLAVERY IN ILLINOIS The Ordinance of 1787 plainly prohibited slavery, yet there was a clause in the ordinance that was interpreted without much show of reason to allow the French in Illinois still to hold their slaves and their slaves' descendants in servitude, as they had done since 1722 under the successive rule of France, England, and ^'irginia. The Northwest Ordinance was further violated in 1807 when the territorial legislature of Indiana (which then included Illinois) passed an act making indentured servitude legal. By this law a person bringing slaves into the territory had to take them, within thirty days, before the clerk of the court, and, if the slaves were willing, have an indenture or contract between the slaves and himself entered upon record, with the specified time the slaves were to serve. This term of service was sometimes fixed at ninety-nine years. The descendants of the slaves were also to serve until they were about thirt}^ years old. But if the slaves refused to enter into such an agreement, their master had to remove them from the state within sixty days. Under this provision slavery increased. The Illinois constitution of 1818 prohibited the future introduction of slavery, but recognized indentured servi- tude and left the slaves in their previous condition. The children of indentured servants, however, were to be set 83 84 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS free at the age of twenty-one, if males, or eighteen if females. The number of slaves was small, yet the first legislature passed severe and stringent black laws such as were usu- ally enacted in slave states to prevent a servile uprising. For example, no negro could reside in the state without showing a certificate of his freedom, and every black or mulatto without such a certificate of his freedom was sub- ject to arrest as a runaway slave and was to be advertised and sold, if not claimed. Any slave or servant found ten miles from home without permit was liable to arrest and thirty-five stripes from the lash. There was a long list of offenses punishable by the lash. To harbor a runaway slave was made a felony. Most of the settlers had come from Southern states, and consequently many of them were in favor of slavery and were anxious to make Illinois a slave state. Some of them even went so far as to petition Congress to annul the Ordinance of 1787 as unconstitutional. About this time, 1821, Missouri was admitted as a slave state and many emigrants from Kentucky and Virginia were pouring through Illinois into it. As they passed they pretended to regret the short-sighted policy of Illinois that excluded them from purchasing land and settling here with their slaves. Many of those who had lands and farms to sell, when they saw the roads crowded with these lordly emi- grants and their long lines of teams and slaves, began to envy the good fortune of Missouri. And so it happened that the sentiment in favor of slavery grew, and at the SLAVERY IN ILLINOIS 85 second election for governor it became the silent though real issue. The antislavery party nominated for governor a young Virginian of polished manners and unimpeachable charac- ter, Edward Coles. For six years he had been the highly esteemed private secretary of President Madison, and he enjoyed the confidence of such men as Jefferson and ]\Ion- roe. As a special minister to Russia he had prevented an open rupture with the Czar. Impressed with the advan- tages of Illinois, he came hither and brought his slaves with him, only to free them and give each family 160 acres of Illinois land. Upon his coming here the President had appointed him registrar of the land office at Edwardsville. And when large numbers of people from all parts of the state came to have their deeds made out and their titles verified, his kind and agreeable manner made them all his friends. Two proslavery candidates were run against him. One of them had entered in the race for the sole object of divert- ing votes from the popular registrar. But this served only to divide the proslavery vote, and when the election was over it was found that Coles had won. The proslavery men elected all the rest of the ticket and had control of both houses of the legislature. In his inaugural address Coles gave slavery a prominent place, and earnestly recommended its abolition from Illi- nois. The committee to whom this portion of the address was referred presented a majority and a minority report. The minority recommended the abolition of slavery, while Edward Coles 86 SLAVERY IN ILLINOIS 87 the majority report rocominonded that the people of the state at the next general, eh^ction vote for or against a con- vention to amend the constitution; their purpose being to make Illinois a slave state. One vote was lacking in the house of representatives to pass the resolution recom- mended by the majority report. The proslavery men therefore expelled one member who was opposed to the convention, gave his seat to another, and thus passed the resolution. Reynolds says of this illegal step: ''This proceeding in the general assembly looked revolutionary and was con- demned by all honest and reflecting men. This outrage was a deathblow to the convention. The night after the passage of the resolution there was at the seat of govern- ment a wild and indecorous procession by torchlight and hquor, and that was also' unpopular." The abolitionists rightly opposed the convention, for they saw that if it convened, slavery would be fastened on the state. The campaign that follovred was the most excit- ing and bitter the state ever saw. The conflict assumed national importance, for with Illinois a slave state the preponderance of the slave party in national affairs was assured. Addresses were issued to the people, public meetings held, and the newspapers took a lively part in the discussion. The rude pulpit thundered against slavery as a crime. Personal combats v>ere frequent. There was an avalanche of personal abuse. The convention men, certain of success, were arrogant, insulting, and defiant. As Governor Ford in his history well says, if the people had 88 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS not made allowance for the exaggeration and falsehoods of this campaign, the reputation of all men would have been overwhelmed and consumed. At the head of the abolitionists was Governor Coles, whose efforts were untiring. His residence was mobbed, yet neither violence nor abuse abated his zeal. He cheer- fully gave his salary to the cause as well as his official influence and personal ability. He was ably seconded by Daniel P. Cook and Moses Birkbeck. The Reverend John Mason Peck, a Baptist minister, fearlessly denounced slavery in the log churches, schoolhouses and in private houses, everywhere in the state. On election day the aged and the cripples were carried to the polls, and it is said men voted on that occasion who had not seen a ballot box for twenty years. The eventful day, August 2, 1824, showed a majority against the convention, 6,640 to 4,972, and slavery was dead in Illinois forever. Only two other important events of Coles's administra- tion need be mentioned. The statehouse at Vandalia was burned in December, 1823; but a new one was soon built there. In April, 1825, General Lafayette, the friend of America, visited Kaskaskia, and Governor Coles, who had made his acquaintance in France, welcomed him to Ilh- nois. Coles's high character and polished manners, his great influence and his hatred of slavery, made him very unpopu- lar among certain classes of people. The legislature con- stantly antagonized him and took every opportunity to insult him. He nominated the cultured and worthy Moses SLAVERY IN ILLINOIS 89 Birkbeck for secretary of state, but the legislature, to its dis- grace, refused to confirm the nomination. While Coles was absent from the state the lieutenant governor, Hubbard, made himself a laughingstock by trying to steal his place. Coles left Illinois in 1832 and went to Philadelphia. He lived long enough to see the w^hole slavery question settled by the Civil War. To him we are most indebted for saving Illinois from the curse of African slavery, and thus placing it in a position to maintain the Union some thirty years later. XVIII. ADMINISTRATION OF NINIAN EDWARDS (1826-1830) The third governor was Ninian Edwards. He had been governor of the territory of IlHnois. Whenever he went out among the people he arrayed himself in the style of a gentleman of the olden times — fine broadcloth coat, short breeches, long stockings, and high-topped boots — and was drawn in a fine carriage driven by a negro. His speeches were pompous and florid. When he was inaugurated gov- ernor in 1826 he appeared before the general assembly in a gold-laced cloak and with a sword. Like Coles, Edwards was opposed by the legislature, which had passed some very bad measures of finance. Taxation w^as unpopular, and the legislators feared to tax the people lest they should endanger their places. In order to replenish the state treasury, which was always in debt, in 1828-29 they began the very unwise policy of selling the school lands and borrowing the school funds. Congress had made a most munificent provision for public education when it donated to Illinois the sixteenth section of every township and three per cent, of the net proceeds from the sale of public lands for the support of common schools, together with two townships of land for a seminary of learning. Some of these lands had been leased to settlers, who clamored for a permanent title and prevailed upon the 90 ADMINISTRATION OF EDWARDS (1826-1830) 91 legislature to sell them these school lands at a very low price. The people were shortsighted enough to permit the sale of all. Had those lands been kept for the purpose for which the}^ were given, no taxation would now be necessary to support public schools. In 1826-27 hundreds of people from Illinois and Mis- souri flocked to Galena to work in the lead mines that had been opened there. The Winnebagoes objected to their settling on Indian lands, and were joined in their resistance by the Sacs and Foxes and the Sioux. A body of United States regulars, reenforced by volunteers, soon routed the red men. National politics began to claim the attention of the people about this time. Daniel P. Cook was a man of many pleasing ways, kind and without guile. He had been a member of Congress since 1819, and had secured from Congress a donation of 225,000 acres of land for the con- struction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. Because of this service Cook County was named for him. In the pre- ceding presidential election, in 1824, neither Jackson nor Adams nor Crawford being elected, it fell to the House of Representatives to decide which one should be President. The House voted by states, and the vote of thirteen states was necessary to elect; Illinois, represented by Cook, was one of the thirteen that voted for Adams and elected him. The people of Illinois had given Jackson more votes than Adams, and they were so fond of Jackson that they defeated Cook for Congress and elected a young man named Joseph Duncan instead. XIX. THE BLACK HAWK WAR The fourth governor, John Reynolds, was an odd charac- ter. He was brought up among frontier people and like them had a dislike for fashion and polish and was addicted to profanity. He wrote two books on Illinois history that are pleasant reading because they are full of his personal observation and gossip. He began practice as a lawyer at Cahokia, in 1814, and announced in the Illinois Herald of Kaskaskia: ^'To the poor people of Illinois and Missouri Territory : To the above class of mankind whose pecuniary circumstances will not admit of feeing a lawyer, I tender my professional services as a lawyer in all the courts I practice in, without fee or reward. John Reynolds." He soon had a large and remunerative practice. The Black Hawk War w^as the chief event of interest in Reynolds's administration. It is scarcely worthy of the name of war. About 8,000 volunteers and 1,500 regulars were called out to expel from the state some 500 warriors and their women and children. The whole trouble might have been averted by the payment of a few thousand dollars to the Indians. As it was, it cost the state two mil- lion dollars and the loss of about one thousand lives — mostly Indians, and so reckoned, at that time, of little con- sequence. The early settlers thoroughly detested the Indian, fre- 92 THE BLACK HAWK WAR 93 quently maltreated him, and constantly demanded that he should go. In such a state of mind as this, they needed little or no provocation to declare war on him. In 1804 a treaty had been made between the government and certain representatives of the Sac and Fox Indians. In consideration of the payment of $1,000 annually by the government to the two tribes, the Indians ceded all the land between the Wisconsin and Fox rivers on the north, the Illinois River on the south, and the Mississippi River on the west. There was a provision, however, that as long as this territory remained the property of the govern- ment the Indians should enjoy the privilege of living and hunting on it. The main village of the two tribes vras Sankernunt, which was not far from Rock Island on the Rock River. It was occupied by about 500 families and was dear to the Indian heart, for here were the graves of the Sac and Fox forefathers. In the rich soil of the neigh- borhood they planted corn and a few vegetables. But un- happily for the savage, the fame of this fertile spot came to the ears of that restless class, the squatters, who continually pushed their frontier over the line of the Indian preserves. This was as early as 1823. Although the land of the Sac and Fox was fifty miles in advance of the regular settlements — the farthest north were then at Monmouth — and although an abundance of land just as good was open to legal entry and sale, yet from that time on these lands under cultiva- tion by the Indians were squatted upon and continually occupied without the least shadow of right. The squatters often took advantage of the absence of 94 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS the Indians on their hunting expeditions and fenced in and cultivated their cornfields, drove off the squaws and children who ventured on the claims, and did not hesitate to burn their lodges over their heads. Complaints and collisions followed, until in 1829 President Jackson notified the Indians that they would have to remove to the west bank of the Mississippi. But when Black Hawk, one of the chiefs, heard this he gathered a part of the tribe around him and deter- mined not to abandon his ancient village. He claimed that those who signed the land away had no authority to do so, and besides, that the government had already broken the treaty. In 1831 came the first actual outbreak. A se- vere winter and an unsuccessful hunt had discouraged the Indians, and when they came back to their village they were defiantly ordered to be gone. Black Hawk replied that if any withdrew it would be the invaders, and that he would force them to go. The squatters — about forty in number^frightened, or pretending to be, appealed to Governor Reynolds for protection. Instead of leaving the matter to the Federal government, the governor issued Black Hawk THE BLACK HAWK WAR 95 a call for 700 volunteers to remove the Indians from Rock Island. This was a popular move. The many lawless adventur- ers who infest frontier settlements were eager for a chance to plunder. Money was scarce among the hardy pioneers, and the war promised a large expenditure. Then many of them had suffered in person and property from the Indians. Hence the volunteers that gathered at Beards- town were double the number called for. The combined force of volunteers and six companies of regulars appeared before the village of the Sacs; but Black Hawk, having only about 300 warriors with him, successfully withdrew to the v/est bank of the Mississippi. A treaty was signed to the effect that he was not to recross the river, and that the government was to furnish him and his band with pro- visions to tide them over the hard times. It was too late to raise a crop of corn, and the government did not supply them with sufficient provisions, so the Indians passed a miserable summer and winter. Black Hawk regarded the treaty as already violated by the government. On being assured of the sympathy of the Winnebagoes and the Pottawatomies, he resolved to reoccupy his village near Rock Island; or if he were not permitted to do so, to proceed to Prophetstown and raise a crop of corn with the Winnebagoes. To this end he crossed the Mississippi at Yellow Banks (Oquawka) on April 6, 1832, with a band of 500 warriors and their fam- ihes, and made his way northward. Then all was excitement. The governor issued a call 96 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS for a strong detachment of militia. One thousand regulars and two thousand volunteers proceeded to Rock Island. Governor Reynolds accompanied them. Zachary Taylor and Jefferson Davis were officers in the regulars, and Abraham Lincoln was a captain of a volunteer company. Weary, w^et, and hungry, they searched for the Indians, but no Black Hawk could they find. An independent battalion of rangers under Major Still- man, having great confidence in themselves, had separated from the main army and had marched to a place called Old Man's Creek to annihilate some Indians who were supposed to be lurking there. Meanwhile Black Hawk, sadly dis- appointed by the failure of the Winnebagoes and the Pottawatomies to rally to his aid, had made up his mind to cross the river never to return, and v/as preparing to surrender when he was informed that a company of w^hite cavalry had encamped six miles away. This was Stillman and his men, but Black Hawk supposed that it was the main division of the army, and at once sent three braves with a flag of truce to inform the commander that he was ready to surrender. Five other braves were sent to watch the result from a safe distance. When the Indian messengers came in sight the rangers, crazed by liquor, pursued them, and killed two of them in spite of the w^hite flag and in violation of all the rules of w^ar. The other Indians fled and told Black Hawk, who was preparing to go to the interview, what had happened. Great was his rage. He appealed to the forty men who were with him to follow him, and they immediately set out to THE BLACK HAWK WAR 97 avenge their slain. When the whites saw them coming they ran wildly forward, a disorderl}^, undisciplined mob. Black Hawk awaited them, and when the}^ came up he ordered his men to fire. Raising the war whoop, the sav- ages rushed forward. Stillman's men did not wait for a second volley, but turned and fled. They dashed through their abandoned camp, and neither swamp nor swollen stream checked their flight. Some then made a firm stand, but the others continued their mad gallop forty or fifty miles to their homes, spreading through all the country -the news that Black Hawk was coming with 2,000 braves. Eleven white men and three Indians were killed. The place was called, from the defeat, Stillman's Run — now Stillman Valley, in Ogle County. Elated by the victory, Black Hawk advanced to the Rock River. Winnebagoes and Pottawatomies joined him. More volunteers were called. General Winfield Scott was ordered from the East with 1,000 regulars. Again the army lost track of the Indians. Finally they were found retreating toward the Mississippi, and were worsted at a skirmish at Wisconsin Heights, a bluff on the Wistionsin River, not far from the present city of Madison. That night the Indians placed their women and children and old men upon a raft and in canoes and sent them down to the Mississippi. But the troops discovered these noncombatants and fired upon them; and about 100 were killed or drowned. Those that escaped took refuge in the woods, where death by starva- tion and exposure awaited them. Through swamps and water up to their armpits the Illinois— 7 98 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS troops pursued the Indians. As they hunted them down they saw evidences of the sufferings of the poor savages. The bark had been stripped from the trees for food, and here and there was found the hfeless body of a brave who had faUen starved to death. Black Hawk reached the Mississippi before his pursuers, and with only a few canoes began the difficult task of ferry- ing his half-starved band across the river. Suddenly a military transport arrived with about twenty soldiers on board; while Black Hawk was attempting to explain to them his desire to surrender, they opened fire and killed a score or more of his people. The next day the Indians again attempted to cross to the west side of the river, when both transport and army came upon them and renewed the slaughter. For three hours the dreadful carnage was kept up. Resistance was useless, but the Indians perished like brave men with their face to the foe. About 150 Indians were killed in fight, about the same number were drowned, and about 40 prisoners were taken. About 300 escaped across the river, where they supposed they would be safe, but there at the instigation of the whites a band of Sioux fell upon them and left but few to escape. Nearly the whole tribe was wiped out. Black Hawk was taken to Fort Monroe, and later on was made a ward of his rival. Chief Keokuk. XX. ILLINOIS IN 1830-1840 By 1830 fifty-one counties had been organized and the population had grown to 157,445, yet a third of the state was still virgin prairie inhabited only by Indians. In 1821- 23 attention had been directed to the Military Tract, and there was a great rush of settlers into this rich region which the government had given as bounty to the soldiers of the War of 1812. Much of it had not been claimed by those to whom it was given, and had to he sold for taxes. The Black Hawk War did much to develop western and northern Illinois. The soldiers returning from the war carried southward such favorable reports of the country that many w^ent north to settle; and in 1831 the counties of La Salle, Cook, and Rock Island were organized. The pay of the volunteers, amounting to half a million dollars, was almost wholly used in paying for land already acquired or for entering new claims. The few who settled in the midst of the prairies broke up the land with three or four yoke of oxen and built fences of rails or sod. When the prairie fires came, spreading with terrific rapidity and driving all the wild game before them, the farmer hastened to plow several furrows around his home and barns in order to save them. Settlers from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and New England began to come to Illinois. Many of these Eastern- ers settled in the towns, and there sprang up no little dis- 99 O Q U.0 II S V ( F A X ..W ' U Map of Illinois in 1834. showing Stage Routes 100 ILLINOIS IN 1830-1840 101 trust between these Yankees and the many Southerners in the state. By 1834 the center of population had shifted from the vicinity of Kaskaskia, where it had remained so long, to a point north of Vandalia. As the permanent settlers came in greater numbers the careless squatter, always chafing under the restraints of society, sold his patch of corn and with the Indians moved westward. At this time the only towns of any importance were Chicago, Peoria, Quincy, and Alton. In 1827 the state penitentiary was located at Alton. The town grew rapidly and bade fair to become the metropolis of the Mississippi valley. In 1837 it had a population of 2,500. Quincy in the same year had a population of 1,500, a land office, an expensive courthouse, three taverns, and twenty-five stores. Peoria had about the same number of inhabitants, one brewery, a newspaper, two free schools, five churches, and twenty-five stores. Chicago in 1832 contained only five small stores and 250 inhabitants; by 1837 it had be- come the largest place in the state, with 4,179 inhabi- tants, one hundred and twenty stores, twelve taverns, three newspapers, nearly fifty lawyers, and thirty physi- cians. In 1832 only four ships arrived at its port, while in 1837 there were 456 arrivals. Beginning about 1830, a marked change occurred in the life of the people. They came together more frequently, at church, at camp meeting, at court. The old dress of the backwoodsmen gave place to that of the more tidy East- erner. Ambition and industry followed. The desire for knowledge manifested itself. The softening influences of 102 . HISTORY OF ILLINOIS civilization began to be felt. Together with the school- teacher and the circuit rider came the merchant, the lawyer, the physician, the editor, and the singing master. Yet Il- linois was still a vastly different state from ^^'hat it is now. The country was overrun with well-organized gangs of horse thieves, negro stealers, and counterfeiters. High- way robbery and murder were frequent. Sometimes out- laws would attack bands of immigrants, and sometimes they would plunder the smaller towns. The whole state suffered from them, although they particularly infested the river bottoms and the southern part of the state. Nauvoo, under the Mormons, was a very paradise for them. Sometimes the officers of the law were in partnership with them. Finally, the people organized themselves into companies of "Regulators," or Vigilance Committees, and by taking the law into their own hands drove most of the marauders out of the state, although in some places the gangs held sway down almost to the Civil War. As late as 1831 a noted band of outlaws built a fort in Pope County, and de- fied the authorities until attacked by large numbers. It was only in 1833 that the last Indian tribe, the Potta- watomies, left the state. People traveled by stagecoach; the fare was six cents a mile. The first mail route from the central part of the state to Chicago was established in 1826, starting from Springfield. The first newspaper in Chicago, The Democrat, was issued in 1833; and the first daily newspaper in the state. The Daily American, was published in Chicago in 1839. The first school of higher learning was the theological ILLINOIS IN 1830-1840 103 seminary and high school at Rock Springs, founded in 1827 and in 1831 transferred to Upper Alton, where it was later reorganized under the name it still bears, Shurtleff College. The Lebanon Seminary was established in 1828, and in 1830 was renamed McKendree College. Illinois College was established at Jacksonville in 1829. The first railroad in the state, the Northern Cross, was completed in 1839. This was the heyday of the camp meeting and the circuit rider. People would go for miles to attend camp meeting. Excitement ran high, and many of those professing con- version were seized with the ^' jerks, " a pecuhar nervous disorder. Often bands of ruffians would attempt to break up the meetings, but sometimes they were dealt with in no gentle manner by the muscular preachers. For the circuit rider, the pioneer of religion and education, was as hardy and uncouth as those to whom he preached. Chief among the circuit riders was Peter Cartright, who ran against Lincoln for Congress in 1846. His AiUohiography is an amusing yet faithful picture of the religious life of those days. After 1832 an increasing number of ministers from New England came to Illinois. Among these early min- isters W'as Philander Chase, Episcopal Bishop of Illinois from 1835 to 1852, At first their ways and preaching, so different from the circuit riders', w^re unpopular. But they introduced a much higher plane of thinking. The court room, where a sure but rude sort of justice was administered, was a popular gathering place. The trial by jury supplied the place of theater, lecture, and concert, and was a valuable agency in the education of the people. • XXI. STEAMBOATS ON THE MISSISSIPPI From the first the water ways of the West attract atten- tion as a factor in the cUscovery and development of the country. For a while the French used the Indian birch- bark canoe, but it was too frail a craft for the strong current p- Bark Canoe of the Mississippi. So they hewed boats out of solid logs. These pirogues (pi-rogs), as they were called, were of greater width and capacity than the canoes, and in them the French carried their furs down to New Orleans. As trade increased still larger boats were demanded, and fiatboats, keel boats and barges took the place of lighter craft. The fiatboats were generally used only in descending the 104 STEAMBOATS ON THE MISSISSIPPI 105 river, and the keel boats and barges also in ascending. Sometimes they were propelled upstream by poles, some- times they were rowed and towed like canal boats. Some- times the 'Svarp " was adopted; that is, a coil of rope would be sent forward to some tree on shore or some snag in the river and then all hands would pull the boat forward. Then Flatboat another tree or snag would be selected, and so on to the end. It was row and tow, and pole and warp, for months, before a cargo from New Orleans reached Kaskaskia. Many perils from man and nature attended the journey. Indians and pirates were a constant source of danger. Forty or fifty men composed the crew of a barge. They always went armed, were a reckless, pugnacious, lawless set, yet always faithful in their care of the cargo intrusted 106 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS to them. The severe labor of propelling a boat upstream developed extraordinary strength in the boatmen. The fiddle and the winding horn were used to cheer them. The following is a translation of part of a bill of lading executed May 18, 1741, by Barois, a notary at Kaskaskia: ^'And it has been further agreed that said Mettazer prom- ises to deliver to said Bienvena, at the landing place at this town Kaskaskia, at his own risk, the fortunes of war excepted, an iron kettle, weighing about 290 pounds, used for the manufacture of salt, and which said Bienvena owns in New Orleans, and said Bienvena promises to pay to said Mettazer for his salary and freight, after the delivery of the said kettle, a steer in good order, three bushels of salt, two hundred pounds of bacon, and twenty bushels of Indian corn." It can be imagined what a boon the introduction of the steamboat was. By 1830 steamboats were plentiful on the upper Mississippi, and after 1826 they appeared on the Illinois River. There is no more picturesque feature in our history than life on the Mississippi. The arriA^al or de- parture of a boat was an important event in the river towns of the early day. A desire to race with other boats seemed to possess all, from captain and pilot, down to deck hands. Many are the stories told of the dangers faced in order to forge ahead of other boats ; many a boat went to the bottom and many a life was lost. The responsibility of the pilot was great in those days, for the river had not been im- proved by the government as it is now, and there were no beacon lights on shore to guide the boats. A mania for STEAMBOATS ON THE MISSISSIPPI 107 gambling was prevalent on the steamboats, passengers sometimes staying up all night to play cards. At first the commerce on the u])])er Mississippi was lim- ited to carrying supplies to the miners at Galena and bringing the lead down to St. Louis. Both freight and passenger traffic increased until the Civil War broke out. The railroads with their greater conveniences were danger- Early Steamboat on the Mississippi ous competitors, and river traffic became of less and less importance as railroads increased. Many rafts of logs are still sent down the river. Much freight is still carried on the lakes and rivers, and many people bent on pleasure still take the steamboat. It has been said that the introduction of the steamboat 108 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS upon the Western waters contributed more than any other cause to the prosperity of the West and its rapid growth in population. Travel became safer and easier. Commerce came with the steamboat and the railroad, and mining and agriculture received a great impetus. XXII. THE ANIMALS OF ILLINOIS In a description of the state in 1837 a writer of that time says of the animals of IlUnois:^ ''The principal and most numerous are deer, wolves, raccoons, opossums. Several species formerly common have become scarce, and some are no longer found. The buffalo has entirely left the hmits of the state. This animal once roamed at large over the plains of Illinois and so late as the commence- ment of the present [nineteenth] century was found in considerable numbers. . . . '' Deer are more abundant than at the first settlement of the country. They increase to a certain extent with the population. The reason of this appears to be that they find protection in the neighborhood of man from the beasts of prey that assail them in the wilderness and from whose attacks their young particularly can with difficulty escape. They suffer most from the wolves who hunt in packs like hounds and who seldom give up the chase until the deer is taken. Immense numbers of deer are killed every year by the hunters, who take them for the hams and skins alone, throwing away the rest of the carcass. Venison hams and hides are important articles of export. Fresh hams usually sell at from 75 cents to $1.50 a pair, and when properly cured are a delicious article of food. Many of the frontier 1 Adapted from Mitchell's Illinois in 1837. 109 no HISTORY OF ILLINOIS people dress deerskins and make them into pantaloons and hunting shirts. . . . It is a novel and pleasant sight for the stranger to see the deer in flocks feeding on the prairies or bounding away at the sight of the traveler. ''The elk has [nearly] disappeared. A few have been seen in late years and some have been taken. The bear is seldom seen. This animal inhabits those parts of the country that are thickly wooded and delights particularly in the canebrakes, where it feeds in winter on the tender shoots of the young corn. The meat is tender and finely flavored and is esteemed a great delicacy. '' Wolves are numerous in most parts of the state. There are two kinds, — the common or black wolf, and the prairie wolf. The former is a large, fierce animal, and very destructive to sheep, pigs, calves, poultry, and even young colts. They hunt in packs, and after using every strata- gem to circumvent their prey they attack it with remark- able ferocity. Like the Indian they always endeavor to surprise their victim and strike the mortal blow without ex- posing themselves to danger. They seldom attack man ex- cept when he is asleep or wounded. . . . When tempted by hunger they approach the farmhouses in the night, and snatch their prey from under the very eye of the farmer, and when the latter is absent with his dogs the wolf is sometimes seen by the females lurking about in midday, as if aware of the unprotected state of the family, ''The prairie w^olf is smaller, of a very light red. It takes its name from its habit of residing entirely upon the open plains. Even when hunted with dogs it will make THE ANIMALS OF ILLINOIS 111 circuit after circuit round the prairie carefully avoiding the forest, or only dashing into it occasionally when hard pressed and then returning to the plain. ''The fox abounds in some places in great numbers, though generally speaking is scarce. The panther and wild cat are occasionally found in the forest, the open country not being well suited to their shy habits. The beaver and otter were once numerous but are now seldom seen except on the frontiers. There are no rats except along the large rivers where they have landed from the boats. " Gray and fox squirrels, gophers, rabbits, prairie chickens, and quail were very numerous. Quail w^ere taken by nets, hundreds in a day. Grouse and wild turkey were found. The ponds, lakes, and rivers in the spring and autumn were covered with swans, pelicans, cranes, geese, brants, and ducks of all varieties. Rattlesnakes and other large snakes were common. XXIII. ADMINISTRATION OF DUNCAN (1834-1838) In 1834 Joseph Duncan became governor. It will be re- membered that he had been elected to Congress instead of Daniel P. Cook, because he was a Jackson man. But like Cook, he also came to oppose Jackson. The people did not know this, since he was absent at Washington during the campaign, or perhaps they would not have voted for him for governor. It was during his administration that the State Internal Improvement System was launched, which later on threat- ened the state with financial ruin. There was a widespread desire to have more people settle in Illinois, so as to develop its resources, build up towns, and enhance the price of property. It was thought that new settlers could be attracted, and the interior brought within range of markets, by a general system of internal improvements based on the faith and credit of the state. This plan found favor with the people, and the members of the general assembly vied with one another to push it forward. The legislature of 1837 voted over $10,000,000 in bonds for the improvement of the state, and later on still more bonds were authorized. It was planned to complete the Illinois and Michigan Canal, connecting Lake Michigan and the Illinois River. This project had been agitated since 1818, and Congress had made liberal grants of land 112 ADMINISTRATION OF DUNCAN (1834-1838) 113 for the purpose. The legislature also planned a system, almost a '^network," of railroads for the state. Among these were the Illinois Central, from the mouth of the Ohio to Galena; the Southern Cross Railroad, from Alton to Mount Carmel; and the Northern Cross, from Quincy to the Indiana line. Then, too, the rivers were to be im- proved and made more navigable; among others the Wa- bash, the Little Wabash, the Illinois, the Rock, and the Kaskaskia. And, as if to satisfy all, S200,000 was to be distributed among those counties through which neither railroads nor other improvements were to be projected. The expenditure of these large sums started an era of speculation the like of which the state has not known since. People wxnt wild with excitement. Towns sprang up in a night and cities in a day, but they were all on paper. Corner lots in cities destined to become metropolises were sold at high prices. This craze proved a boon to Chicago, and the subsequent hard times did not injure that city as it did the rest of the state. Chicago grew very rapidly and became the center of speculation and the market for land in all the region roundabout. Many people in the East were seized with the desire to speculate in Illinois lands. The tide of immigration poured into the state like a torrent. Every steamboat on the lakes and rivers was crowded with passengers coming to settle here or to share in the prospective fortunes. It was during Governor Duncan's term of office that Elijah P. Love joy met his death at the hands of a mob in Alton. From 1833 he had edited a religious newspaper Illinois — 8 114 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS at St. Louis, but his editorials on the subject of slavery created such a stir in that city that in order to save his printing press from being demolished he found it necessary to ship it to Alton. The press arrived in Alton July 21, 1836. That night a number of persons visited the wharf, broke the press to pieces, and threw it into the river. The next evening a meeting was held in one of the churches, and as a result another press was sent for and Lovejoy started the Alton Observer. At this time Lovejoy was not an abolitionist; but, as he said, he was opposed to slavery and hoped he always should be. It was impossible for him to be silent on so absorbing a question, and by and by he began to urge the formation of an antislavery society for the state of Illinois. In an editorial of July 4th, 1837, he called attention to the fact that while the people were rejoicing in their free- dom they were holding in bondage nearly three million slaves. Alton at that time was a rival of St. Louis and was striving to make itself the chief city of the West. Many of its citizens were very angry with Lovejoy for coming to Alton and publishing his antislavery doctrines there, for, said they, he would give the place a bad name among slavery men and would keep many of them from coming there to live. Many Southern sympathizers, after reading the editorial of Independence Day, met- in the market house and appointed a committee to inform Lovejoy that he must cease agitating the question. But the editor replied that he had the right of free speech, and at the ADMINISTRATION OF DUNCAN (1834-1838) 115 same time tendered them the use of his paper to refute his opinions if they were wrong. But they chose another way of silencing him. On the night of August 25 a mob assaulted the office of the Observer and completely demolished the press. Another press was sent for, but it was thrown into the river. Then his friends sent for a fourth press and it was in connection with this that he lost his life. When it arrived, November 7, 1837, it was stored in a stone warehouse where Lovejoy and his friends, under the authority of the mayor, assembled in arms to guard it. No police protection "was afforded them. When night came a mob of drunken ruffians attacked the building; Lovejoy and his companions returned their fire and killed one of them. The mob retired to strengthen their forces. The bells of the city were rung, horns were blown, and soon an excited multitude gathered about the w^arehouse, some trying to restore order, others urging on the mob. Ladders were placed against the building and several ascended to fire the roof, but were driven away by the guns of those within. Lovejoy and one or two friends, not seeing any one about the south side of the building, stepped out to look after the roof. Concealed assassins fired upon him and he fell with five shots in his body. When he expired his companions surrendered the press to the mob, who broke it to pieces. The next day a grave was dug on a high bluft^ and without any ceremony the body was thrown in and covered up. But even death did not silence this first martyr to the cause of abolition. His 116 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS death and the violation of the right of free speech attracted much attention all over the country and aroused the people to the evils of slavery as nothing had done before. The limit of endurance had been reached. The tide turned. Public opinion in New England began to change in favor of abolition. A meeting was held in Faneuil Hall, Boston, The Capitol at Springfield at which Wendell Phillips delivered his famous speech on Lovejoy. By this time there was need of a new statehouse, and of course many places tried to secure the honor of being the capital. Sangamon County, at that time the most populous county in the state, was represented in the general assem- ADMINISTRATION OF DUNCAN (1834-1838) 117 bly by nine members, called, because of their height, the Long Nine. Abraham Lincoln was one of them. By trading votes on other measures, particularly on the Inter- nal Improvement System, — in other words, by ''logroll- ing," — this delegation secured the removal of the capital from ^'andalia to Springfield. On February 8, 1837, the two houses met and chose Springfield as the seat of govern- ment. Springfield was at this time a town of about 1,000 popu- lation. On July 4th, 1837, the corner stone of the new capitol was laid. It was completed sixteen years after at a total cost of $260,000. This building, now the courthouse of Sangamon County, was at the time of its erection the architectural wonder of the state, and was supposed to be ample enough for a long time to come. But in less than twenty-five years there was a demand for a new structure, as a result of which the present magnificent capitol was erected. XXIV. HARD TIMES Duncan's successor as governor was Thomas Carlin (1838-42). After Carlin had been governor about a year he saw the folly of the Internal Improvement System, and with others realized that the state had attempted more than it could accomplish. A special session of the same legislature that passed the bill ordered work stopped on all the improvements except the canal, which was continued to completion. For years after, excavations and embank- ments for railroads could be seen in various parts of the state — monuments of the Internal Improvement System. Hard times followed. Crops w^ere poor. Banks failed. The people were badly in debt. Stagnation of business prevailed. The state was nearly bankrupt — it had bor- rowed itself out of all credit. The name of Illinois became associated with dishonesty. Emigrants gave it a wide berth. The people here were anxious to sell out and leave. The state debt amounted to over $14,000,000, and the population was only about 476,000. The annual revenues were no more than would meet the ordinary expenses of the government. Finally, it came to pass that no attempt was made to pay even the interest on the state debt. The people were unable and unwilling to pay higher taxes, and many were in favor of repudiating the debt. But happily at this time Thomas Ford came to the 118 HARD TIMES 119 governor's chair (1842). In his inaugural message he said: ''Let it be known in the first place that no oppressive and exterminating taxation is to be resorted to; in the second, we must convince our creditors and the world that the disgrace of repudiation is not countenanced among us — that we are honest and mean to pay as soon as we are able." And he set about to pay off the debt. A heavier taxation was voted, state lands w^ere sold, the rate of interest was lowered to six per cent., ordinary expenses of the govern- ment were reduced, so that by these and other measures the debt was reduced during his administration to about $6,000,000. Confidence in the prospects of the state w^as restored. The tide of immigration came in again, and the year 1845 marks the beginning of Illinois's unabated prosperity. The administration of Ford (1842-46) was a very stormy one. It w^as while he was governor that the trouble with the Mormons took place and the Mexican War began. He left the executive office poorer than when he was elected, and his last days were clouded by poverty. He was the author of a history of Illinois from 1818 to 1847. The state was very fortunate in having him for governor; for it was largely due to his efforts that Illinois passed its financial crisis without compromising its dignity and honor. When the war with Mexico broke out, requisition was made upon Illinois for three regiments of infantry, but so prompt and overwhelming w^as the response to Governor Ford's call that the Secretary of War gave permission for an additional regiment from Illinois. The death rate among 120 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS the Illinois troops was exceptionally heavy, both from disease and from hard service. The first and second regi- ments participated in the hard-fought battle of Buena Vista, which lasted the whole day, February 23, 1847, and in which the American army of 5,400 was opposed by 20,000 Mexicans under Santa Anna. General Taylor said: ''The first and second Illinois and the Kentucky regiments served under my eye, and I bear a willing testimony to their excellent conduct throughout the day. The spirit and gallantry with which the first Illinois and the second Ken- tucky engaged the enemy in the morning restored confi- dence to that part of the field, while the list of casualties will show how much they suffered in sustaining the heavy charge of the enemy in the afternoon." The third and fourth Illinois were in the movement against Vera Cruz, the battle of Cerro Gordo, and the campaign against the City of Mexico. Illinois had no mean part in gaining the victory from Mexico. XXV. THE MORMONS Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, ilHterate and of doubtful reputation, about 1827 claimed that under the direction of an angel he had discovered in New York state some curious golden plates covered with symbols which he was able to read by aid of two wonderful stones. He published the Book of Mormon as his translation of these symbols. Although without money, education, or respectability, he was able to persuade a large number that he was a prophet of God, and that the book, which was entirely without literary or religious merit, was a divine revelation. He and his followers went west to Missouri, but their conduct brought them into so great disrepute that they were driven from the state by the governor's orders. Many of them now came to Illinois, where they found sympathy as a persecuted people. The politicians also looked upon them with a great deal of favor, for the Mor- mons invariably voted in a body. Meeting with encourage- ment, the Latter Day Saints, as they called themselves, in 1840 purchased a tract of land on the Mississippi where there was a small town called Commerce, which they re- named Nauvoo. On this picturesque site a costly temple, a hotel, and 250 other buildings were soon in the course of erection. In return for Smith's political support, the Whigs in the 121 122 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS legislature granted him a special charter for Nauvoo, which gave the Mormons almost unlimited power and con- trol in their new city. ''The city council shall have power and authority to make, establish, and execute, all such ordinances, not repugnant to the constitution of the United States or of this state, as they may deem necessary to the peace, benefit, good order, regulation, convenience, and cleanliness of said city." So wide was this grant that the Mormons claimed they could pass laws under it, in opposition to those of the Illinois legislature. They even asked that the mayor of the city be given power to call in and use the United States troops whenever he should feel the need of protection for himself or his followers. Joseph Smith as mayor was at once the executive, the judiciary, and the legislature, as well as the head of the church and priest and prophet. The Nauvoo Legion, or militia, was organized. It was to do the bidding of Smith and was under no state control except that of the governor. It was furnished with arms and ammunition by the state, but had its own court-mar- tial. ''Thus it was proposed to reestabhsh for the Mor- mons a government within a government, a legislature with power to pass ordinances at war with the laws of the state, courts to execute them with little dependence upon the constitutional judiciary, and a military force at their own command to be governed by its own laws and ordi- nances. " ^ In 1841 the governor of Missouri made a requisition upon 1 Ford : History of Illinois. THE MORMONS 123 the governor of Illinois for the arrest and delivery of Smith and several other prominent Mormons as fugitives from justice. But Smith was twice released from arrest, chiefly through the instrumentality of Judge Stephen A. Douglas. The judge was a Democrat, and because of this favor to them the Mormons decided to vote the Democratic ticket in a body. Of course this angered the Whigs. The Mormons were becoming unpopular in Illinois, and were charged with all sorts of crimes. After the release of Smith they became very bold and overbearing. There were about 16,000 of them in Hancock County, and several thousand more were scattered in other counties. Setting the state at defiance, they were said to be contemplating the overthrow of the government when they became strong enough. In the winter of 1843-44 the council of Nauvoo passed a law that no writ issued from any other place than Nauvoo for any person in it should be executed without the approval of the mayor. Any person by virtue of a foreign wa'it, attempting to make an arrest in the city without the approval of the mayor, should be subject to arrest and im- prisonment for Ufe; and the governor of the state shoukl not have the power of pardoning such an offender without the consent of the mayor. The Mormons even went so far as to petition Congress to establish a territorial government for them at Nauvoo, although of course Congress had no power to establish any such government within the limits of a state. In the spring of 1844 Smith announced himself a candi- date for President of the United States, and his followers 124 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS went out over the country to preach his rcUgion and to '' electioneer" for him as well. This brought them into conflict with the political parties, and they had already gained the enmity of the religious organizations. About this time Smith conceived the idea of making himself a temporal prince. He instituted a new order of priests who were to be his nobles. He denounced the United States government as utterly corrupt and about to pass away and give place to his rul(\ The Danite Band, a bodyguard, was to do his bidding, right or wrong, and his orders were to be to them as the commands of God Himself. About this time, also. Smith introduced the practice of polygamy. To uphold it, he set forth the doctrine of spirit- ual wives. According to this no woman could enter heaven except as the wife of a Mormon elder. The elders were allowed as many wives as they wished, and any woman could be sealed to (Vernal life by uniting herself to the elder of her choice. Of course this outraged the decency of the commonwealth, and meetings were held to demand the expulsion of the Mormons from the state. Troubles within the Mormon camp itself brought matters to a head. By his tyrannical measures Smith had alienated several leading Mormons. To expose him they started a newspaper and had issued one number when his followers destroyed the press and the private property of the editors. The editors went to Carthage and took out a warrant for the arrest of Smith and his henchmen on the charge of riot. Excitement ran high. Posses were summoned. Governor Ford came to Carthage, where a large crowd had THE MORMONS 125 assembled, eager to march against Nauvoo. Smith estab- lished martial law at Nauvoo and called out the Legion. The governor notified the Mormons that they had endan- gered the liberty of the press, and demanded the surrender of the guilty ones, threatening to call out the whole state force to compel their submission to the law. Joseph and Hyrum Smith came to Carthage and gave themselves up. They were put in jail on a charge; of treason. A force of twelve or thirteen hundred men had gathered at Carthage, and it was with difficulty that the governor prevented them from beginning actual warfare upon the Latter Day Saints. He himself with a guard of several companies of militia went to Nauvoo and remonstrated with the Mormons for their unlawful conduct. On his way back to Carthage he was informed that the jail had been mobbed and the Smiths killed, June 27, 1844. Government came to an end in the surrounding country. Bands of Mormons and anti-Mormons scoured the country auvl came into frequent collisions. A mob burned a small Mormon town, and to retaliate the Mormon sheriff with several hundred men took possession of Carthage. Murder was committed on both sides. The governor proclaimed martial law; and as the people would never be satisfied until the disturbers were gone, he finally prevailed upon the Mor- mons to leave the state. In the spring of 1846 the majority of them crossed the river and began their march to Great Salt Lake. A band of their foes marched against those that remained, and after a pitched battle drove them from Illi- nois. Thus was closed a turbulent chapter of state history. XXVI. CONSTITUTION OF 1848; FRENCH'S ADMIN- ISTRATION (1846-1853) Every year the need of a new constitution became more evident. In 1844 the legislature passed a resolution recom- mending that the people at the next general election, in August, 1846, vote for or against a constitutional conven- tion. The proposition was carried, and the convention met June 7, 1847. No one was satisfied with the constitu- tion it made, but all felt that the new instrument was better than the old one. It went into effect in April, 1848. The new constitution required that a person should reside in the state for one year before he could vote. It provided that all state and county offices should be filled by popular election, and thus deprived the legislature of filling about 200 offices. Profiting by the bitter experience with the Internal Improvement System and the enormous debt then pressing heavily upon the people, the new constitution forbade the legislature to contract any debt exceeding $50,000. Extra taxation was provided for to pay off the state debt. The legislature was required to encourage public improvements by passing liberal incorporation laws. Negro immigration was prohibited. But the chief peculiarity of the new constitution was its principle of rigid economy. This it carried too far. The 126 CONSTITUTION OF 1848 127 salary of the governor was fixed at $1,500 a year; supreme court judges, SI, 200; circuit judges, $1,000; treasurer, and secretary of state, $800 each; members of the general as- sembly, $2 a day for the first 42 days' attendance, and $1 a day thereafter. This economy in salaries was evaded later on by special grants or gifts to these officers. For instance, after 1861 the legislature yearly appropriated $4,500 to the governor to be used or not as he saw fit in hiring a gardener to take charge of the grounds surrounding the executive mansion. Sometimes the pay of the legislators amounted to $20 a day instead of $2, the increase being voted under the head of traveling expenses, stationery, etc. Augustus C. French was the first Yankee to fill the guber- natorial chair, and the first person to serve as governor of the state for two consecutive terms. His term was not half out when the adoption of the constitution of 1848 made an election necessary, and without much opposition he was re- elected for four years. He conducted the affairs of the state with great economy and honesty; he had much to do with saving the credit of the state and bringing it out of its bankrupt condition. He lived with much frugality on the simple salary the constitution provided. Congress aided Illinois in her pecuniary embarrassment by permitting the government lands to be subject to taxation immediately after their sale instead of five years after, as was customary. In 1850, for the first time since 1839, the state revenue was sufficient to meet the current demands upon the treasury. At this time, 1850, Chicago had only 29,963 inhabitants; Quincy, 6,902; and Galena and Peoria about the same as 128 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Quincy. There were but five daily newspapers in the state and only two benevolent state institutions had been established. The farmer still used the old-fashioned wooden plows, planted his corn by hand, gathered his grain by sickle or cradle, thrashed by flail or horse power, and win- nowed by hand. XXVII. THE COMMON SCHOOL SYSTEM The Ordinance of 1787 had declared that since religion and morality are necessary to the good government and happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education should forever be encouraged in the Northwest Territory. To this end Congress in the enabling act of Illinois, April 18, 1818, appropriated for the encouragement of learning and school purposes the sixteenth section of every town- ship, amounting to 998,448 acres in all. After January 1, 1819, three per cent, of the net proceeds from the sale of public lands in Illinois was to be given to the state for education, and a certain part thereof was to be devoted to a college or university. Two townships besides were given for the founding and support of a seminary of learning. It will be remembered that this magnificent gift of the nation for the highest of purposes was in great part squan- dered. Fearing to tax the people even to pay the current expenses of the state government, the legislature as early as 1828 unfortunately authorized the sale of these school lands at a very low price, and then borrowed the proceeds. A public school law based on taxation was passed in 1825. But as the people chose rather to do without educa- tion for their children than to submit to the necessary taxation, the legislature of 1829 nullified the law. There were repeated attempts to establish a public school system, Illinois— 9 129 130 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS but nothing could be accomplished without taxing the people to support it. A law was passed in 1849 requiring the secretary of state to assume the additional duties of superintendent of public instruction. The same year a law was passed requiring as a qualification for teaching, a knowledge of reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, English grammar, and American history. But this proved so high a standard that it de- prived many districts of teachers altogether, and the law had to be repealed. Yet at this time schools in some of the northern counties. Cook in particular, were in fair con- dition. It was a problem how to arouse the people to the impor- tance of education. After a while the rapid increase in population and wealth did away with the popular dislike of taxation. In some parts of the state the question of public schools began to be agitated, and the press began to discuss the subject in earnest. In 1853 several conventions in the interest of education were held in the state, and they were not without results. Governor Matteson (1853-57) in his inaugural message recommended the adoption of a free school system, or if that should be thought premature, the appointment of a general superintendent of schools. The legislature which met in 1854 established the office of superintendent of pub- lic schools as a separate and distinct department. Governor Matteson appointed Ninian W. Edwards the first superin- tendent. Edwards drafted a bill, which became a law in 1855, THE COMMON SCHOOL SYSTEM 131 providing that the pubhc schools of the state should be supported by taxing the people. This law marked a turning point in the history of education in Illinois. The present school law is essentially that of 1855. School attendance now grew rapidly. The wages of teachers soon doubled. To educate teachers and to obtain uniformity in modes of teaching, the legislature in 1857 established the State Normal School near Bloomington. Its first principal was C. E. Hovey, later a distinguished officer in the Union Army, and the father of Illinois's greatest native poet, Richard Hovey. XXVIII. RAILROADS Of all the railroads planned in 1836 only a portion of the Northern Cross, from Meredosia to Springfield, was com- pleted. When on November 8, 1838 — only 12 years after the first road in the United States was operated — a locomotive ran over this road, it was the first to turn a wheel in the great Mississippi valley. But between 1838 and 1850 railroad building was practically at a standstill in Illinois. This was due to a lack of money, and to what is known as ''the State Policy." For some years prior to 1850 the people of Illinois would not permit the building of railroads within the limits of the state unless the terminal points were fixed within the state. The object of this narrow policy was to build up the cities and commercial interests of the state and to prevent the railroads from contributing to the commerce and wealth of outside cities. This policy was especially directed against St. Louis, and the influence of Alton — eager to prevent the growth of her rival — had much to do with causing the legislature to take this posi- tion. It was soon seen that the state policy was damaging the best interests of the state. The people whose best and nearest market was St. Louis petitioned the legislature to grant charters to railroads that would run across the state 132 RAILROADS 133 and terminate at a point opposite St. Louis, but they were refused. The press of the country began to ridicule the position of Ilhnois as selfish. Finally, the people saw that they were standing in their own light. Stephen A. Douglas did much to break down the policy by advancing the argument that the interests of large agricultural districts ought not to suffer for the sake of a few towns. An extra session of the legislature, in 1854, reversed the state policy after it had greatly hindered and retarded the growth and development of the southern portion of the state. It had long been desired to connect Lake Michigan by railroad with Cairo, at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. But the plan lacked vitality until an Act of Congress, September, 1850, granted for such a rail- road a right of way 200 feet wide through the public lands of Illinois from the southern terminus of the Illinois and Michigan Canal to Cairo, and also for branches to Chicago and Galena. For the construction of the road the govern- ment donated the alternate sections, designated by even numbers, for six sections deep on either side of the trunk and its branches— in all about three million acres. Work was to be commenced simultaneously at the northern and southern terminuses; and if the road were not completed . in ten years, the lands or their equivalent in money was to be returned to the Federal government. The passage of this measure was hailed with great joy by the people of the state. The building of this railroad— the Illinois Central— immensely benefited the state by opening up its sparsely 134 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS settled interior to thronging immigrants, brought more of its soil into cultivation, increased its population, and soon augmented its resources and wealth by many millions of dollars. It was one of the chief factors in the rapid growth of Chicago. It was the beginning of the great railroad era of the state. In 1850 there were only 111 miles of railroad in Illinois: in the next decade Illinois did more railroad building than any other state; and by 1870 it had come to have a greater railroad mileage than any other state in the Union. XXIX. THE ABOLITIONISTS Although in 1824 the people of Illinois had voted against its becoming a slave state, yet it must not be supposed that even all of those who were most desirous of keeping it a free state were in favor of the immediate abolition of slavery in the United States. Many antislavery men were in favor of the gradual extinction of the institution, but opposed its immediate abolition as a pernicious policy full of grave dangers. After Coles's administration discus- sion of slavery ceased almost altogether in the state. The majority of the people, especially in southern Illinois, w^ere opposed to any public discussion of it at all, preferring that the whole question be left quietly alone. But the aboli- tionists demanded its constant agitation until the slaves should be freed. The hatred against the abolitionists was as bitter in Illinois as in any other Northern state, and persecution was the lot of the few who dared to express their opinions. However, on October 28, 1837, an antislavery convention of 55 delegates met in Alton, and upheld Elijah P. Lovejoy and his paper, the Observer, published in that city. The subsequent murder of this man by an anti-abolition mob and the destruction of his paper did more for the cause of abolition than any number of speeches or books could have done. In 1839 Benjamin Lundy, a Quaker, established 135 136 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS himself at Lowell, Illinois, for the purpose of printing an- other abolition paper, called The Genius of Universal Eman- cipation. Lundy soon died, but from this time on, with the exception of short intervals, the state was not without an abolition paper. The Illinois Antislavery Society held its first annual meeting at Farmington, in 1838, with 99 delegates present. They appointed a traveling agent to proclaim their doc- trine throughout the state and to organize societies. The churches and schoolhouses were often closed to these agents, and mobs often disturbed their meetings. In 1841 at Gales- burg the first antislavery candidate was nominated for Congress. The first real Liberty state convention met at Chicago in 1842 with 100 delegates present. From that time on Chicago was the chief center of the antislavery party in Illinois, and abolition itself became a political movement rather than a moral agitation. LTnder the leadership of such men as Ichabod Codding, Owen Love- joy, and Zebina Eastman, for over twenty years the abo- litionists of Illinois denounced slavery as a sin and a disgrace. The abolitionists did not confine themselves to agitation merely, but made it a business to befriend runaway slaves and help them escape. This they did by means of the ^'Underground Railroad," which was nothing more than a series of communities where the runaway slaves were reasonably sure of finding food and shelter in the homes of abolitionists. Usually when a slave reached one of these '' stations, " as such homes were called, he was fed, housed THE ABOLITIONISTS 137 for a short time, and assisted in one way or another to reach the next station. The utmost secrecy as to the location of these stations was necessary, both to facilitate the escape of the negroes and to protect those who sheltered them. It was a dangerous business to aid a slave to gain his freedom. The laws attached a penalty of $500 to the crime of harboring or secreting a negro. But the abolition- ists did not hesitate to protect the fugitives even at the risk of their own lives. The objective point of the Underground Railroad was Canada, of course, but many negroes did not go farther than the northern part of Illinois. Among the starting points of the system were Chester, Alton, and Quincy: and there were a number of so-called lines or routes crossing the state. When the slaves reached Chicago they were often smuggled on shipboard and forwarded to EngHsh soil by way of the lake. XXX. STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS AND THE KANSAS- NEBRASKA BILL From the adoption of the L^nited States Constitution slavery had been a disturbing element in the nation. In 1846, pending deliberations for securing territory from Mexico, the AVilmot Proviso was introduced into Congress. It declared that ^^ neither slavery nor involuntar}^ servitude shall ever exist in any part of said territory, except for crime, whereof the party shall first be duly convicted." This Proviso passed the House, but failed in the Senate. In the House the only names ,from free states registered against it were those of Stephen A. Douglas and three other Illinois representatives. Their action did not at all please their constituents, and in 1849 the Illinois legislature passed a joint resolution instructing our senators and representatives in Congress to use all honorable means to procure the enactment of such laws for the government of the territory acquired by treaty of pe^ce v/ith Mexico as should contain the express declaration that ^' there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said terri- tories otherwise than in punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted." In 1850 a mass meeting in Chicago called upon Douglas to obey the reso- lutions in their si^irit as well as technical letter, or resign. Douglas, not wanting to resign, continued to denounce the Proviso in severe terms; then in obedience to instruc- 138 STEPHEN A. DOlKil.AS 139 Stephex a. Douglas tions voted for it, knowing that it would not prevail even with the vote of Illinois. In 1844 a movement had been set on foot by the War Department to form the country now included in Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota into a vast and perma- nent Indian reservation. Mr. Douglas, who had just taken 140 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS his seat in Congress, argued that this would hinder the westward growth and expansion of the United States, and introduced a bill to organize it into a territory instead. The bill was not voted on, but so long as it was before Congress the War Department could do nothing toward making this region an Indian reservation. At every session for ten years Douglas introduced the same or a similar bill. But the members of Congress did not feel much interest in the matter, especially those from the South, since slavery had been forever excluded from the territory in question by the Missouri Compromise of 1820. In 1854, however, Senator Douglas introduced a new bill that attracted their attention. It provided for two terri- tories, Kansas and Nebraska; declared the Missouri Com- promise of no effect; and provided that the people of each territory should decide for themselves whether slavery should be allowed there, and whether upon entering the Union their state should be free or slave. Although Douglas was from a free state, this bill was plainly designed to serve the interest of the slaveholders. Many supposed that he wished to be the next Democratic candidate for President and took this way to gain the favor and win the votes of the South. The passage of the bill produced intense excitement throughout the North. As soon as the Kansas-Nebraska Bill was introduced into Congress a campaign against it began in Illinois. The measure was looked upon by many as dangerous, and brought upon Douglas, its author, much public resentment. In February, 1854, a large mass meeting was held in Chi- KANSAS-NEBRASKA BILL 141 cago, made up largely of Douglas's former friends. By resolution it declared: ''That the passage of the bill for the repeal or molestation of the Missouri Compromise will destroy the harmony which now exists between the North and South, create sectional disturbances and perpetuate agitation of questions which have heretofore been regarded as settled by the unanimous consent of the nation." Even when Congress passed the "bill the agitation against it did not cease, nor did the indignr.tion of the people abate. All over the North Douglas was denounced as a traitor to his section and to the cause of human liberty. The press teemed with censure. One of the Chicago papers said: ''He has betrayed us; he has disregarded us; he has insulted us; he has disgraced us; he has injured us in our reputation, our fair fame, our honor, and our pecuniary interest." Douglas was burned in effigy along his way home from Washington . When he arrived in Chicago he announced that he would address the people in vindication of the bill on the evening of September 1st. Much excitement prevailed, and rumors of violence were abroad . Shortly after noon the flags on all shipping were displayed at half-mast, and a quarter after six in the evening the bells of the city began to toll and filled the air with their mournful tones for over an hour. The vast space in front of the North Market Hall was thronged. When the senator appeared on the balcony and attempted to begin his speech he was greeted at once with hisses and groans, follov/ed by a wild tumult of shouting and noise. Time and again he tried to speak, only to have his voice drowned by the tumult. Finally he went home in disgust. 142 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Not only in Chicago but on every hand Douglas saw signs of the displeasure of the people, who denounced him as selling himself to the slave power. His future depended on regaining and holding the friendship of the people of Illinois, so he spent the summer and fall in visiting the most important towns of the state and making speeches in explanation of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill. And by skillful reasoning he persuaded many of his hearers that it was not so bad a thing after all. It gave the people of the territories the right to decide for themselves whether they would have slavery or not, and surely such '^popular sovereignty" was in strict accord with the fundamental principles of our government. But his reception in northern and central Illinois was rather cold. In October, 1854, the second Illinois state agricultural fair was held at Springfield. On the 3rd Douglas made a great speech to the many farmers gathered there. The next day Abraham Lincoln answered him in a well-framed and well-delivered speech three hours long. This was the first time these two had met in debate. Douglas spoke for sev- eral minutes in reply, but everybody could see that he felt himself beaten. A few days later Douglas made another speech at Peoria and Lincoln answered him again. At the close Douglas proposed to Lincoln that both of themi should return home and make no more speeches. Lincoln con- sented to do so, but later on, having heard that Douglas had broken his agreement and made a speech, he again entered the fiekl. XXXI. THE BEGINNING OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN ILLINOIS Democrats,' AYhigs, Free Soilers — men of all political parties — took part in the fight against the Kansas- Nebraska Bill. Party lines were broken up. The Demo- crats who opposed the extension of slavery left the Democratic party and became known as Anti-Nebraska Democrats, or Free Democrats. For a time the enemies of the Bill drifted hither and thither, but as the contest grew fiercer they gradually came closer together. About August, 1854, a movement was started in Illinois to nominate independent candidates for the approaching congressional election on a distinct Anti-Nebraska plat- form. The DuPage County Free Democratic convention met at Wheaton on August 1st, and declared that a new national party was needed to restore ''the government to its original basis of liberty." The delegates announced: ''We are willing to surrender our party name and to be known by the name of Republican, suggested by the friends of freedom in Wisconsin, Vermont, and other states." From that time on the call for a new party increased. On August 30th the Repul)lican party of the first Congres- sional District was organized at Rockford, and E. B. Washburne was nominated for Congress. A so-called Anti-Nc^braska Republican state convention 143 144 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS was held at Springfield, October 4th, to nominate a state treasurer. It was a gathering of the abolitionists and the more radical antislavery men. The Anti-Nebraska Whigs and Democrats refused to attend. Abraham Lincoln, who was then a Whig, was asked to be present, but his friends dissuaded him. His name was placed on the state central committee, but he declined to serve. Thus the effort to unite all the antislavery men in one party failed for the time. Yet the Whigs, Democrats, and Republicans stood together in support of Anti-Nebraska candidates. Every- where the campaign was pushed with vigor. When the election was over it was found that the Anti-Nebraska men controlled both houses of the state legislature. A United States senator was to be chosen by the legisla- ture. The three parties, Whigs, Democrats, and Free Democrats, were about equal in strength and numbers in the legislature, so that no candidate could receive a majority vote unless some who did not belong to his party would vote for him. The Democrats nominated for senator a man who had never expressed himself as either for or against the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, thinking thus to win votes from the other parties. Lyman Trumbull was the candidate of the Anti-Nebraska Democrats, and Abraham Lincoln of the Whigs. Lincoln was popular, but was not yet pronounced enough in his views to suit the more radical abolitionists, and five of the Anti-Nebraska Democrats refused to vote for him or any other Whig. Fearing that some friend of slavery would be elected, Lincoln withdrew in favor of Illinois— 10 145 146 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Trumbull. By this unselfish act he gained many friends and secured the election of Trumbull. The latter's election was regarded as a rebuke to Douglas, and to emphasize the rebuke the legislature passed a resolution instructing the senators from Illinois to oppose the admission of slave states formed out of Kansas-Nebraska territory, and to advocate the restoration of the Missouri Compromise. At length the time seemed ripe for the foes of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill to withdraw from their old parties and form a state party which should unite all the anti- slavery elements in the state into one powerful whole. The preliminary step to such an organization was taken at a convention of Anti-Nebraska newspaper editors held at Decatur, February 22, 1856. They asked all who were in favor of the restoration of the Missouri Compromise to drop all party differences upon other issues and unite in a state convention to be held at Bloomington, May 29, the chief object of the convention being the nomination of state officers on an Anti-Nebraska platform. The call met a hearty response. Seventy-one counties out of one hundred were represented, and men of all parties were present, Whigs, Democrats, Free Democrats, Abolitionists, Republicans. While the name Republican was not applied to the convention at the time, yet this is considered the first real Republican state convention of Illinois. John M. Pal- mer was chosen permanent chairman. William H. Bissell, a Democrat, was unanimously nominated for governor;^ The platform declared that the repeal of the Missouri Com- promise was unwise, unjust, and injurious; ''that we are BEGINNING OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY 147 devoted to the Union and will to the last extremity defend it against the efforts now being made by the disunionists of this administration to compass its dissolution; and that we will support the Constitution of the United States in all its provisions, regarding it as the sacred bond of our Union and the only safeguard for the preservation of the rights of ourselves and our posterity." The course of Senator Trumbull was approved and that of Senator Douglas was condemned. Abraham Lincoln was chairman of the nommatmg committee. He made the most telling speech of the con- vention, in which he defined his position on the slavery question fearlessly. The abolitionists hesitated no longer but hastened to give him their support, and all the Anti- Nebraska advocates began to rally about him as the undoubted leader of the new party in Ilhnois. The contest of 1856 was a noteworthy one in Illinois. The Republicans were completely successful in electing the state officials, including the governor, William H. Bissell. The triumph gave the new party great prestige within the state and welded all the antislavery elements more firmly together. XXXII. LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES Immediately after the formation of the RepubUcan party in Illinois events came thick and fast that aroused all the latent opposition to the spread of slavery and made it the one issue of the hour. Douglas's term as United States senator expired in 1859. His successor was to be chosen by the legislature elected in 1858. Douglas was nominated by his party for reelection. At the Republican state convention held at Springfield, June 16, 1858, it was unanimously resolved, amid great enthusiasm, ''That Hon. Abraham Lincoln is our first and only choice for United States senator to fill the vacancy about to be created by the expiration of Mr. Douglas's term of office." The platform of the convention declared against the further spread of slavery, for non- intervention with the institution in those states where it then existed, and condemned the judges of the Supreme Court for their decision in the Dred Scott case. When the business of the convention was over Lincoln made a speech which contained the now famous words: ''A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the 148 LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES 149 other." This was the beginning of the most remarkable campaign in the annals of Illinois. His contest with Douglas for a seat in the United States Senate attracted the attention of the whole country, and out of it grew results the most momentous to the nation since its foundation. On July 9th, Douglas opened his campaign with a speech in Chicago. The next day Lincoln answered him. A corre- spondence ensued in which Lincoln challenged him to discuss the issues in a series of joint debates. Douglas finally agreed to meet him in debate at the following places: beginning at Ottawa, August 21, then Freeport, Jonesboro, Charleston, Galesburg, Quincy, and closing at Alton, October 15. The meetings were attended by enormous crowds. People came from miles around. Business was suspended. The two parties vied with each other in processions, music, bonfires, and fireworks. Douglas traveled in a special train and his coming was announced by salutes from can- non. Lincoln came without any display, and he often had to make his way to the place of debate as best he could. Never, perhaps, were debaters so well matched in ability and yet so different in methods and personality. Douglas was small of stature, graceful, and had regular and attract- ive features; while Lincoln was tall and gaunt, his eye- brows were shaggy, and his homely, wrinkled countenance wore an habitual expression of sadness. Douglas was one of the acknowledged leaders of his party and was looking forward to the Presidency; but Lincoln was scarcely known outside of Illinois. Eloquent, confident, alert. 150 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS clever in repartee, Douglas was master of the art of debate. On the other hand, Lincoln's power lay in his straightfor- wardness, his commanding logic, his deep earnestness, and his ready wit. While not always graceful yet he was an impressive and majestic speaker. While deeply reahzing the importance of the contest, and while he spoke to convince rather than to amuse, yet he was always ready with some story, some humorous sally, to irritate his opponent and delight his audience. And it is said that although Douglas charmed his hearers with his eloquence, yet Lincoln's originality, his illustrations, and his simplic- ity won him most of the applause. Lincoln was strongly opposed to slavery on moral, social, and political grounds. Douglas looked upon the institution either with indifference or with approval, and had publicly said that he did not care whether slavery was voted up or voted down. Their speeches during this debate may be summed up as follows: Douglas did not believe in the natural equality of the negro; he held that the people of every territory had a right to decide what their institutions should be, but at the same time he bowed to the Dred Scott decision, which declared that they had no right to abolish slavery. Lincoln declared that all men are endowed with certain inalienable rights such as Hfe, liberty, a,nd pursuit of happiness ; he held that the Dred Scott decision and the repeal of the Missouri Compromise were outrages, and saw in them and in the actions of the national administration an attempt to nationalize and perpetuate slavery. LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES 151 The crisis of the debates came at Freeport, August 27, when the direct antagonism that existed between the Dred Scott decision and Douglas's pet theory of popular sover- eignty was set forth in the following questions which Lincoln asked of Douglas: ''Can the people of a United States territory in any lawful way, against the wish of any citizen of the United States, exclude slavery from its limits prior to the formation of a state convention? If the Supreme Court of the United States shall decide that states cannot exclude slavery from their limits, are you in favor of acquiescing in, adopting, and following such decision, as a rule of political action? Are you in favor of acquiring additional territory in disregard of how such acquisition may affect the nation on the slavery question?" Douglas answered the first question by saying: ''It matters not what way the Supreme Court may hereafter decide on the abstract question whether slavery may or may not go into a territory under the constitution; the people have the lawful means to introduce it or exclude it as' they please, for the reason that slavery cannot exist a day or an hour anywhere unless it is supported by local police regulations. Those police regulations can only be established by the local legislature, and if the people are opposed to slavery they will elect representatives to that body who will by unfriendly legislation effectually prevent the introduction of it into their midst." He evaded the next question, and answered the last in the affirmative. Lincoln showed the questions to his friends before he asked them of Douglas. Seeing that "the Little Giant" 152 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS would answer them in such a way as to gain votes among the people of Illinois, and trust to good fortune to make himself right with the people of the South later on, Lincoln's friends remonstrated with him: ''If you put those questions to him he will perceive that an answer giving practical force and effect to the Dred Scott decision in the territories inevitably loses him the battle, and he will therefore reply by offering the decision as an abstract principle but denying its practical appKcation." ''But," said Lincoln, "if he does that he can never be President. " His friends repUed: "That is not your lookout. You are after the senatorship." "No, gentlemen," said Lincoln, "I am killing larger game. The battle of 1860 is worth a hundred of this." Lincoln was right. Douglas's reply deprived the South of all the advantages of the Dred Scott decision, and the Southerners looked upon him as having deliberately deserted a principle he was pledged to support. By thus disregarding the famous decision he lost his hold on the South and was thereby prevented from becoming Presi- dent. These joint debates were but a part of the Illinois cam- paign of 1858, which has been called the most brilliant ever made in the country. For a period of about a hundred days Lincoln and Douglas traveled over most of the state making speeches everywhere. John M. Palmer, Judge Trumbull, Richard Oglesby, Richard Yates, Carl Schurz, Governor Chase, and others were kept busy addressing LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES 153 the people. The RepubUcans polled 4,000 more votes than the Democrats, but the latter elected Douglas to the senate by a vote of 54 to 46 on the joint ballot of the legislature. This was due to the fact that the existing apportionment had been framed by the Democrats and was greatly in their favor. Although Lincoln lost the senatorship, he now found himself one of the foremost antislavcry leaders and orators in the country, and the debates made possible his nomination for the Presidency by the Republican party in May, 1860, at Chicago. XXXIII. THE NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF LINCOLN The nomination of Abraham Lincoln for the Presidency was brought about largely through the efforts of Illinois men. Prior to 1859 a few admirers had mentioned him for President, and all through that year a few prominent men of the state worked for him quietly but persistently. The Republican state committee followed the plan of having the newspapers in the country towns take up his name first, then afterwards the city papers were to urge his nomination. In December, 1859, Joseph Medill of the Chicago Tribune went to Washington to work up his nomi- nation among the politicians in that city. Early in 1860 the Trihime came out openly for him. Meanwhile Norman A. Judd of the Republican state committee brought it about that the Republican national convention for 1860 should meet in Chicago — a very important political maneuver. The Republican state convention met at Decatur, May 9-10, 1860. Lincoln was present as a visitor, and here an incident happened that colored all the rest of the canvass. Richard Oglesby asked that an old Democrat of Macon County be allowed to offer a contribution to the convention, and Thomas Hanks entered the hall carrying two weather- worn fence-rails decorated with flags and bearing the 154 THE NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF LINCOLN 155 inscription: ^'Abraham Lincoln, The Rail Candidate for President in 1860. Two rails from a lot of 3,000 made in 1830 by Thomas Hanks and Abe Lincoln — whose father was the first pioneer of Macon County." A storm of applause followed. John M. Palmer brought forv/ard the resolution, which was adopted, that ^'Abraham Lincoln is the choice of the Republican party of Illinois for 'mmg'SmM The Wigwam, where Lincoln was Nominated the Presidency, and the delegates from this state are instructed to use all honorable means to secure his nomina- tion by the Chicago convention, and to vote for him as a unit." While this was going on in Illinois the Republicans of the Eastern states hardly realized that Lincoln was a possible candidate. On May 16 the Republican national convention met at Chicago. It held its sessions in a large building called the Wigwam, erected for the purpose. Some say there were 156 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS 40,000 strangers in the city during the convention. There were the delegates, the professional politicians, the news- paper men, the friends of the different candidates, and the mere spectators. Some of the delegations brought famous bands with them, and some brought crowds of men hired to march and cheer for particular candidates. Processions marched up and down the streets, and often some one would address the multitude on the street corners. Horace Greeley was everywhere in evidence. True to Lincoln, Chicago decorated her carriages, buildings, and streets with his emblems. When the convention first assembled it was taken for granted by most people that William H. Seward, governor of New York, would receive the nomination for the Presi- dency, but it soon became evident that he had a formidable rival in Lincoln. New York had sent 2,000 applaud ers to create enthusiasm for Seward. When the friends of Lincoln saw this they succeeded in calling to Chicago thousands of men from Illinois and Indiana who were ready 'Ho march, shout, or fight," for Lincoln. The Illinois delegation had their headquarters at the Tremont House, and here were gathered together the friends of ''the railsplitter." No Lincoln man was allowed to be idle. They worked day and night. There were nine other candidates besides Seward, and it was the task of the Illinois delegates to unite all those opposed to Seward and persuade them to vote for Lincoln. On the third day when the balloting began the Wigwam was filled to overflowing and thousands waited on the THE NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF LINCOLN 157 outside. The friends of Lincoln had gathered into the Wigwam every powerful voice in the city to shout for the man from Illinois. When Norman A. Judd placed Lincoln's name in nomination and when the nomination was seconded the people leaped from their seats, and the wild yell that followed showed that he was the favorite with the multi- tude. On the first ballot Seward led with 173J votes and Lincoln followed with 102; 233 votes being necessary to a choice. On the second ballot Seward gained 11, while Lincoln gained 79. Then came the third ballot. Before the result was an- nounced it was whispered by those who had kept count that Lincoln lacked only one and a half votes of being nom- inated. In a moment the chairman of the Ohio delega- tion sprang to his feet and said: '^ I rise to change four votes from Mr. Chase to Mr. Lincoln." Immediately other changes were made and when the result was announced Lincoln had 354 votes. As soon as it was realized that he had received the nomination a man on the platform shouted to a man stationed on the roof: ^^ Hallelujah! Abe Lincoln is nominated!" A cannon boomed the news to the multitude below and they took up the cry. The city went wild with delight. For twenty-four hours the clamor kept up, whistles, and bells, and guns. The outgoing trains that night found bonfires blazing at every village and the w^hole state astir with excitement. Meanwhile the Democratic national convention had met at Charleston, South Carolina, April 23, 1860. The Demo- crats of the Southern states were determined that a platform 158 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS should be adopted stating that slaves could be carried into the territories and that neither Congressional nor territo- rial legislation could interfere, but the Democrats of the North adhered to Douglas's doctrine of popular sovereignty. The South had distrusted Douglas since the day of the Freeport debate, and was determined to prevent him from Richard Yates securing the nomination for the Presidency. So when a Douglas platform was adopted the Southern members withdrew from the convention. Both factions held con- ventions at Baltimore in June. The Democrats of the THE NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF LINCOLN 159 North nominated Douglas, and the Southerners named Breckinridge. This spHt in the Democratic party insured the election of Lincoln. The RepubUcans of Illinois were completely successful at the polls. Richard Yates was elected governor, and during this most critical time it was very fortunate that the state had a governor so loyal to the Union. In Illinois, Lincoln received 172,161 votes, and Douglas 160,215. XXXIV. ILLINOIS IN 1860 The decade between 1850 and 1860 saw a wonderful advance in the Prairie State. The yield of corn and wheat doubled. The value of taxable property increased three- fold. The railroad mileage grew from 111 in 1850 to 2,790 in 1860. The cultivated farms expanded from five million acres to thirteen million acres. The population increased from 851,470 to 1,711,951. The population of Chicago grew from 29,963 to 109,260. The last two of our 102 counties were organized in 1859. The state debt was reduced from $15,500,000 to $11,804,000; while the revenue from all sources increased from $593,142 to $2,091,326. When the Civil War began Illinois ranked fourth among the states in population and wealth. Great also had been the improvements in other direc- tions. The farmers were now using reapers, mowers, corn cultivators, and improved vehicles of every kind. The sewing machine had become a household convenience, and greatly facilitated the task of making clothing for the soldiers on the battlefield. Stock raising had already be- come an important source of wealth. The manufactured products of the state had risen in value from $2,000,000 in 1850 to over $57,000,000 in 1860. Log houses were disap- pearing, and comfortable frame and brick structures were being erected. 160 ILLINOIS IN 1860 161 The public school system established under the law of 1855 was doing much to increase popular intelligence. Public high schools had been established in four cities of the state: Chicago (1856), Springfield and Rockford (1857), and Peoria (1858). Higher education was afforded to the young men and women by several colleges established upon private foundations. Among these were Illinois College (1829), McKendree (1830), Shurtleff College (1835), Knox (1837), Monticello Female Seminary (1840), Illinois AVesleyan (1850), Northwestern University (1851), Chicago Theological Seminary, Garrett Biblical Institute, and Eureka (1855), Monmouth (1856), Blackburn, Lake Forest, and the State Normal near Bloomington (1857), McCormick Theological Institute (1859), and Wheaton (1860). The leading railroad of the state, the Illinois Central, which was incorporated in 1851, was completed from Cairo to Chicago, and from Centralia to East Dubuque, in 1856. At that time its total mileage in the state was 705 miles. Its service to the nation as a means of transporting troops and supplies during the war can hardly be overestimated. Illinois— 11 XXXV. OUTBREAK OF THE WAR On the 9th of February, 1861, the seceded states organ- ized under a Confederacy, with a capital, president, and congress of their own. Two days later Abraham Lincoln left for Washington to take the oath of office on March 4th. A large company of his friends and neighbors gathered at the railway station at Springfield to bid him good-by. Touched by their good will and deeply sensible of the great task before him, he addressed them: ^'My Friends: No one not in my position can appreciate the sadness I feel at this parting. To this people I owe all that I am. Here I have lived for more than a c^uarter of a century; here my children were born, and here one of them lies buried. I know not how soon I shall see you again. A duty devolves upon me which is, perhaps, greater than that which has devolved upon any other man since the days of Washington. He never would have succeeded except for the aid of Divine Providence, upon which he at all times relied. I feel that I cannot succeed without the Divine aid which sustained him; on the same Almighty Being I place my reliance for support, and I hope you, my friends, will all pray that I may receive that Divine assistance, without which I cannot succeed, but with which success is certain. Again, I bid you all an affectionate farewell." No President ever took the oath of office under more 162 OUTBREAK OF THE WAR 163 trying circumstances. The Union on the verge of disso- kition, his own Hfe in danger, he himself an untried man distrusted by many of his own party— no wonder he was humble, no wonder he was anxious. His old-time competi- tor, Judge Douglas, held his hat during the inaugural ceremony and showed him every courtesy. The Civil War began with an attack on the Federal garrison of Fort Sumter, April 12. On the 15th, President Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 volunteers to subdue '' combinations too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings, and to cause the laws to be duly executed." On the same day Governor Yates received a telegram from the Secretary of War asking for six regiments for immediate service. The governor's call for troops thrilled the people of Illinois with the spirit of war. Meetings were held in every town and city. A^olunteers offered themselves faster than they could be accepted. The governor convened a special session of the legislature. Men of all parties hastened to uphold the Union. Judge Douglas was among the first to tender his support to the President. In an address before a joint session of the state legislature he said that the first duty of an American .citizen is obedience to the constitution and laws. "It is a duty we owe to ourselves and our children and our God to protect this government and that flag from every assailant, be he who he may." Coming from one so well known and honored, such words were worth more to the Union at that time than similar words from any other living man. He 164 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS made several speeches in the state in which he declared that '' the shortest way now to peace is the most stupendous and unanimous preparations for war." After a brief illness he died in Chicago, June 3, 1861; and in his death, it has been said, the cause of the Union sustained a loss greater than that which followed any mere reverse of arms. On April 19th the Secretary of War telegraphed Governor Yates to take possession of Cairo as an important strategic point. General R. K. Swift of Chicago was at once ordered by the governor to proceed to Cairo as speedily as possible with such forces as he could muster. There were few military organizations in the state, and few guns to equip volunteers. General Swift took possession of Cairo with about 1,000 men and a few cannon. Slugs were hastily molded to take the place of shot and shell. Cairo, at the mouth of the Ohio, was very important as the key to the navigation of the Ohio and the Mississippi. Located as far south as Richmond, the Confederate capital, and very near the seat of war, it was valuable as a depot of supplies. Then, too, had the Confederates been able to seize it they could have controlled the Illinois Central Railroad and its branches. The outbreak of war wrought a great change at the state capital. It became a very busy place. The governor was besieged with those offering their services — some moved by patriotism, some whose only aim was personal gain. Among those who found their way to Springfield was Captain Ulysses S. Grant, late of the regular army. Since 1860 he had been engaged in the leather trade at 165 166 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Galena with his father and brothers. He brought with him a letter of recommendation from Hon. E. B. Wash- burne, who represented Illinois in Congress from 1853 to 1869 and who later on was -minister to France. When he tendered his services to the governor, Grant said "that he had been the recipient of a military education at West Point and that now when the country was involved in a war for its preservation and safety he thought it was his duty to offer his services in defense of the Union, and that he would esteem it a privilege to serve in any position where he could be useful." Grant was set to work in the adjutant general's office, copying, arranging, and filing papers. In a few days he was installed as commandant at Camp Yates, a rendezvous camp, where he was needed to perfect organizations and discipline. He also served the state by mustering in regi- ments at various places. So efficient was he that on June 16 he was put in command of the 21st Illinois regiment. He soon distinguished himself, and on August 23, 1861, was made brigadier general and stationed at Cairo. He gained control of the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers and saved the Ohio for the Union. In the hands of Grant, Cairo became the entering wedge by which the eastern and western divisions of the Confederacy were eventually spHt in two along the hne of the Mississippi. The story of Forts Henry and Donelson, however, as well as of Shiloh, and Vicksburg, and Chattanooga, and Appo- mattox belongs rather to the history of the nation than to the history of Illinois. Characterized by a thorough OUTBREAK OF THE WAR 167 knowledge of military measures and men, persistent, cool and courageous in danger, careful of the wants of the humblest soldier, plain, quiet, modest, yet inspiring con- fidence, Grant came to be the head of all the armies of the United States, and more than any other general brought about the downfall of the Confederacy. In gratitude the people made him President. XXXVL ILLINOIS'S SHARE IN THE STRUGGLE Besides Abraham Lincoln and U. S. Grant, Illinois fur- nished the nation during the war eleven major generals, twenty brevet major generals, twenty-five brigadier generals, and about one hundred and twenty brevet brigadier generals. The major generals were: John Pope, John A. McClernand, Stephen A. Hurlbut, Benjamin M. Prentiss, John M. Palmer, Richard J. Oglesby, John A. Logan, John M. Schofield, Napoleon B. Buford, Wesley Merritt, Benjamin H. Grierson, and Giles A. Smith. Illinois furnished about 259,000 soldiers in all — the largest quota in proportion to population except those of Kansas and Nevada. Only New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio sent more troops into the field. At the beginning of the war volunteers enlisted faster than they could be accepted. Prior to February 1, 1864, Illinois alone of all the states had escaped a draft; and in 1864 only 3,538 had to be enlisted by compulsion, and only 55 purchased exemption by commutation — a smaller number than in any other state except Kansas. No draft would have been needed at all had there not been an inaccurate count of those subject to military duty. Toward the close of the war it became evident that the state was furnishing many in excess of what a correct estimate would have required. Under the last call for troops in a number of places the quota exceeded the number of able-bodied men. 168 ILLINOIS'S SHARE IN THE STRUGGLE 169 Nearly all the troops from this state were employed in the South. Wherever the fight was the thickest there were the brave men from Illinois, — the first in the charge and the last to retreat. Illinois troops suffered very heavily at Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and Vicksburg. At these places, some of the Illinois regiments lost from 50 to 63 per cent, in killed and wounded. The total loss of Illinois troops during the war is reported at 34,834, or one in about every seven of those who enlisted. Of this number 24,940 died of disease. The total loss is exceeded only by that of New York and Ohio. It would be a long story to follow the men of Illinois in their long marches and hard-fought battles, in their heroic sufferings and glorious victories during the four years of civil strife. None were more gallant than they. Their deeds of valor would fill volumes. How much the nation is indebted to them may be inferred from the fact that in the two great movements w^hich severed the Confederacy and so hastened its downfall, Illinois was more largely represented than any other state. Absent for years from home and everything held most sacred and dear, leading a strange life, often with no bed but the earth and no tent but the sky, on scant rations and in much weariness, exposed to the Southern sun and the rain and sleet, sur- rounded by scenes of the deepest misery and suffering, beset on every hand by dangers of every kind; the target of deadly shot and shell; the prey of still more deadly dis- ease, — such was the price they paid for the preservation of the Union. XXXVII. AT HOME DURING THE WAR As soon as the news of the battle at Fort Donelson reached the North, Governor Yates and other state officials visited the battlefield to encourage the soldiers and care for the sick and wounded. This they did also after the battle of Shiloh. The army hospitals were overcrowded, and at the governor's suggestion about a thousand wounded sol- diers were brought north on steamboats to be cared for in the hospitals at Springfield, Peoria, and Quincy. Yates heartily supported the measures of Lincoln, and his loyalty and devotion to the Union earned him the title, " the War Governor of Illinois." His winning manners made him one of the most popular governors the state ever had. He was elected to a seat in the United States Senate in 1865, when Richard J. Oglesby was made governor. Much credit is due to the State Sanitary Commission, the Christian Commission, and to various other charitable organizations of the state for their work in sending clothing, medicine, and other supplies and means of relief to the sick and wounded soldiers. Soldiers' aid societies were organ- ized in nearly every county, and the citizens responded liberally to the many calls made upon them. The noble self-sacrifice of the women of the state calls for much praise. Many of them gave themselves as volunteer 170 AT HOME DURING THE WAR 171 nurses. The work of the loyal press, of the churches and ministers, was also of the greatest importance. In 1862 in Tazewell County there was started a secret order, known as the Union League of America, which had for its object the promotion of loyalty and the advancement of the Union cause by political methods. It spread very rapidly in this and other states. Inseparably connected with the history of the war are the songs written by two citizens of Chicago: — George F. Root, who wrote ^'The Battle Cry of Freedom," '^Just before the Battle, Mother," and ''Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys are Marching"; and Henry Clay Work, author of Marching through Georgia," ''Kingdom Coming," and ^' Brave Boys are They." These songs were sung in every camp throughout the army, inciting the soldiers to valor, and stirred the patriotism of those who remained at home, where they were used at public meetings. There were some in the state who were in favor of peace at any price. Nor did all who were in favor of preserving the Union approve of the way the war was carried on. Many were opposed to the Emancipation Proclamation and other measures of Lincoln. Not all Republicans supported Lincoln, neither did all Democrats oppose him. In the hour of peril the Democrats laid aside their party feelings and rallied to the defense of the nation, but after- ward, because of the administration's policy of appointing only Republicans to ofhce, many of them came to look upon the war from a partisan standpoint. On January 7, 1862, a constitutional convention met in 172 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Springfield to frame a new state constitution. The Demo- crats were in the majority. After organization, the dele- gates took the position that the law which had called the convention was no longer binding, and refused to take the oath to support the state constitution as the legislature had prescribed. They claimed that they were the governing body of the state and assumed the right to dictate and control all the departments of government. They even deliberated about electing a United States senator. They ratified a proposed amendment to the Federal constitution, and appropriated $500,000 for the relief of the sick and wounded soldiers. Of course all this was illegal and dicta- torial. The instrument they formed was a great improve- ment over the old constitution, yet it was thought that a certain passage in it upheld states' rights too much and favored the right of secession. The Republicans opposed its adoption, as did many others because of the unlawful proceedings of the convention itself. It was defeated at the polls. The 23rd General Assembly convened January 5, 1863. Here again the Democrats were in the majority. The whole tone of the proceedings of this assembly was decid- edly opposed to the war and to Lincoln and Yates. By resolution it declared for a truce, saying that the war had been a failure. It accomplished little business of impor- tance. The two houses failed to agree upon a date for adjournment. In case of such disagreement the constitu- tion empowered the governor to adjourn the assembly. It was Yates's opinion that the state and nation would AT HOME DURING THE WAR 173 be better off if the session were cut short. So on June 10th, to the consternation of the members, the governor issued a proclamation proroguing the legislature until December 31, 1864. Excitement was intense during the war, and partisan feeling ran high. The Republicans called the Democrats "copperheads" and "traitors," and the Democrats in turn called them "black abolitionists." The war furnished opportunity for the lawless element to commit many misdeeds, — now in the name of the Union, now in behalf of the South. A number of atrocious murders were com- mitted. Sometimes men would be called to their doors and shot down. But as a whole the people were law-abiding. The state was under martial law. The swagger of govern- ment officers and soldiers home on furlough caused no little hard feeling. Men grew to distrust each other. An open- spoken person was always in danger. The government made numerous arrests for mere utterance of disloyal sentiments, many times but idle talk. On June 1, 1863, the commander of the Department of the Ohio ordered the military authorities in Chicago to take possession and suppress the issue of The Chicago Times, a paper which had been very free in criticising the policy of the administration and the conduct of the war. The editor was notified of the order and he at once applied to the Judge of the United States Court for the Northern District of Illinois for an injunction to restrain the army officers from carrying the order into effect. The court granted a temporary restraining order, but in contempt of 174 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS the civil tribunal the soldiers took possession of the office of The Times. This clash between the civil and military authorities aroused the people against what they called military despotism. A number of prominent men tele- graphed a petition to President Lincoln asking him to rescind the order for the good and peace of the city, which he quickly did. Armed resistance was sometimes offered to Union officers attempting to arrest deserters. A certain judge discharged three deserters, and on a charge of kidnapping arrested the Union officers who had taken the deserters into custody; but he was taken by the soldiers from his bench, his court adjourned by military power, and he himself sent as a prisoner to another state. Collisions between soldiers and citizens were frequent — the most bloody being at Charleston, where seven persons were killed and eight wounded. Armed raids were made upon Jacksonville, Winchester, Manchester, Greenville, and Vandalia; while incursions from Confederate bushwhackers were common in Calhoun, Scott, Pike, Hancock, and Adams counties. At one time a company of Federal troops had to be sent into Scott and Greene counties to prevent raids. The garrison at Cairo suppressed the traffic in lead, arms, ammunition, and other contraband goods between Galena, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and the cities on the lower Mississippi. Suspected steamboats were boarded and searched. In many counties large numbers of volunteers were temporarily lodged under the sheds of fair grounds until barracks could be erected at Camp Butler at Springfield, and Camp AT HOME DURING THE WAR 175 Douglas at Chicago. These were the principal points for the rendezvous and instruction of volunteers and for mus- tering out troops when the war was over, and they became places of custody for many thousands of Confederates captured in war. All through the Northwest there were those who were disloyal to the Union. They organized themselves into secret societies, the largest and strongest of which was known as the Knights of the Order of the Sons of Liberty. This was a military organization and had for its object the discouragement of enlistments, the protection of deserters, the circulation of disloyal publications, the cooperation with the Confederates in the destruction of government property and in raids and invasions, and the freeing of Confederate prisoners of war. Many of the members, how^ever, were ignorant of the real purpose of the order, and would not have countenanced any hostility to the gov- ernment. In August, 1864, the leaders of the Sons of Liberty, in concert with agents of the Confederacy, made plans to liberate the prisoners of war at Chicago, Springfield, Rock Island, and Alton; but their plans were discovered by Union officers and were abandoned. Several times they planned an attack upon Chicago; the last of these plans included the burning of the city. But the Union officers arrested the leaders in their hiding places and the 'Tamp Douglas conspiracy" came to naught. During the first two years of the war, times were very hard in Illinois. Corn sold as low as 9 cents a bushel. Many 176 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS women were called upon to do the work of the men on the farms. But much money was put into circulation by the expenditures of the war, and prosperity prevailed during the closing years of the conflict. The price of land ad- vanced, sometimes as much as 100 per cent., and many made their fortunes. The population of the state in 1865 was 2,141,510, or nearly 25 per cent, increase since 1860. Governor Yates in his last message said: "Our prosperity is as -complete and ample as though no tread of armies or beat of drums had been heard in our borders. " The end of the war brought great joy to the people of the North. Friends welcomed home the returning soldiers. The terrible nervous strain was over. But the rejoicing was turned into grief by the assassination of the President, April 14, 1865. His remains were brought to Illinois and laid at rest in Oak Ridge Cemetery, near his old home in Springfield. A splendid monument marks the spot where sleeps Illinois's most illustrious son. He had gone forth an untried man and returned a martyred hero. XXXVIII. CHICAGO When Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837 it had a population of 4,179, and 492 buildings. The first public improvement was the system of waterworks built in 1839— a pump of 25 horse power drew water from the lake and distributed it through wooden pipes. The building of the Illinois and Michigan Canal greatly Chicago in 1832 aided the growth of the place. In 1836, when work was started on the canal, the population was about 4,000; by 1848 it had increased to 20,923. The first schoolhouse was built in 1835. The Rush Medical School opened in 1843 with 22 students. The Journal was started in 1844; The Illinois— 12 177 178 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Tribune in 1847. Previous to 1844 a few planks had been laid down for sidewalks, but the prairie soil was the only roadbed of even the main streets. Ditches were dug along the sides of the streets to carry off the surplus water. As late as 1848 the city was sometimes a whole week without the arrival of a single mail. From 1848 to 1854 the cholera prevailed. It spread to almost every cluster of dwellings in the Northwest. In 1854 it appeared in its worst form: the mortality of Chicago for that year was 3,830, or one in every 17. In 1849 two companies were given the franchise to light the city with gas. The first locomotive made in Chicago, ^'The Enterprise," was built in 1853. In 1851 a crib was built out in the lake to supply the city with pure water. The altitude of the city was only a few feet above the lake, and when in 1856 the river was deepened and widened the sand and mud were used to raise the grade of the city. This was the day of uneven sidewalks: single buildings were here and there raised to grade and the walks in front lifted to correspond, while those on either side were on the old level, a yard or more below. So bad was the condition of the streets that the baggage of persons coming to the city by rail would often lie in the depot for days because it could not be hauled through the mud. The first square of wooden-block pavement was laid in 1856. In 1854 the public schools were organized by classify- ing the pupils by examination. A high school was built. The North w^estern University w^as established in 1851. The old Chicago University was founded in 1855 — Stephen CHICAGO 179 A. Douglas donating the land upon which the buildings were erected. Previous to 1852 there were only about 60 buildings in the city that were constructed of stone or brick; but by 1855 building had become almost a mania, and many of the old woocU^n buildings were replaced by more substantial ones. In 1859 the rails were laid for the first street cars. The Civil War built up the manufactures and commerce of the city. The population increased nearly 80,000 during the five years. The city was an important base of supply, and was the paradise of speculators. Many splendid build- ings were erected during this period. The old wooden sidewalks were replaced by stone, and considerable pave- ment was laid. In 1863 new waterworks were built at a cost of a million dollars. In 1869 the first tunnel was built under the Chicago River. On the night of October 8, 1871, Chicago was visited by the most destructive fire that the world had ever witnessed. By 1871 the city had become the trade center of the lake region and the West. It was the center of more than a dozen lines of railroad, and its wharves were visited by thousands of vessels. The population was 334,270. The fire started among wooden buildings in a poor quarter of . the city, a mile and a half southwest of the courthouse. The weather had been very dry, and a brisk wind drove the fire very rapidly toward the business portion. There were miles upon miles of wooden buildings in the city, many even in the down-town district, which burned very quickly. The fire department was helpless before the fire as it ISO HISTORY OF ILLINOIS strode through the city. All hope of staying its progress was abandoned. It disabled the pumping engines at the waterworks and cut off the water supply. For eighteen hours it burned all before it: — hovels and palaces, churches and dens of iniquity, splendid public buildings and elegant residences. The people fled for their lives to the parks and cemeteries, to the prairies around the city, and in many cases into the Chicago after the Fire of 1871 lake to escape the scorching flames. Stores were thrown open and all invited to help themselves to the goods that would soon be burned. The prisoners were released from the jail to save their lives. Owners of vehicles charged enormous sums for hauling families and their goods to places of safety. All the baser side of human nature was displayed. All sorts of crimes were committed. Many CHICAGO 181 plunderers were abroad. Incendiaries set fresh fires for the sake of plunder. Saloons were thrown open and the free liquor maddened the vicious. Many citizens hastening with their treasures to places of refuge were knocked down and robbed. Nearly 100,000 were rendered homeless and shelterless. Families became separated, and friends saw their loved ones perish in the flames without being able to help them. People of all classes and conditions huddled together in places of refuge. A chilly rain set in. Many were without sufficient clothing, all were destitute of food and more or less exhausted and terrified. The fire destroyed 17,500 buildings; the burned area amounted to 2,134 acres; and the pecuniary loss was about $150,000,000. About 250 lost their lives. The world hastened to the relief of Chicago. Great was her need, but greater still the help she received. Never before had such liberality been shown. Carloads of food, provisions, and clothing were sent in by the hundred — more in fact than was sufficient. Cities in this country and Europe gave about $7,000,000 in money. The state legislature called together by Governor Palmer refunded the $3,000,000 which the city had expended on deepening the Illinois and Michigan Canal. Under grave 'apprehensions for the peace and good order of the city, the mayor turned it over to the United States troops under General Philip H. Sheridan. Martial law was proclaimed and good order was maintained. Governor Palmer protested to the mayor and to President Grant 182 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS against the city's being turned over to the Federal troops, saying that the state mihtia should have been called upon first to furnish protection, and that the military occupation of the city by Federal troops was in violation of the state and Federal constitutions. But it was for the best, since the lives and property and good order of a great city were in danger. Since the fire cleared the ground for better structures, it has often been spoken of as a blessing in disguise. But the great hardships it imposed must not be forgotten. Many of the smaller merchants, especially, were never able to enter business again, and many whose whole posses- sions were swept away lived out their lives in poverty. The fire advertised the city as nothing else could have done. With the energy that characterizes its citizens they set to work to rebuild the vast waste. The work drew many laborers to the city. Within two years Chicago was rebuilt, and trade was flowing again in its natural chan- nels. By an unprecedented growth it became the second city of the continent. In 1870 Cook County had about one seventh of the population of the state; in 1900 the proportion was about two fifths. From 1870 to 1900 the state outside of Chicago grew only thirty-six per cent, in population; but Chicago gained over five hundred per cent. In 1908 the area of Chicago amounted to more than 190 square miles. It had 118 hotels, 990 miles of street and elevated railways, about 300 newspapers, 68 banks, over 260 public schools, and over 1,000 churches. The growth CHICAGO 183 of the city continues unabated. In 1907 permits were issued for 21,826 buildings to cost nearly $60,000,000. In 1888 the clubs of Chicago began a campaign to secure for their city the international celebration of the four hun- dredth anniversary of the discovery of America by Colum- bus. New York, St. Louis, and Washington were competing cities, but after an exciting contest the choice of Congress fell upon Chicago, and an act establishing thc^ World's The World's Fair at Chicago Columbian Exposition at that city was signed by President Harrison, April 25, 1890. Congress made liberal donations, and Chicago itself raised ten million dollars. The site selected was Jackson Park and a strip connecting Jackson and Washington Parks, called Midway Plaisance. The grounds were laid out in wonderful beauty. The buildings 184 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS were white, so that the fair was called ''The White City." The total space under roof was nearly 250 acres. There were seventeen departmental buildings, such as the Manu- factures, Fishery, and Electrical. Eighty-six nations were represented, and every state had its building. The Illinois state building was the largest of all state structures. The fair was formally opened May 1, 1903, and closed October 31, of the same year. The total number of admissions was 27,530,460; the largest for any single day being 761,944 on Chicago Day, October 9. The fair brought many resi- dents to the city and called for the erection of many new hotels and other buildings. As might be expected in so great a manufacturing center, there have been many labor troubles. Chicago is fighting the industrial battles of the entire West. Notable among the strikes was that of 1886, which ended in the anarchist riot in Hay market Square. In 1894 during a railroad strike in the city President Cleveland sent the United States troops to protect the mails. Governor Altgeld thought this action an infringement of state rights, and protested against it; but President Cleveland kept the troops in Chicago till mail trains were again free from molestation. The Republicans have held six national conventions in Chicago: that of 1860 which nominated Lincoln for Presi- dent; 1868, U. S. Grant; 1880, James A. Garfield; 1884, James G.Blaine; 1888, Benjamin Harrison; 1908, William H. Taft. The Democrats have held three national conven- tions there : that of 1864, which nominated George B. McClel- lan; 1884, Grover Cleveland; and 1896, William J. Bryan. CHICAGO 185 The year 1900 saw the completion of the great Chicago Sanitary Canal which reverses the current of the Chicago River, connects Lake Michigan and the Illinois River, and furnishes an outlet for the sewerage of Chicago. The entire length of the canal from its junction with the Chicago River at Robey Street to its junction with the Des Plaines at Lockport, is 28 miles. At its widest point it is 290 feet wide at the water line. At Lockport it becomes a harbor 500 feet wide to accommodate lake vessels. It took 100,000 laborers seven years to build it, at a cost of $33,000,000. It is the greatest work ever undertaken for the sanitary betterment of a city. At Lockport the water flows into the Des Plaines, then into the old Illinois and Michigan Canal at Joliet, then into the Illinois, and on into the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico. Small boats can now pass from Lake Michigan to the Gulf, but its value for navigation depends upon the further improvement of the Des Plaines and Illinois rivers. Owing to the lake breeze the climate of Chicago is very healthful, and the death rate is lower than that of any other city of over half a million inhabitants. The city is comparatively free from overcrowded tenements. Over 100 hospitals and asylums take care of the sick. It has one of the most extensive park systems in the country. It has six large parks — Lincoln Park being the best known — and many smaller ones. The total area of the parks is about 3,000 acres, and they are connected with 70 miles of boulevards. Though removed from the ocean, Chicago's harbors 186 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS float a greater tonnage than any other American port ex- cept New York. Her commerce exceeds that of Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore combined. The Chicago River and its branches afford a water frontage of nearly 60 miles, the greater part of which is used for the shipment and unloading of grain and lumber. Dredging has made the river navigable for vessels of deep draft. Chicago is the greatest railway center in the world, University of Chicago whether measured b}^ traffic, or earnings, or mileage. It is the terminus of 32 trunk lines which operate about thirty per cent, of the total mileage of the entire country. Nearly 2,000 trains enter and leave Chicago daily. There are about 2,600 miles of tracks within the corporate limits. Chicago is the largest grain market in the world, the gi-eat- est cattle market, and has the largest packing houses. Only London and New York surpass her in manufactures. Many of her factories and stores are among the largest in the CHICAGO 187 world. She does the largest mail order business, has the largest trade in ready-made clothing and men's furnishing goods, and is the largest hardware market in the world. She sells more furniture and household goods than any other city, is the greatest market for agricultural machinery, and the largest producer of electrical supplies. In finance she ranks fourth among the great cities of the world, being led by London, New York, and Paris only, — which is a remark- able showing when her age is compared with theirs. Her library facilities are second to none in the country. She has the Chicago Public Library, the Newberry Library, the John Crerar Library, Chicago Historical Library, besides numerous other large public and private collections. She is the home of many famous schools: the University of Chicago, Northwestern University and Lake Forest Col- lege, Armour Institute, Rush Medical College, and many other schools and colleges of all kinds. Perhaps every nationality of the world is represented in Chicago. In 1900 more than three fourths of her citizens were either foreign born or the children of foreign parents. XXXIX. UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1870 The chief object of the constitution of 1848 had been to provide for an economical administration of government and to free the state from debt. But by 1870 it had served its purpose. Great abuses had grown up under its opera- tion. Governor Palmer said of it: ''The history of the American states presents no example of a government more defective or vicious than that of the state of Illinois." The constitutional convention that met in Springfield in December, 1869, was one of the ablest deliberative bodies that ever convened in the state, and the instrument it framed has proved a model for state government. The new constitution has been effective in preventing hasty and fraudulent legislation. It limits the power of the legislature on almost every subject of action. It provides that where a general law can be made applicable no special law shall be enacted. The legislature is prohibited from granting special privileges to cities and corporations, as they are regulated by general laws. Railways are declared to be public highways, and parallel or competing lines are pro- hibited from consolidating. The legislature is required to prevent unjust discrimination and to regulate railroad rates. Counties, cities, and other local governments are limited in the amount of money they can borrow. The new con- stitution gives the governor the veto power and provides 188 UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1870 " 189 that no bill can pass over his veto without a two-thirds majority in each house. It renders the judiciary uniform, establishes appellate courts, and provides a special judiciary for the great population of Chicago. It requires the general assembly to provide an efficient system of free schools where all the children of the state can secure a good common school education. The state government is composed of three departments — the executive, judicial, and legislative. The executive department consists of the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of public accounts, treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, and attorney-general. All hold office for four years with the exception of the treasurer, who is elected for two years and who when his term is over is ineligible for reelection until the expiration of two years. The governor is vested with the supreme executive power of the state, and it is his peculiar duty ^'to take care that the laws be faithfully executed." He must be at least 30 years of age, and have been for five years a citizen of the United States and Illinois. As commander-in-chief of the military and naval forces he may call them into service to execute the laws, suppress insurrection, and repel invasion. At the beginning of each session of the legislature and at the close of his term of office it is his duty to send a message to the general assembly in which he informs them of the condition of the affairs of the state and recommends needed legislation. By proclamation he may convene the general assembly in extraordinary session, or adjourn it 190 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS in case of disagreement between the two houses, and he may approve or veto the bills the assembly passes. He may make requisition upon the governors of other states for the return of fugitives from justice, and offer rewards for the apprehension of offenders against the laws of the state,' and he may pardon criminals or lessen their sentences. The lieutenant governor presides over the senate and has the power to cast the deciding vote in case of a tie. He succeeds to the office of governor in case of the death, absence, resignation, conviction, or impeachment, or other disability of the governor. The secretary of state is charged with the safe keeping of all original laws, resolutions, documents, and papers of the state. It is his duty to countersign and affix the seal of the state to all proclamations and commissions issued by the governor, and to supervise the printing and distribution of laws and public documents. He issues charters to cor- porations, towns, villages, and cities; he calls the house of representatives together at the beginning of each general assembly and presides until the election of a speaker. He has charge of the capitol buildings and grounds and is the keeper of the great seal and the standard weights and measures. The auditor is required to keep all the accounts of the state, and without his order or warrant no money can be received or paid out by the treasurer, who is the custodian of the money of the state. It is the duty of the superintendent of public instruction to exercise a general supervision over all the public schools UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1870 191 of the state ; to be the adviser of the county superintendents ; to grant state certificates to teachers; and visit such state charitable institutions as are educational in character. He must report to the governor the general condition of the schools and the school funds. The attorney-general is the legal adviser of the state officials and the general assembly, and it is his duty to represent the state in the supreme court of Illinois in all cases in which the state is interested. The judicial department of the state government is made up of the circuit courts, the appellate courts, and the supreme court. The circuit courts have '^ original jurisdiction of all cases of law and equity," and they hear appeals from county and other local courts. At present the state is divided into 18 judicial circuits; Cook County makes a circuit by itself, but elsewhere three or more counties are combined. Cook County has fourteen circuit judges, and each of the other circuits three judges; all these judges are elected by the people once in six years. Sessions of the circuit court are held in each county, and each court is presided over by one of the circuit judges. The state is divided into four appellate court districts, — Cook County, the northern, central, and southern portions of the state. In each appellate district the supreme court chooses and sets apart three circuit judges to be appellate judges. They hear certain appeals from circuit and county courts, and their decision is final in all cases in which the amount in dispute is less than $1,000. They do not have 192 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS jurisdiction in criminal cases, nor in cases where the validity of the law is in question, as such cases must be appealed directly to the supreme court. The supreme court — the highest state court — consists of seven judges elected for a term of nine years. The office of chief justice is held in turn by the different members. It holds its sessions in the capitol. Four judges must agree in order to decide a case. It is the court of appeal from the appellate, circuit, and county courts, and its decision is final except in cases involving a state law which conflicts with a Federal law ; such cases may be carried to the United States Supreme Court. On account of its great population Cook County has need of extra courts. Instead of three circuit judges it has fourteen. Two special courts — the superior court of Cook County, and the criminal court of Cook County — do part of the work of the circuit courts. It also has an extra or branch appellate court. The general assembly or legislature consists of two houses, the senate and the house of representatives. To it belongs every power in state affairs, not especially denied it by the constitution or delegated to some other department. For the election of its members the state is divided every ten years by the legislature into 51 senatorial districts of equal population. These districts generally include more than one county, but Cook County has 18 senatorial dis- tricts, or more than one third the whole number. The people of each senatorial district elect one senator and three representatives. The senators are elected for four years. UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1870 193 the representatives for two years. The three representa- tives are chosen by the plan of minority representation. That is, each voter casts three votes for representatives; he may cast all for one candidate, or give one and a half votes to each of two, or one vote to each of the three; thus any party supported by more than one fourth of the votes of the district can, usually, by uniting on one candidate secure his election. The regular session of the general assembly begins on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January of the odd-numbered years. A majority of all the members elected in each house constitutes a quorum. Each house is judge of the right of its members to their places, and may expel members by a two-thirds vote. While in attendance members cannot be arrested except for ''treason, felony, or breach of peace." They cannot be held to account else- where for anything said by them in either house. The lieutenant governor presides over the senate and has the right to vote only in case of a tie. The house of repre- sentatives chooses one of its members for speaker or presid- ing officer. He has a vote on all questions, signs all bills passed by the house, and appoints nearly all the conmiit- tees. The committees practically control legislation, and since the speaker appoints them and may recognize or ignore members on the floor of the house according as he approves or disapproves of their measures, his influence is great. Bills may originate in either house and may be amended or rejected by the other. When a bill is introduced it is referred to some committee for consideration. If the Illinois — 13 194 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS committee favorably reports on the bill, it is read three times in full on different days and printed before the final vote is taken. No bill becomes a law unless it is voted for by a majority of all members of each house. When it passes both houses it is sent to the governor, who signs it if he approves of it, or returns it with his veto if he does not wish it to become a law. A two-thirds vote of both houses is needed to pass a bill over the governor's veto. The constitution requires each house to keep a journal of its proceedings, which is published, and in which is recorded the vote of each member on the passage of all bills. The house of representatives has the power of impeach- ing any state officer. But all impeachments must be tried by the senate, and no person can be convicted without the concurrence of two thirds of all the senators elected. The governor has the power of appointing a large num- ber of state officers. Among them are the following: the adjutant general, who next to the governor is the chief officer of the militia, and other officers of the militia; a state veterinarian; justices of the peace for Chicago; nota- ries public in all places in Illinois; a superintendent of bank- ing, who supervises the savings banks of the state; a state entomologist who studies the insects of the state, par- ticularly those injurious to the farmer and gardener; a chief grain inspector; a printer expert, who assists in letting the contracts for state printing; an insurance superintendent, who supervises all insurance companies doing business in the state; and officers for the prevention of cruelty to ani- mals in Cook County, in East St. Louis, and Peoria. XL. STATE BOARDS AND INSTITUTIONS Much of the executive work of the state government is done by boards or commissions, the members of which are nominated by the governor and confirmed by the senate. The number of commissioners and the term of office vary in the different commissions, and some of the commissions serve without pay. The following boards look after the public safety: The State Board of Health, established in 1877, has gen- eral supervision of the health of the people of the state. Its duty is to prevent the introduction and spread of all conta- gious diseases. It must examine all persons desiring to practice medicine in Illinois and issue certificates to those found competent. It is also charged with the examining and licensing of embalmers. It must record all births and deaths in the state. Among the features of its work of late have been the investigation of the water supply and sew- age disposal of the towns and cities of Illinois, its campaign against unsanitary lodging houses, and its battle against tuberculosis. The State Board of Pharmacy, established in 1881, is charged with the duty of examining all who desire to practice pharmacy in the state, and issuing certificates to such as are found qualified. It is the duty of the State Board of Dental Examiners, established in 1881, to secure a uniform standard of instruction in the dental schools, and 195 196 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS to examine and license the dentists of the state. The State Board of Examiners of Architects, estabhshed in 1897, Ucenses those who are quahfied to practice as architects. To prevent fraud and to protect the pubhc health, laws have been passed against the sale and manufacture of un- clean, adulterated, or misbranded food stuffs. Prepared food stuffs must not be labeled in a manner that deceives the purchaser as to their ingredients. Dairy products especially must not be unhealthful or adulterated. It is the duty of the State Food Commissioners to enforce these pure food laws and prevent so far as possible adulterations and frauds in the manufacture and sale of food stuffs. The commission must inspect all places where food is manu- factured, and examine such articles of food as it may suspect are impure, unhealthful, or counterfeit, and l3ring about the prosecution of such persons as are found violating the pure food laws of the state. It has been successful in exposing and driving from the state many frauds. The agricultural interests of the state are cared for by the following: The Department of Agriculture (created in 1872), which is administered by the State Board of Agrmdture made up of members from each congressional district of the state, has sole control of the state fairs which are held each year at Springfield. The fair grounds consist of 156 acres and are as well equipped as any in the Union. The buildings are modern and substantial, and the annual exhibit of live stock, farm products, vehicles, and farming implements is the largest of its kind in the country. STATE BOARDS AND INSTITUTIONS 197 In 1895 an important act was passed by the legislature, creating the Illinois Farmers' Institute, the purpose of which is to assist and encourage useful education among the farmers, and to develop the agricultural resources of Illinois. Under the supervision of the Board of Directors the Institute holds an annual public meeting of delegates from the county institutes and of the farmers of the state. This meeting is of at least three days' duration, and is for the purpose of public discussion of such subjects as the cultivation of crops, the care and breeding of domestic animals, dairy husbandry, horticulture, farm drainage, improved highways, and general farm management. The state makes appropriations for the expenses of the Institute and prints for distribution among the farmers the addresses given at the annual meeting on practical and scientific agriculture. It is the purpose of the Institute to dissemi- nate and popularize the results of the experiments of the State College of Agriculture and the Experimental Station at Urbana'!' State and county domestic science associa- tions are affiliated with the Institute. Care is also taken to have the children of the public schools instructed in agriculture. The increasing interest of the farmers of Illinois in the adoption of a more scientific attitude toward . crop production and allied' subjects is in large measure due to the work and influence of the Farmers' Institute, and it has materially enhanced the grand total of agricultural wealth in the state during the past decade. The Live Stock Commission, created in 1885, seeks to prevent the introduction and spread of contagious and in- 198 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS fectious diseases among cattle, horses, sheep, and other domestic animals. To this end the state veterinarian and about fifty assistants in different parts of the state are working under the direction of the board. The office of state entomologist was established in 1867. This official is required to study the entomology of Illinois, and particularly to investigate all insects injurious to agriculture and horticulture, to the vegetable garden and shade trees, to the products of mills and the contents of warehouses and all other valuable property. He is charged with the annual inspection of all nurseries of fruit trees in Illinois. He is required to investigate and conduct exper- iments for the arrest and control of insects injurious to person and property and public health, and report his dis- coveries to the people. The commercial and industrial welfare of the state is looked after by the following commissions: The Railroad and Warehouse Commission has general supervision and jurisdiction over the railroads and public warehouses of Illinois. It is required to make inspection of the railroads of the state as regards the safety of the bridges, trestles, tracks, and crossings; to compel the railroads to comply with the recommendations of the commission relating to switches, signals, and safety appli- ances ; and in all ways to see that the railroads are managed for the safety and accommodation of the public and accord- ing to state law. It fixes the maximum rate of charges for the transportation of passengers and freight within the state, and requires a comprehensive report annually from STATE BOARDS AND INSTITUTIONS 199 every railroad doing business in the state. It has the same supervision over interurban electric roads that it has over steam roads. The commissioners are required to see to the accommodation and security of all public warehouses, and all grain inspection is under their control. The Insurance Department of the State of Illinois was created by act of the legislature in 1893. It is administered by the insurance superintendent, whose dut}^ it is to enforce the laws regarding life, fire, accident, and other kinds of in- surance, and protect the policy holders from fraud and loss. The department is charged with the examination of the condition and affairs of all insurance companies operating in the state, the collection of all taxes and fees from com- panies, the examination and custody of all securities re- quired by the state law to be deposited by the companies. Many of the questions that have been before the people of the state for settlement have sprung out of the vast and rapid development of industry. Since Illinois has exten- sive railroad and manufacturing interests, the contest be- tween labor and capital has been at times very sharp here. Among the most serious of the many strikes may be men- tioned the following, in which state troops were called out and lives lost: the railroad strike of 1877 at Chicago, East St. Louis, and elsewhere, when United States troops were called upon to preserve order in Chicago; riots in the min- ing districts of the state, 1883; railroad strikes in Chi- cago and East St. Louis, the strike at the McCormick Harvester works, and the Haymarket riot, Chicago, 1886; the railroad strike of 1894 at Chicago, the worst in the his- 200 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS tory of Illinois, in which twelve lives were lost and more than half a million dollars' worth of property was destroyed. Among the coal miners' strikes especially notable were those at Pana and Mrden, 1897-98. To adjust such differences between employers and employees the State Board of Arbi- tration was created in 1895. It is the duty of the board to investigate strikes and lockouts upon the joint petition of the parties in disagreement and legally to enforce its ruling and decision; or to investigate strikes and lockouts upon the petition of one of the parties or upon its ow^n motion, with- out petition from either of the parties directly involved, and to attempt to adjust such strikes and lockouts by media- tion or conciliation. In many ways the state seeks to protect the interest of the laboring classes. Laws have been passed for factory inspection and have brought about more sanitary work- shops. The state also seeks to protect child laborers and as much as possible to prevent child labor. No child under 14 years can lawfully be employed in a factory or elsewhere for wages during the time the public schools are in session nor at any time for more than eight hours a day. No child between 14 and 16 years is allowed to labor for wages with- out the consent of the parents and permission from the school authorities. Children under 16 years are prohibited from working in such places as are injurious to their health or morals. In 1893 was established a Board of Factory and Workshop Inspectors, consisting of a chief inspector and nineteen assistants, whose duty it is to enforce the child labor law, and the laws regulating the manufacture STATE BOARDS AND INSTITUTIONS 201 of garments and wearing apparel, and to inspect the general conditions of the factories of the state. The inspectors, working with other organizations and societies, have effected a greatly increased school attendance and an improved condition among juvenile workers. About 50,000 establishments are inspected annually. In 1879 the Bureau of Labor Statistics was established. The members of the bureau, called the Commissioners of Labor, collect statistics on the industrial, social, educational, and sanitary conditions of the laboring classes of Illi- nois, and on the prosperity of the manufacturing and productive industries. The commissioners of labor have supervision over the three free employment agencies in Chicago and the agency at Peoria. Many thousands have found situations through these free agencies. The com- missioners of labor also appoint the members of the State Mining Board (created in 1883), whose duty is to examine and license mine inspectors, mine managers, mine examin- ers, and hoisting engineers. Through the influence of the mining board, a great advance has been made in the management, operation, and safety of the mines of the state. The State Board of Equalization was established in 1867 and consists of one member from each of the senatorial dis- tricts of the state. The duty of the board is to examine the abstracts of assessments returned to the state auditor from the several counties and to equalize the assessments between the counties so that property of like value shall be taxed the same in all parts of the state. 202 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS The Court of Claims, created in 1877, consists of three lawyers whose duty is to hear and determine all unad- justed claims against the state, of whatever nature. As early as 1851 there was a state geologist whose duty it was to make a geological and mineralogical survey of the state, but it was not until 1905 that there was established at the University of Illinois a bureau known as the State Geological Survey, under the direction of the State Geo- logical Commission composed of the governor of Illinois, the president of the L^niversity of Illinois, and one other competent person appointed by the governor. The com- mission appoints a director who, with his assistants and deputies, makes a scientific survey and study of the geo- logical formation of the state with special reference to coals, ores, clays, building stones, cement, materials for use in the construction of roads, gas, mineral and arte- sian waters, and other mineral resources, and who pre- pares geological and other necessary maps and reports. The Illinois State Museum at Springfield is under this commission. The duties of the State Highway Commission (established in 1905) are, according to the law, ^'to investigate and to carry on such experimental work in road building, different methods of road construction, kinds of material and system of drainage as will enable it to determine upon the various methods of road construction best adapted to the various sections and soils of the state, the cost of the same, and recommend standards for the construction of high- ways in the various sections of the state. It may be con- STATE BOARDS AND INSTITUTIONS 203 suited by county, city, or village officers having authority over highways and bridges, and shall, when requested, advise and give, without charge, information to such officers relative to the construction, repairing, alteration, and main- tenance of said highways and bridges." At the head of the Building Department of Illinois is the state or supervising architect, who has supervisory power over the planning and construction of state buildings. The various canals of the state are under the supervision of boards and commissions appointed by the governor. In recent years many laws have been passed looking toward the protection and increase of the fish and game of the state. It is unlawful to fish with a net or seine during certain seasons, or without a license. It is unlawful to place such obstructions in streams as will prevent the free passage of fish up and down the water ways within the jurisdiction of the state. Except at certain specified times it is not lawful to hunt, kill, or entrap partridges, prairie chickens, quails, snipe, plovers, wild geese, ducks, or other water fowl. It is unlawful to destroy the nest or remove the eggs from the nest of any birds mentioned above. Squirrels may be killed only during certain times. It is unlawful at any time to take or kill any deer, wild turkey, pheasant, or other bird except game birds, crows, English sparrows, and hawks. Except upon his own farm land or land which he rents it is unlawful for any one to hunt without a license. To the State Game Commissioner is committed the enforcement of the game laws. In this he is assisted by ten game wardens and one or more deputy 204 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS game wardens in each county. It is his duty to seek to introduce new varieties of game into the state, as well as to increase the native varieties. To this end as many as 20,000 quails have been brought into the state from the South in one year. In Sangamon County there is a pros- perous state game propagating farm where thousands of such birds as pheasants, quails, and prairie chickens are hatched for distribution throughout the state. The State Board of Fish Commissioners was created in 1879. It is the duty of the commission to establish fish hatcheries, and to take all necessary measures for the propagation of native food fishes as well as for the introduction of new varieties into the waters of the state, and to enforce the statutes re- lating to the protection of fish. One of the most important of the state commissions is the Board of Public Charities. It was established in 1869 upon the recommendation of Governor Oglesby. It con- sists of five members appointed by the governor for five years. They serve without pay, but have an allowance for expenses. It is the duty of the board to visit and inspect twice each year all state charitable and correctional institu- tions and all private institutions receiving state aid, and to inspect annually all county almshouses and jails. It is given unlimited authority in investigation, recommenda- tion, and report, but no authority in administration or correction of abuses. The board has power to fix the boundaries of districts for the several insane hospitals. It is required to report annually to the governor upon the institutions under its supervision as regards the methods STATE BOARDS AND INSTITUTIONS 205 of instruction in use, the government and management of the inmates, the official conduct of the officers, the condition of the buildings and grounds, the financial management, the efficiency of each institution in accomplishing the object of its creation, and all matters pertaining to the usefulness and good management of each of the institu- tions. In 1905 the board had under its supervision seven- teen state charitable institutions with an aggregate of 14,500 inmates. The following are the institutions under its control: The state has seven institutions for the insane. Miss Dorothea L. Dix, the famous philanthropist, in 1846 visited Illinois and appealed to the state legislature to establish a hospital for the insane of the state, and the following year an asylum was established at Jacksonville, now called the Central Hospital for the Insane. The other institutions were established as follows : Southern Hospital for the Insane, at Anna, 1869; Eastern Hospital for the Insane, Kankakee, 1877; Northern Hospital for the Insane, Elgin, 1869; Western Hos- pital for the Insane, Watertown, 1895; Asylum for the Incurable Insane, Peoria, 1895; Asylum, for Insane Crim- inals, Chester, 1889. These seven asylums have a total of about 9,000 inmates. They are well equipped with buildings and accommodations, and could carr}' on their existence in a large measure independent of the outside world, with their water and sewerage systems, carpenter, machine, and shoe shops, libraries, amusement halls, i^rint- ing offices, and the like. The Asylum for Feehle-Minded Children, at Lincoln, has 206 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS been established since 1865. The object of the institution is to furnish such training and education to the feeble- minded children of the state as they are capable of receiv- ing, and to fit them as far as possible for future usefulness. The School for- the Deaf, at Jacksonville, is the oldest of the state charitable institutions, as the act creating it was passed in 1839. Besides giving the deaf-mutes a common school education and teaching them means of communica- tion with others, the school instructs them in such arts and industries as woodworking, photography, shoemaking, printing, painting, gardening, and the domestic sciences. The School for the Blind, at Jacksonville, established in 1849, has over 200 pupils. Without charge or expense they are given intellectual training and are taught to work with their hands, so that many of them become self-supporting. The Industrial Home for the Blind, at Chicago (founded in 1887), besides affording a home for the blind, provides in- struction for them in self-supporting trades. The Charitable Eye and Ear Infirmary, at Chicago, was established in 1858 as a private institution, and became a state institution in 1871. Its object is to provide free board, medical and surgical treatment for all poor residents of Illinois who are afflicted with diseases of the eye, ear, nose, and throat. The Training School for Girls at Geneva, established in 1893, and the Home for Boys at St. Charles (1901), are re- formatory and educational in character. The Soldiers and Sailors^ Home at Quincy was established in 1885 for the purpose of furnishing a home for Illinois's STATE BOARDS AND INSTITUTIONS 207 ex-soldiers and sailors who by reason of old age or other disability have become unable to earn a Uvelihood. The Soldiers' Orphans' Home at Normal has been in existence since 1865. Besides furnishing a home it has given intel- lectual and industrial training to an average of about 400 children a year. The Soldiers' Widows' Home, at Wilming- ton, has since 1896 furnished a home for such mothers, wives, widows, and daughters of soldiers and sailors as are homeless, friendless, or helpless. In 1899 the legislature provided for the establishment of the Illinois State Colony of Epileptics. The charitable institutions of the state are under the direct supervision and management of superintendents and boards of trustees appointed by the governor. In 1905 the State Civil Service Commission was created. It examines all those desiring employment in the charitable institutions, and more than 2,000 employees in these institutions are under state civil service regulations. The state penal and reformatory institutions are the State Penitentiary at Joliet, the Southern Penitentiary at Chester, and the State Reformatory at Pontiac. The first state penitentiary was established in 1827 at Alton. It consisted of 25 cells. The site and buildings were sold in 1857 when the new penitentiary was located at Johet. The last of the criminals were removed to Joliet in 1860. During the Civil War the old institution was used by the Federal government as a military prison, but since then it has been torn down. The State Penitentiary at Joliet is located on a tract of 172 acres. The cell house contains 900 cells with 208 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS capacity for 1,800 inmates. The Southern Penitentiary, lo- cated at Chester, near the old town of Kaskaskia, was vcreated by act of 1877. The cost of the buildings and grounds was about $800,000. It has capacity for 1,600. Each penitentiary is under the supervision of a board of trustees and a warden appointed by the governor. The State Reformatory at Pontiac was established in 1867. A regular military organization and drill is maintained. The curriculum includes all branches of common school educa- tion and instruction in manual and industrial training. Substantially all the inmates of the reformatory institutions are employed in some useful occupation. The Board of Prison Industries has direction and supervision of the man- ufacture and sale of prison products. Many laws have been passed looking toward the better- ment of the condition and the moral reformation of the prisoners in the penitentiaries. They are the wards of the state, and more and more it is becoming the conviction that it is the duty of the state to make them better men and w^omen so far as possible and not merely to punish them for their crimes. In 1872 an act was passed whereby every convict in the state prisons against whom is recorded no infraction of the rules and regulations of the penitentiary or the state law^s, and who performs in a faithful and or- derly manner the duties assigned him, is entitled to a cer- tain diminution of time from his sentence. In 1886 the following amendment became a part of the state consti- tution: ^'Hereafter it shall be unlawful for the commis- sioners of any penitentiary or other reformatory institution STATE BOARDS AND INSTITUTIONS 209 in the state of Illinois to let by contract to any person or persons or corporation the labor of any convict within said institution." The law provides that the labor of the prisons shall be directed so far as possible with reference to fitting the pris- oners to maintain themselves by honest industry after their discharge from prison, and that it shall be the duty of the penitentiary commissioners to adopt such rules concerning all prisoners as shall not only prevent them from returning to criminal courses, but help them to accomplish their reformation. An act of 1899 established a parole system whereby prisoners, except those guilty of such crimes as murder and treason, may after a certain time, provided their behavior has been good in the penitentiary, be al- lowed to go upon parole outside of the prison. But all such may be imprisoned again without trial if they do not lead temperate and law-abiding lives. In 1897 a Board of Pardons was created, consisting of three members whose duty it is to receive and thoroughly investigate all applications for pardons and commuta- tions of sentences, and make a report upon each case to the governor with their conclusions and recommendations. Before the board was organized all petitions for pardon or commutation were presented directly to the governor, but as there were a large number of such petitions it was impossible for him to give them the careful investigation that their importance warranted. The board of pardons administers the parole law also. In 1899 an act was passed providing that circuit courts Illinois — 14 210 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS shall have jurisdiction over dependent, neglected, and delinquent children. In Cook County one or more of the circuit judges are chosen to hear all cases relating to such children, and a special court room is provided for this purpose. These Juvenile Courts may commit dependent and neglected children to some training or industrial school or to some association whose object is to care for such children. Delinquent children — that is, those who show a disposition to crime — may be committed to the supervision of probation officers or sent to a state home or reformatory. XLI. SCHOOLS The schools of IlUnois which are supported by pubhc taxation and which furnish free instruction to the children and youth of the state are the University of Illinois, the five State Normal Schools, the high schools, and the district schools. At the head of the public school system is the University of Illinois located at Urbana. It was chartered in 1867 to teach such branches of learning as related to agriculture and the mechanical arts, as well as scientific and classical studies. For the first twenty years the growth of the university was slow, but since 1888 the legislature has granted large appropriations for current expenses and new buildings, and its growth has been rapid. For instance, in 1905 the total sum granted by the legislature was nearly $1,000,000. It has twenty-three buildings, over 400 in- structors, and more than 4,000 students. The state maintains five normal schools to prepare teachers for the schools of Illinois. The Illinois State Normal, located at Normal, was established in 1857, and was the first state normal school in the Mississippi valley. The Southern Illinois Normal at Carbondale is the second oldest; it was created by the general assembly in 1869. The Eastern Illinois Normal at Charleston was estab- lished in 1895, the Northern Illinois Normal at De Kalb 211 212 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS in 1895, and the Western Illinois Normal at Macomb in 1899. In 1906 there were 425 pubhc high schools in IlUnois, with about 50,000 students. They graduate about 5,500 pupils annually. There are in the state about 13,000 public free schools, Normal School at Normal requiring the services of about 27,500 teachers, of whom over 21,000 are women. According to the school census of 1906 there were 987,036 pupils enrolled in the public schools, or about two thirds of the population of the state between the ages of six and twenty-one years. The total cost of the public schools is about $23,000,000 a year. In 1900 the total number of illiterates in Illinois was 157,958, of whom 86,668 were foreign born. Thus about one thirtieth of the entire population were illiterate. Since 1883 there has been a compulsory education law in Illinois. The law as amended in 1907 reads as follows: SCHOOLS 213 ''Every person having control of any child between the ages of seven and sixteen years, shall annually cause such child to attend some public or private school for the entire time during which the school attended is in session, which period shall not be less than 110 days of actual teaching: Provided, however, that this Act shall not apply in any case where the child has been or is being instructed for a like period of time in each and every year in the elementary branches of education by a person or persons competent to give such instruction, or where the child's physical or mental condition renders his or her attendance impracticable or inexpedient, or where the child is excused for temporary absence for cause by the principal or teacher of the school which the child attends, or where the child is between the ages of fourteen and sixteen years and is necessarily and lawfully employed during the hours when the public school is in session." With a view to securing a more unified and simple scheme of school laws, the legislature in 1907 created an Educa- tional Commission, composed of the superintendent of pub- lic instruction and six persons representing the various phases of educational work within the state, whose duty it is to make " si thorough investigation of the common school system of Illinois, and the laws under which it is organized; to make a comparative study of such other school systems as may seem advisable, and to submit to the 46th General Assembly a report including such sugges- tions, recommendations, revisions, additions, corrections and amendments as the commission shall deem necessary." 214 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Besides the public school system of the state there are many private institutions of learning. There are 31 uni- versities, colleges, and technological schools in Illinois, with over 1,700 instructors and 18,000 students. Closely connected with the educational life of the state are the public libraries. The state maintains two libraries at Springfield, the State Library, and the State Law Library, which together contain about 65,000 volumes. There are more than 400 public, school, and society libraries in IlHnois containing more than 1,000 volumes each, and with a total of about four million volumes. XLII. ILLINOIS SINCE 1870 The history of IlUnois since the Civil War is largely the history of the Union of which it is so prominent a member. It has shared in the marvelous progress, pros- perity, and material development of the nation. What affects the welfare of Illinois affects the welfare of the other states, and the prosperity of the other states aids the prosperity of Illinois. The population of Illinois has nearly doubled since 1870. In 1900 the native-born population was 3,854,803, and the foreign-born population 966,747. The negro population was 85,078. The following, for 1900, may help us under- stand the make-up of our foreign population: Total No. Natives of Germany, Belgium, & Holland . . 328,479 " England, Ireland, Scotland, & Wales 203,338 u a u a Sweden, Norway, Denmark . . . 144,812 " " " Russia and Poland 96,657 <' " " " Austria and Bohemia 56,782 " - " " Canada • ^0,595 " '' - " Italy 23,523 '' " '' France and Switzerland ... 16,820 " " " '' Greece l'^''^ " <' '' " China 1'462 '' " " '* Japan • • ^^^ Of late years the Slavic immigration has been on the increase. More than half of the present population are children of foreign parents. 215 216 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS In 1873 Major-General John M. Palmer was succeeded as governor by Richard J. Oglesby, who had been chief executive of the state from 1865 to 1869. But after serving about ten days of his second term Oglesby re- signed to become United States senator from lUinois to succeed Lyman Trumbull, and Lieutenant-Governor John L. Beveridge became governor for nearly the full term, 1873-77. During his term of office (1875) a bill was passed establishing a three-cent railroad fare. Illinois has passed through several exciting contests over the United States senatorship. One of these was in 1877, when the two great parties were about evenly divided in the state legislature. After many ballots the Republicans elected as senator David Davis, whom President Lincoln in 1863 had appointed Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. In 1877 Shelby M. Cullom became governor, and being reelected in 1880 served the state as chief executive until 1883, when he resigned to become United States senator. Besides having the rare honor of being elected to succeed himself as governor of Illinois, Cullom was afterwards five times elected to the United States Senate. Lieutenant- Governor John M. Hamilton served as governor from 1883 to 1885. In 1881 the state debt was paid off. In 1883 the Harper High License Law was passed. This measure raised the license of dram shops to not less than $500 a year. The law closed many places where liquor was sold, and the discussion incident to its adoption led to a wider knowledge of the liquor business in the state. ILLINOIS SINCE 1870 217 A unique political event occurred on January 30, 1885, when Richard J. Oglesby was inaugurated governor of Illinois for the third time, an honor that has come to no one else. His opponent in this campaign was Carter H. Harrison, well known as mayor of Chicago for many years. The same year, after a prolonged contest, the Republicans elected General John A. Logan to the United States Senate. During the first two years of Oglesby 's administration there were many labor troubles, among which were the Joliet and Lemont quarrymcn's strike, a strike at the McCormick Harvester works, a railroad strike at East St. Louis, an anarchist riot in Hay market Square, Chicago, and the Union Stock Yards strike. . It was necessary for the governor to call out the state troops to suppress these strikes. In 1887 provision was made for the observance of Arbor Day in Illinois. The present state capitol was completed in 1888, twenty years after the corner stone was laid. It was first occupied in 1876 while in an unfinished condition. For some time there was strong opposition to making appropriations sufficient to complete it, and work was suspended. The extreme length of the capitol from north to south is 379 feet, and 268 feet from east to west. It measures 361 feet from the ground to the top of the dome. Its outer walls are built of Niagara limestone from the quarries of Joliet and Lemont. It is three stories high and contains the offices of the governor and other state officials, the supreme court room, the two halls of the general assembly, the state libraries, the offices of the different state boards and com- 218 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS missions^ and various committee rooms. It cost about four and one-half million dollars. At the time it was finished there was no other state building in the nation to compare with it in size and cost, and even now there are few that surpass it in beauty. General John M. Palmer, whom the Republicans had elected in 1869, came to differ with his party on the tariff and state rights questions, and was nominated by the Democrats for governor in 1888. He was defeated at the polls by Joseph W. Fifer, who had served in the Civil War as a private soldier. General Palmer in 1891, after one of the most exciting contests ever held in Illinois, was elected United States senator over the Republican candidate, Ex- Governor Oglesby. In 1891 the legal rate of interest was reduced to 5 per cent. The same year the legislature voted means for re- moving the dead from the old Kaskaskia cemetery, which the Mississippi River was threatening to wash away, and for the erection of a suitable monument at the new burying place of these first settlers of the commonwealth. In 1891, also, the Australian system of balloting at all general elections was adopted. Under this system the state pre- pares ofhcial bahots which alone may be voted. It secures for the voter secrecy of the ballot, and tends to free elec- tions from political dictation. In 1892 occurred the dedication of the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago. The same year Illinois was hon- ored by having Adlai E. Stevenson, a lawyer of Blooming- ton, elected Vice President of the United States on the ILLINOIS SINCE 1870 219 Democratic ticket. Among other citizens of the state who nave served the Federal government in positions of trust and honor are : Melville W. Fuller, of Chicago, appointed by President Cleveland eighth Chief Justice of the United •States Supreme Court; Walter Q. Gresham, Postmaster- General under President Arthur, and Secretary of State under President Cleveland; Lyman J. Gage, Secretary of the Treasury under President McKinley; and Joseph G. Cannon, Speaker of the United States House of Repre- sentatives. John P. Altgeld, governor in 1893-97, was the first Democrat since the Civil War to serve Illinois as chief executive. He was born in Prussia, came to this country when a boy, and served in the Union ranks during the Civil War. He was the author of several books on live issues, such as reform in the penal machinery of the state. He was severely censured for pardoning three anarchists who were in prison for participating in the Haymarket Riot, of 1886. The chief events of his administration were the World's Fair, Chicago, 1893, and the strike of railway employees, 1894. The national campaign of 1896, when William Jennings Bryan (who was born and educated in the state) advocated the adoption of the free and unlim- ited coinage of silver, was one of unprecedented activity in Illinois. Both Republicans and Democrats established their chief headquarters in Chicago, making that city the center of the nation's political life for the time being. In 1898, during the administration of John R. Tanner (1897-1901), occurred the Spanish-American War. Illinois 220 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS took a prominent part in this struggle. As soon as war was declared an extra session of the state legislature was called, and Illinois was the first of all the states to offer aid to the Federal government. Camp Tanner, at Springfield, was used as a rendezvous for troops. The state furnished nine regiments of infantry, one of cavalry, and one battery of light artillery. One of the regiments of infantry was made up of colored troops. Part of the Illinois troops saw service in Cuba and Porto Rico, and not a few met their death in battle or through disease. Many soldiers from Illinois saw service in the Phil- ippines also. In 1899 the legisla- ture appropriated $100,000 to rebuild the Lincoln Monument at Oak Ridge .Cemetery, Springfield. The mon- ument, which originally cost $200,000, had been Lincoln Monument at Springfield , i. , ,. -, nr^ < tt dedicated m 1874; Presi- dent Grant was present and spoke on the occasion. The monument had settled unevenly and was otherwise dis- integrating, and it was necessary to take it down and rebuild it. A temporary vault was built to contain Presi- dent Lincoln's remains. The monument, rebuilt on the old plan, was finished in 1901. ILLINOIS SINCE 1870 221 In 1901 Richard Yates, son of Illinois's famous War Governor, became chief executive. He was the first gov- ernor of IlUnois born in the state. In 1902 IlUnois's war claim of over one milHon dollars against the Federal gov- ernment was paid. In 1903 the site of old Fort Massac, on the Ohio River, became the property of the state and was turned into a public park. On December 30, 1903, occurred one of the greatest catastrophes that ever befell the state, when 591 persons lost their lives in the Iroquois Theater fire, Chicago. Illinois was properly represented by a splendid building and display of products at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition held at St. Louis, 1904. Toward the close of Governor Yates's term he announced his name for renomi- nation subject to the action of the Republican state con- vention. The convention met at Springfield, May 12, 1904, but there were many other names before that body and it was unable to make a choice even after 58 ballots had been taken. So on May 20 a recess was taken. The convention reassembled May 31 and on June 3 closed the most pro- longed state convention ever held in Illinois by nominating Charles S. Deneen, of Chicago, who was chosen governor at the following election. He was reelected in 1908. In 1905, in the statuary hall of the Capitol at Washington a statue to Miss Frances E. Willard of Illinois was erected. She was the first woman in the history of the nation to re- ceive this form of recognition. Among other Illinoisans who have been the means of uplifting humanity and who have stood for the best in their different lines of work are: Eugene Field, the poet of childhood and one of the best 222 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS known of the poets of America, who spent most of his Hfe in Chicago and wrote most of his verse there, Professor David Swing, rehgious leader and thinker, whose memory and work are cherished by many; Dwight L. Moody, who Uved as a young man in Chicago and began his rehgious work there; Bishop John L. Spakling of Peoria, the eminent Roman Cathohc divine, famous for his oratory and his in- terest in education; Theodore Thomas, founder and late conductor of the Thomas Orchestra of Chicago, who did much to foster the art of music in Illinois; Mary A. Bicker- dyke, a well-known nurse during the Civil War, to whom a monument has lately been erected at Galesburg; Mary A. Livermore, the coworker of Miss Willard; Miss Jane Ad- dams, the well-known settlement worker and head of Hull House, Chicago; the late President Harper of the Univer- sity of Chicago, whose lofty ideals and genius for organiza- tion find a lasting monument in the university itself. Among the novelists of Illinois may be mentioned Mary Hartwell Catherwood, Frank Norris, Randall Parrish, and Hamlin Garland. The Illinois State Historical Society was incorporated in 1906, for the purpose of encouraging the study of the history of Illinois, and collecting and preserving historical data and material relating to the state. The Society holds annual meetings at Springfield and publishes in book form the addresses given before each meeting. The work of the Illinois State Historical Society and the Illinois State Historical Library are nearly identical, but the Library is the older, having been established in 1889. The Library ILLINOIS SINCE 1870 223 has about 20,000 volumes, pamphlets, and documents bear- ing upon the political, i)hysical, religious, and social history of Illinois, the Mississippi valley, and the old Northwest Territory. It is especially rich in books, pictures, man- uscripts, and other material on the early life of Abraham Lincoln. The Library has published several volumes dealing with early Illinois history. During recent years there has been much, dissatisfaction with the electing of United States senators by the state legislatures, and it has been urged that the senators should be directly answerable to the people. In 1907 the Illinois General Assembly passed a joint resolution ''That applica- tion is hereby made to the Congress under the provisions of Article 5 of the Constitution of the United States for the calling of a convention to propose an amendment to the Constitution of the United States making United States senators elective in the several states by direct vote of the people." In 1907 the legislature passed a bill making it unlawful for any railroad to charge more than two cents a mile for carrying passengers between points within the state, pro- vided the passengers buy tickets before entering the car; otherwise three cents a mile may be charged. Following the example of many other states, Illinois in 1907 passed a local option law which provides that town- ships as a whole may vote on the question whether they shall become anti-saloon territory or not. In the eighteen counties of the state not having township organization the people of a voting precinct (which is about the same size 224 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS as the township) may vote on whether the precinct shall become anti-saloon territory. Thus the farmers who have to help pay the taxes are given a vote on the saloon question. The law provides that the vote of the people on this matter, which before was advisory, shall be binding upon the municipal governing body. The question whether the township, or village, or city shall become anti-saloon ter- ritory is voted upon at the annual election of the town- ship, or the village, or the city, as the case may be. But before the question can be submitted to the voters, a petition, asking for such submission and containing the names of at least one fourth of the total number of voters of the political subdivision, must be filed with the clerk of the political subdivision, at least 60 days before the elec- tion. All territory thus created anti-saloon territory shall so continue until the legal voters again file the required petition asking for another vote on the question. But the question cannot be resubmitted after it has been voted upon until eighteen months have passed, and since it must be voted upon at a regular annual election the vote decides the question for two years. Much interest has been taken in the working of the law, which the state supreme court has upheld. On May 1, 1908, mainly through the passage of the law, about 2,500,000 people in Illinois were living in prohibition districts, 36 counties had voted out the saloon completely, 16 counties were dry with the exception of one township, and 7 counties were dry except for two townships. For several years past there has been a demand for a direct primary election law, and the state legislature ILLINOIS SINCE 1870 225 passed several bills which were either unconstitutional or unsatisfactory. But in 1908 a special meeting of the legis- lature was called and a Direct Primary Law was passed, the object of which is to give to the voters a larger share in selecting the candidates of their parties. According to its provisions all candidates for all elective state, congressional, senatorial, county, city, village, town, and judicial offices are nominated by the direct vote of the people, except that the state conventions have the power to nominate pres- idential electors, candidates for university trustees, and to choose delegates to the national conventions. The pri- maries are held at the regular polling places and under the general election laws. The names of the candidates are printed in a single column, and the person securing the highest number of votes at a primary as candidate for an office is the candidate of that party for such office and his name is placed on the official ballot. Any party casting more than two per cent, of the total vote for state and county officers at the preceding election must make its nominations according to this law. The people by this method may also nominate the United States senators to be elected by the state legislature. Illinois is comparatively a new country, and of necessity men have been very busy providing for their physical needs and comforts. Yet the higher and better things of life have not been neglected. The churches are prosper- ous and well attended. The colleges and universities are progressive and well endowed. Many organizations of the state are doing much to alleviate the condition of the unfor- Illinois — 15 226 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS tunate and to uplift the lowly. There is a beginning of art and literature. Music is coming to take a large place in the life of the people. We have a population of readers. The libraries are fast growing in importance, and many new buildings have lately been erected. In spite of the fact that with many the struggle for livelihood is stern and all- absorbing, the world has never known a more happy, pros- perous, and progressive people. APPENDIX 1. CHRONOLOGY 1673. Illinois River explored by Joliet and Marquette. 1675. Marquette founds Mission of the Immaculate Conception at Kaskaskia. 1680. La Salle builds Ft. Crevecoeur. 1682. Ft. St. Louis of the Rock built by La Salle. 1700. Kaskaskia mission removes to present site of town. Ca- hokia mission established. 1717. Illinois under the Company of the West. 1718. Building of Ft. Chartres. 1754. Beginning of the French and Indian War. - 1763. Illinois country ceded to England. 1765. Ft. Chartres surrendered to British by St. Ange. 1771 . French at Kaskaskia ask representative form of government. 1778. Expedition of George Rogers Clark. Illinois becomes a county of Virginia. 1784. Illinois ceded to Federal government by ^"irginia. 1787. Ordinance for government of Northwest Territory. 1790. St. Clair County organized, 1800. Illinois becomes part of Indiana Territory. 1809. Illinois Territory organized. 1812. Illinois becomes territory of second grade. Ft. Dearborn Massacre. 1818. Illinois admitted to the Union. Kaskaskia the capital (1818-1820). 1820. Capital removed to Vandalia (1820-1837). 1824. Attempt to make Illinois a slave state. 1829. Illinois College founded — the first in the state. 1832. Black Hawk War. 227 228 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS 1837. Springfield becomes capital of the state. Internal Improvement System. Love joy killed at Alton. 1839. Completion of first railroad in the state — the Northern Cross. 1844. Mormon imbroglio. 1848. New state constitution adopted. Illinois and Michigan Canal completed. 1855. General Education Act, basis of school system. 1856. Beginning of Republican party in Illinois. Completion of Illinois Central Railroad from Centralia to East Dubuque, and from Cairo to Chicago. 1858. Lincoln-Douglas Debates. 1860. Lincoln nominated for President. 1861. Beginning of Civil War. Death of Douglas. Grant takes command at Cairo. 1863. Yates prorogues the legislature. 1865. Illinois the first state to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment. Death of Lincoln. 1867. Establishment of Illinois Industrial University, now the University of Illinois. 1870. Present constitution adopted. 1871. Chicago Fire. 1876. New statehouse occupied. 1886. Haymarket riot. 1891. Australian Ballot System adopted. Chicago University opened. 1893. World's Columbian Exposition. 1900. Chicago Drainage Canal opened. 1903. Iroquois Theater Fire. • 1907. Local Option Law. 1908. Direct Primary Law. 2. REFERENCE BOOKS * Publications of the Illinois State Historical Society; Reports of the Illinois State Historical Society; Illinois Historical Col- lections, Vols. I, II, and III. * Fergus Historical Series, and other Chicago Historical Society Publications. Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois. Bateman and Selby. * Early History of Illinois. Sidney Breese. History of Illinois, 1673-1884. Davidson and Stuve. * Illinois, Historical and Statistical, 2 vols. John Moses. * Chapters from Illinois History. Edward G. Mason. * Ilhnois and Louisiana Under the French. Joseph Wallace. Conquest of the Country Northwest of the River Ohio, and Life of George Rogers Clark, 2 vols. William H. English. History of George Rogers Clark. C. W. Butterfield. (Pub. Ohio Hist. Soc.) How George Rogers Clark Won the Northwest. R. C. Thwaites. * History of Illinois, 1818-1847. Gov. Thomas Ford. Pioneer History of Illinois. Gov. John Reynolds. My 0\Mi Times. Gov. John Reynolds. The mini. Clark E. Carr. Historic Illinois. Randall Parrish. The Government of Illinois. E. B. Greene. Life of Coles. Washburne. * The History of Negro Servitude in Illinois, 1719-1864. N. Dwight Harris. The various biographies of Abraham Lincoln. The Patriotism of lUinois (in Civil War), 2 vols. T. M. Eddy. NOTE A very extensive bibliography of Illinois history can be found in a circular called An Outline For The Study of Illinois State History, issued for free distribution by the Illinois State Historical Library. Address: Librarian, Illinois State Historical Library, Springfield, 111. * Books marked thus are of special value. 229 3. ORIGIN OF CERTAIN ILLINOIS NAMES * Abingdon: from Abingdon, Md., birthplace of one of its founders. Adams (county) : for Pres. John Quincy Adams. Alexander (county) : for William M. Alexander. Alton: named by Rufus Easton, the founder, for his son. Amboy : Indian, "hollow inside." Areola : from Areola, Italy. Astoria : from the Astor family. Athens: from Athens, Greece. Aurora: Latin, "mornmg," "dawn." Batavia : from town in New York. Beardstown : from founder, Thomas Beard. Belleville: French, "beautiful town." Bloomington: from Bloomington Grove, so called from its pro- fusion of wild flowers. Bond (county) : for Shadrach Bond, first governor of Illinois. Boone (county) : for Daniel Boone. Breese : for Lieut. Gov. Sidney Breese. Brown (county) : for Maj. Gen. Jacob Brown, U. S. A. Bureau (county) : for first French trader, Pierre de Beuro. Cairo : from Cairo, Egypt. Calhoun (county) : for John C. Calhoun. Calumet: Indian, "little reed," "pipe of peace." Canton : from Canton, China. Carlinville : for Gov. Thomas Carlin. Carroll (county) : for Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, Maryland. Carterville : for Laban Carter, the first settler. Caseyville : for Lieut. Gov. Badock Casey. Cass (county) : for Gen. Lewis Cass. Centralia : from junction of railroads at that point. Cerro Gordo: from Mexican battlefield. Champaign (county) : from the county in Ohio. Charleston : for Charles Morton, one of its founders. * For other place names see " The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States," U. S. Geological Survey, Bulletin No. 258. 230 APPENDIX 231 Chenoa : Indian, "white dove." Chicago: Indian, "wild onion place," "bad smell." Chilhcothe: Indian, "man made perfect." Christian (county) : from the county in Kentucky. Clark (county) : for George Rogers Clark. Clay (county) : for Henry Clay. Clinton (county) : for DeWitt Clinton, governor of New York. Coles (county) : for Gov. Edward Coles. Colfax: for Vice Pres. Schuyler Colfax. Collinsville : from early settlers, four brothers named Collins. Cook (county) : for Daniel P. Cook, member of Congress. Crawford (county) : for Wm. H. Crawford, Secretary of the Treasury. Cumberland (county) : from proposed Cumberland Road. Danville: for Indian trader, Dan Beckwith. Decatur: for Commodore Stephen Decatur. De Kalb (county) : for Baron De Kalb, Revolutionary general. Des Plaines : from the presence of a species of maple called by the French " plain e." DeWitt (county) : for DeWitt Clinton, governor of New York. Dixon: from founder, John Dixon. Douglas (county) : for Stephen A. Douglas. Downers Grove : for early settler. Pierce Downer. DuPage (county and river) : for a French Indian, DuPage, who lived on the river before 1800. Duquoin : from a Kaskaskian chief. Edgar (county) : for Gen. John Edgar, early pioneer. Edwards (county) : for Gov. Ninian Edwards. Edwardsville : for Gov. Ninian Edwards. Effingham (county) : either for a surveyor, Gen. Edward Effingham, or for Lord Effingham. Elgin : for Earl of Elgin. El Paso: from the passing or crossing of two railroads. Evanston : for John Evans, governor of Colorado. Farmington : from Farmington, Conn. Fayette (county) : for Marquis de la Fayette. Fever (river): early French, "the river of the bean," because of large number of wild beans upon its banks. 232 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Fitch (stream) : for early settler, George Fitch. Ford (county) : for Gov. Thomas Ford. Fort Sheridan: for Gen. P. H. Sheridan. Franklin (comity) : for Benj. Franklin. Freeport : from the hospitality of the home of an early settler. Fulton (county) : for Robert Fulton. Galena: from the presence of lead ore. Galesburg: for Rev. George W. Gale, early settler. Gallatin (county) : for Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury. Galva: from a town in Sweden. Geneseo: Indian, "beautiful valley" or "shining valley." Girard: for Stephen Girard. Golconda : from city in India. Greene (county) : for Gen. Nathanael Greene, Revolutionary soldier. Greenville : from town in North Carolina. Grundy (county) : for Felix Grundy, U. S. Senator from Tenn. Hamilton (county) : for Alexander Hamilton. Hancock (county) : for Gov. John Hancock, of Massachusetts. Hardin (county) : for Gen. John J. Hardin, of Mexican War. Harrisburg : from family of first settlers. Havana : from city in Cuba. Henderson (county) : for Col. Richard Henderson, of Kentucky. Henry (county) : for Patrick Henry. Henry (city) : for Gen. James D. Henry, of Black Hawk War. Hoopeston : for founder, Thomas Hoopes. Illinois: from Illini Indians, name means "men." Iroquois (county and river) : from Iroquois Indians. Jackson (county) : for Andrew Jackson. Jacksonville : for prominent colored preacher. Jasper (county) : for Sergt. Wm. Jasper, Revolutionary soldier. Jefferson (county) : for Pres. Thomas Jefferson. Jersey (county) : for the state of New Jersey. Jersey ville : for the state of New Jersey. Jo Daviess (county) : for Col. Joseph H. Daviess, of Kentucky. Johnson (county) : for Vice Pres. Richard Johnson. Joliet : for French explorer, Louis Joliet. Jonesboro : for Dr. Jones, prominent settler. APPENDIX 233 Kane (county) : for Elias Kent Kane, U. S. Senator from Illinois. Kankakee (county and river) : an Indian name. Kaskaskia : from Kaskaskia tribe of Illinois Indians. Kendall (county) : for Postmaster-General Amos Kendall. Kewanee: Indian, "prairie hen'' or "wild duck." Kishwaukee: Indian, "sycamore tree." Knox (county) : for Gen. Henry Knox. La Harpe: for French explorer, Bernard de la Harpe. Lake (county) : from presence of lakes. Lanark : from town in Scotland. La Salle (county) : for Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle. Lawrence (county) : for Capt. James Lawrence, War of 1812. Lawrenceville : same as above. Lee (county) : for Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia. Lewistown : for Lewis Ross, son of founder. Livingston (county) : for Edward Livingston, Secretary of State. Lockport: from location on locks of Illinois and Michigan Canal. Logan (county) : for Judge Samuel T. Logan, law partner of Abra- ham Lincoln. McDonough (county) : for Com. Thomas McDonough, War of 1S12. McHenry (county) : for Gen. Wm. McHenry, of Black Hawk War. McLean (county) : for John McLean, U. S. Senator. Macomb: for Gen. Alexander Macomb, War of 1812. Macon (county) : for Col. Nathaniel Macon, Senator from N. C. Macoupin (county): Indian, "white potato," found in region. Madison (county) : for Pres. James Madison. Marengo : battlefield in Italy. Marion (county) : for Gen. Francis Marion. Maroa: Indian tribe. Marshall (county) : for Chief Justice John Marshall. Mascoutah: Indian, "prairie" or "grassy plain." Mason (county) : from Mason County, Kentucky. Massac (county) : from old fort named for Monsieur Massiac, French minister of marine during French and Indian War. Menard (county) : for Pierre Menard, first lieutenant governor of Illinois. Mendota: Indian, meaning crossing of two trails. 234 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Mercer (county) : for Gen. Hugh Mercer, of the Revolution. Meredosia: French, either ''willow marsh," or Lake (mer) d'Osea, the name of a French priest who lived in the vicinity. Michigan (lake): Indian, meaning "big lake" or "place for catch- ing fish." Mississippi: Indian, "great river," "gathering in of all the waters." Moline: Spanish, meaning "mill." Monmouth: from Revolutionary battle at Monmouth, N. J. Monroe (county) : for Pres. James Monroe. Montgomery (county) : for Gen. Richard Montgomery. Monticello: from home of Jefferson in Virginia. Morgan (county) : for Gen. Daniel Morgan, of the Revolution. Moultrie (county) : for Gen. Wm. Moultrie, of the Revolution. Mound City : from Indian mounds in the vicinity. Mount Carmel : from mountain in Palestine. Mount Carroll: for Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, Maryland. Mount Pulaski: for Count Pulaski, Revolutionary general. Mount Vernon: from home of Washington. Moweaqua: Indian, "weeping woman," 'Svolf woman." Movestar: French, "bad land." Murphysboro : from one of its founders. Nameoki: Indian, "fishing place." Napervilie : from founder, Joseph Naper. Nashville : from city in Tennessee. Nauvoo: so named by Joseph Smith, the Mormon. Neoga: Indian, "place of the Deity." Newton: for Sergt. John Newton, of the Revolution. Nokomis: Indian, "grandmother." Normal: so called from State Normal School there. Ogle (county) : for Capt. Joseph Ogle, an Indian fighter. Ohio : from the state of Ohio. Olney: for Nathan Olney. Onarga: Indian, "place of rocky hills." Oneida: Indian, an Iroquois tribe, "granite people." Oquawka: Indian, "yellow." Ottawa : name of Indian tribe. ' Paloma: Spanish, "dove." APPENDIX 235 Pana: from Indian tribe, Pani. Paris: from Paris, Kentucky. Paxton : for Sir Joseph Paxton, who promoted emigration to lUinois. Pecatonica: Indian, a species of fish. Peoria (county and city): Indian, "carriers," name of tribe. Peotone: Indian, "bring here." Perry (county) : for Commodore OHver H. Perry. Peru : from town in New York. Petersburg : for Peter Lukins, a founder. Piasa: Indian name of a huge animal figure chiseled on a ledge of rocks on banks of the Mississippi. Piatt (county) : for James Andrew Piatt, first white settler. Pike (county) : for Gen. Zebulon M. Pike, the explorer. Pontiac: from town in Michigan whence many of the settlers came. Pope (county) : for Nathaniel Pope, delegate to Congress. Prairie du Rocher: French, "meadow of the rock." Prophetstown : from the "Shawnee Prophet," brother of Tecumseh. Pulaski (county) : for Count Pulaski, of the Revolution. Putnam (county) : for Gen. Israel Putnam, of the Revolution. Quincy: for Pres. John Quincy Adams. Randolph (county) : for Beverly Randolph, governor of Virginia. Richland (county) : from Richland County, Ohio. Robinson : for John M. Robinson, U. S. Senator from Illinois. Rock Falls : from location at falls in Rock River. Rockford: from its situation on both sides of Rock River. Rock Island (county and city) : from island in the Mississippi. Rushville : for Dr. Richard Rush, Secretary of the Treasury. Saint Clair (county): for Gen. Arthur St. Clair, governor. Saline (county and river) : from presence of salt deposits. Sandwich : from town in Massachusetts. Sangamon (county and river): Indian, "good hunting ground." Savanna: Indian tribe, the Shawnee, who formerly lived upon the Savannah River. Schuyler (county) : for Gen. Philip Schuyler, of the Revolution. Scott (county) : from Scott County, Kentucky. Shawneetown : named for the Shawnee tribe. Shelby (county) : for Gen. Isaac Shelby, governor of Kentucky. 236 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Shelby ville: for Gen. Isaac Shelby, governor of Kentucky. Somonauk: Indian, "papaw tree.'' Sparta : from Sparta in Greece. Stark (county) : for Gen. John Stark, of the Revolution. Stephenson (county): for Col. Benj. Stephenson, War of 1812. Sterling : for Colonel Sterling, of Pennsylvania. Streator: for W. S. Streator, of Cleveland, Ohio. Tamaroa: from tribe of Illinois Indians. Taylorville : for John Taylor, one of its founders. Tazewell (county) : for Gov. L. W. Tazewell, of Virginia. Tonti: for La Salle's companion, Henri de Tonti (Henry de Tonty). Toulon: from a place in Tennessee. Tuscola: Indian, "level place." Union (county) : so named from union meeting held in vicinity about 1817 by two preachers of different denominations. Urbana: from city in Ohio. Vermilion (county and river) : French, "red earth." Wabash (county and river): Indian, "white water." Warren (county) : for Joseph Warren w4io fell at Bunker Hill. Warsaw : from Warsaw in Poland. Washington (county) : for George Washington. Watseka: Indian, "pretty woman." Waukegan: Indian, "little fort." Wayne (county) : for Gen. Anthony Wayne, of the Revolution. Wenona: Indian, "first-born daughter." Wheaton : named for first settlers. White (county) : for Col. Isaac White, killed at Tippecanoe. Whiteside (county) : for Gen. Sam. Whiteside, War of 1812. Will (county) : for Dr. Conrad Will, member of state legislature, 1818-1834. Williamson (county) : from count}^ of same name in Tennessee. Wilmington: from Wilmington, Ohio. Winnebago (county) : Indian tribe, "people of the stinking waters." Winnetka: Indian, "beautiful place." Woodford (county) : from county in Kentucky. Woodstock: from town in Vermont. Wyoming : from valley in Pennsylvania. 4. LIST OF COUNTIES 1 Showing Date of Organization, Area, County Seat, and Population in 1900 Counties Organized Area — square miles County Seat Pop. 1900 Adams Alexander . . Bond Boone Brown Bureau Calhoun. . . . Carroll Cass Champaign . Christian . . . Clark Clay Clinton Coles Cook Crawford. . . Cumberland DeKalb DeWitt ... Douglas. . . - DuPage . . . . Edgar Edwards , . . Effingham. . Fayette . . . . Ford Franklin . . . Fulton Gallatin. . . . Greene Grundy . . . . Hamilton. . . Hancock . . . Hardin Henderson. . Henry Iroquois. . . . Jackson . . . . Jasper Jefferson . . . Jersey Jo Daviess. . Johnson. . . . Kane Kankakee . . Kendall . . . . Knox Lake Jan. Mar. Jan. Mar. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb. Mar. Feb. Feb. Mar. Dec. Dec. Dec. Jan. Dec. May Mar. Mar. Feb. Feb. Jan. Nov. Feb. Feb. Feb. Jan. Jan. Sept. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Mar. Jan. Jan. Feb. Jan. Feb. Mar. Feb. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Mar, 1825 ( 830 1S19 220 1817 380 1837 288 1839 306 1837 846 1 825 251 1839 450 1837 460 1833 1,008 1839 702 1819 513 1824 460 1824 487 1830 520 1831 890 1 81 6 470 1843 350 1837 650 1839 440 1857 410 1839 340 1823 640 1814 220 1831 486 1821 720 1859 580 1818 430 1823 864 1812 340 1821 540 1841 440 1821 440 1825 780 1839 180 1841 380 1825 825 1833 1,100 1816 580 1831 484 1819 466 1839 360 1817 650 1812 340 1836 540 1851 680 1841 321 1825 720 1839 394 Qumcy Cairo Greenville. . . . Belvidere . . . . Mt. Sterling . . Princeton . . . . Hardin Mt. Carroll . . . Virginia Urbana Taylorville . . . Marshall Louisville . . . . Carlyle Charleston . . . Chicago Robinson . . . . Toledo Sycamore . . . . Clinton Tuscola Wheaton Paris Albion Effingham. . . . V'andalia Paxton Benton Lewistown . . . Shawneetown. Carrollton. . . . Morris McLeansboro . Carthage Elizabethtown. Oquawka . . . . Cambridge . . . Watseka Murphysboro . Newton Mt. Vernon. . . Jerseyville. . . . Galena Vienna Geneva Kankakee. . . . Yorkville CJalesburg. . . . Waukegan . . . 67,058 19,384 16,078 15,791 11,557 41,112 8,917 18,963 17,222 47,622 32,790 24,033 19,553 19,824 34,146 1,838,735 19,240 16,124 31,756 18,972 19,097 28,196 28,273 10,345 20,465 28,065 18,359 19,675 46,201 15,836 23,402 24,136 20,197 32,215 7,448 10,836 40,049 38,014 33,871 20,160 28,133 14,612 24,533 15,667 78,792 37.154 1 1 .467 43,612 34,503 From Blue Book of Illinois. 237 238 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS LIST OF COV^TIE^— Concluded Counties Organized Area — I square I miles County Seat La Salle ... Lawrence. . . Lee Livingston. . I^ogan Macon Macoupin . . Madison. . . . Marion Marshall. . . . Mason Massac McDonough . McHenry. . McLean .... Menard .... Mercer Monroe Montgomery. Morgan .... Moultrie. . . . Ogle Peoria Perrv Piatt Pike Pope Pulaski Putnam. . . . Randolph . . . Richland . . . Rock Lsland . Saline Sangamon. . . Schuyler . . . Scott Shelby Stark St. Clair. . . . Stephenson . Tazewell . . . Union Vermilion . . . Wabash. . . . Warren ... Washington Wayne White Whiteside . . Will Williamson . Winnebago . Wooitford . . Jan. 15, Jan. 16, Feb. 27, Feb. 27, Feb. 15, Jan. 19, Jan. 17, Sept. 14, Jan. 24, Jan. 19, Jan. 28, Feb. 8, Jan. 25, Jan. 16, Dec. 25, Feb. 15, Jan. 13, Jan. 1, Feb. 12, Jan. 31, Feb. 16, Jan. 16, Jan. 13, Jan. 29, Jan. 27, Jan. 31, Apr. 1, Mar. 3, Jan. 13, Apr. 28, Feb. 24, Feb. 9, Feb. 25, Jan. 30, Jan. 13, Feb. 16, Jan. 23, Mar. 2, Apr. 28. Mar. 4, Jan. 31, Jan. 2, Jan. 18, Dec. 27, Jan. 13, Jan. 2, Mar. 26, Dec. 9, Jan. 16, Jan. 12, Feb. 28, Jan. 16, Feb. 27, 1831 1821 1839 1837 1839 1829 1829 1812 1823 1839 1841 1843 1826 1836 1830 1839 1825 1816 1821 1823 1843 1836 1825 1827 1841 1821 1816 1843 1825 1809 1841 1831 1847 1821 1825 1839 1827 1839 1809 1837 1827 1818 1826 1824 1825 1818 1819 1815 1836 1836 1839 1836 1841 1,152 362 728 1,026 620 580 864 740 576 350 518 240 576 612 1,161 311 550 380 740 563 340 773 630 432 440 756 360 190 170 560 380 420 396 875 414 252 760 290 680 573 650 400 882 220 540 557 720 500 676 850 440 540 556 Ottawa Lawrenceville . Dixon Pontiac Lincoln Decatur Carlinvirie. . . . Edwardsville . Salem Lacon Havana Metropolis. . . Macomb . . . . Woodstock. . . Bloomington . Petersburg . . . Aledo Waterloo Hillsboro Jacksonville . . Sullivan Oregon Peoria Pinckneyville. Monticello. . . . Pittsfield Golconda Mound City . . Hennepin . . . . Chester OIney Rock Island. . Harrisburg . . . Springfield . . . Rushville . . . . Winche.ster. . . Shelbyville . . . Toulon Belleville Freeport Pekin Jonesboro. . . . Danville . . . Mt. Carmel. . . Monmouth . . Nashville Fairfield Carmi Morrison. ... Joliet. . Marion Rockford Eureka . . . . . 5. U. S. SENATORS FROM ILLINOIS Name Term of service Residence Remarks Minian Edwards, Dem. , . Jesse B. Thomas, Dem.. . Ninian Edwards, Dem. . . . Jesse B. Thomas, Dem.. . John McLean, Dem Elias Kent Kane, Dem. . . John McLean, Dem David J. Baker, Dem. . . . John M. Robinson, Dem.. Ehas Kent Kane, Dem. . . John M. Robinson, Dem. . William L. D. Ewing, Dem Richard M. Young, Dem. . Samuel McRoberts, Dem. Sidney Breese, Dem James Semple, Dem Stephen A. Douglas, Dem. . . James Shields, Dem Stephen A. Douglas, Dem. . . . L. Trumbull, Anti-Neb. Dem, Stephen A. Douglas, Dem. . . . Lyman Trumbull, Rep Orville H. Browning, Rep.. . William A. Richardson, Dem. Richard Yates, Rep Lyman Trumbull, Rep John A. Logan, Rep Richard J. Oglesby, Rep David Davis, Ind John A. Logan, Rep Shelby M. Cullom. Rep John A. Logan, Rep Charles B. Farweli, Rep Shelby M. Cullom. Rep John M. Palmer, Dem Shelby M. Cullom, Rep William E. Mason, Rep Shelby M. Cullom, Rep Albert J. Hopkins. Rep Shelby M. Cullom, Rep 1818- 1818- 1819- 1823- 1824- 1825- 1829- 1830- 1831- 1819 1823 1824 1829 1825 1831 1830 1830 1835 1835 1835-1841 1835-1837 1837-1843 1841-1843 1843-1849 1843-1847 1847-1853 1849-1855 1«53-1859 1855-1861 1859-1861 1861-1867 1861-1863 1863-1865 1865-1871 1867-1873 1871-1877 1873-1879 1877-1883 1879-1885 1883-1889 1885-1886 1887-1891 1889-1895 1891-1897 1895-1901 1897-1903 1901-1907 1903-1909 1907-1913 Kaskaskia . . . . .do EdwardsviUe., . .do Shawneetown Kaskaskia . . . Shawneetown Kaskaskia . . . Carmi Kaskaskia . . . Carmi. . . . Vandalia . Jonesboro Waterloo . Carlyle. . . Alton .... Quincy. . . Springfield. Chicago . . Belleville . Chicago . . . .do Quincy . .do Jacksonville. Chicago .... . .do Decatur. . . . Bloomington Chicago .... Springfield. . Chicago .... . . do Sprmgfield. . . .do . .do Chicago .... Springfield. . Aurora Springfield. . Resigned, 1824 Succeeded himself Vice Edwards Succeeded McLean Died Oct. 14, 1830 Vice McLean Succeeded Baker Succeeded himself. Died Dec. 12, 1835 Succeeded himself Vice Kane Succeeded Ewing Vice Robinson. Died March 22, 1843 Succeeded Young Vice McRoberts Succeeded Semple Succeeded Breese Succeeded himself Succeeded Shields Succeeded himself. Died June 3, 1861 Succeeded himself Vice Douglas Succeeded Browning Succeeded Richardson ... Succeeded himself Succeeded Yates Succeeded Trumbull Succeeded Logan Succeeded Oglesby Succeeded Davis Died Dec. 20, 1886 Vice Logan Succeeded himself Succeeded Farweli . Succeeded himself Succeeded Palmer Succeeded himself Succeedeil Mason Succeeded himself From Blue Book of Illinois. 239 6. LIST OF GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS i Name When in- augurated From what county Remarks Shadrach Bond. Dem. Edward Coles, Dem. . . JSinian Edwards, Dem. John Reynolds, Dem. . Wm. L. D. Ewing, Dem.. . Joseph Duncan, Dem Thomas Carlin, Dem Thorrias Ford, Dem Augustus C. French, Dem . Augustus C. French, Dem. Joel A. Matteson, Dem.. . . Wm. H. Bissell, Rep John Wood, Rep Richard Yates, Rep Richard J. Oglesby, Rep. . John M. Palmer, Rep Richard J. Oglesby, Rep. . John L. Beveridge, Rep. Shelby M. CuUom, Rep.. Shelby M. Cullom, Rep. . John M. Hamilton, Rep. . Richard J. Oglesby, Rep. Joseph W. Fifer, Rep. . . . John F. Altgeld, Dem.. . . John R. Tanner, Rep. . . . Richard Yates, Rep Charles S. Deneen, Rep . Charles S. Deneen, Rep. . Oct. 6, 1818 Dec. 5, 1822 Dec. 6, 1826 Dec. 6, 1830 St. Clair. Madison . . . do St. Clair . Nov. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Jan. Jan. Jan, Mar. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. 17, 1834 3, 1834 7, 1838 8, 1842 9, 1846 8, 1849 10, 1853 12, 1857 21, 1860 14, 1861 16, 1865 11, 1869 13, 1873 Fayette. . Morgan. . Greene . . Ogle .... Crawford . . . do Will Monroe. . . Adams . . Morgan. . Macon. . . Macoupin Macon . . . Jan. 23, 1873 Jan. 8, 1877 Jan. 10, 1881 Feb. 6, 1883 Jan. 30, 1885 14, 1889 9, 1893 Jan. 11, 1897 Jan. 14, 1901 Jan. 9, 1905 Jan. 11, 1909 Jan. Jan. Cook Sangamon . . do McLean . Macon. . McLean . Cook. . . (,^lay . . . Morgan. Cook. . . do... . Resigned; elected U. S. Representative Vice Reynolds Died March 15, 1860. Vice Bissell Resigned; elected U. Senator Vice Oglesby Resigned; elected U. Senator Vice Cullom ^ From Blue Book of Illinois. 240 7. CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS, 1870 Including Amendments Preamble We, the People of the State of IlUnois — grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoj', and looking to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and transmit the same unimpaired to succeeding generations — in order to form a more perfect government, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to our- selves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the State of Illinois. Article I Boundaries • The boundaries and jurisdiction of the State shall be as follows, to wit: Beginning at the mouth of the Wabash river, thence up the same, and with the line of Indiana to the northwest corner of said State; thence east with the line of the same State, to the middle of Lake Michigan; thence north along the middle of said lake to north latitude forty-two degrees and thirty minutes, thence west to the middle of the Mississippi river, and thence down along the middle of that river to its confluence with the Ohio river, and thence up the latter river along its northwestern shore to the place of beginning: Provided, that this State shall exercise such jurisdiction upon the Ohio river as she is now entitled to, or such as may hereafter be agreed upon by this State and the State of Kentucky. Article II Bill of Rights Section 1. All men are by nature free and independent, and have certain inherent and inalienable rights — among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To secure these rights and the protec- tion of property, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. § 2. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property with- out due process of law. Illinois— 16 241 242 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS § 3. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and wor- ship, without discrimination, shall forever be guaranteed; and no per- son shall be denied any civil or political right, privilege or capacity on account of his religious opinions; but the liberty of conscience hereby secured shall not be construed to dispense with oaths or affirmations, excuse acts of licentiousness, or justify practices inconsistent with the peace or safety of the State. No person shall be required to attend or support any ministry or place of worship against his consent, nor shall any preference be given by law to any religious denomination or mode of worship. § 4. Every person may freely speak, write and publish on all sub- jects, being responsible for the abuse of that liberty; and in all trials for libel, both civil and criminal, the truth when published with good motives and for justifiable ends, shall be a sufficient defense. § 5. The right of trial by jury, as heretofore enjoyed, shall remain inviolate; but the trial of civil cases before justices of the peace, by a jury of less than twelve men, may be authorized by law. § 6. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated; and no warrant shall issue without probable cause, sup- ported by affidavit, particularly describing the place to be searched, and the person or things to be seized. § 7. All persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties, except for capital offenses where the proof is evident or the presumption great; and the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. § 8. No person shall be held to answer for a criminal offense, unless on indictment of a grand jury, except in cases in which the punish- ment is by fine, or imprisonment otherwise than in the penitentiary, in cases of impeachment, and in cases arising in the army and navy, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of w^ar or public dan- ger: Provided, that the grand jury may be abolished by law in all cases. § 9. In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall have the right to appear and defend in person and by counsel; to demand the nature and cause of the accusation, and to have a copy thereof; to meet the witnesses face to face, and to have process to compel the attendance of witnesses in his behalf, and a speedy public trial by an impartial jury of the county or district in which the offense is alleged to have been committed. CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 243 § 10. No person shall be compelled in any criminal case to give evi- dence against himself, or to be twice put in jeopardy for the same offense. § IL All penalties shall be proportioned to the nature of the offense; and no conviction shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture of estate; nor shall any person be transported out of the State for any offense committed within the same. § 12. No person shall be imprisoned for debt, unless upon refusal to deliver up his estate for the benefit of his creditors, in such manner as shall be prescribed by law; or in cases where there is strong presump- tion of fraud. § i:^. Private property shall not be taken or damaged for public use without just compensation. Such compensation, when not made by the State, shall be ascertained by a jury, as shall be prescribed by law. The fee of land taken for railroad tracks, without consent of the owners thereof, shall remain in such owners, subject to the use for which it is taken. § 14. No ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of con- tracts, or making any irrevocable grant of special privilege or im- munities, shall be passed. § 15. The military shall be in strict subordination to the civil power. § 16. No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner; nor in time of war except in the manner prescribed by law. § 17. The people have the right to assemble in a peaceable manner to consult for the common good, to make known their opinions to their representatives, and to apply for redress of grievances. § 18. All elections shall be free and equal. § 19. Every person ought to find a certain remedy in the laws for all injuries and wrongs ,which he may receive in his person, property or reputation; he ought to obtain by law, right and justice freely, and without being obliged to purchase it, completely and without denial, promptly and without delay. § 20. A frequent recurrence to the fundamental principles of civil government is absolutely necessary to preserve the blessings of liberty. Article III Distribution of Powers The powers of the government of this State are divided into three distinct departments— the legislative, executive and judicial; and no person, or collection of persons, being one of these departments, shall exercise any power properly belonging to either of the others, except as hereinafter expressly directed or permitted. 244 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Article IV Legislative Department § L The legislative power shall be vested in a General Assembly, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives, both to be elected by the people. ELECTION § 2. An election for members of the General Assembly shall be held on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventj", and every two years thereafter, in each county, at such places therein as may be provided by law. When vacancies occur in either house, the Governor, or person exercising the powers of Governor, shall issue writs of elec- tion to fill such vacancies. ELIGIBILITY AND OATH § 3. No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained the age of 25 years, or a Representative who shall not have attained the age of 21 years. No person shall be a Senator or a Representative who shall not be a citizen of the United States and who shall not have been for five years a resident of this State, and for two years next preceding his election a resident within the territory forming the district from which he is elected. No judge or clerk of any court. Secretary of State, Attorney General, State's attorney, recorder, sheriff, or collector of public revenue, members of either house of congress, or persons holding any lucrative office under the United States or this State, or any foreign government, shall have a seat in the General Assembly: Provided, that appointments in the militia, and the offices of notary public and justice of the peace, shall not be considered lucrative. Nor shall any person holding any office of honor or profit under any foreign government, or under the government of the United States (except postmasters whose annual compensation does not exceed the sum of $300.00), hold any office of honor or profit under the authority of this State. § 4. No person who has been, or hereafter shall be convicted of bribery, perjury or other infamous crime, nor any person who has been or may be a collector or holder of public moneys, who shall not have accounted for and paid over, according to law, all such moneys due from him, shall be eligible to the General Assembly, or to any office of profit or trust in this State. § 5. Members of the General Assembly, before they enter upon their official duties, shall take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation: CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 245 "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and will faithfully discharge the duties of Senator (or Representative) according to the best of my ability; and that I have not knowingly or intentionally paid or contributed any- thing, or made any promise in the nature of a bribe to directly or indirectly in- fluence any vote at the election at which I was chosen to fill the said office, and have not accepted, nor will I accept or receive, directly or indirectly, any money or other valuable thing from any corporation, company or person for any vote or influence I may give or withhold on any bill, resolution or appropriation, or for any other official act." This oath shall be administered by a judge of the supreme or circuit court in the hall of the house to which the member is elected, and the Secretary of State shall record and file the oath subscribed by each member. Any member who shall refuse to take the oath herein pre- scribed shall forfeit his office, and every member who shall be con- victed of having sworn falsely to, or of violating, his said oath, shall forfeit his office and be disqualified thereafter from holding any office of profit or trust in this State. APPORTIONMENT SENATORIAL § 6. The General Assembly shall apportion the State every ten years, beginning with the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy- one, by dividing the population of the State, as ascertained by the federal census, by the number fifty-one, and the quotient shall be the ratio of representation in the Senate. The State shall be divided into fifty-one Senatorial districts, each of which shall elect one Senator, whose term of oflSce shall be four years. The Senators elected in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in districts bearing odd numbers, shall vacate their offices at the end of two years, and those elected in districts bearing even numbers at the end of four years, and vacancies occurring by the expiration of term shall be filled by the election of Senators for the full term. Senatorial districts shall be formed of contiguous and compact territory, bounded by county lines, and contain as nearly as practicable an equal number of inhabitants; but no district shall contain less than four fifths of the senatorial ratio. Counties containing not less than the ratio and three fourths may be divided into separate districts, and shall be entitled to two Senators, and to one additional Senator for each num- ber of inhabitants equal to the ratio contained by such counties in excess of twice the number of said ratio. representatives; minority representation §§7 and 8. The House of Representatives shall consist of three times the number of the members of the Senate, and the term of office shall be two years. Three representatives shall be elected in each senatorial district at the general election in the year of our Lord one thousand 24G HISTORY OF ILLINOIS eight hundred and seventy-two, and every two years thereafter. In all elections of representatives aforesaid, each qualified voter may cast as many votes for one candidate as there are representatives to be elected, or may distribute the same, or equal parts thereof, among the candidates, as he shall see fit; and the candidates highest in votes shall be declared elected. TIME OF MEETING AND GENERAL RULES § 9. The sessions of the General Assembly shall commence at 12:00 o'clock noon, on the Wednesday next after the first Monday in Janu- ary, in the year next ensuing the election of members thereof, and at no other time, unless as provided by this Constitution. A majority of the members elected to each house shall constitute a quorum. Each house shall determine the rules of its proceedings, and be the judge of the election, returns and qualifications of its members; shall choose its own officers; and the Senate shall choose a temporary presi- dent to preside when the Lieutenant Governor shall not attend as president, or shall act as Governor. The Secretary of State shall call the House of Representatives to order at the opening of each new assembly, and preside over it until a temporary presiding officer thereof shall have been chosen and shall have taken his seat. No member shall be expelled by either house, except by a vote of two thirds of all the members elected to that house, and no member shall be twice expelled for the same offense. Each house may pvmish by imprison- ment any person not a member who shall be guilty of disrespect to the house by disorderly or contemptuous behavior in its presence. But no such imprisonment shall extend beyond twenty-four hours at one time, unless the person shall persist in such disorderly or con- temptuous behavior. § 10. The door of each house and of committees of the whole shall be kept open, except in such cases as, in the opinion of the house, re- quire secrecy. Neither house shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than two days, or to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be sitting. Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, which shall be published. In the senate, at the request of two members, and in the House at the request of five mem- bers, the yeas and nays shall be taken on any question, and entered upon the journal. Any two members of either house shall have liberty to dissent from and protest, in respectful language, against any act or resolution which they think injurious to the public or to any in- dividual, and have the reasons of their dissent entered upon the journals. ^CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 247 STYLE OF LAWS AND PASSAGE OF BILLS § n. The style of the laws of this State shall be: ''Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly." § 12. Bills may originate in either house, but may be altered, amended or rejected by the other; and, on the final passage of all bills, the vote shall be by yeas and nays, upon each bill separately, and shall be entered upon the journal; and no bill shall become a law without the concurrence of a majority of the members elected to each house. § 13. Every bill shall be read at large on three different days, in each house; and the bill and all amendments thereto shall be printed before the vote is taken on its final passage; and every bill, having passed both houses, shall be signed by the speakers thereof. No act hereafter passed shall embrace more than one subject, and that shall be expressed in the title. But if any subject shall be embraced in an act which shall not be expressed in the title, such act shall be void only as to so much thereof as shall not be so expressed; and no law shall be revived or amended by reference to its title only, but the law revived, or the section amended, shall be inserted at length in the new act. And no act of the General Assembly shall take effect until the first day of July next after its passage, unless, in case of emergency (which emergency shall be expressed in the preamble or body of the act), the General Assembly shall, by a vote of two thirds of all the members elected to each house, otherwise direct. PRIVILEGES AND DISABILITIES § 14. Senators and Representatives shall, in all cases, except treason, felony or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during the session of the General Assembly, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either house, they shall not be questioned in any other place. § 15. No person elected to the General Assembly shall receive any civil appointment within this State from the Governor, the Governor and Senate, or from the General Assembly, during the term for which he shall have been elected; and all such appointments, and all votes given for any such members for any such office or appointment, shall be void; nor shall any member of the General Assembly be interested, either directly or indirectly, in any contract with the State, or any county thereof, authorized by any law passed during the term for which he shall have been elected, or within one year after the expira- tion thereof. 248 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS PUBLIC MONEYS AND APPROPRIATIONS § 16. The General Assembly shall make no appropriation of money out of the treasury in any private law. Bills making appropriations for the pay of members and officers of the General Assembly, and for the salaries of the officers of the government shall contain no pro- vision on any other subject. § 17. No money shall be drawn from the treasury except in pur- suance of an appropriation made by law, and on the presentation of a warrant issued by the Auditor thereon; and no money shall be di- verted from any appropriation made for any purpose, or taken from any fund whatever, either by joint or separate resolution. The Auditor shall, within sixty days after the adjournment of each session of the General Assembly, prepare and publish a full statement of all money expended at such session, specifying the amount of each item, and to whom and for what paid. § 18. Each General Assembly shall provide for all the appropriations necessary for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the govern- ment until the expiration of the first fiscal quarter after the adjourn- ment of the next regular session, the aggregate amount of which shall not be increased without a vote of two thirds of the members elected to each house, nor exceed the amount of revenue authorized by law to be raised in such time, and all appropriations, general or special, requiring money to be paid out of the State treasury, from funds be- longing to the State, shall end with such fiscal quarter: Provided, the State may, to meet casual deficits or failures in revenues, contract debts, never to exceed in the aggregate two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and moneys thus borrowed shall be applied to the purpose for which they were obtained, or to pay the debt thus created, and to no other purpose; and no other debt, except for the purpose of repel- ling invasion, suppressing insurrection, or defending the State in war (for payment of which the faith of the State shall be pledged), shall be contracted, unless the law authorizing the same shall, at a general election, have been submitted to the people and have received a ma- jority of the votes cast for members of the General Assembly at such election. The General Assembly shall provide for the publication of said law for three months, at least, before the vote of the people shall be taken upon the same; and provision shall be made, at the time, for the payment of the interest annually, as it shall accrue, by a tax levied for the purpose, or from other sources of revenue; which law, providing for the payment of such interest by such tax, shall be irrepealable until CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 249 such debt be paid: And, provided further, that the law levying the tax shall be submitted to the people with the law authorizing the debt to be contracted. § 19. The General Assembly shall never grant or authorize extra compensation, fee or allowance to any public officer, agent, servant or contractor, after service has been rendered or a contract made, nor au- thorize the payment of any claim, or part thereof, hereafter created against the State under any agreement or contract made without ex- press authority of law; and all such unauthorized agreements or con- tracts shall be null and void: Provided, the General Assembly may make appropriations for expenditures incurred in suppressing insurrection or repelling invasion. § 20. The State shall never pay, assume or become responsible for the debts or liabilities of, or in any manner give, loan or extend its credit to, or in aid of, any public or other corporation, association or individual. PAY OF MEMBERS § 21. The members of the General Assembly shall receive for their services the sum of five dollars per day, during the first session held under this Constitution, and ten cents for each mile necessarily traveled in going to and returning from the seat of government, to be computed by the Auditor of Public Accounts; and thereafter such compensation as shall be prescribed by law, and no other allowance or emolument, directly or indirectly, for any purpose whatever, except the sum of fifty dollars per session to each member, which shall be in full for post- age, stationery, newspaper and all other incidental expenses and per- quisites; but no change shall be made in the compensation of the General Assembly during the term for which they may have been elected. The pay and mileage allowed to each member of the General Assembly shall be certified by the speakers of their respective houses, and entered on the journals, and published at the close of each ses- sion. SPECIAL LEGISLATION PROHIBITED § 22. The General Assembly shall not pass local or special laws in any of the following enumerated cases, that is to say: for — Granting divorces; Changing the names of persons or places; Laying out, opening, altering and working roads or highways; Vacating roads, town plats, streets, alleys, and public grounds; Locating or changing county seats; 250 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Regulating county and township affairs; Regulating the practice in courts of justice; Regulating the jurisdiction and duties of justices of the peace, police magistrates and constables; Providing for changes of venue in civil and criminal cases; Incorporating cities, towns or villages, or changing or amending the charter of any town, city or village; Providing for the election of members of the board of supervisors in townships, incorporated towns or cities; Summoning and impaneling grand or petit juries; Providing for the management of common schools; Regulating the rate of interest on money; The opening and conducting of any election, or designating the place of voting; The sale or mortgage of real estate belonging to minors or others under disability; Protection of game or fish; Chartering or licensing ferries or toll-bridges; Remitting fines, penalties or forfeitures; Creating, increasing or decreasing fees, percentage or allowances of public officers, during the term for which said officers are elected or appointed. Changing the law of descent; Granting to any corporation, association, or individual, the right to lay down railroad tracks, or amending existing charters for such pur- Granting to any corporation, association or individual any special or exclusive privilege, immunity or franchise whatever; In all other cases where a general law can be made applicable, no special law shall be enacted; § 23. The General Assembly shall have no power to release or ex- tinguish, in whole or in part, the indebtedness, liability or obligation of any corporation or individual to this State or to any municipal cor- poration therein. IMPEACHMENT § 24. The House of Representatives shall have the sole power of impeachment; but a majority of all the members elected must concur therein. All impeachments shall be tried by the Senate; and when sitting for that purpose, the Senators shall be upon oath or affirmation to do justice according to law and evidence. When the Governor of CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 251 the State is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside. No person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two thirds of the Senators elected. But judgment, in such cases, shall not extend further than removal from office, and disqualification to hold any office of honor, profit or trust under the government of this State. The party, whether con- victed or acquitted, shall, nevertheless, be liable to prosecution, trial, judgment and punishment according to law. MISCELLANEOUS § 25. The General Assembly shall provide, by law, that the fuel, stationery and printing paper furnished for the use of the State; the copying, printing, binding and distributing the laws and journals, and all other printing ordered by the General Assembly, shall be let by contract to the lowest responsible bidder; but the General Assembly shall fix a maximum price, and no member thereof, or other officer of the State, shall be interested, directly or indirectly, in such contract. But all such contracts shall be subject to the approval of the Governor, and if he disapproves the same, there shall be a reletting of the con- tract, in such manner as shall be prescribed by law. § 26. The State of Illinois shall never be made defendant in any court of law or equity. § 27. The General Assembly shall have no power to authorize lotteries or gift enterprises, for any purpose, and shall pass laws to prohibit the sale of lottery or gift enterprise tickets in this State. § 28. No law shall be passed which shall operate to extend the term of any public officer after his election or appointment. § 29. It shall be the duty of the General Assembly to pass such laws as may be necessary for the protection of operative miners, by providing for ventilation, when the same may be required, and the construction of escapement shafts, or such other appliances as may secure safety in all coal mines, and to provide for the enforcement of said laws by such penalties and punishment as may be deemed proper. § 30. The General Assembly may provide for establishing and open- ing roads and cartways, connected with a public road, for private and public use. § 3L (Amended in 1878.) The General Assembly may pass laws per- mitting the owners of lands to construct drains, ditches and levees for agricultural, sanitary or mining purposes, across the lands of others, and provide for the organization of drainage districts, and vest the corporate authorities thereof with power to construct and maintain levees, drains and ditches, and to keep in repair all drains, ditches and levees hereto- 252 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS fore constructed under the laws of this State, by special assessments upon the property benefited thereby. § 32. The General Assembly shall pass hberal homestead and exemp- tion laws. § 33. The General Assembly shall not appropriate out of the State treasury, or expend on account of the new capitol grounds, and con- struction, completion and furnishing of the State house, a sum exceed- ing in the aggregate $3,500,000.00, inclusive of all appropriations here- tofore made, without first submitting the proposition for an additional expenditure to the legal voters of the State at a general election; nor unless a majority of all the votes cast at such election shall be for the proposed additional expenditure. § 34. (Amendment of 1904.) The General Assembly shall have power, subject to the conditions and limitations hereinafter contained, to pass any law (local, special or general) providing a scheme or charter of local municipal government for the territory now or hereafter em- braced within the limits of the city of Chicago. The law or laws so passed may provide for consolidating (in whole or in part) in the municipal government of the city of Chicago, the powers now vested in the city, board of education, township, park and other local govern- ments and authorities having jurisdiction confined to or within said territory, or any part thereof, and for the assumption by the city of Chicago of the debts and liabilities (in whole or in part) of the govern- ments or corporate authorities whose functions within its territory shall be vested in said city of Chicago, and may authorize said city, in the event of its becoming liable for the indebtedness of two or more of the existing municipal corporations lying wholly within said city of Chicago, to become indebted to an amount (including its existing indebtedness and the indebtedness of all municipal corporations lying wholly within the limits of said city, and said city's proportionate share of the indebt- edness of said county and sanitary district, which share shall be deter- mined in such manner as the General Assembly shall prescribe) in the aggregate not exceeding 5 per centum of the full value of the taxable property within its limits, as ascertained by the last assessment either for State or municipal purposes previous to the incurring of such in- debtedness (but no new bonded indebtedness, other than for refunding purposes, shall be incurred until the proposition therefor shall be con- sented to by a majority of the legal voters of said city voting on the question at any election, general, municipal or special) ; and may pro- vide for the assessment of property and the levy and collection of taxes within said city for corporate purposes in accordance with the principles CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 253 of equality and uniformity prescribed by this Constitution; and may abolish all offices, the functions of which shall be otherwise provided for; and may provide for the annexation of territory to or disconnection of territory from said city of Chicago by the consent of a majority of the legal voters (voting on the question at any election, general, municipal or special) of the said city and of a majority of the voters of such ter- ritory, voting on the question at any election, general, municipal or special ; and in case the General Assembly shall create municipal courts in the city of Chicago it may abolish the offices of justices of the peace, police magistrates and constables in and for the territory within said city, and may limit the jurisdiction of justices of the peace in the terri- tory of said county of Cook outside of said city to that territory, and in such case the jurisdiction and practice of said municipal courts shall be such as the General Assembl^y shall prescribe; and the General Assembly may pass all laws which it may deem requisite to effectually provide a complete system of local municipal government in and for the city of Chicago. No law based upon this amendment to the Constitution, affecting the municipal government of the city of Chicago, shall take effect until such law shall be consented to by a majority of the legal voters of said city voting on the question at any election, general, municipal or special; and no local or special law based upon this amendment affecting spe- cially any part of the city of Chicago shall take effect until consented to by a majority of the legal voters of such part of said city voting on the question at any election, general, municipal or special. Nothing in this section contained shall be construed to repeal, amend or affect section four (4) of Article XI of the Constitution of this State. Article V Executive Department § 1. The executive department shall consist of a Governor, Lieuten- ant Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor of Public Accounts, Treas- urer, Superintendent of Public Instruction and Attorney General, who .shall each, with the exception of the Treasurer, hold his office for the term of four years from the second Monday of January next after his election and until his successor is elected and qualified. They shall, ex- cept the Lieutenant Governor, reside at the seat of government during their term of office, and keep the public records, books and papers there, and shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by law, § 2. The Treasurer shall hold his office for the term of two years, and until his successor is elected and qualified ; and shall be ineligible to said 254 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS office for two years next after the end of the term for which he was elected. He may be required by the Governor to give reasonable ad- ditional security, and in default of so doing his office shall be deemed vacant. ELECTION § 3. An election for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor of Public Accounts and Attorney General shall be held on the Tuesday next after the first Monday of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, and every four years thereafter; for Superintendent of Public Instruction, on the Tues- day next after the first Monday of November in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy, and every two years thereafter; and for Treasurer on the day last above mentioned, and every two years there- after, at such places and in such manner as may be prescribed by law. § 4. The returns of every election for the above named officers shall be sealed up and transmitted by the returning officers to the Secretary of State directed to the "Speaker of the House of Representatives," who shall, immediately after the organization of the House and before pro- ceeding to other business, open and publish the same in the presence of a majority of each house of the General Assembly, who shall, for that purpose, assemble in the hall of the House of Representatives. The person having the highest number of votes for either of said offices shall be declared duly elected ; but if two or more have an equal, and the highest number of votes, the General Assembly shall, by joint ballot, choose one of such persons for said office. Contested elections for all of said offices shall be determined by both houses of the General As- sembly, by joint ballot, in such manner as may be prescribed by law. ELIGIBILITY § 5. No person shall be eligible to the office of Governor or Lieutenant Governor who shall not have attained the age of 30 years, and been, for five years next preceding his election, a citizen of the United States and of this State. Neither the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Auditor of Public Accounts, Secretary of State, Superintendent of Public Instruc- tion, nor Attorney General shall be eligible to any other office during the period for which he shall have been elected. GOVERNOR § 6. The supreme executive power shall be vested in the Governor, who shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed. § 7. The Governor shall, at the commencement of each session and at CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 255 the close of his term of office, give to the General Assembly information, by message, of the condition of the State, and shall recommend such measures as he shall deem expedient. He shall account to the General Assembly, and accompany his message with a statement of all moneys received and paid out by him from any funds subject to his order, with vouchers, and at the commencement of each regular session, present estimates of the amount of money required to be raised by taxation for all purposes. § 8. The Governor may, on extraordinary occasions, convene the General Assembly, by proclamation, stating therein the purpose for which they are convened, and the General Assembly shall enter upon no business except that for which they were called together. § 9. In case of a disagreement between the two houses with respect to the time of adjournment, the Governor may, on the same being certi- fied to him by the house first moving the adjournment, adjourn the General Assembly to such time as he thinks proper, not beyond the first day of the next regular session. § 10. The Governor shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate (a majority of all the Senators elected concurring by yeas and nays), appoint all officers whose offices are established by this Constitution, or which may be created by law, and whose appoint- ment or election is not otherwise provided for; and no such officer shall be appointed or elected by the General Assembly. § 11. In case of a vacancy, during the recess of the Senate, in any office which is not elective, the Governor shall make a temporary ap- pointment until the next meeting of the Senate, when he shall nominate some person to fill such office; and any person so nominated who is con- firmed by the Senate (a majority of all the Senators elected concurring by yeas and nays), shall hold his office during the remainder of the term, and until his successor shall be appointed and qualified. No person, after being rejected by the Senate, shall be again nominated for the same office at the same session, unless at the request of the Senate, or be appointed to the same office during the recess of the General Assembly, § 12. The Governor shall have power to remove any officer whom he may appoint, in case of incompetency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office; and he may declare his office vacant and fill the same as is herein provided in other cases of vacancy. § 13. The Governor shall have power to grant reprieves, commuta- tions and pardons, after conviction, for all offenses, subject to such regu- lations as may be provided by law relative to the manner of applying therefor. 256 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS § 14. The Governor shall be commander-in-chief of the military and naval forces of the State (except when they shall be called into the service of the United States), and may call out the same to execute laws, suppress insurrection and repel invasion. § 15. The Governor and all civil officers of the State shall be hable to impeachment for any misdemeanor in office. § 16. (Amended in 1884.) Every bill passed by the General As- sembly shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the Governor. If he approve, he shall sign it, and thereupon it shall become a law; but if he do not approve, he shall return it, with his objections, to the house in which it shall have originated, which house shall enter the objections at large upon its journal and proceed to reconsider the bill. If then two thirds of the members elected agree to pass the same, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other house, by which it shall Hke- wise be reconsidered; and if approved by two thirds of the members elected to that house, it shall become a law, notwithstanding the objec- tions of the Governor; but in all such cases the vote of each house shall be determined by yeas and nays, to be entered upon the journal. Bills making appropriations of money out of the treasury shall specify the objects and purposes for which the same are made, and appropriate to them respectively their several amounts in distinct items and sections. And if the Governor shall not approve any one or more of the items or sections contained in any bill, but shall approve the residue thereof, it shall become a law, as to the residue, in like manner as if he had signed it. The Governor shall then return the bill, with his objections to the items or sections of the same not approved by him, to the house in which the bill shall have originated, which house shall enter the objections at large upon its journal, and proceed to reconsider so much of said bill as is not approved by the Governor. The same proceedings shall be had in both houses in reconsidering the same as is hereinbefore provided in case of an entire bill returned by the Governor with his objections; and if any item or section of said bill not approved by the Governor shall be passed by two thirds of the members elected to each of the two houses of the General Assembly, it shall become part of said law, notwithstanding the objections of the Governor. Any bill which shall not be returned by the Governor within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, shall become a law in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the General Assembly shall by their adjournment prevent its return, in which case it shall be filed with his objections in the office of CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 257 the Secretary of State, within ten days after sucli adjournment, or be- come a law. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR § 17. In case of the death, conviction on impeachment, failure to qualify, resignation, absence from the State, or other disability of the Governor, the powers, duties and emoluments of the office for the residue of the term, or until the disability shall be removed, shall devolve upon the Lieutenant Governor. § 18. The Lieutenant Governor shall be President of the Senate, and shall vote only when the Senate is equally divided. The Senate shall choose a president, pro tempore, to preside in case of the absence or im- peachment of the Lieutenant Governor, or when he shall hold office of Governor. § 19. If there be no Lieutenant Governor, or if the Lieutenant Gov- ernor shall, for any of the causes specified in section seventeen of this article, become incapable of performing the duties of the office, the President of the Senate shall act as Governor until the vacancy is filled or the disability removed ; and if the President of the Senate, for any of the above named causes, shall become incapable of performing the duties of Governor, the same shall devolve upon the Speaker of the House of Representatives. OTHER STATE OFFICERS § 20. If the office of Auditor of Public Accounts, Treasurer, Secretary of State, Attorney General, or Superintendent of Public Instruction shall be vacated by death, resignation or otherwise, it shall be the duty of the Governor to fill the same by appointment, and the appointee shall hold his office until his successor shall be elected and qualified in such a manner as provided by law. An account shall be kept by the officers of the executive department, and of all the public institutions of the State, of all moneys received or disbursed by them, severally, from all sources, and for every service performed, and a semiannual report thereof be made to the Governor, under oath; and any officer who makes a false report shall be guilty of perjury, and punished accordingly. § 21. The officers of the executive department, and all the public in- stitutions of the State, shall, at least ten days preceding each regular session of the General Assembly, severally report to the Governor, who shall transmit such reports to the General Assembly together with the reports of the judge of the Supreme Court of defects in the Constitution and laws; and the Governor may at any time require information, in writing, under oath, from tl^e officers of the executive department, and lUinois — 17 258 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS all officers and managers of State institutions, upon any subject relating to the condition, management and expenses of their respective offices. THE SEAL OF STATE § 22. There shall be a seal of the State, which shall be called the "Great Seal of the State of Illinois," which shall be kept by the Secre- tary of State, and used by him, officially, as directed by law. FEES AND SALARIES § 23. The officers named in this article shall receive for their services a salary, to be established by law, which shall not be increased or dimin- ished during their official terms, and they shall not, after the expiration of the terms of those in office at the adoption of this Constitution, re- ceive to their own use any fees, costs, perquisites of office, or other com- pensation. And all fees that may hereafter be payable by law for any services performed by any officer provided for in this article of the Constitution, shall be paid in advance into the State treasury. DEFINITION AND OATH OF OFFICE § 24. An office is a public position created by the Constitution or law, continuing during the pleasure of the appointing power, or for a fixetl time, with a successor elected or appointed. An employment is an agency, for a temporary purpose, which ceases when that purpose is ac- complished. § 25. All civil officers, except members of the GQperal Assembly and such inferior officers as may be by law exempted, shall, before they enter on the duties of their respective offices, take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation: " I do solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that I will support the Con- stitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of according to the best of my ability." And no other oath, declaration or test shall be required as a qualifica- tion. Article VI Judicial Department § 1. The judicial powers, except as in this article is otherwise pro- vided, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, circuit courts, county courts, justices of the peace, police magistrates, and in such courts as may be created by law in and for cities and incorporated towns. CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 259 SUPREME COURT § 2. The Supreme Court shall consist of seven judges, and shall have original jurisdiction in cases relating to the revenue, in mandamus and habeas corpus, and appellate jurisdiction in all other cases. One of said judges shall be Chief Justice; four shall constitute a quorum, and the concurrence of four shall be necessary to every decision. § 3. No person shall be eligible to the office of judge of the Supreme Court unless he shall be at least thirty years of age, and a citizen of the United States, nor unless he shall have resided in this State five years next preceding his election, and be a resident of the district in which he shall be elected. § 4. Terms of the Supreme Court shall continue to be held in the pres- ent grand divisions at the several places now provided for holding the same; and until otherwise provided by law, one or more terms of said court shall be held, for the Northern division, in the city of Chicago each year, at such times as said court may appoint, whenever said city or the county of Cook shall provide appropriate rooms therefor, and the use of a suitable library, without expense to the State. The judicial divisions may be altered, increased or diminished in number, and the times and places of holding said court may be changed by law. § 5. The present grand divisions shall be preserved, and be denomi- nated Southern, Central and Northern, until otherwise provided by law. The State shall be divided into seven districts for the election of judges, and, until otherwise provided by law they shall be as follows: First District. — The counties of St. Clair, Clinton, Washington, Jeffer- son, Wayne, Edwards, Wabash, White, Hamilton, Franklin, Perry, Randolph, Monroe, Jackson, Williamson, Saline, Gallatin, Hardin, Pope, Union, Alexander, Pulaski and Massac. Second District. — The counties of Madison, Bond, Marion, Claj^ Rich- land, Lawrence, Crawford, Jasper, Effingham, Fayette, Montgomery, Macoupin, Shelby, Cumberland, Clark, Greene, Jersey, Calhoun and Christian. Third District. — The counties of Sangamon, Macon, Logan, DeWitt, Piatt, Douglas, Champaign, Vermilion, McLean, Livingston, Ford, Iroquois, Coles, Edgar, Moultrie and Tazewell. Fourth District. — The counties of Fulton, McDonough, Hancock, Schuyler, Rrown, Adams, Pike, Mason, Menard, Morgan, Cass and Scott. Fifth District. — The counties of Knox, Warren, Henderson, Mercer, Henry, Stark, Peoria, Marshall, Putnam, Bureau, La Salle, Grundy and Woodford. 260 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS Sixth District. — The counties of Whiteside, Carroll, Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Kane, Kendall, DeKalb, Lee, Ogle and Rock Island. Seventh District. — The counties of Lake, Cook, Will, Kankakee and DuPage. The boundaries of the districts may be changed at the session of the General Assembly next preceding the election of judges therein, and at no other time; but whenever such alterations shall be made the same shall be upon the rule of equality of population, as nearly as county boundaries will allow, and the districts shall be composed of contiguous counties, in as nearly compact form as circumstances will permit. The alteration of the districts shall not affect the tenure of office of any judge. § 6. At the time of voting on the adoption of this Constitution, one judge of the Supreme Court shall be elected by the electors thereof, in each of said districts numbered two, three, six and seven, who shall hold his office for the term of nine years from the first Monday of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy. The term of office of judges of the Supreme Court, elected after the adoption of this Constitution, shall be nine years, and on the first Monday of June of the year in which the term of any of the j udges in office at the adoption of this Constitution, or of the judges then elected, shall expire, and every nine years thereafter, there shall be an election for the successor or successors of such judges in the respective districts wherein the term of such judges shall expire. The Chief Justice shall continue to act as such until the expiration of the term for which he was elected, after which the judges shall choose one of their number Chief Justice. § 7. From and after the adoption of this Constitution, the judges of the Supreme Court shall each receive a salary of four thousand dollars per annum, paj^able quarterly, until otherwise provided by law. And after said salaries shall be fixed by law, the salaries of the judges in office shall not be increased or diminished during the terrns for which said judges shall have been elected. § 8. Appeals and writs of error may be taken to the Supreme Court held in the grand division in which the case is decided, or by consent of the parties, to any other grand division. § 9. The Supreme Court shall appoint one reporter of its decisions, who shall hold his office for six years, subject to removal by the court. § 10. At the time of the election of Representatives in the General Assembly, happening next preceding the expiration of the terms of office of the present clerks of said court, one clerk of said court for each division shall be elected, whose term of office shall be six years from said CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 261 election, but who shall not enter upon the duties of his office until the expiration of the term of his predecessor, and every six years thereafter one clerk of said court for each division shall be elected. APPELLATE COURTS § 11. After the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, inferior appellate courts, of uniform organization and ju- risdiction, may be created in districts formed for that purpose, to which such appeals and writs of error as the General Assembly may pro- vide, may be prosecuted from circuit and other courts, and from which appeals and writs of error shall lie to the Supreme Court, in all criminal cases, and cases in which a franchise, or freehold, or the validity of a statute is involved, and in such other cases as may be provided by law. Such appellate courts shall be held by such number of judges of the circuit courts, and at such times and places, and in such manner as may be provided by law; but no judge shall sit in review upon cases decided by him; nor shall said judges receive any additional compensation for such services. CIRCUIT COURTS § 12. The circuit courts shall have original jurisdiction of all causes in law and equity, and such appellate jurisdiction as is or may be pro- vided by law, and shall hold two or more terms each year in every county. The terms of office of judges of circuit courts shall be six years. § 18. The State exclusive of the county of Cook and other counties having a population of 100,000, shall be divided into judicial circuits, prior to the expiration of the terms of office of the present judges of the circuit courts. Such circuits shall be formed of contiguous counties, in as nearly compact form and as nearly equal as circumstances will per- mit, having due regard to business, territory and population, and shall not exceed in number one circuit for every 100,000 of population of the State. One judge shall be elected for each of said circuits by the electors thereof. New circuits may be formed and the boundaries of circuits changed by the General Assembly, at its session next preceding the election for circuit judges, but at no other time: Provided, that the circuits may be equalized or changed at the first session of the General Assembly after the adoption of this Constitution. The creation, altera- tion or change of any circuit shall not affect the tenure of office of any judge. Whenever the business of the circuit court of any one, or of two or more contiguous counties, containing a population exceeding 50,000, shall occupy nine months of the year, the General Assembly may make 262 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS of such county, or counties, a separate circuit. Whenever additional circuits are created, the foregoing limitations shall be observed. § 14. The General Assembly shall provide for the times of holding court in each county; which shall not be changed, except by the General Assembly next preceding the general election for judges of said courts; but additional terms may be provided for in any county. The election for judges of the circuit courts shall be held on the first Monday in June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy- three, and every six years thereafter. § 15. The General Assembly may divide the State into judicial cir- cuits of greater population and territory, in lieu of the circuits provided for in section 13 of this article, and provide for the election therein, severally, by the electors thereof, by general ticket, of not exceeding four judges, who shall hold the circuit courts in the circuit for which they shall be elected, in such manner as may be provided by law. § 16. From and after the adoption of this Constitution, judges of the circuit courts shall receive a salary of $3,000.00 per annum, payable quarterly until otherwise provided by law, and after their salaries shall be fixed by law they shall not be increased or diminished during the terms for which said judges shall be, respectively, elected; and from and after the adoption of this Constitution, no judge of the Supreme or cir- cuit court shall receive any other compensation, perquisite or benefit, in any form whatsoever, nor perform any other than judicial duties to which may belong any emoluments. § 17. No person shall be ehgible to the office of judge of the circuit or any inferior court, or to membership in the " board of county commis- sioners," unless he shall be at least twenty-five years of age and a citizen of the United States, nor unless he shall have resided in this State five years next preceding his election, and be a resident of the circuit, county, city, cities or incorporated town in which he shall be elected. COUNTY COURTS § 18. There shall be elected in and for each county one county judge and one clerk of the county court, whose term of office shall be four years. But the General Assembly may create districts of two or more contiguous counties, in each of which shall be elected one judge, who shall take the place of and exercise the powers and j urisdiction of county judges in such districts. County courts shall be courts of record, and shall have original jurisdiction in all matters of probate, settlement of estates of deceased persons, appointment of guardians and conservators and settlement of their accounts, in all matters relating to apprentices, CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 263 and in proceedings for the collection of taxes and assessments, and such other jurisdiction as may be provided for by general law. § 19. Appeals and writs of error shall be allowed from final determina- tions of county courts, as may be provided by law. PROBATE COURTS § 20. The General Assembly may provide for the establishment of a probate court in each county having a population of over 50,000, and for the election of a judge thereof, whose term of office shall be the same as that of the county judge, and who shall be elected at the same time and in the same manner. Said courts, when established, shall have original jurisdiction of all probate matters, the settlement of es- tates of deceased persons, the appointment of guardians and con- servators, and settlement of their accounts; in all matters relating to apprentices, and in cases of sales of real estate of deceased persons for the payment of debts. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE AND CONSTABLES § 21. Justices of the peace, police magistrates and constables shall be elected in and for such districts as are, or may be provided by law, and the jurisdiction of such justices of the peace and police magistrates shall be uniform. state's ATTORNEYS § 22. At the election for members of the General Assembly in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, and every four years thereafter, there shall be elected a State's attorney in and for each county, in lieu of the State's attorneys now provided by law, whose term of office shall be four years. COURTS OF COOK COUNTY § 23. The county of Cook shall be one judicial circuit. The circuit court of Cook county shall consist of five judges, until their number shall be increased as herein provided. The present judge of the re- corder's court of the city of Chicago, and the present judge of the circuit court of Cook county, shall be two of said judges, and shall remain in office for the terms for which they were respectively elected, and until their successors shall be elected and qualified. The superior court of Chicago shall be continued, and called the "Superior Court of Cook County." The General Assembly may increase the number of said judges, by adding one to either of said courts for every additional fifty thousand inhabitants in said county over and above a population of 264 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS four hundred thousand. The terms of office of the judges of said courts, hereafter elected, shall be six years. § 24. The judge having the shortest unexpired term shall be Chief Justice of the court of which he is a judge. In case there are two or more whose terms expire at the same time, it may be determined by lot which shall be Chief Justice. Any judge of either of said courts shall have all the powers of a circuit judge, and may hold the court of which he is a member. Each of them may hold a different branch thereof at the same time. § 25. The judges of the superior and circuit courts, and the State's attorney, in said county, shall receive the same salaries, payable out of the State treasury, as is or may be paid from said treasury to the circuit judges and State's attorneys of the State, and such further compensa- tion, to be paid by the county of Cook, as is or may be provided by law. Such compensation shall not be changed during their continuance in office. § 26. The recorder's court of the city of Chicago shall be continued, and shall be called the " Criminal Court of Cook County." It shall have the jurisdiction of a circuit court in all cases of criminal and quasi criminal nature, arising in the county of Cook, or that may be brought before said court pursuant to law, and all recognizances and appeals taken in said county, in criminal and quasi criminal cases shall be re- turnable and taken to said court. It shall have no jurisdiction in civil cases, except in those on behalf of the people, and incident to such criminal or quasi criminal matters, and to dispose of unfinished busi- ness. The terms of said criminal court of Cook county shall be held by one or more of the judges of the circuit or superior court of Cook county, as nearly as may be in alteration, as may be determined by said judges, or provided by law. Said judges shall be ex officio judges of said court. § 27. The present clerk of the recorder's court of the city of Chicago shall be the clerk of the criminal court of Cook county during the term for which he was elected. The present clerks of the superior court of Chicago, and the present clerk of the circuit court of Cook county, shall continue in office during the terms for which they were respectively elected ; and thereafter there shall be but one clerk of the superior court, to be elected by the qualified electors of said county, who shall hold his office for the term of four years, and until his successor is elected and qualified. § 28. All justices of the peace in the city of Chicago shall be ap- pointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate (but only upon the recommendation of a majority of the judges CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 265 of the circuit, superior and county courts), and for such districts as are now or shall hereafter be provided by law. They shall hold their office for four years, and until their successors have been commissioned and qualified, but they may be removed by summary proceeding in the circuit or superior court, 'for extortion or other malfeasance. Existing justices of the peace and police magistrates may hold their offices until the expiration of their respective terms. GENERAL PROVISIONS § 29. All judicial officers shall be commissioned by the Governor. All laws relating to courts shall be general and of uniform operation, and the organization, jurisdiction, powers, proceedings and practice of all courts of the same class or grade, so far as regulated by law, and the force and effect of the process, judgments and decrees of such courts, severally, shall be uniform. § 30. The General Assembly may, for cause entered on the journals, upon due notice and opportunity of defense, remove from office any judge, upon concurrence of three fourths of all the members elected, of each house. All other officers in this article mentioned shall be re- moved from office on prosecution and final conviction for misdemeanor in office. § 3L All judges of courts of record, inferior to the Supreme Court, shall, on or before the first day of June of each year, report in writing to the judges of the Supreme Court such defects and omissions in the laws as their experience may suggest; and the judges of the Supreme Court shall, on or before the first day of January of each year, report in writing to the Governor such defects and omissions in the Constitution and laws as they may find to exist, together with appropriate forms of bills to cure such defects and omissions in the laws. And the judges of the several circuit courts shall report to the next General Assembly the number of days they have held court in the several counties com- posing their respective circuits, the preceding two years. § 32. All officers provided for in this article shall hold their offices until their successors shall be qualified, and they shall, respectively, reside in the division, circuit, county or district for which they may be elected or appointed. The terms of office of all such officers, where not otherwise prescribed in this article, shall be four years. All officers, where not otherwise provided for in this article, shall perform such duties and receive such compensation as is or may be provided by law. Vacancies in such -elective offices shall be filled by election; but where the unexpired term does not exceed one year the vacancy shall be 266 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS filled by appointment, as follows: Of judges, by the Governor; of clerks of courts, by the court to which the office appertains, or by the judge or judges thereof; and of all such other offices, by the board of super- visors, or board of county commissioners, in the county where the vacancy occurs. § 33. All process shall run: In the name of the People of the State of Illinois; and all prosecutions shall be carried on: hi the name and by the authority of the People of the State of Illinois; and conclude: Against the peace and dignity of the same. " Population," whenever used in this article, shall be determined by the next preceding census of this State or of the United States. Article VII Suffrage § 1. Every person having resided in this State one year, in the county ninety days and in the election district thirty days next preceding any election therein; who was an elector in this State on the first day of April, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and forty- eight, or obtained a certificate of naturalization, before any court of record in this State, prior to the first day of January, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and seventy, or who shall be a male citizen of the United States, above the age of 21 years, shall be entitled to vote at such election. § 2. All votes shall be by ballot. § 3. Electors shall, in all cases except treason, felony or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at elections and in going to and returning from the same. And no elector shall be re- quired to do military duty on the days of election, except in time of war or public danger. § 4. No elector shall be deemed to have lost his residence in this State by reason of his absence on business of the United States or of this State, or in the military or naval service of the United States. § 5. No soldier, seaman or marine in the army or navy of the United States shall be deemed a resident of this State in consequence of being stationed therein. § 6. No person shall be elected or appointed to any office in this State, civil or military, who is not a citizen of the United States, and who shall not have resided in this State one year. next preceding the election or appointment. § 7. The General Assembly shall pass laws excluding from the right of suffrage persons convicted of infamous crimes. x CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 267 Article VIII Education § 1. The General Assembly shall provide a thorough and efficient system of free schools whereby all children of this State may receive a good common school education. § 2. All lands, moneys or other property, donated, granted or re- ceived for school, college, seminary or university purposes, and the proceeds thereof shall be faithfully applied to the objects for which such gifts or grants were made. § 3. Neither the General Assembly nor any county, city, town, tov i- ship, school district or other public corporation shall ever mal-ip u.iy appropriation, or pay from any public fund whatever, anything ia aid of any church or sectarian purpose, or to help support or sustain any school, academy, seminary, college, university or other literary or scientific institution, controlled by any church or sectarian denomina- tion whatever; nor shall any grant or donation of land, money or other personal property ever be made by the State or any such public cor- poration to any church or for any sectarian purpose. § 4. No teacher, State, county, township or district school officer shall be interested in the sale, proceeds or profits of any book, apparatus or furniture, used or, to be used in any school in this State, with which such officer or teacher may be connected, under such penalties as may be provided by the General Assembly. § 5. There may be a county superintendent of schools in each county, whose qualifications, powers, duties, compensation and time and man- ner of election and term of office shall be prescribed by law. Article IX Revenue § 1. The General Assembly shall provide such revenue as maybe needful by levying a tax, by valuation, so that every person and corpo- ration shall pay a tax in proportion to the value of his, her or its prop- erty—such value to be ascertained by some person or persons to be elected or appointed in such manner as the General Assembly shall direct, and not otherwise; but the General Assembly shall have power to tax peddlers, auctioneers, brokers, hawkers, merchants, commission merchants, showmen, jugglers, inn-keepers, grocery-keepers, liquor dealers, toll-bridges, ferries, insurance, telegraph and express mterests or business, venders of patents and persons or corporations owning or using franchises and privileges, in such manner as it shall from time to 268 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS time direct by general law, uniform as to the class upon which it operates. § 2. The specification of the objects and subjects of taxation shall not deprive the General Assembly of the power to require other subjects or objects to be taxed, in such manner as may be consistent with the principles of taxation fixed in this Constitution. § 3. The property of the State, counties, and other municipal corpo- rations, both real and personal, and such other property as may be used exclusively for agricultural and horticultural societies, for school, religious, cemetery and charitable purposes, may be exempted from taxation; but such exemption shall be only by general law. In the as- sessment of real estate incumbered by public easement, any deprecia- tion occasioned by such easement may be deducted in the valuation of such property. § 4. The General Assembly shall provide, in all cases where it may be necessary to sell real estate for the non-payment of taxes or special assessments, for State, county, municipal or other purposes, that a return of such unpaid taxes or assessments shall be made to some gen- eral officer of the county having authority to receive State and county taxes; and there shall be no sale of said property for any of said taxes or assessments but by said officer, upon the order or judgment of some court of record. § 5. The right of redemption from all sales of real estate for the non- payment of taxes or special assessments of any character whatever, shall exist in favor of owners and persons interested in such real estate for a period of not less than two years from such sales thereof. And the General Assembly shall provide, by law, for reasonable notice to be given to the owners or parties interested, by publication or otherwise, of the fact of the sale of the property for such taxes or assessments; and when the time of redemption shall expire: Provided, that occupants shall in all cases be served with personal notice before the time of re- demption expires. § 6. The General Assembly shall have no power to release or dis- charge any county, city, township, town or district whatever, or the inhabitants thereof, or the property therein, from their or its propor- tionate share of taxes to be levied for State purposes, nor shall com- mutation for such taxes be authorized in any form whatsoever. § 7. All taxes levied for State purposes shall be paid into the State treasury. § 8. County authorities shall never assess taxes the aggregate of which shall exceed seventy-five cents per one hundred dollars valuation CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 2G9 except for the payment of indebtedness existing at the adoption of this Constitution, unless authorized by a vote of the people of the county. § 9. The General Assembly may vest the corporate authorities of cities, towns and villages with power to make local improvements by special assessment or by special taxation of contiguous property, or otherwise. For all other corporate purposes, all municipal corporations may be vested with authority to assess and collect taxes; but such taxes shall be uniform in respect to persons and property within the jurisdic- tion of the body imposing the same. § 10. The General Assembly shall not impose taxes upon municipal corporations, or the inhabitants or property thereof, for corporate pur- poses, but shall require that all the taxable property within the limits of municipal corporations shall be taxed for the payment of debts con- tracted under authority of law, such taxes to be uniform in respect to persons and property within the jurisdiction of the body imposing the same. Private property shall not be liable to be taken or sold for the payment of the corporate debts of a municipal corporation. § 11. No person who is in default, as collector or custodian of money or property belonging to a municipal corporation, shall be eligible to any office in or under such corporation. The fees, salary or compensa- tion of no municipal officer who is elected or appointed for a definite term of office shall be increased or diminished during such term. § 12. No county, city, township, school district or other municipal corporation shall be allowed to become indebted in any manner or for any purpose to an amount, including existing indebtedness in the aggregate exceeding five per centum on the value of the taxable property therein, to be ascertained by the last assessment for State and county taxes previous to the incurring of such indebtedness. Any county, city, school district or other municipal corporation incurring any indebtedness as aforesaid, shall before, or at the time of doing so, provide for the collection of a direct annual tax sufficient to pay the interest of such debt as it falls due, and also to pay and discharge the principal thereof within twenty years from the time of contracting the same. This section shall not be construed to prevent any county, citj% township, school district, or other municipal corporation, from is- suing their bonds in compliance with any vote of the people which may have been had prior to the adoption of this Constitution in pursuance of any law providing therefor. § 13. (Amendment of 1890.) The corporate authorities of the rity of Chicago are hereby authorized to issue interest-bearing bonds of said 270 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS city to an amount not exceeding five million dollars, at a rate of interest not to exceed five per centum per annum, the principal payable within thirty years from the date of their issue, and the proceeds thereof shall be paid to the treasurer of the World's Columbian Exposition, and used and disbursed by him under the direction and control of the directors, in aid of the World's Columbian Exposition, to be held in the city of Chicago, in pursuance of an act of Congress of the United States. Provided, That if at an election for the adoption of this amendment to the Constitution, a majority of the votes cast within the limits of the city of Chicago, shall be against its adoption, then no bonds shall be issued under this amendment. And said corporate authorities shall be repaid as large a proportionate amount of the aid given by them as is repaid to the stockholders on the sums subscribed and paid by them, and the money so received shall be used in the redemption of the bonds issued as aforesaid, provided that said authorities may take in whole or in part of the sum coming to them any permanent improvements placed on land held or controlled by them. And, 'provided further. That no such indebtedness so created shall in any part thereof be paid by the State, or from any State revenue, tax or fund, but the same shall be paid by the said city of Chicago alone. Akticle X Counties § 1. No new county shall be formed or established by the General Assembly which will reduce the county or counties, or either of them, from w^hich it shall be taken to less contents than four hundred square miles ; nor shall any county be formed of less contents ; nor shall any line thereof pass within less than ten miles of any county seat of the county or counties proposed to be divided. § 2. No county shall be divided, or have any part stricken therefrom without submitting the question to a vote of the people of the county, nor unless a majority of all the legal voters of the county voting on the question shall vote for the same. § 3. There shall be no territory stricken from any county, unless a majority of the voters living in such territory shall petition for such di- vision; and no territory shall be added to any county without the con- sent of the majority of the voters of the county to which it is proposed to be added. But the portion so stricken off and added to another county, or formed in whole or in part into a new county, shall be holden CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 271 for, and obliged to pay its proportion oi, the indebtedness of the county from which it has been taken. COUNTY SEATS § 4, No county seat shall be removed until the point to which it is proposed to remove shall be fixed in pursuance of law, and three fifths of the voters of the county, to be ascertained in such manner as shall be provided by general law, shall have voted in favor of its removal to such point; and no person shall vote on such question who has not resided in the county six months, and in the election precinct ninety days next preceding such election. The question of the removal of a county seat shall not be oftener submitted than once in ten years, to a vote of the people. But when an attempt is made to remove a county seat to a point nearer to the center of the county, then a majority vote only shall be necessary. COUNTY GOVERNMENT § 5, The General Assembly shall provide, by general law, for town- ship organization, under which any county may organize whenever a majority of the legal voters of such county, voting at any general elec- tion, shall so determine; and whenever any county shall adopt township organization, so much of this Constitution as provides for the manage- ment of the fiscal concerns of the said county by the board of county commissioners, may be dispensed with, and the affairs of said county may be transacted in such manner as the General Assembly may pro- vide. And in any county that shall have adopted a township organiza- tion, the question of continuing the same may be submitted to a vote of the electors of such county, at a general election, in the manner that now is or may be provided by law; and if a majority of all the votes cast upon that question shall be against township organization, then such organization shall cease in said county; and all laws in force in relation to counties not having township organization, shall immediately take effect and be in force in such county. No two townships shall have the same name, and the day of holding the annual township meeting shall be uniform throughout the State. § 6. At the first election of county judges under this Constitution, there shall be elected in each of the counties in this State, not under township organization, three officers, who shall be styled, *'The Board of County Commissioners," who shall hold sessions for the transaction of county business as shall be provided by law. One of said commis- sioners shall hold his oflSce for one year, one for two years, and one for three years, to be determined by lot ; and every year thereafter one such 272 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS officer shall be elected in each of said counties for the term of three years. § 7. The county affairs of Cook county shall be managed by a board of commissioners of fifteen persons, ten of whom shall be elected from the city of Chicago and five from towns outside of said city, in such manner as may be provided by law. COUNTY OFFICERS AND THEIR COMPENSATION § 8. (Amended in 1880.) In each county there shall be elected the following county officers, at the general election to be held on the Tues- day after the first Monday in November, A. D. 1882: A county judge, county clerk, sheriff and treasurer, and at the election to be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, A. D. 1884, a coroner and clerk of the circuit court (who may be ex officio recorder of deeds, except in counties having 60,000 and more inhabitants, in which counties a recorder of deeds shall be elected at the general election in 1884). Each of said officers shall enter upon the duties of his office, respectively, on the first Monday of December after his election, and they shall hold their respective offices for the term of four years, and until their suc- cessors are elected and qualified: Provided, that no person haring once been elected to the office of sheriff or treasurer, shall be eligible to re- election to said office for four years after the expiration of the term for which he shall have been elected. § 9. The clerks of all courts of record, the treasurer, sheriff, coroner and recorder of deeds of Cook county, shall receive as their only com- pensation for their services, salaries to be fixed by law, which shall in no case be as much as the lawful compensation of a judge of the circuit court of said county and shall be paid respectively, only out of the fees of the office actually collected. All fees, perquisites and emoluments (above the amount of said salaries) shall be paid into the county treas- ury. The number of the deputies and assistants of such officers shall be determined by rule of the circuit court, to be entered of record, and their compensation shall be determined by the county board. § 10. The county board, except as provided in section nine of this article, shall fix the compensation of all county officers, with the amount of their necessarj^ clerk hire, stationery, fuel, and other expenses, and in all cases where fees are provided for, said compensation shall be paid only out of, and shall in no instance exceed, the fees actually collected ; they shall not allow either of them more per annum than fifteen hundred dollars, in counties not exceeding twenty thousand inhabitants; two thousand dollars, in counties containing twenty thousand and not ex- CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 273 Ceeding thirty thousand inhabitants; twenty-five hundred dollars, in counties containing thirty thousand and not exceeding fifty thousand in- habitants; three thousand dollars, in counties containing fifty thousand and not exceeding seventy thousand inhabitants; thirty-five hundred dollars, in counties containing seventy thousand and not exceeding one hundred thousand inhabitants; and four thousand dollars, in counties containing over one hundred thousand, and not exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants; and not more than one thousand dollars additional compensation for each additional one hundred thousand in- habitants; Pronded, that the compensation of no officer shall be in- creased or diminished during his term of office. All fees or allowances by them received, in excess of their said compensation, shall be paid into the county treasury. § 11. The fees of township officers, and of each class of county officers, shall be uniform in the class of counties to which they respectively be- long. The compensation herein provided for shall apply only to officers hereafter elected, but all fees established by special laws shall cease at the adoption of this Constitution, and such oflScers shall receive only such fees as are provided by general law. § 12. All laws fixing the fees of State, county and township officers, shall terminate with the terms respectively of those who maj'- be in office at the meeting of the first General Assembly after the adoption of this Constitution; and the General Assembly shall, by general law, uni- form in its operation, provide for and regulate the fees of said officers and their successors, so as to reduce the same to a reasonable com- pensation for services actually rendered. But the General Assembly may, by general law, classify the counties by population into not more than three classes, and regulate the fees according to class. This article shall not be construed as depriving the General Assembly of the power to reduce the fees of existing officers. § 13. Every person who is elected or appointed to any office in this State, who shall be paid in whole or in part by fees, shall be required by law to make a semi-annual report, under oath, to some officer to be designated by law, of all his fees and emoluments. Article XI Corporations § 1. No corporation shall be created liy special laws, or its charter ex- tended, changed or amended, except those for charitable, educational, penal or reformatory purposes, which are to be and remain under the patronage and control of the State, but the General Assembly shall pro- Illinois— 18 274 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS vide, by general laws, for the organization of all corporations hereafter to be created. § 2. All existing charters or grants of special or exclusive privileges, under which organization shall not have taken place, or which shall not have been in operation within ten days from the time this Constitution takes effect, shall thereafter have no validity or effect whatever, § 3. The General Assembly shall provide, by law, that in all elections for directors or managers of incorporated companies, every stockholder shall have the right to vote, in person or by proxy, for the number of shares of stock owned by him, for as many persons as there are directors or managers to be elected, or to cumulate said shares, and give one candidate as many votes as the number of directors multiplied by the number of his shares of stock shall equal, or to distribute them on the same principle among as many candidates as he shall think fit; and such directors or managers shall not be elected in any other manner. § 4. No law shall be passed by the General Assembly granting the right to construct and operate a street railroad within any city, town or incorporated village, without requiring the consent of the local au- thorities having the control of the street or highway proposed to be occu- pied by such street railroad. § 5. No State bank shall hereafter be created, nor shall the State own or be liable for any stock in any corporation or joint-stock company or association for banking purposes now created, or to be hereafter created. No act of the General Assembly authorizing or creating corporations or associations with banking powers, whether of issue, deposit or discount, nor amendments thereto, shall go into effect or in any manner be in force, unless the same shall be submitted to a vote of the people at the general election next succeeding the passage of the same, and be ap- proved by a majority of all the votes cast at such election for or against such law. § 6. Every stockholder in a banking corporation or institution shall be individually responsible and liable to its creditors, over and above the amount of stock by him or her held, to an amount equal to his or her respective shares so held, for all its liabilities accruing while he or she remains such stockholder. § 7. The suspension of specie payments by banking institutions, on their circulation, created by the laws of this State, shall never be per- mitted or sanctioned. Every banking association now, or which may hereafter be, organized under the laws of this State, shall make and pub- CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 275 lish a full and accurate quarterly statement of its affairs (which shall be certified to, under oath, by one or more of its officers) as may be pro- vided by law. § 8. If a general banking law shall be enacted, it shall provide for the registry and countersigning, by an officer of State, of all bilk or paper credit designed to circulate as money, and require security, to the full amount thereof, to be deposited with the State Treasurer, in United States or Illinois State stocks, to be rated at 10 per cent below their par value; and in case of a depreciation of said stocks to the amount of ten per cent below par, the bank or banks owing said stocks shall be required to make up said deficiency by depositing additional stocks. And said law shall also provide for the recording of the names of all stockholders in such corporations, the amount of stock held by each, the time of any transfer thereof, and to whom such transfer is made. RAILROADS § 9. Every railroad corporation organized or doing b.usiness in this State, under the laws or authority thereof, shall have and maintain a public office or place in this State for the transaction of its business, where transfers of stock shall be made, and in which shall be kept for public inspection, books in which shall be recorded the amount of capital stock subscribed, and by whom; the names of the owners of its stock, and the amounts owned by them respectively; the amount of stock paid in, and by whom; the transfers of said stock, the amount of its assets and liabilities, and the names and place of residence of its officers. The directors of every railroad corporation shall annually make a report, under oath, to the Auditor of Public Accounts, or some officer to be designated by law, of all their acts and doings, which report shall include such matters relating to railroads as may be pre- scribed by law. And the General Assembly shall pass laws enforcing by suitable penalties the provisions of this section. § 10. The rolling stock, and all other movable property belonging to any railroad company or corporation in this State, shall be considered personal property, and shall be liable to execution and sale in the same manner as the personal property of individuals, and the General Assembly shall pass no law exempting any such property from execu- tion and sale. § 11. No railroad corporation shall consolidate its stock, property or franchises with any other railroad corporation owning a parallel or competing line; and in no case shall any consolidation take place except upon public notice given, of at least 60 days, to all stockholders, in such 276 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS manner as may be provided by law. A majority of the directors of any railroad corporation, now incorporated or hereafter to be incorporated by the laws of this State, shall be citizens and residents of this State. § 12. Railways heretofore constructed or that may hereafter be con- structed in this State, are hereby declared public highways, and shall be free to all persons for the transportation of their persons and prop- erty thereon, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law. And the General Assembly shall, from time to time, pass laws establish- ing reasonable maximum rates of charges for the transportation of passengers and freight on the different railroads in this State. § 13. No railroad corporation shall issue any stock or bonds, except for money, labor or property actually received and applied to the purposes for which such corporation was created; and all stock divi- dends, and other fictitious increase of capital stock or indebtedness of any such corporations, shall be void. The capital stock of no railroad corporation shall be increased for any purpose, except upon giving 60 days' public notice, in such manner as may be provided by law. § 14. The exercise of power and the right of eminent domain shall never be so construed or abridged as to prevent the taking, by the General Assembly, of the property and franchises of incorporated com- panies already organized, and subjecting them to the public necessity the same as of individuals. The right of trial by jury shall be held in- violate in all trials of claims for compensation, when, in the exercise of the said right of eminent domain, an}- incorporated company shall be interested either for or against the exercise of said right. § 15. The General Assembly shall pass laws to correct abuses and prevent unjust discrimination and extortion in the rates of freight and passenger tariffs on the different railroads in this State, and enforce such laws by adequate penalties, to the extent, if necessary for that purpose, of forfeiture of their property and franchises. Article XII Militia § 1. The militia of the State of Illinois shall consist of all able-bodied male persons, resident in the State, between the ages of 18 and 45, except such persons as now are or hereafter may be exempted by the laws of the United States or of this State. § 2. The General Assembly, in providing for the organization, equipment and discipline of the militia, shall conform as nearly as practicable to the regulations for the government of the armies of the United States. CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 277 § 3. All militia officers shall be commissioned by the Governor, and may hold their commissions for such time as the General Assembly may provide. § 4. The militia shall, in all cases except treason, felony or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at musters and elections, and in going to and returning from the same. § 5. The military records, banners and relics of the State shall be preserved as an enduring memorial of the patriotism and valor of Illi- nois, and it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to provide by law for the safe-keeping of the same. § 6. No persons having conscientious scruples against bearing arms shall be compelled to do militia duty in the time of peace: Provided, such person shall pay an equivalent for such exemption. Article XIII Warehouses § 1. All elevators or storehouses where grain or other property is stored for a compensation, whether the property stored be kept separate or not, are declared to be public warehouses. § 2. The owner, lessee or manager of each and every public warehouse situated in any town or city of not less than 100,000 inhabitants, shall make weekly statements under oath, before some officer to be designated by law, and keep the same posted in some conspicuous place in the office of such warehouse, and shall also file a copy for public examination in such place as shall be designated by law, which statement shall cor- rectly set forth the amount and grade of each and every kind of grain in such warehouse, together with such other property as may be stored therein, and what warehouse receipts have been issued, and are, at the time of making such statement, outstanding therefor; and shall, on the copy posted in the warehouse, note daily such changes as may be made in the quantity and grade of grain in such warehouse; and the different grades of grain shipped in separate lots shall not be mixed with inferior or superior grades without the consent of the owner or consignee thereof. § 3. The owners of property stored in any warehouse, or holder of a receipt for the same, shall always be at liberty to examine such property stored, and all the books and records of the warehouse, in regard to such property. § 4. All railroad companies and other common carriers on railroads shall weigh or measure grain at points where it is shipped and receipt for the full amount, and shall be responsible for the delivery of such amount to the owner or consignee thereof, at the place of destination. 278 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS § 5. All railroad companies receiving and transporting grain in bulk or otherwise, shall deliver the same to any consignee thereof, or any elevator or public warehouse to which it may be consigned, provided such consignee or the elevator or public warehouse can be reached by any track owned, leased or used, or which can be used, by such railroad com- panies; and all railroad companies shall permit connections to be made with their track, so that any such consignee and any public warehouse, coal bank or coal yard may be reached by the cars on said railroad. § 6. It shall be the duty of the General Assembly to pass all neces- sary laws to prevent the issue of false and fraudulent warehouse re- ceipts, and to give full effect to this article of the Constitution, which shall be liberally construed so as to protect producers and shippers. And the enumeration of the remedies herein named shall not be con- strued to deny to the General Assembly the power to prescribe by law such other and further remedies as may be found expedient, or to de- prive any person of existing common-law remedies. § 7. The General Assembly shall pass laws for the inspection of grain, for the protection of producers, shippers and receivers of grain and produce. Article XIV Amendments to the Constitution § 1, Whenever two thirds of the members of each house of the Gen- eral Assembly shall, by a vote entered upon the journals thereof, concur that a convention is necessary to revise, alter or amend the Constitu- tion, the question shall be submitted to the electors at the next general election. If a majority voting at the election vote for a convention, the General Assembly shall, at the next session, provide for a convention, to consist of double the number of members of the Senate, to be elected in the same manner, at the same places, and in the same districts. The General Assembly shall, in the act calling the convention, designate the day, hour and place of its meeting, fix the pay of its members and officers, and provide for the pajmient of the same, together with the expenses necessarily incurred by the convention in the performance of its duties. Before proceeding, the members shall take an oath to sup- port the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Illinois, and to faithfully discharge their duties as members of the convention. The qualification of members shall be the same as that of members of the Senate, and vacancies occurring shall be filled in the manner provided for filling vacancies in the General Assembly. Said convention shall meet within three months after such election, and prepare such revision, CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 279 alteration or amendments of the Constitution as shall be deemed neces- sary, which shall be submitted to the electors for their ratification or rejection at an election appointed by the convention for that purpose, not less than two or more than six months after the adjournment thereof; and unless so submitted, and approved by a majority of the electors voting at the election, no such revision, alteration or amend- ments shall take effect. § 2. Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed in either house of the General Assembly, and if the same shall be voted for by • two thirds of all the members elected to each of the two houses, such proposed amendments, together with the ayes and nays of each house thereon, shall be entered in full on their respective journals, and said amendments shall be submitted to the electors of this State for adop- tion or rejection, at the next election of members of the General As- sembly, in such manner as may be prescribed by law. The proposed amendments shall be published in full at least three months preceding the election, and if a majority of the electors voting at said election shall vote for the proposed amendments, they shall become a part of this Constitution. But the General Assembly shall have no power to pro- pose amendments to more than one article of this Constitution at the same session nor to the same article oftener than once in four years. Sections Separately Submitted ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD No contract, obHgation or liability whatever, of the Illinois Central Railroad Company to pay any money into the State treasury, nor any Hen of the State upon, or right to tax property of said company, in accordance with the provisions of the charter of said company, ap- proved February tenth, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, shall ever be released, suspended, modified, altered, remitted, or in any manner diminished or impaired by legislative or other authority; and all moneys derived from said company, after the payment of the State debt, shall be appropriated and set apart for the payment of the ordinary expenses of the State government, and for no other purposes whatever. MINORITY REPRESENTATION [See Sections 7 and 8, Article IV, pages 245 and 246.] MUNICIPAL SUBSCRIPTIONS TO RAILROADS OR PRIVATE CORPORATIONS No county, city, town, township, or other municipality, shall ever 280 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS become subscriber to the capital stock of any railroad or private corpo- ration, or make donation to or loan its credit in aid of such corpora- tion: Provided, however, that the adoption of this article shall not be construed as affecting the right of any such municipality to make such subscriptions where the same have been authorized, under existing laws, by a vote of the people of such municipalities prior to such adoption, CANAL [railroad STATE AID PROHIBITED] The Illinois and Michigan Canal shall never be sold or leased until the specific proposition for the sale or lease thereof shall first have been submitted to a vote of the people of the State, at a general election, and have been approved by a majority of all the votes polled at such elec- tion. The General Assembly shall never loan the credit of the State, or make appropriations from the treasury thereof, in aid of railroads or canals: Provided, that any surplus earnings of any canal may be ap- propriated for its enlargement or extension. Schedule That no inconveniences may arise from the alterations and amend- ments made in the Constitution of this State, and to carry the same into complete effect, it is hereby ordained and declared: § 1. That all laws in force at the adoption of this Constitution, not inconsistent therewith, and all rights, actions, prosecutions, claims and contracts of the State, individuals or bodies corporate, shall continue to be as valid as if this Constitution had not been adopted. § 2. That all fines, taxes, penalties and forfeitures, due and owing to the State of Illinois under the present Constitution and laws, shall inure to the use of the people of the State of Illinois, under this Constitution. § 3. Recognizances, bonds, obligations, and other instruments en- tered into or executed before the adoption of this Constitution, to the people of the State of Illinois, to any State or county officer, or public body, shall remain binding and valid ; and rights and liabilities upon the same shall continue, and all crimes and misdemeanors shall be tried and punished as though no change had been made in the Constitution of this State. § 4. County courts for the transaction of county business in counties not having adopted township organization shall continue in existence, and exercise their present jurisdiction until the board of county commis- sioners provided in this Constitution is organized in pursuance of an act of, the General Assembly; and the county courts in all other counties CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 281 shall have the same power and jurisdiction they now possess until otherwise provided by law. § 5. All existing courts which are not in this Constitution specifically enumerated shall continue in existence and exercise their present juris- diction until otherwise provided by law. § 6. All persons now filling any office or appointment shall continue in the exercise of the duties thereof according to their respective com- missions or appointments, unless by this Constitution it is otherwise directed. [Sections 7 to 17, both inclusive, providing for the submission of this Constitu- tion and voting thereon by the people, and for the first elections under the Con- stitution, are omitted as of no further effect.] § 18. All laws of the State of Illinois and all official writings, and the executive, legislative and judicial proceedings, shall be conducted, preserved and published in no other than the English language. § 19. The General Assembly shall pass all laws necessary to carry into effect the provisions of this Constitution. § 20. The circuit clerks of the different counties having a population over 60,000 shall continue to be recorders (ex officio) for their respective counties, under this Constitution, until the expiration of their respective terms. § 21. The judges of all courts of record in Cook county shall, in lieu of any salary provided for in this Constitution, receive the compensation provided by law until the adjournment of the first session of the General Assembly after the adoption of this Constitution. § 22. The present judge of the circuit court of Cook county shall continue to hold the circuit court of Lake county until otherwise pro- vided by law. § 23. When this Constitution shall be adopted and take effect as the supreme law of the State of Illinois, the two-mill tax provided to be annually assessed and collected upon each dollar's worth of taxable property, in addition to all other taxes, as set forth in article fifteen of the now existing Constitution, shall cease to be assessed after the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy. § 24. Nothing contained in this Constitution shall be so construed as to deprive the General Assembly of power to authorize the city of Quincy to create any indebtedness for railroad or municipal purposes for which the people of said city shall have voted and to which they shall have given, by such vote, their assent, prior to the thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine: Provided, that no such indebtedness so created .shall, in any part thereof, be paid by the State or from anj' State revenue tax or 282 HISTORY OF ILLINOIS fund, but the same shall be paid, if at all, by the city of Quincy alone, and by taxes to be levied upon the taxable property thereof: And, provided further, that the General Assembly shall have no power in the premises that it could not exercise under the present Constitution of the State. § 25. In case this Constitution, and the articles and sections sub- mitted separately to be adopted, the existing Constitution shall cease in all its provisions; and in case this Constitution be adopted, and any one or more of the articles or sections submitted separately be defeated, the provisions of the existing Constitution, if any, on the same subject shall remain in force. § 26. The provisions of this Constitution required to be executed prior to the adoption or rejection thereof, shall take effect and be in force immediately. [attestation] Done in convention at the Capitol in the city of Springfield, on the thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hun- dred and seventy, and of the independence of the United States of America the ninety-fourth. In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names. Charles Hitchcock, President. William*J. Allen, Robert J. Cross, John Abbott, Samuel P. Cummings, James C. Allen, John Dement, Elliott Anthony, G. S. Eldridge, Wm. R. Archer, James W. English, Henry I. Atkins, David Ellis, James G. Bayne, Ferris Forman, R. M. Benjamin, Jesse C. Fox, H. P. H. Bromwell, Miles A. Fuller, O. H. Browning, John P. Gamble, Wm. G. Bowman, * Addison Goodell, Silas L. Bryan, John C. Haines, H. P. Buxton, Elijah M. Haines, Daniel Cameron, John W. Hankins, William Cary, R. P. Hanna, Lawrence S. Church, Joseph Hart, Hiram H. Cody, Abel Harwood, W. F. Coolbaugh, Milton Hay, Alfred M. Craig, Samuel Snowden Hayes, CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS 283 Jesse S. Hildrup, Jas. McCoy, Charles E. McDowell, William C. Goodhue, Joseph Medill, Clifton H. Moore, Jonathan Merriani, Joseph Parker, Samuel C. Parker, Peleg S. Parley, J. S. Poage, Edward Y. Rice, James P. Robinson, Lewis W. Ross, Robert A- King, William P. Pierce, N. J. Pillsbury, John Scholfield, James :M. Sharp, Henry Sherell, Wm. H.- Snyder, O. C. Skinner, Westel W. Sedgwick, Charles F. Springer, John L. Tincher, C. Truesdale, Henry Tubbs, Thomas J. Turner, Wm. H. Underwood, Wm. L. Vande venter, Henry W. Wells, George E. Wait, George W. Wall, R. B. Sutherland, D. C. Wagner, George R. Wendhng, Chas. Wheaton, L. t). Whiting, John H. Wilson, Orlando H. Wright. Attest: John Q. Harmon, Secretary. Daniel Shepherd, First Assistant Secretary. A. H. Swain, Second Assistant Secretary. Amendment of 1886 Contract Convict Labor Hereafter it shall be unlawful for the commissioners of any peni- tentiary or other reformatory institution in the State of Illinois to let by contract to any person or persons, or corporations, the labor of any convict confined within said institution. [For other amendments, see Art. IV. §§ 31, 34; Art. V, § IG; Art. IX, § 13; Art. X, § 8.] INDEX Abolitionists, 135-137 Addams, Jane, 222 Agricultural interests of the state, 196-198 Allouez, Father, 31 Altgeld, Governor, 184, 219 Alton, 101, 113, 132 Animals of Illinois, 109-111, 203, 204 Arbitration, Board of, 200 Asylums, state, 205, 206 Attorney-general, 191 Auditor, state, 190 Australian ballot system, 218 B Beveridge, Governor, 216 Bickerdyke, Mary A., 222 Birkbeck, Moses, 77, 88, 89 Bissell, Governor, 146, 147 Black Hawk War, 92-98 Board of Agriculture, 196 Arbitration, 200 Dental Examiners, 195 Equalization, 201 Examiners of Architects, 196 Factory and Workshop In- spectors, 200, 201 Health, 195 Pardons, 209 Board of Pharmacy, 195 Prison Industries, 208 Public Charities, 204, 205 Boards and institutions, state, 195-211 Bond, Shadrach, 66, 81 Brady, Tom, 48 British rule in Illinois, 45-48 Bryan, Wm. J., 219 Cahokia, 14, 32 Cairo, 164, 166 Camp Douglas conspiracy, 175 Camp meetings, 103 Cannon, Joseph G., 219 Capitol, state, 116, 117, 217 Carlin, Governor, 118 Cartright, Peter, 103 Charitable Eye and Ear Infirmary, 206 Charitable institutions, state, 204- 207 Chase, Philander, 103 Chicago, 70, 80, 101, 102, 113, 154, 156, 175, 177-187 Chicago, commerce of, 185 Chicago Fire, 179-182 Chicago Sanitary Canal, 185 Chicago Times, suppression of, 173, 174 284 INDEX 285 Chicago University, 178, 179, 187 Church, first Protestant, 70, 77 Circuit riders, 103 Civil Service Commission, 207 Civil War, Illinois's share in, 163- 176, 179 Clark, George Rogers, 49-57 Coal, 11, 12 Coles, Edward, 85-89 Colleges, 103, 161, 187, 214 Commercial interests of the state, 98, 199 Commissioners, Educational, of 1907, 213 Fish, 204 Food, 196 Game, 203 Highway, 202, 203 Labor, 201 Live stock, 197, 198 Railroad and Warehouse, 198, 199 Company of the West, 33, 34 Compulsorj^ Education Law, 212, 213 Constitution, state, first, SO, 81, 83 second, 126, 127 of 1870, 188-194 Constitutional convention of 1862, 171, 172 Cook, Daniel P., 88, 91 Counties of Illinois, 237 origin of names, 230 Court of Claims, 202 Courts, 191, 192 Crozat's Grant, 32, 33 Cullom, Shelby M., 216 D Davis, David, 216 Deneen, Governor, 221 Direct Primary Law, 224, 225 Dix, Dorothea L., 205 Douglas, Stephen A., 133, 138- 142, 148-153, 163, 164 Duncan, Governor, 91, 112-117 E Educational Commission, 213 Edwards, Ninian, 68, 69, 81, 90, 130 Entomologist, state, 198 Factory and Workshop Inspect- ors, 200, 201 Farmers' Institutes, 197 Feeble-Minded Children, Asylum for, 205 Field, Eugene, 221 Fifer, Governor, 218 First settlements, 31-34 Fish Commissioners, 204 Food Commissioners, 196 Ford, Governor, 118, 119, 124, 125 Fort Chartres, 34, 35, 40-44, 46, 47 Fort Clark, 69 Fort Crevecoeur, 27 Fort Dearborn massacre, 70-72 Fort Massac, 40, 41, 221 Fort Russell. 69 Fort Saint Louis of the Rock, 29 Freeport, debate at, 151 French, Governor, 127 French and Indian War, 39-44 French life in Illinois, 35-38, 104- 106 French protest against British misrule in Illinois, 47 286 Fuller, Melville W, 219 INDEX ^',0- Gage, Lyman J., 219 Galena, 91 Game Commissioner, 203 Game Laws, 203, 204 General Assembly, organization and powers of, 193, 194 Generals in Civil War, from Illi- nois, 168 Geological Survey, 202 Gibault, Father, 54, 55 Governor, duties of the, 189, 190, 194 Governors, list of, 240 Grant, General U. S., 164-167, 220 Gresham, W. Q., 219 H Hamilton, Governor, 216 Harper, Pres. W. R., 222 Harper High License Law% 216 Harrison, Carter H., Sr., 217 Harrison, William Henry, 67, 72 Haymarket Riot, 184, 217, 219 Hennepin, Father, 12, 26 Highway Commissioners, 202, 203 Illinois, admitted to Union, 79-82 as a territory, 68-69 at beginning of nineteenth century, 73-78 in 1830-1840, 99-103 in 1860, 160, 161 since 1870, 215-226 Illinois and Michigan Canal, 80, 91, 112, 177, 185 Illinois Central Railroad, 133, 134, 161 Illinois State Historical Society, 222, 223 Indiana Territory, Illinois a part of, 67 Indians, 14-17, 65, 67, 69, 102 Industrial Home for Blind, 206 Insane, state asylums for, 205 Insurance Department, 199 Internal Improvement System, 112, 113, 118 Jesuits in Illinois, 23 Joliet, Louis, 18-21 Judd, Norman A., 154, 157 Judicial system, 191, 192 Kansas-Nebraska Bill, 138-140 Kaskaskia, 31, 32, 47, 51, 81, 101, 218 Kaskaskia mission, 21, 22, 31 LaBalme, 56, 57 Labor, Commissioners of, 201 Labor troubles, 184, 199, 200 Lafayette, General, 88 La Salle, Sieur de, 24-30 Libraries, 187, 214 Libraries of Chicago, 187 Lieutenant governor, 190 Lincoln, Abraham, 96, 117, UL 144-159, 162, 176 Lincoln-Douglas debates, 148- 153 . INDEX 2!^7 Lincoln Monument, 220 Live Stock Commission, 197, 198 Livermore, Mary A., 222 Local Option Law, 223 Logan, John A., 217 Louisiana, named, 29 Illinois a part of, 32 Lovejoy, Elijah P., 113-116, 135 Lundy, Benj., 135, 136 M Macarty, Chevalier, 40, 42 Mail routes, early, 78 Manufactures, 10, 11 Marquette, Father, 18-23 Matteson, Governor, 130 Membre, Father, 26, 29 Menard, Pierre, 81 Mexican War, Illinois's share in, 119, 120 Minerals, 12 Mining Board, 201 Mississippi River, 20, 104-108 Moody, D. L., 222 Mormon trouble, 102, 121-125 Mound builders, 13, 14 N National conventions at Chicago, list of, 184 Nauvoo, 102, 121-125 Newspapers, early, 78, 102, 103, 177, 178 Nicolet, Jean, 18 Normal Schools, 211 Northwest Territory, 64-66 Northwestern University, 178, 187 O Oglesby, Richard, 152, 154, 216, 217, 218 Ordinance of 1787, 61-63 Palmer, John M., 146, 181, 216, 218 Pardons, Board of, 209 Parole system, 209 Peck, Rev. John Mason, 88 Penitentiaries, state, 207, 208 Peoria, 26, 27, 48, 69, 101, 142 Pharmacy, Board of, 195 Physical geography of Illinois, 7, 8, 11, 12 Pioneer life, 73-78, 101-103 Pontiac, Chief, 43 Pope, Nathaniel, 79, 80 Population, 9, 10, 215 Prairies, 8, 9 Prison Industries, Board of, 208 Prisoners, betterment of condition of, 208, 209 Prominent citizens of the state, list of, 218, 219, 221, 222 Public Charities, Board of, 204, 205 Public Instruction, Supt. of, 130, 190, 191 Quincy, 101 R Railroad and Warehouse Commis- sion, 198, 199 Railroads, 113, 132-134, 186, 198 2SS INDEX Reformatory, state, 207, 208 Republican Party, beginning of, 143-147 Republican state convention of 1904, 221 Reynolds, John, 92, 94 Root, George F., 171 St. Ange, Louis, 42-44 St. Clair, General, 64-66 School for Blind, 206 Deaf, 206 Schools, public, 129-131, 211-213 Secretary of State, 190 Senators, U. S., from Illinois, 239 Slavery in Illinois, 83-89 Smith, Joseph, 121 Soldiers and Sailors' Home, 206, 207 Soldiers' Orphans' Home, 207 Soldiers' Widows' Home, 207 Sons of Liberty, 175 Spalding, Bishop J. L., 222 Spaniards, march of, across Illi- nois, 57 Spanish- American War, 219, 220 Springfield, 117, 162 Starved Rock, 29 State boards and institutions, 195-210,211 State Capitol, 116, 117, 217 "State Policy," 132, 133 Steamboats, 104-108 Stevenson, Vice President, 218 Strikes and labor troubles, 184, 199, 200, 217 Supt. of Public Instruction, 130, 190, 191 Supreme Court, 192 Swing, David, 222 Tanner, Governor, 219, 220 Thomas, Jesse B., 81 Thomas, Theodore, 222 Todd, Col. John, 58 Tonty, Henry de, 24-29 Trumbull, Lyman, 144, 147, 152 U Underground Railroad, 136, 137 LInion League of America, 171 University of Illinois, 211 V Vandalia, 82, 88, 117 Vincennes, 55, 56, 67 ^'irginia, Illinois a part of, 58-60 W War of 1812, Illinois in, 68-72 Washburne, E. B., 143, 166 Willard, Frances E., 221 Work, Henry Clay, 171 World's Columbian Exposition, 183, 184 Yates, Richard, Sr., 159, 170, 172, 173 Yates, Richard, Jr., 221 t^fi 33 Bul