What are the facts upon which this bold assertion is based? When
we first acquired the country, as far back as 1787, there were some
slaves within it held by the French inhabitants of Kaskaskia. The
territorial legislation admitted a few negroes from the slave States as
indentured servants. One year after the adoption of the first State
constitution, the whole number of them was--what do you think? Just one
hundred and seventeen, while the aggregate free population was
55,094,--about four hundred and seventy to one. Upon this state of facts
the people framed their constitution prohibiting the further introduction
of slavery, with a sort of guaranty to the owners of the few indentured
servants, giving freedom to their children to be born thereafter, and
making no mention whatever of any supposed slave for life. Out of this
small matter the Judge manufactures his argument that Illinois came into
the Union as a slave State. Let the facts be the answer to the argument.
The principles of the Nebraska Bill, he says, expelled slavery from
Illinois. The principle of that bill first planted it here--that is, it
first came because there was no law to prevent it, first came before we
owned the country; and finding it here, and having the Ordinance of '87
to prevent its increasing, our people struggled along, and finally got
rid of it as best they could.
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