Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-11-21
FOR THE SPECTATOR.
Ma. WARREN,

Ma. WARREN,
You are requested to publish the ell
closed, for the benefit of the Illinois le-
gislaturc, which is to meet soon, and
oblige SUBSCRIBER.
P. Sit is taken, as you will see,
from the Illinois Intelligencer of Sep
TENDER last.
To the honorable the Legislature QftAe
state Of Illinois, TO convene in general
assembly at Vandaha, on the first
Monday in December neat.
The undersigned petitioner, DEFAULK-
ED, respectfully sheweth-that he emf
grated to the state of Illinois in the month
OF March, 1919, and that his rights OF
citizenship were recognized and approx
ed, as appears in the twenty first line
from the top of the one hundred and
forty second page Of the statute book.
Your petitioner being of quiet dispo-
sttion, and living in constant obedience
to the laws, faithfully paying his taxes,
eschewing all evil, moral and political,
and reading no books but the bible and
and almanac, fondly INDUCED the hope
should be permitted to live in peace and
amity with all his fellow citizens, with
out being molested by any of them; but
to his great disappointment he has been
subject to divers painful grievances, for
the redress of which he makes this feel
ing appeal to your honorable body. Ow-
ing 10 some pecularities in the name of
your petitioner, and its not being found in
Lowth, Johnson, Sheridan, Entck, or any
other book of the English language, GER
tain inquisitive fellows have busted
themselves in attempting to ascertain his
native country, and have very shrewdly
suspected that he came from "parts un-
KNOWN" or was actually engendered by
your learned predecessors in legislation.
But he aflirms that more legitimate
son OF emigration never came to the
country, and that he has perfect right
to live in it so long as his residence has
the sanction of legislative authority.
1t is with extreme reluctance that your
petitioner finds himself under the pain
ful necessity of stating to your honors,
that in the courts of justice where his
name is frequently used, and where his
rights ought to be inviolate, he has been
Jeered in the most taunting and sarcastic
manner, and many OF that nerry loving
class of fellows, the lawyers, have not
hesitated to make him an object of con-
slant ridicule; and like Millions devil,
have grinned a ghasuy smile whenever
they have heard his name pronounced.
petitioner imagines they have adopt
ed the maxim ofthat famous infdel, Vol
taire, that " ridicuIe is the test of TRUTH
and by dexterous use of it they intend
to drive him out of the country. They
have pretended that an attempt to speak
your petitioners name cracks the law
bone and breaks out the teeth where
as, he is confident that more sonorous
word was never uttered, and that its pro-
nunciation touches the auditory nerve
with sensation ofexquisite delight.
10 save your petitioner from the many
evils to which he is at present exposed,
he prays your honorable body to pass a
law, entitled an act to improve the Eng
HsA language and the science oflegisle-
ton From the operation of such am
act, he verify believes he should derive
great advantage, and With great defer
ence suggests that the following might
be some OF its prominent provisions:
Whereas Mr. DEFAuLKED has
presented his petition to this assembly,
praying for the redress of certain griey-
ances therein set forth, now,
Sec. /. Be it enacted By the heohle OF
the state Of Illinois, retresenfed in the
general assembly, That the said Mr..
DEFACLKED is true and loyal citi-
zen of this state, and that his name is a
pure English word, because it is found
in the laws of said state, and no where
else.
Sec. 2. Whereas the last general as
ssmbly Of this state, passed several laws
and parts OF laws, sections and parts of
sections, which, for proprietyof arrange
ment, elegance of diction, clearness Of
conception, distinctness of expression,
brevlty and terseness of style, have no
parallel in the annals of literature and
legislation, either ancient or MODERN
therefore, be it further enacted by the
authority aforesaid, That said laws and
parts Of laws, sectious and parts of sec.
tons, are hereby declared to be the Illi-
nois Classics, and as such shall have
preference in all seminaries of learning
throughout this state over parcel of
L