Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-11-24
Illinois and the Ordinance of 1887.

A friend presented US yesterday with a
pamphlet, containing a lecture on the early
history Of the State of Illinois, delivered be-
fore the Chicago Lycsum, in December 1910,
by William II. Brown, Esq, from which we
make the following extract:
"This audience is well aware, that by the
Ordinance Of 1887, slavery was excluded
from the territory out of which this State was
formed. But long before the passage of this
Ordinance, slavery had been introduced into
Illinois by the French inhabitants Of The Mis-.
sissippi Valley, and did oil course exist when
the Ordinance of 81 became the organic law
of The n. w. Territory. During the exist
ence of the Illinois territorial government, a
law had been passed by the Legislature,
known as the lndenturing Law, by which q
kind OF quasi slavery had been legalized. By
this act, 4 stakeholder in Kentucky or else
wEsrp, could bring his slaves into the terri
tori. taking them within a certain time be-
fs<hhe Clerk of the Circuit Court; here the
sYases by their own free will and accord, as
tcas presumed, consented to serve their late
masters 20, so, or so years, taking especial
care TO add such a number of years as would
cover the life Of the indented person. The
children Of the indentured servants, were to
be registered upon their birth in the County
Court Clerks Office, and were called 'rrg-
is,ered servants" TO be free, the males at SO,
and the females at 81 years old. The de-
scendants of the registered servants to be Tree
at 81 and II years old. Thus il will be per-
ceived, that the subject Of slavery, in all its
varieties, as it then existed, was calculated
to awaken a deep interest, when it was sup
posed that, by acls Of the convention, il was
to be upheld or wholly swept away. Its ad-
,,rso -ar1 80 e ,,--., =. n. $500.
tuition a saving clause, by which their sup
posed rights would be confirmed-while the
ulIras OF the opposite party were ready to
overturn the whole fabric. The convention
took a middle course, leaving The right to the
French %slaveTs and their descendants 10 be
adjudicated by the courts Of the country and
declaring that those who had been bound TO
service by indenture or contract, in confoTrni-
ty with the territorial law, without fraud or
collision, should be held 10 a specific per-
iorlnance Of their contract-and also that those
who had been registered, should serve ouI
the time appointed by the law The anti
slavery mon were contenIed with the saving
clause contained in the words without fraud
or collision" as they commended that in all
cases Of indentuTed servants there was both
the one and the other. 10 a great extent
they were no doubt Correction cases were
not where the unfortunate servant
before going to the Clerks office, was whip
ped into d proper state of mind, "iTeely and
voluntarily" TO enter into contract with his
master. But in all cases il was well under
Stood, that if this consent was not given, TIN
slave would be Immediately removed 10
slaveholding State, to remain in bondage il
the hands of some one perhaps less kind thar
bis present possessor."
So far as Illinois was concerned, the Ordi
nance of 1887 was an abolition measure, be
cause slavery did exist in that territory wheT
The Ordinance was adopted. We do no
quote the above extract however, for the pur
pose of establishing, by the acts Of EARL
statesmen of the republic, the complete anC
exclusive control OF Congress over the terri
tories, because we consider that question set
tied, but with the view Of showing that III
general tendency, in new territories, is favor
able TO slavery, and that nothing but a posi-
tive prohibition will exclude that institution
from new and %spaIsely settled regions. Not
withslanding the Ordinance Of 1897, posi-
lively prohibiting slavery in the northwest
ern territory, of which Illinois was a part
shareholders evaded the law, and slavery VII
tually existed in Illinois Territory long aft
The passage Of the Ordinance.
The soil and climate of Illinois, arc not S
well adapted to slave labor as are the so
and climate of New Mexico and Californi;
Yet nothing short Of a positive prohlbilio
prevented slavery from being planted forevu
In that territory. This fact alone will ser,
10 show the absolute necessity of immediat
Il. ly excluding, by legislative enaclments. ID
= Institution from the territories acquired fro
Mexico, il We would not have them the etc