, 1861-12-12
A PROPHETIC POPE

~O~---E E1HAoH@N+ J
Of the Chicago Historical Society, at the
society's Annual Meeting, on Tuesday eve
ming last, revived the recollection Of the
question Of the Northern boundary Of this
State, the course thereon Of Judge Pope,
then Delegate in Congress, and the rea-
sons which influenced him; and, at the
same time, pointed out the bearing Of this
question on the greater question of to-day.
Our readers are Of course aware that, by
the Ordinance Of 1887, three other States
were provided for-Ohio, Indiana and Hi
nois-with grant Of power to Congress to
erect two other States from the territory
North Of an East and West line
drawn through tie southe,ly end Of Lake
Michigan. At that day the supposition was
universal that that line would mark the d.
vision between Illinois and the next State
North. If that idea had been realized, the
fourteen counties in Hlinois-Jo Daviess,
Stephenson, Winnebago, Boone, McHenry,
Lake, Cook, Kane, Du Page, De Kalb, Lee,
Oglc, Whiteside and Carroll, would have
been throwninto Wisconsin. Judge Pope, in
January, 1918, in presenting petition to
Congress, praying for the admission of the
Territory Of Illinois into the Union as
State, moved that the parallel Of 422' 80 be
designated as the Northern boundary; and
this motion he sustained in q speech in
which the reasons for seeming to set aside
the Ordinance were stated at length; and it
is curious fact that his principal object, as
avowed IN lis remarks, was to get for ILL
nois a port on Lake Michigan, that her
commercial connections with the East
might he so strengthened that, in the event
Of any attempt to dissolve the Union, the
State by her position would be able to main
tain the bond which ties these many po1iti-
cal communities together.
We do not know that at this time any
copy Of his speech is in existence; but the
recollection Of our older citizens has pre-
served its substance. He pointed out the
fact that all the navigable rivers Of thu
State-the Wabash on the east, the Ohio OF
! the south, the Illinois in the centre, and ths
Mississippi on the west-dowed toward tn
Gulf Of Mexico, and that the commerce tina
they would carry would seek the spo
where their waters empty into the sea- HI
predicted the early construction Of the Hi
nois and Michigan Canal, and. the futur'
greatness Of Chicago, then only an India1
trading post, and urged upon the represen
tatges the Importance Of carrying th'
boundary in question SO far north that tn
commercial interests Of the State would b.
| equally identified with each Of the grea
sections Of the country, to the end that III
Union might be madeperpetual. 1t isnov
said that his remarks on point which, a
that time, excited no more attention than
proposition to straighten the west line Q
Dacotah would excite at this day, were Q
the character Of prophecy. It is certainl,
| true that the measure to which he COLI,
mitted Congress for the benefit Of Illinois
has had the effect that he predicted, AM
that the course Of the State, now that mad
men are attempting to dissolve the. Unio,
that he labored to preserve, has justified III
patriotic solicitude in her behalf. In cor
clusion, it is pleasant to be able to say tha
the General Pope Of the Federal army, noz
| in Missouri, deToting himself to the caus
Of lis country, is the son Of Judge Popt
the Delegate in 1918, whose vision into til
future was so keen; and that IN the son y
mark that patriotism which disinguishe
the long and honorable career of the fathcl