Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-06-30
Exclusion of Negroes In IIIinOis---
What MeanS.

Whatever may lie the fate Of the new Consti-
tuition of Illinois, IL is quite certain that the arti-
Gle prohibiting negroes OF other States from set
ting in that, which was submitted to a vote sep.
arate from the main portion of the instrument,
has been adopted by a very large majority of the
people OF the State. Even Chicago. which in
past years has been so ready to get up mobs to
rescue fugitive slaves, voted four to one in favor
of excluding negroes of other States from resi-
dence IN Illinois. We must confess that consti-
tutional and legislative provisions of this charac
ter do not strike us favorably, and they can not
be DEFENDED on principles of philanthropy and
humanity. 1t seems harsh TO say TO a people
whose ancestors came to the country not from
choice but to crafty the cupidity of the white
man, that they shall not cross from one State in
to another under pain of being cast into Jail
and treated as criminals. We do not believe
the people of any State would engraft such a
provision upon their organic law out of a blind
and unreasonable hatred of the black man.
But the fact that the people Of several So
called Gree States have adopted such meas
ures, goes to show that in the opinion of the vo-
tiers there was good reason for such action.
What was that reasOn2 We are bound to infer
that it was Il determination on their part to pre-
serve their respective States from a large negro
immigration, and the commingling of the races in
the same cities, towns. villages and neighbor-
hoods, the evils Of which none are so blind as
not to see. There are thousands of persons who,
while they treat the negro civilly, and are desir
Gus that he shall be protected in all his Just
rights. are infexibly opposed to an increase, by
immigration, Of that species of population.
They do not want their children in youth to en-
ter the same schools with negroes, or, when they
become older, to work by their side in the shop
or the field. They believe that such contact
-r,,ll Io-o Al g. - - -lo-...- l. -
gro, but OF degrading the white man. Hence
they desire their exclusion.
This, we doubt not, is the true reason why the
people of Illinois have just voted, as did the
people of Indiana twelve years ago, for the ex
%ciusiOn of negroes and mulattoes from their
State. In so voting, the people of Illinois have
of course. decided, with equal emphasis, against
the schemes of emancipation, alias "confisca-
tion," which have been agitated in Congress: foI
we do not believe the people of our sister State
could be guilty of the inhumanity of ~favorine
the giving of nominal freedom to several mil.
lion black men, and in the same breath tell them
that if they set foot on the free soil of Illinois
they will be thrust into prison, and treated, not
as slaves, but as culprits. to be punished foI
crime--the crime of coming among a people
whose Representatives in Congress had voted
them their Liberty" To suppose that the peo-
pie of Illinois would favor the enfranchisemen
of the SLAVES of rebels" and then refuse these
eniranchised sons and daughters of Africa 9
resting place on their rich and bOundless prairie:
or Il retreat within their vast wildernesses, would
be to suppose them capable of the grossest anC
most shocking hypocrisy.
But they are not hypocrites. What the people
Of Illinois mean by their vote of Tuesday is tina
they are opposed to disturbing the present rela
tons of the races North or South. They are il
favor OF allowing-cOmpelling, perhaps, would
be the better word-Kentucky and Missouri t
keep their negroes, and Illinois will keep hers
This can be the only meaning of the verdict o
the people of cur sister State. None know bet
ter than they that if the slaves of the Soutl
are liberated by act of Congress, large number
of them, as a natural and necessary consequence
would come to the border States of the North
And if they are so liberated by the votes OF TIN
Congressmen of Indiana and Illinois, the people
of these States could not drive back the dusk,
immigration. They would come despite consti
%tutional prohibitions and legislative enactments
IN. A Ledger.