The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-07-28
GROWTH OF THE WEST.
A Half Century Of State History.


reached it's first half century of existence
as q separate State. The Chicago Re
publican improves the opportunity OF
reviewing the remarkable progress and
development OF Illinois during this
period. Its article is very long, extend
ing over six columns, but the more i'm
portant facts it presents can be con
densed into much briefer space.
Going back to the earliest explora-
tions of what is now known as Illinois,
we find that after the visit Of Marquette,
in 1878, the French settlements gradu
ally grew, until 1888, when there was a
and, principly scattered along the Mis-
sissippi and Illinois rivers. In that
year the people and territory were trans
ferred to the United States, and formed
Ohio, Indiana, and the territory of Mich
| igan were successively carved off from
this magnificent domain, when the ter
ritory Of Illinois embraced the present
part of Minnesota.
At this time, 1905, the territorial Gov
ernor was obliged to own freehold of
one thousand acres, and the other chief
territorial officers ploportionately. The
Governor appointed all civil officers, and
had the power to divide the territory
into counties and townships. In 1912
the first delegate to Congress was elect
ed, Nathaniel Pope, father Of General
Pope, who, in 1918, reported bill for
the admission Of the State into the Tn
ion. 1t seems singular now, that Judge
Pope urged the giving away of large
lake frontier as a means of binding the
State to the East, and of preventing
dissolution Of the Union, then much ap
pretended. But for this Chicago would
probably now be the leading city of
Wisconsin-that is, the north line of
Illinois, would have corresponded with
that of Indiana.
One of the very important results of
this extension northward of the State
line not alluded to by the Republican,
has been seen in the political history of
the State Northern Illinois has been
almost entirely settled by emigrants
from the Eastern States. Thickly pop
ulated, for the West, abounded in vii
lapes and cities, in schools and churches,
anti slavery sentiments have for the past
fifteen years at least been predominant,
and the vote of this section has offset
that of Southern Illinois, settled mainly
from the former border slave States
and given the balance of power to Cen,
trail Illinois, where moderate political
views have generally prevailed, such as
were represented by Mr.. Lipcoln in his
famous contest with Mr.. Douglas in
1858.
The Illinois code, framed in 1918, re
fected the views of the majority OF the
then citizens, who were mostly from
Ketucky, Tennessee and Virginia =
Slaves were brought into the State and
held there although legally free, Chill
dren of slaves could be bound to serve
their masters until they were thirty-two
years of age From 1872 the tide of
eastern emigration began 10 set in, and
with it the passion for land speculation
was reused To remedy the lack OF
money the State organized bank, which
was REQ uired to advance money on real
estate mortgages. AS speculation was
encouraged the currency deprecated TO
one third Of its nominsl value. In 1922
the Missouri question entered into the
politics of the State. and Mr.. Edward
Coles, Virginian, was elected by
small plurality. as the anti slavery can
didate for Governor. Afterwards, in
1926, the "anti. ackson" candidate for
United States Senator, Mr.. Cook, was
defeated, after having been mainly in
strumental in procuring a grant of three
hundred thousand acres of land in aid
of the Illinois and Michigan canal.
The early preachers of Illinois, of
whom Peter Cartwright was the fore
most specimen, we're mostly iiliterate
men, who traversed their wide circuits
on horseback, clad in buckskin breecles.
linsey hunting shirts, and coon skin
caps and moccasins, and who were as
expert with the rifle as in more spiritual
exercises. After 1870, however, educa-
ted preachers began to come from the
East, and, aided by missionary associa-
tions, established different order of
things. The Judicial officers were equal
ly primitive in their manners The
Republican tells some stories illustrating
this, which are good, although old:
"The Judiciary system was also quite
in keeping with the primitive simplicity
of those early days Judges we're not
necessarily prodigies in Tearing or Law,
all that the people seemed to require
was common sense and little ssgacity.