Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-24
SLAVERY N ILLINOIS
Early Laws That Bore Upon
That Institution.
EVADING THE ISSUE
ILLUSIONS TO TERMS OF SER
VICE AND INDENTURE.
Old Books That Throw q Light on the
History Of the Middle
West.

Seventeen musty old books shipped recently
by q Washington collector to the Chicago
Historical Society contain within their sub
stantial covers surprising amount Of that
early western history which had so much
to do with shaping the greater policies of
the nation. This Is a collection of the books
Of laws enacted by the legislative bodies
which governed what is now Illinois from
the first organization Of its government In
1887 to the admission Of the state to the
Union in 1919. These books are all OF the
original, contemporaneously printed, edi-
lions. The most recent Of them are thus
nearly century old, and several Of the set
are exceedingly rare.
Perhaps the most interesting of the laws
contained within these musty volumes are
those relating to slavery. While this terri
tory had been organized under the famous
ordinance of 1877, which declared that there
should be neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude in the said territory otherwise
than IN the punishment of crimes whereof
the party shall have been duly Convicted
words which, have been repeated with al
most literal accuracy In the thirteenth
amendment-its local lawmakers were all
the time struggling to make slavery legal
by indireetion. They used the word slave"
freely in their laws, but generally disguised
the Issue by illusions to terms of service
and fndenture.h One Of the earliest laws
declared that "all negroes and mulattoes
and other persons not being citizens of the
United States coming into this territory un-
der contract to serve in any trade or occu-
patton shalt be compelled to perform such
contracts specifically during the time there
Of. The master was by the same law re-
quired to give a clothing outfit suitable to
the season of the year, to his servant at the
end of the contract period, and 1t was speci-
fled Of what this outfit should consist 1t
included a blanket and two shirts, besides
the regulation articles of outer attire This
farewell gift was assignabe.
Another law provided that mo negro, mu-
latto, or Indian shall at any time purchase
any servant other than OF their own COM
plexion. If any such presume to purchase
white servant" 1t was declared that such
a servant should become Immediately free.
1t was also provided in the same code that
"in all cases of penal laws where free per-.
sons are punishable by fine, servants shall
be punished by whipping after the rate OF
twenty lashes for every So The laws OF
the Indiana territory of 1907. of which ILL.,
nois was then part, recited that II any
slave or servant should be found at dis
lance Of ten miles from the tenement Of his
or her master without pass, or some let
ter or token, whereby 1t might appear that
he or she was proceeding by authority OF
the employer or overseer, 1t should be law
full for any person to apprehend such slave
or servant. and take him or her before a
justice of the peace, who might at his dis
erection award not to exceed thirty five
lashes.
Moderate fines were provided for any per-
son who harbored any servant or slave OF
color who was bound to service without
the consent Of his or her master and larger
penalties for any person who should aid or
assist any servant to abscond. Most of the
fine In the latter case went to the party
aggrieved.