Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-26
CHICAGO, ILL.
How It Happened That the City is
Within the Bounds Of the State,
From the Chicago Standard.


From the Chicago Standard.
1t was through one of the really impor-
tant events of history that the fourteen
northern counties of Illinois were included
in the boundaries of the state and that we
are permitted to call the people Of Chicago
and vicinity Illinoisans.
In 1875 when the enabling act was being
discussed in Congress for the admission Of
Illinois into the Union, Nathaniel Pope
delegate from the territory of Illinois,
urged that the northern boundary of the
new state be moved northward distance of
f1fty-one miles
AS originally fixed the territory of Illinois
had for its northern boundary a line run
ming east and west through the southern
bend of Lake Michigan. Pope argued that
the metropolis of the northwest must be
developed on Lake Michigan, that Illinois,
by her fertility of soil, location, her great
length, her eastern shore washed for $50
miles by the Ohio river, about the same
distance by the Wabash, and her western
shore bounded by the Mississippi, would be
forever united by commercial ties to the
Gulf of Mexico and influences of the south
He saw that the channels of commerce
must eventually reach east and north
through the great lakes and that if Lake
Michigan or the southern portion of it be-
longed to Illinois it would bind the state to
Indiana. Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.
and thus create rival interest against the
southern influence; that this would make
the state of Illinois the keystone of the ma
tional fabric. the cementing link which
would hold the south to the east and the
north; that In the days to come canal
would be built which, in connection with
the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, would
unite the lakes and the gulf, and that
whenever the question of the dissolu-
ton of the Union would be raised, as he
argued 1T would be raised. Illinois would be
the great central Uo CIV
the Union. ~ 49, ". s,-..-'
So in that early day in January, 1875 on
the floor Of the house of Congress. Ma
thaniel Pope presented these arguments
without division. The boundary was moved
nOrthward for ffty-one miles, taking in
what are now the fourteen northern coun-
ties of the state, and the act also estab-
lished a perpetual fund for the encourage
ment Of learning. How like the voice of
prophecy does this argument now appear!
In less than fifty years every word spoken
by Judge Pope was verified in history But
for this change the canal would not have
been built. But for this change the Illinois
Central railroad, the creation of which was
chief distinction of Senator Douglas
would not have been built. 1t was the vote
of these fourteen counties in 1854 which
sent Lyman Trumbul to the Senate and
turned the state of Illinois right-about-faee
on the great question of slavery. 1t was
the voce of these same counties which. two
Lincoln and made possible his candidacy
for President of the United States. I need
not go further by way of suggesting the
momentous train of events which followed
as result of Judge Pope's work.
The man who made this argument and
controlled the action Of Congress and gave
Chicago to the state of Illinois was Nathan
lei Pope. the man who afterward became
district judge of the United States for the
district Of Illinois and who was the first
man to hold the distinguished Office whose
duties are now divided between Judge C. C.
kohlsaat of Chicago and the writer. Thus
has been recorded in history a perpetual
call upon ulinoisans of every age to remem-
Der the sacred trust reposed in them as the
special champions and guardians of the
Union by the great and wise men who
adorned the councils of the nation in the
early days Of the republic.
No more far-reaching, no more beneficial
legislation has ever been secured by any
public servant at any time on behalf of the
state. and historians generally accord to
Judge Pope the distinction of having
achieved more lasting benefits to the state
OF Illinois during his brief service of dele
gate than can be accorded to any other
man.