Madison County, Illinois - Chapter 9: Civil History, 1882 (part 2 of 4)

The United States Census of that year, however, states the number of inhabitants of Madison county to have been 13,550. This report was made by Thomas Reynolds, but is most assuredly incorrect.

The morals of the pioneer period are creditable. True, there were a large number of indictments found for assault and battery, but then, combativeness was the characteristic feature of the day. The number of crimes against property was also small - five in six years and only one of those five proved. The perjury case mentioned must have been without foundation. Families seem to have lived in peace; there is not one case of divorce on record.

The Dead. - Befi)re closing this sketch, it is proper to give the names of those pioneers of the county who had closed their earthly career, who had finished their lalxirs, and were now at rest.

1816. - William C. Davidson, Stephenson Fowler, Thomas Green, Philip Gregg, Royal Green, Thomas Hood, William Hewitt, James Holladay, James Lard, Abraham Miller, Wm. McLaughlin, John McFadgen, George Wise, George Moore, who had been reported dead in 1816, and whose

Civil History, 1819 to 1849 - The constitutional convention of the new State completed its labors on the 26ih of August, 1818. The convention had assembled at Kaskaskia in July - the exact day of the mouth could not be ascertained at the present State capital. This convention consisted of thirty-three delegates, presided over by Judge Jesse B Thomas, a resident of St. Clair. Madison county was represented in the convention by Benjamiu Stephenson, Joseph Borough, and Abraham Prickett. Bond county was represented by two well known former citizens of Edwardsville, Thomas Kirkpatrick and S. G. ISIorse. The constitution was adopted by the convention without being submitted to a vote of the people, and approved by the Congress of the United States, December 3d, 1818.

1819. George Cadwell represented the county in the Senate, and John Howard, Abraham Prickett, and Samuel Whiteside in the House of llepresentatives.

The commissioners of Madison county entered upon their duties on the 7th day of June, 1819. During the interregnum from December 9th, 1818, to this date, the routine business of the county had been attended to by the clerk, -who now, June 7th, 1819, made the following entry upon the records, viz :

" Be it remembered, That in pursuance of an act of the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, entitled an act establishing the Courts of County Commissioners. It appearing from certificates from the judges of election of Madison county that William Jones, Samuel Judy and George Barnsback were duly elected as commissioners for the said county of Madison, Whereupon the said William Jones, Samuel Judy, and George Barnsback took their seats, and thereupon a court was held by county commissioners for Madison couuty on the 7th day of June, 1819.

The C!ourt established a new "township" under the name of the " Bounty township," to include all the lands in the forks of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. This "township" of 1819 has in less than fifty years been divided into thirty-four splendid counties, averaging seventeen congressional townships each. John Shaw, Lev Roberts, and David Duttou were appointed judges of election of the new township.

Another township, " Sangamo," was laid off to include all the settlements not heretofore included, and ail the settlements on the Sangamon and its waters. Elijah Slater, Daniel Parkinson and William Danuer were ap[)ointed judges of election of this new township.

The county authorities laid out and opened a road from Edwardsville to Clear Lake on the Sangamon, a distance of seventy miles, as early as 1820, surveyed by Jacob Judy, who caused mile posts to be erected along the entire length of said road, which is known to our readers as the " Sjjriugfield" road.

"This day, July 14th," canic into Court Hail Mason, Esquire, aud paid to the clerk five dollars, which he received for profane swearing, aud breaches of the Sabbath." Wonder how much was paid for a good round oath in those days of our fathers!

The proper explanation, however is, that Hail Mason, having made use of the powers granted by the law to him as a justice of the peace, had not (uly fined some follows for profanity aud similar oflences, but had also collected the fines thus imposed.

T. 3, R. 5, Jonathan L. Harris, William Ramsay and James Good. T. 4. R. 5, John F. McCullom, Robert Coulter, and Thomas Johnson. T. 3 R. 6, Rob. G. Anderson, John Howard and William Parkiuson. T. 4, R. 6, Rowland P. Allen, John Scott, and Isaac Ferguson. T. 5, R. 6, James Gray, .James Farris, and William Hoxsey T. 3, R. 7, Joshua Armstrong, Joseph Eberman, and David Samples. T. 4, R 7, Joseph Bartlett, Joseph Borough aud Jacob Gonterman. T. 5, R. 7. Thomas Baruett, Henry Kelley, and Abraham Hayter. T. 3, R. 8, ]Micajah Cox, Benjamin Eaves and Augustus Collins T. 4, R. 8, William Gillham, John Barber, and William Oltwell. T. 5, R. 8, John Springer, Ephraim Woods and William Montgomery. T. 3, R. 9, Amos Squire, Isaac Gillham and John Singleton. T. 4, R. 9. Isom Gillham, Samuel Gillham, and Samuel Browu. T. 5, R. 9, John Wallace, William Ogle, and Abraham Preuitt.

An election had also been ordered to choose the regimental officers for the second battalion of the Seventh regiment of Illinois militia. The vote was taken at eleven regularly established polls, and there were the following votes cast : - At Edwardsville 100, at Silver Creek 38, at Goshen 39, at Alton 116, at Augusta (a town in embryo in 3 - 6), 64, at poll No. 6, (Joe Duncans', east of the present town of Highland) 37. at Six Mile 67, at poll No. 8, (now Troy) 19, at Piasa 48, at Wood river 81, and at Sangamon 29, amounting in the aggregtte to 638 militiamen. The candidates for the position of Colonel were Joseph Borough, the favorite of Edwardsville, Goshen Silver Creek, and Troy, who received 230 votes; Isaac Gillham, the Alton champion, who received 1.59 votes; aud Washington Parkinson, the choice of Wood river, Augusta, and poll No. 6. who received 249 votes, and was electe<l. Hezekiah L. Harris, Rob. St. Clair, William Montgomery, Abraham Howard, Harry Riggin and David Hendershott were candidates for ]Major ; two to be elected. Harris and St. Clair were the successful candidates, receiving 258 and 347 votes respectively. Montgomery very strong in Wood river, and Piasa township, came near being elected. Howard Riggin and Hendershott had no " show.'

Having thus chronicled who were to be the leaders in war, we will now introduce the names of those honorable preservers of the peace, known as " Squires," appointed under the new order of things, to wit:

The September and December Terms of the board were of no special interest. The board ordered that proper seals should be procured for the circuit court and county commissioners' court. The narrow public square was made more so by the erection of a stray^ pen, fifty by seventy feet, surrounded by a sis foot fence, constructed of posts and rails.

B. Whiteside, the successor of Isom Gillham in the sheriff's office. The appropriations made for the year amounted to §2,168.29, of which §625.37 remained unpaid. The population of the county was constantly increasing, and three new ferries were established on Illinois river in 1819. The following estates had been put under administration by the clerk during the vacation, viz : George Coventry, Sally Coventry, adm'x ; Thomas Costican, Nancy his widow, adm'x ; and Pierre Tiller, as administrator ; Samuel Stockton, Hannah Stockton, adm'x ; Matthew Dixon, Mary Dixon, adm'x; Noah Hall, Esther Hall, adm'x; Joseph Mason, John Clark, adm'r ; Michael Deeds, Abel Moore, adm'r ; Reuben Stubbens, James Smith, adm'r ; Joseph King, Walker Daniels, adm'r ; James Peasley, Phil. Calen, adm'r; William Leonard, Polly Leonard, adm'x; Elisha Dodge, Augustus Langworthy, adm'r ; Abraham Stovecall, Elizabeth Stovecall, adm'x ; and Robert Archibald, Robert Watts, adm'r.

The township of San gam o was subdivided as follows: All the country north of the Sangamon to be called Sangamo iowniihlp, with Matthew Eats, Stephen England, and Joshua Dean, judges of election.

include the inhabitants on Sugar Creek, to be called Fork Prairie, with William Dreunon, \Vi!liain Roberts, and Daniel Lisle, as judges of election ; and lastly, all the country west of Fork Prairie, and south of the Sangamon river embracing the waters of said river to be called, Springfield, with Jacob Ellis, John Clary, sr., and John Campbell as judges of election.

The public buildings of the county were wholly unfit for the purposes intended. The necessity of providing for better and somewhat decent accommodations had become well understood, but the pitiful condition of the county treasury, the scarcity of money, and the absolute " poverty " of the owners of lordly farms and plantations, rendered the authorities helpless. Realizing the condition of affairs. Col. Ben Stephenson, Judge T. W. Smith, acting for themselves, governor Ninian Edwards and others, had offered a most magnificent donation to the county authorities, conditioned only, that the public buildings should be erected in the southeastern part of Edwardsville. This proposition had been made verbally early in the spring of 1S20, and in writing, on the 5th of June, 1820.

The proposed location of the public buildings created a storm of indignation in Lower Edwardsville, (the old town) and a most vehement opposition so intimidated the commissioners that they deferred their action in the premises. The golden opportunity was lost. The Edwardsville Spectator of June 13th, 1820, published the following open letter in reference to the matter. It throws much light on the subject, and is here given at length :

Gentlemen : - As a citizen, of the county interested in its prosperity and growth, and alive, in common with every other inhabitant, to any occurrence which may be turned to its advantage, I shall presume to address you. I have no disposition to inquire into all the acts of your administration, yet there is one which imperiously demands your attention, and in relation to that, I shall speak in the language of candor and sincerity. The fact is admitted that the county is not only now unable to erect its public buildings, but that it will probably continue in that situation for many years to come : indeed its poverty is too glaring to be denied ; and although the taxes collected for the last year exceed §3,000, yet this sum has long tince been exhausted, and the couuty is now in debt several hundreds of dollars. This situation of things has constantly been urged as a reason against commencing any improvements in relation to the public buildings; and that it would be oppressive and unjust to resort to a tax on the people, to raise a revenue for such objects, and particularly so at the present period.

I am disposed to admit the truth of your position, and the justness of the inferences to be drawn from it; but it would to my mind be a paradox, that you should wish to avoid, or delay, the acceptance of a proposition to erect the public buildings without expense to the county, and to receive therewith a large and valuable donation of land, for the benefit of its inhabitants. That such a proposition has been made, the records of your court fully testify, backed by the offer of ample security to carry it into effect. Lat me ask you, if in that proposition there was any thing illegal, or whether or not you have not expressed your united opinion in favor of the liberality of the offer. Upon what consideration, for what reason, or under what influence, have you been induced to hesitate and postpone a decision ? Have you not a desire to remove the burden of taxes, already like an incubus, oppressing and bearing down the people? and is it by refusing or delaying to accept such offers that you demonstrate to them the siucerity of your profession? Ask your own hearts whether you do not believe, that nine-tenths of the county would hail their acceptance with pleasure and gratitude ? Do you not believe that the general prosperity of the county would be promoted by it ? that the seeds of division, by a gratuitous erection of the public huildiugs would be torn up by the roots, and the petty factions which hope to distract and divide the county be prostrate in the dust? What individual in the .county would not be benefited by it ? Would he not be relieved from au enormous tax ? Would not au additional fund, from which a large and growing revenue could be created, have been secured to the cjunty, and which, if judiciously managed, would at a future day be of incalculable importance ?

How then can you answer to the p3ople ? How answer to your own consciences for delaying to carry into effoot a measure so important in its consequences, and so beneficial to the people at large ? I ask you whether the general interest of the county and of its inhabitants, is not the guide for your conduct on such an occasion? and whether, if it is evident, that the general weal is to be promoted by the acceptance of such propositions, you can in justice to them, and a conscientious discharge of your duty, justify yourselves in delaying to accept them? I am unwilling, from the general good sense and impartiality with which you have discharged the functions of your office, to believe that any undue influence has been exercised over you, to control your decision, by the expression of extrajudicial opinions, by a gentleman high in official dignity : but it is possible that his opinions may be entitled to too great weight, when his legal acquirements and education are considered, and no doubt the citizens of the county will feel under great obligations to him, when they may possibly know, through the medium of their pock-eU, that they are indebted in some measure to him, for the desirable privilege of paying for the erection of public buildings, which otherwise may have cost him nothing : and it is to be hoped, that his opinions in his own county and on the subject of a national road, may have eqwil weight. The people, however, are alive to the question of the erection of the public buildings, and deeply interested in the acceptance of the donation, and it remains to be seen whether their opinions are to have their just weight and influence. You have long enjoyed their confidence and respect, and I am bold to hazard a conjecture that you already regret your indecision. Believe me, gentlemen, it is one of the worst traits in the human character. Imbecility U despised, when even erroneous decisions may from their promjttness be re»peded.

You have still the means within your reach of justifying the characters you have heretofore sustained as men of judgment and decision. Let me then entreat you to reflect and act from the dictates of your own opinions, unbiassed by the threats and Jesuitical opinions of others. It is due to yourselves, it is due to the people. You cannot injustice to them and their rights, shrink from the discharge of your official duties. The future opinions of mankind will be formed of you from your present acts. You who so often met the dangers which were incident to the early settlement of this country, are not to be terrified by the threats of a few individuals, from the conscientious discharge of your duty ; nor do I believe that you are iudifft-rent to the good opinion of those who were your companions in arms in those trying times. If the reasons here urged, however sincere and just they may be, shall not have that weight which they certainly deserve, a resort is left by the constitution and laws in an appeal to the people, who, by their suffrage may elect such as will be willing to respect and enforce their rights and interests.

A Citizen Of Uidge Pr.Virie

The writer of these lines may not have been a citizen of Ridge Prairie, but his words are sterling ones, and well worthy of presentation. He had probably read the entries made in the county commissioners' court, under date of June 6th, and June 8th, 1820, given below, and was now indignant at and angry with the commissioners for their timidity and indecision. Had he known how bittely and unreasonably the opposition had hammered upon those officers, his language would have been less cutting and severe. The Upper Edwardsville of those days contained but a few houses, but some of its inhabitants were rather exclusive, if not aristocratic, heace the bitter hatred against " Buncomb," the nickname of Upper Edwardsville.

The court could not ignore the proposition of Col. Stephenson and others, and so made mention of it, and another one to be introduced hereafter iu the following :

"June 6th, 1820. - The court having received proposals by way of a donation to the county of Madison, for the i)urpose of erecting public buildings, they still hold themselves in readiness to receive any proposals that may be made until Thursday next (June 8th), at which time they will take the same under advisement.

"June 8(/(, 1820. - The court, having received several propositions by way of donations to erect public buildmgs for Madison county, took the same under consideration, and not being fully advised thereof ordered that the proposition be filed, until the next court, to which the matter is continued. On motion, leave is given Benjamin Stephenson and T. W. Smith to withdraw their proposition, and leave is also given to Abraham Prickett to withdraw his.

From the contents of the above it would appear that Col. Stephenson and T. W. Smith thought that their liberal and all-embracing offer of a donation was treated with contempt by being mentioned in ihe same breath with that undated and undefined donation off.red by York Sawyer, Esquire Prickett and others. The records do not state if

The contents of it were made known to the people of the country through the press - l\m Spectator of June 20th, 1820, brought the following :

In compliance with a request of several respectable citizens of tliii county we have procured for publication, copies of the following papers:

" Edwardsville, 5th of June, 1820. "Gentlemen, - Herewith are submitted propositions for the ert ction and completion of a Court-house and Gaol for the county of Madison, as a donation including fifty lots in the town of Edwardsville. We beg leave to refer you to the propositions themselve-i for the terms and the spirit in which tbey were made, with this addition that any security which may be required for their fulfilment will be cheerfully given ; and the hope that the liberality of the offer and the high advantage resulting to the county from its acceptance, will operate as a sufficient inducement ou your minds to adopt them. Ben.t. STEniENSON,

For themselves, Ninian Edwards and the other proprietors." " To Hon. Samuel Judy, George Barnsback and William Jonts, commifsiouers of the county of Madison

Impressed with the importance and necesi-ity of the speedy erection of the public buildings for the county of Maiiison, the undersigned ofier to the county commissioners in consideration of locating such buildings on lands belonging to them, and forming part of the town of Edwardsville, to cause such buildings to be erected without delay, at their own expense, and to make a donation thereof to the county ; and to give in addition thereto, fifty lots in the said town, a complete title in fee, with warranty, and for the use of the county, to be disposed of for the benefit of the same.

with sufficient rooms for the holding of the circuit and county commissioners' courts, as also convenient offices for the clerks and the sheriffs of the county; all of whose offices, it is respectfully suggested, should be contiguous to each other at the seat of justice, and to which it is presumed those officers will cheerfully assent. The buildings herein suggested, the undersigned are led naturally to answer a question which might be asked: they have no wish to conceal the motives which actuate them. They conceive it not only perfectly honorable but laudable, and that although it is one which may possibly enhance the value of their property at some distant period ; yet that the inhabitants of the county are more immediately interested in its acceptance, than are those who are certain to be directly benefited thereby. The convenience of the inhabitants will be greatly promoted in the early establishment of the public buildings. The present state of them is such that they unite not only expense with much inconvenience, but that they badly answer the purpose for which they were designed ; and the Gaol, in particular, as has been evinced by the repeated evidences of the fact, is wholly insecure and worse than useless, for the safe keeping of prisoners. The office for the clerks of the courts, is also an expense of considerable magnitude, which would cease in case of the acceptance of the proposals here offered ; and it is believed that it will be admitted on all hands, that the present state of the county, its growth and general prosperity requires that the erection of the public buildings shouhl be no longer delayed ; but an obstacle, considered insurmountable, has continued to interpose to prevent it, viz: - the great tax^ which it would require to be imposed on the citizens of the county, and at a time when, least of all others, they would be enabled to bear it; one, which, under the pressure of the times would be oppressive, and meet with great opposition; and indeed it is impossible to say at what future day they would be willing to contribute a sum of six or eight thousand dollars for such purposes, as it is apprehended an amount, not short of that, would be required. If then, these difficulties do exist, and which it is believed will not be denied, can the commissioners consistently with their duty, and the disposition they undoubtedly entertain for their fellow-citizens, to relieve them from burthens, when they have the legal means, hesitate to accede to an offer which not omly establishes their public bui dings upon a large and liberal scale, but has the additional advantage of throwing into the county treasury the means of reaping a revenue of large amount from the sales of the lots offered, thereby relieving the people at the same time from the payment of a large sum of money? The situation, which is on a square of 440 feet, is eligble for the courthouse, and cannot be equalled by any that can be offered, and a suffiaeut quantity of ground for the gaol will be given ou which it may be erected.

The undersigned are persuaded that the great mass of the county are decidedly in favor of the proposition, and would consider its acceptance as the harbinger of peace, with reference to a division of the county, which has been so much agitated by designing men from motives peculiar to themselves, and as terminating a dispute so well calculated in its tendency to disturb and divide those whose interests and feelings imperiously require should be united. Under this view of the subject, those propositions are submitted, subject to such modifiations as may be required to complete the general objects set forth.

The other proposition to make a donation seems to have been drawn up in great haste; it is even without a date and could certainly never have been enforced by law.

We the subscribers, inhabitants of the town of Edwardsville, hereby engage to furnish the amount of cash or other articles which may be necsssary iu building a court-house on the public square in the town of Edwardsville for the county of Madison which we hereby engage to build and make a donation of to the county of Madison aforesaid ; hereby engaging to pay and furnish the amount of cash or other articles by us severally subscribed.

It remains inexplicable why men like Col. Judy, Barnsback & Jones could not come to a decision so as to choose between the two propositions of donation. Mr. Jones was not friendly to Edwardsville, which circumstance may account for his action ; but it is barely probable that Judy and Barnsback could have been intimidated and prevented from taking action. At any rate, however, the matter was deferred, until after the election, and the reader will then learn how the matter was disposd of.

Plasa township was organized as such on the 7th of June, 1820. It began at the northwest corner of Wood river township, thence due west to the Missi.>;sipj)i, thence up said river to the mouth of Illinois river until it strikes the mouth of the Macoupin, theic:3 up the Macoupin to range No. 8, thence to the northeast corner of Wood river township. Joseph White, John G. Lofton and Josiah Cummins were appointed judges of election.

at the mouth of the Macoupin, thence up Illinois river to the sectional line between towns twelve and thirteen, thence east to range line 8, thence along said Hue to Macoupin, thence down with it to the place of beginning. Thomas Carlin, Thomas Rattan and David Barrow were appointed judges of election.

With this order ended the labors of this - the first board of county commissioners. The coming election absorbed all thoughts. The press devoted all available space to political effusions and harangues, of which a few are here introduced to illustrate the spirit of those times.

Fellow-citizens : At the solicitation of many respectable citizens I have become a candidate for your suffrages at the approaching ekction, as one of the representatives of this county for the General Assembly of this state. Iu making this annunciation, respect for the public opinion and a jusj sense of propriety require from me a frank avowal of my political principles and a candid delineation of the course which I intend to pursue, if honored with a majority of your votes.

A republican by birth, by p-inciple and by practice, I have never adopted the opinion that, in order to constitute a freeman he should have liberty to rob his fellow-man of his freedom. Considering slavery as derogatory to our national character, - as inconsistent with the political principles which we all profess to believe, - as a curse not only to the slave, but the slaveholder also, and so highly dangerous to the public tranquillity, I have deemed it my duty, whenever occasion has required, to exert my best abilities in opposition to the progress and extension of a system of injustice so degrading to the character of our country and portending the most baleful consequences.

The most difficult task to be performed by the next legislature is the correction of the errors of their predecessors. These are so numerous that only a small proportion of them can be glanced at in the limits of an address. The tax law I consider exceedingly unjust and o]i])ressive in its operation, as it lays as high a tax on the poor man's uncultivated land, for which only one instalment has been pa d, as upon the rich man's improved farm, for which the payment has been completed. The repugnance of this law to the constitution and the compact between the United States and this state is too palpable to require elucidation.

The injustice of the road law is perhaps still more glaring. That a mechanic or laboror who possesses no interest in the soil, should be required to pay a road tax of five dollars per auinim, while the wealthy owner of extensive domains is exempted, on account of being fifty years of age, from paying any road tax whatever, is, in my opinion, equally contrary to the constitution, to justice and to sound policy. The power of impressment given to the supervisors of highways, though perhaps never carried into execution, ought not to be suffered to disgrace the statute book. Sheriffs are not by our present laws allowed a compensation for the herculean task of collecting the taxes. This and many other circumstances of a similar nature call loudly for reform. Another question is likely to be agitated, of great local importance, and wliieh in its consequences will greatly affect the interests of the state. As my sentiments on this subject differ from many of those for whom I have the highest respect, I deem it necessary to make them known, together with the reasons on which they are founded.

It will be recollected that at the last session of the General Assembly, a petition was presented for the erection of a narrow strip of land from the western edge of the county into a separate county, with the view of locating a county seat at some of the towns on the Mississippi, and of thus accelerating the growth of such town, with the further view of removing the seat of justice from Edwardsville, and of locating it at some town now laid off, or hereafter to be laid off, in the eastern part of the county. As it is expected that an attempt will be made at the next session to efiect the same objects, I deem it proper to state that I am decidedly opposed to the contemplated division of the county, and to any alteration of its eastern, southern or western boundaries. The county of Madison, extending to the northern limits of the state, there can be no objection to the erection of new counties in the northern part of the county, whenever the increasing population in that quarter shall render it necessary, leaving this county in a convenient form and with a respectable portion of territory.

I am opposed to the contemplated division because I conceive that the removal of the seat of justice from the place where it has been located by law would be a violation of the public faith. The owners of property in Edwardsville have purchased it at high prices, in the full reliance that the county seat was permanently to remain at that town. To remove it would destroy the confidence of the people in the good faith of the government, and would furnish a precedent productive of the most alarming consequences. Once admit that a county may be divided, or a county seat removed, - not for the greater accommodation of the public, but merely to promote the growth of particular towns, - and you give the signal for townmakers and speculators to involve the state in disorder and confusion, to promote their own aggrandizement. As self interest is the ruling principle of mankind, each one who might think that his own interest would be promoted by the measure, would insist upon having a county seat located upon his own land.

The towns which might be converted into county seats receive no solid advantage from that measure. Very few will purchase property or make improvements in such towns, when they are conscious that the county seat will be removed whenever an adverse faction may obtain the ascendancy. Let the proposed measure be adopted, and the legislature will have no time to devote to the enactment of wholesome laws for the benefit of the great mass of their constituents, but will find continual employment in carving out new counties for the accommodation of petty villages, and in adjusting the claims and settling the disputes of -warring speculators. The election of candidates for representative officers will be made to depend not upon their ability and integrity, but upon their places of residence and their predilections for, or autipathies against, particular towns and villages. Ignorance and imbecility will become the sole passports to the legislative hall ; for men composed of higher qualifications will disdain to become the catspaws of avaricious speculators. In this manner the people will become divided into petty factions, the most bitter animosities will be engendered, and the general harmony of the state will be destroyed. This is not chimerical. Who that reflects on the nature of that spirit of speculation which has unfortunately taken such deep root among u^, is not constrained to acknowledge that all these consequences and many others slill more to be dreaded, will inevitably follow the establishment of the principle against which I contend? Similar questions are this year in many other counties of this state, and similar means are resorted to for the promotion of the same grand object of all speculators, namely, selfaggrandizement. Does it not, therefore, behoove the independent farmers and mechanics, the efficient population of the state, to place their sovereign veto upon all attempts to promote the interests of the/ei« at the expense of the vvnuj, and to build up private fortunes upon the ruins of the public tranquillity and the general welfare?

Unjust as the proposed division would be to the owners of property at the present county seat, it is not less inexpedient as it regards this county, and, I may add, as it regards the inhabitants even of that part which is proposed to be erected into a new county. A reference to the map is sufficient to show that many of the citizens of the proposed new county reside nearer to the town of Edwardsville than to either of the places in contemplation as the seat of justice of the new county. This inconvenience would soon be greatly increased, as the rapid growth of the settlements north of the contemplated county seat would, in a short time, require its removal further north - thus leaving the inhabitants of the south part of the proposed new county at a great distance from the seat of justice, although the same inhabitants reside but a small distance from the present county seat. The inconvenient shape of the proposed county (being in some places less than five miles wide), is another insuperable objection to the division. And however numerous may be the advocates for the division, while each expects to have a county seat located at his own village, in his own neighborhood, or on his own farm, yet, as it is impossible that they should all be gratified in this expectation, so it is obvious that a majority of thosi who now advocate would ultimately deprecate a division, were it to take place. The proposed division would also operate disadvantageously for the settlements in the northern part of the county, as it would have an obvious tendency to retard erection into distinct counties.

These considerations appear to my mind to be entitled to sufficient weight to induce all real friends to the welfare and prosperity of the state to unite in opposition to a measure, which, however pure the motives, and however plausible the arguments of its supporters, cannot fail to produce the most pernicious effects. And I cannot but hope that the patriotism and good sense of many who are now found in the ranks of the friends of division, will i .duce them, after a calm deliberation upon its tendency, to spurn the idea of seeking the promotion of any imaginary interests of their own at the expense of the general welfare.

My sentiments on this subject are uot dictated by self-interest. Having no property which can be particularly aifected by the division, my opposition to it is the result of a firm conviction that such a measure would be a flagrant violation of the public faith, which every citizen is interested in preserving inviolate ; that it would be productive of great inconveniences, and would materially increase the public burdens of this county ; and that it would constitute a precedent highly dangerous to the future harmony, pr.)spcrity, and improvement of the state.

I have thus, fellow-citizens, endeavored to give you my ideas on the most prominent subjects likely to come before the next General Assembly. Other questions will necessarily claim their attention ; with respect to which I must content myself with promising the unwearied exertion of my best abilities in promoting the general prosperity. A cultivator of the Soil, engaged in no schemes of speculation, and depending for a livelihoood on ray own industry, I have no interests to promote and no wishes to gratify but such as are equally the interests and the wishes of the great body of my fellow-citizens- To be honored with their confidence would be the source of my greatest gratification, and to deserve it is the object of my highest ambition.

The election was to be held on the first Monday of August of said year. The address of Mr. Churchill was followed by the appeals of others, who, however, had less to say. They all declared themselves to be opposed to a division of the county by any line running north and south.

Isom Gillham followed Churchill's example, and came out in brief address published in the Speddor ou the 1.3th of June. He says : '- From the view I have always taken of legislation, it is uot like that of horse-swapping, where men generally are trying to get the advantage of one another." Mr. Gillham came out with his addess, in reply to a communication of a " voter," to tell him, that people had no right of instructing the candidate before election, etc " And, as to the cutting and carving of the state, or even this county, into small counties, it is a jiriuciple that I am very much opposed to."

Daniel Parkin.son's address, published at the same time, is given verbatim et literatim, and, as his grammar and king's English are not very perfect, it is to be presumed that H. Warren, of the Spectator, did not favor Mr. Parkinson's election.

William Ottwell announced himself a candidate on the 24th of July. In his address he denied the accusation that Mr. Churchill and himself had "put their heads together" to defeat Captain Nathaniel Buckmaster.

Nathaniel Buckmaster's pronunciameuto is an ably written piece, confining itself to the question of dividing the county, to which the captain is opposed.

Some of the candidates for the office of county commissioners followed the example of the assembly-men by publishing cards and lengthy addresses in the Spectator. They were : William L. May, Hail Mason, Curtis Blakeman, and Micajah Cox. The hitter's address may find room here :

" Fellow-citizens: I now come before you as a candidate for your suffrages at the ensuing election, for county commissioner, and as the people must undoubtedly be tired of election harangues, I shall trouble them but little. There is one question which appears to excite the public mind, viz: the erection of public buildings by donation instead of taxation. I am decidedly in favor of any lawful measure that can be adopted for the erection of the public buildings for the county of Madison, without taxing the people, and in favor of any advantageous donation for the u.se of the county, that will screen the people from a heavy tax. It is well known that the time of service, power and duties of the county commissioners are to be regulated and defined by law, and let them be who they may, they should always act with caution. And I can venture to say, that those who honor me with their votes, believing that they are voting for one that is not easily biased from his known duty when engaged in public business, will not be deceived.

" P. S. - If elected, and it shall be considered lawful, I shall be decidedly in fiivor of having the public buildings in the southeast part of Ed wardsville, as the site is the most eligible and healthy, and equall}' convenient."

The other candidates, of course, pronounced themselves also in favor of the "donation " plan, without committing themselves to the location of the buildings.

It should here be stated, that none of the gentlemen that came out with public addresses were elected. The successful candidates were: Amos Squire, James Tunnell and Abraham Prickett. At the election 1186 votes had been cast, to wit.: At Goshen (Edwardsville included), 231 ; Ridge Prairie, 242 ; Six Mile Prairie, 81 ; Greenfield (Alton included), 115; Wood river, 8G ; Piasa, 65; Bounty Lands, 15; Apple creek, 76; Sangamo, 42; Fork Prairie, 89; Springfield, 50 ; Silver creek, 94.

The successful candidates for the general assembly were : William Ottwell, Nathaniel Buckmaster and Joseph Borough, who received 532, 518 and 633 votes respectively, Churchill had 449; D. Parkinson, 32i) ; J. F. McCollum, 312 ; William Jones, 203 ; Isom Gillham, 189 ; P. Peters. 124, and Benjamin Steadman, 106 votes.

The vote polled for Churchill is, perhaps, the most interesting. He made the race principally as an outspoken antislavery man, which was fully understood by the voters.

Second Board, 1820-1821

This board decided in their March term to contract for the building of a jail. The proposition of Col. Stephenson and others, to erect the county buildings at their own expense> had been ignored as heretofore stated, and in consequece a violent agitation arose in opposition to the proposed contracts. Meetings were held in all parts of the country, and petitions poured in from every side, praying the court not to create a county debt at so unpropitious a time, when the scarcity of current money had brought about an almost unbearable condition of affairs. The proceedings and resolutions of one of these assemblies is here introduced at length :

County Concerns

At a meeting of the citizens of Eidge Prairie township, at Troy, on the 4th inst. convened for the purpose of taking into consideration the late order of the county commissioners, for the erection of a new jail^Gen. Samuel Whiteside being appointed chairman, and James Eiggin, secretary, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted:

Rcmlved, That it is the opinion of this meeting that it is inexpedient to build a new jail at this time in the county, at public expense, and that a few repairs on the old jail will answer every public object

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this meeting that the pressure of the times and the scarcity of money is such, that it is the duty of the county commissioners to reduce, instead of increasing, the taxes on the people at this time, and that it would now be extremely oppressive, and highh' unjust, to attempt the erection of any public building, which must of necessity be paid for by levying enormous taxes on the people, who at no time, have been so entirely incapable of procuring money wherewith to pay it.

Resolved, That any public officers who will at a time like the present, go on to impose additional taxes on the people for the erection of the proposed unnecessary building, both for the size, and the manner of structure, as appears from the plan exhibited by them, and against the known wishes of the people, ought deservedly to forfeit their confidence.

several townships in the county, to assemble without delay, and enter into resolutions to be presented to the commissioners, couched in firm and respectful terms against the erection of any new jail or public building at this time at public cost, or the imposition of any additional tax, pledging themselves to oppose such measures by every proper and necessary effort - and that they appoint delegates from their several townships to meet on the 4th Monday of July, at the court-house in Edwardsville, to present such resolutions and remonstrances.

The friends of the county cimmissioaers now came to the rescue, and called mettings for the purpose of endorsing the steps taken. We introduce here the following ;

At a respectable meeting of the farmers of the Marine Settlement, in Madison county, held at R. P. Allen's. July 16, 1821, Ciptain George C. Allen being called to the chair and John Anderson being elected secretary, the following resolutions were adopted :

1st. Resolved, That it is the opinion of the meeting that a public jail is absolutely necessary for the insuring of the people of this county from the depredations of assassins and midnight robbers.

2d. Resolved, That it is the law of the land, as it is the duty of the county commissioners forthwith, to cause to be erected a good and substantial jail for the use of the county.

3d. Resolved, That in order to secure our persons and property from abuse, pillage and robberies we will cheerfully contribute our proportion of taxes to defray the expenses which may be incurred in building a jail for the county.

4th. Resolved, That we approve the proceedings of the county commissioners in their late special sessions in ordering a jail to be erected at the county seat, and that they shall have our warmest support in the execution of so laudable an undertaking.

The commissioners were determined to carry out their order. Bids for contracts were invited at once. The jail was to be built in the town of Edwardsville, on the northwest corner of the public square in said town, in the rear of the old court house, to be constructed of brick and timber, 30x24 feet, and two stories high, one cell to be completed by the first Monday in December, 1821, and the balance by the first JNIonday in March, 1882. §-500 in state paper were promised to be paid as soon as the work is completed and the balance the county will be good for !

Gentlemen, If you are determined to persevere in building the jail which you have caused to be advertised to be let to the lowed bidder, I will contract witli you to have it erected at the place and within the time and according to the plan advertised for the sura of one hundred dollars, giving you such a bond as by your order is required, according to its true literal import.

The Senator and future governor of Illinois must have felt chagrined to have his bid rejected ; the phraseology of the bid - the true literal import - may have had something to do with the refusal. Others, however, did not fare better, as the contract was let to Walter J. Seely for S2,800. He, too, had occasion to learn the meaning of the phrase : " The county ivill be good for the balance ; ' for it should here be stated that the county revenue of 1821, all told, amounted to $1,646.28, and in 1822 to 82,130.22. Seely's experience is most graphically illustrated in the following letter :

I beg leave to lay before you a detail of ray present distressing and unhappy situation. I need not tell you when I bound myself in a contract and security to the court to build a public jail of certain size, to be done in a given time, also at the same time you bound and pledged yourselves to pay me five hundred dollars in state paper so soon as one cell was finished fit for use. On the good faith and on the virtue of this contract with the court I have persevered and made use of every means to perform on my part. I have made use of all the money I had appropriated for paying my smal' debts, believing in good faith that you would pay me according to contract, which would enable me to pay mine also ; but alas ! I am here, sick and confined, not able to attend to my business, but harrassed every day by my creditors, some pleading needs and necessity, some threatening vengeance, two executions in the hands of the constable for $80.00 or upwards, such which must be paid or my property will be sold by the officer. Not only this, but I have to furnish materials and finish the jail. The glass, spikes, iron and planks to complete the jail, costing at least §100.00 in St. Louis, cannot be had without cash in hand. Now I have only to solicit and pray the court to take into consideration my before mentioned necessity, and to deal by me, as the court may think proper in the discharge of the duties of your office in which you act. In sentiments of respect I am your humble servant, etc., Walter J. Seely.

The public square on which the first county buildings had been erected was now, August 31st, 1821, deeded to the county by T. Kirkpatrick and James Mason. Mason's deed, dated July 25th, 1821, conveys for the consideration of one cent, to the commissioners and their successors in office, the lot on which the jail and court-house stand, being one hundred and forty-six feet square and containing onehalf acre, bounded on the southwest by Main street, and southeast by Cross street No. 4, being the lot selected by the commissioners appointed to locate the seat of justice for Madison county, by the legislature of the territory of Illinois, at their session in the winter of 1813-'14, in trust for the use of the county on which to build, erect and continue a court-house, jail and other public buildings for the use of the county, and for no other purpose whatever.

On the same day, August loth, 1821, the court accepted the proposal of John York Sawyer and others for building a brick court-house on the public square in the town of Edwardsville as by " writing on file." (This proposal has been given at length heretofore). John T. Lusk and others gave bond for building said court-house, and " the court, for themselves and successors, agreed to acjept of the said court-house when completed according to contract this day entered into." It took many years before this courthouse was com[)leted , as will appear hereafter.

A tax receipt of 1820, probably the oldest document of this kind now in existence in the county, may find room here. It was handed to the writer by D. W. Collett, Esq., of Upper Alton.

North half, section 5, north half of section 4, northeast quarter and southwest quarter of section 8, northwest quarter of section 17, the northeast quarter of section 20 the east half of the southwest ipiarter of section 5, and the east half of the northwest quarter of section 8, all in the township, 5 north, range S west, of which 480 acres are of 1st, 400 of second and 640 of od quality land ; tax $22.00.

Received of Ann Collett thirty-seven dollars and in full for state and county taxes for the present year 1820, as above stated. William B. Whiteside,

The county tax was levied on town lots and personal property only, and the rate for the year 1820 was 50 cents on every 100 dollars' valuation, and there was also a poll ta.x; of 50 cents on every unmarried man in the family, which will account for the odd 50 cents in the tax of $15.20. The tax on land was very light, $22.00 on 1520 acres in Fort Russell township. The lauds described in the foregoing receipt are now owned by Hugh Burns, Samuel Forman, E. C Smith, J. M. Aljets, Edwin Kennedy, Daniel Schmidt,

Third Board, 1821-1822

Amos Squire, Abraham Prickett and Emanuel; J. West. The labors of this board were confined to narrow limits. The letter of Seely explains in what condition the county was financially. He had received a county order instead of the solemnly promised 8500 in state paper 1822, June 3d. The court found the jail built by W. J. Seely to be strong and substantial, completed according to contrdct. It was received for the use of the county, and the clerk was ordered to notify the circuit court of same. The balance due Seely ; the county was to be good for it ; was paid to him in county orders of 85.00, 810.00, $15.00 and 825.00 each, aggregating 82,300. - i

The sheriff, ^^ . B. "Whiteside, made his return as collector by paying the full amount of revenue in redeemed county ! orders into court. George Belsha, the county treasurer, rejiorted that the fines and licenses paid to him during the year amounted to 8203. .50. He had also listed the personal property for the new tax levy aud received 861.80. He had money enough in the treasury to pay himself, and 826 00 more." The county paid B. Stephenson 8120.00rent for the lower part of his brick house, in which the clerk's office of the circuit aud commissioners' court was located during the year.

The election of August, 1822, put in new members, to wit: John Barber, Benjamin Spencer, and Hail Mason. Nathaniel Buckmaster was elected sheriff; Isaac Prickett, coroner; Theopilus W. Smith, state senator; Curtis Blakeman, George Churchill and Emanuel J. West members of tlie House of Representatives. Edward Coles, a most distinguished citizen of the county, was elected governor of the state of Illinois at this election.

Samuel D. Lockwood, another prominent citizen of Madison county, Attorney-General since February 1821, was appointed Secretary of State on the 18th of December 1822. The county had been represented in Congress during territorial times by the following delegates : Shadrach Boud, of St Clair county until 1814 ; from then to 1816, by Col Benjamin Stephenson, who, on being appointed receiver of public moneys, resigned April 29, 1816, and made Edwardsville his residence. Stephenson was succeeded by Nathaniel Pope. Daniel P. Cook, then a resident of Randolph county, was the first representative to Congress from Illinois. He was elected in 1818, re-elected in 1820 aud was in 1822 reelected a second time.

Fourth Board, 1822-23

The county has meanwhile been reduced to almost its present limits ; the township so recently organized, had rapidly increased in population and had been organized into counties - Green, Pike, Sangamon and Montgomery among them The territory of the remaining county was subdivided into six political townships, which retained the familiar names of Silver Creek, Ridge Prairie, Goshen, Wood river, Greenfield and Six Mile. Alton, situated iu Greenfield township, had become quite an inportaut commercial, point, so that the board saw fit to appoint Benjamin Stedman, H. H. Gear and Abraham Prickett inspectors for the part of Alton, for the inspection of beef, pork, hemp, flour, tobacco and all other articles of export necessary to be inspected. Charles W. Hunter, then one of the leading and enterprising citizens of Alton, had called the attention of the court to this matter in a letter of March 3d, 1823, in which he asked the court to appoint Samuel Slater inspector of beef and pork, Abraham Prickett of tobacco, Isaac Woodburn of lumber and staves, Benjamin Stedman of flour and H. H. Gear of hemp.

The county had heavy pauper expenses to meet during the year, amongst which a claim of Clayton TifBn for 8202.05 for taking care of and treating a wounded man named "Wells, and finally burying him. The charges were high - coffin and burying alone 810.00 - however the court allowed the claim in full.

1823, March term, George Belsha, the treasurer, reported the revenue of the year 1822 to have amounted to 82247.12}, of which 2,017.121- was raised by taxes. Belsha resigned his office the same day, whereupon John T. Lusk is appointed treasurer. The election of August,1823, called Thomas Lippincott in the place of Mr. Spencer.

Fifth Board, 1823-24

At the December meeting the Board received the following communication in the shape of a letter. It gave the impetus to a lawsuit, bitter and of long duration, against Edward Coles, then governor of the state, a man of national reputation, known and honored by the best of the land. The letter, written by W. L. May, then a merchant of Edwardsville, is flowing over with eulogies on law, etc., but mean and sinister motives have assuredly dictated it. The letter follows :

Gentleman : By an act of the 30th of March, 1819, of the legislature of the state it is declared that every person who shall bring into this state, any negro or mulatto, who shall be a slave and held to .service at the time ; aud who shall emancipate with such negro or mulatto, shall give a bond, to the county where such slave is emancipated, iu the penalty of one thousand dollars, conditioned that such person so emancipated shall not become a charge to any county in the state ; and every person neglecting or refusing to give such bond shall forfeit and pay the sum of $200.00 for every negro or mulatto so emancipated, to be recovered in any action of debt, to be sued for in tlie name of the county

As you gentlemen are charged with the interests and rights of the county and are bound by the duties of your office to protect it from even the possibility of expenses resulting from negroes so emancipated, becoming chargeable to the county, I feel persuaded that you will promptly apply the neceisary remedy to prevent an occurence of the kind. It will doubtless be within your recollection, that a number of negroes and mulattoes were some considerable time since emancipated in this county by Edward Coles, Esq. The records kept by the clerk of your court will furnish you with the authentic evidence that no bond has ever been given, although more than two years have elapsed since their emancipation. The penalty declared by the act has been Incurred and is now justly due to the county; no excuse can be given for the violation of a positive statute, and as the penalty has already clearly enured to the county, I call on you as a citizen of the county interested in its rights and prosperity to take judicial cognizance of thii infraction of the law, and to take immediate steps for the prosecution of the offender. You are, I conceive, bound to institute a prosecution without delay and have a right to call on the Attorney-General who resides in the district to pursue the necessary measures.

W . L. !May removed from the county not many years after this epistolary effusion. He was a man of talent and a successful politician. He represented the Third Congressional (Springfield) District of Illinois in the Twenty-third, Twenty-fourth, and Twenty-fifth Congress - 1833 to 1839.

Silver creek township was divided from east to west, March Term, 1824, and the southern part named Unionville. ilr. Lusk, the treasurer, reported to have received during the year $1957.54 in lax money, and §485 25 from all other sources. All this money had been by him disbursed, and the county was then owing the treasurer $13.61.

SIXTH BOARD - 1824 TO 1825. In August, 1824, Hail Mason, John Howard, and Benjamin Stedman were elected county commissioners ; Nathaniel Buckmaster, sheriff; Joshua Delaplain, coroner ; Joseph Conway, state senator, vice T. W. Smith, who had resigned ; Curtis Blakeman and George Churchill, re-elected members of the General Assembly, together with William Ottwell as third member, in the place of Emanuel J. West. The agitation on the slavery question had grown into serious dimensions during the preceding session of the state legislature, and E. J. West, of Madison county, had become one of the leaders of the pro-slavery faction, whose object now was to call a state convention with a view of making Illinois a slave state. After a most outrageous proceeding in the house of representatives, which is a matter of state history, the pro-slavery men succeeded in passing a resolution, authorizing the people of the state to vote on the proposition to call a convention to amend the constitution at a general election to be held on the first ^londay of Augu-t, 1824.

Governor Reynolds, himself a pro-slavery man at the time, speaks of tiie action of the liouse in procuring a majority for the resolution, in "My Own Times," thusly : "This proceeding in the General Assembly looked revolutionary, and was condemned by all honest and reflecting men. This outrage was a death blow to the convention."

The auti-slavery or anti-convention of the assembly, led by Governor Coles, now published an address to the people of Illinois, to unmask the purposes of the conspirators to make a slave constitution. The address, undoubtedly penned by the governor, was an impassioned, masterly appeal to the people to rise up in their might and save the state from the greatest shame and disaster that could ever be visited upon any people. Speaking of slavery, it says : " What a strange spectacle would be presented to' the civilized world, to see the people of Illinois, yet innocent of this great national sin, and in the full enjoyment of all the blessings of free government, sitting down in solemn convention to deliberate and determine whether they should introduce among them a portion of their fellow-beings to be cut off from those blessings, to be loaded with the chains of bondage, and rendered unable to leave any other legacy to their posterity than the inheritance of their own servitude ! The wise and the good of all nations would blush at our political depravity. Our professions of republicanism and equal freedom would incur the derision of despots and the scorn and reproach of tyrants. We should write the epitaph of free government upon its tombstone." The closing words of this address contain the following eloquent appeal : " In the name of unborn millions, who will rise up after us, and call us blessed or accursed, according to our deeds - in the name of the injured sons of Africa, whose claims to be equal with their fellow-men will plead their own cause against their usurpers before the tribunal of eternal justice, we conjure you. fellow-citizens, to ponder upon these things." - E. B. Wuthb ami's Sketch of Edward Coles,

This appeal was signed by fifteen members of the senate and the house, Blakeman and Churchill, of Madison, among them. T. W. Smith, the senator of that county ; and Emanuel J. West, the third representative, were convention and pro slavery men. George Cadwell, formerly of Madison, and frequently mentioned in our historical sketch, signed the appeal as senator of Pike and Greene counties, " daughters " of Madison.

George Churchill, who had been most prominent during said session in the struggle against slavei-y, was, together with his friend, Risdon Moore of St. Clair, burned in effigy in his own (Madison) county, because of his labors. Nevertheless, the majority of the people of ^Madison county saw fit to re-elect him in 1824.

The pro-slavery men were not slow in coming before the people with a public address, drawn up by a committee composed of the most talented men of the state, - T. W. Smith and Emanuel J. West of Madison among them. " The contest raged in fury throughout the state. The pro-slavery men had defiantly thrown down the gauntlet, and the antislavery men took it up with equal defiance. The conflict was long and bitter and no quarter was given on either side. There were not only the strong men of both parties, orators, judges, lawyers, but the rank and file of the people entered into the struggle with a violence, a zeal, and a determination alike without limit, and without example in the state There was a perfect avalanche of personaliiies, threats, and denunciations, and Governor Ford well says, that, had not the people made allowance for all the exaggerations and falsehoods, the reputations of all men would have been overwhelmed and consumed. Newspapers, handbills aud pamphli^ts were scattered broadcast. These missive weapons of a fiery contest were scattered everywhere, and everywhere they scorched as they flew. Almost every slump in every county had its bellowing, indignant orator on one side or the other, and the whole people, for the space of months, did scarcely anything but read uewspapers, hindbills and pamphlets, quarrel, wrangle and argue with each other, whenever they met together to hear the violent harangues of their orators." - Ford's History.

There were two weekly newspapers published in Madison county at that time : the Eepublican, a pro-slavery orgm under the direction of Theo. W. Smith, Erainuel J. West and Judge McRiibsrts (subsequently U S. senator); and the Spectator, a decidedly anti-convention organ, managed by Hooper Warren. " The c jntroversy between the two papers in Edwardsville, representing convention and anti-convention, was waged with great violence. State Senator Theophilus W. Smith, afterwards Judge of the Supreme Court, editor of the Repvhlican, undertook to cowhide Hooper Warren, of the Spectator. Failing in his purpose, he drew a dirk on him ; Warren then pulled out his pistol, when the combatants were separated, aud nobody hart." - Washburne on Gov. Coles.

The convention, or, more properly, pro-slavery scheme, was defeated at the polls on the first Monday of August, 1824:, by a vote of 4950 in favor of, and of 6822 against it, Madison county polled 914 votes, 351 for, and 563 against, convention.

Among the papers of Samuel McKitrick, then a citizen of Madison county, now dead, was found the following ticket of that memorable election :

The reader will perceive how artfully the people's ballot prepared. There was scarcely a dozen men in the county who would not have voted for the 2d, 3 I, 4th, 5ih aud Gth clauses, hence it was thought the first clause would be voted for also, as it was allied to good or at least popular measures. The political sense of the voters of 18-4 however, was peer to the artful designs of intriguers who were ignoniiniously defeated. This ticket was given into the custody of the Historical Society of Chicago by Hon. Joseph Gillespie of Edwardsville, and is kept there as a memento.

The legislature elected in August 1824, strange as it may appear, was not anti slavery, for instead of electing Gov. Edward Coles senator of the U. S., as was generally expected, they chose a strong and violent proslavery man, Elias Kent Kane of Kaskaskia to succeed John McClean.

The reader will excuse the digression in which the writer has indulged. The all absorbing question of the day had seized upon all people and officers, to such a degree that the public business was neglected. The records of the county commissioner' s court of 1 824, do not even state if taxes had been collected during the year. From a private memorandum made by the treasurer of the county and placed into the hands of the clerk in 1845 (twenty-one years later) it appears however that the total revenue collected in the years 1821 and 1S25 amounted to $4,511.61, and that the county authorities had signed warrants amounting in the aggregate to SS,031.SJ: in the same period of time.

The building of the donation court-house progressed but slowly. The court kept urging the committee to finish the work, or had their clerk to .stir them up. We give here a specimen of Hail Mason's laconic letters :

Gentlemen, you are requested to meet the commissioners court now in session, on the 26th instant aud inform them what progress you are making (if any) in the discharge of your duties. I am respectfully yours etc..

The commissioners had repeatedly prayed the court to grant them further time, to get that " donation house completed. Finally however, the court released them altogether. The records of March 10, 1825, contain the following entry: Court will give up to J. T. Lusk, Paris Mason and Joshua Atwater their bond if they donate to the county the new brick court-house situated on the public square as far as it is finished, and level off the surface of the earth for a dirt floor all over except a space of 12 feet wide across the NW. end of the lower story, which shall be floored for the judge's bench, and transfer to the county all material intended for the courthouse and all the unpaid subscriptions, this to be done so that the circuit court may convene there on Monday nest.

The court-house was taken formal possession of on the 25th of June, 1835. In speaking of this building, the Madison county Gazetteer has the following : Nor could the brick court house and jail built a few years afterward (i. e. after the building of the primitive log cabin c. h.) be called a great improvement. When the eccentric Lorenzo Dow came to Edwardsville to preach some years afterward and was shown the court-house as the place of meeting, he refused to preach in it, saying " it was only fit for a hog pen." It had not yet a floor except a very narrow staging for the Court and Bar. There were no stairs to reach the upper

The first public school district of the county was organized by this board in June, 1825. It was named the " Alton district," commencing on the Mississippi at the mouth of Wood river, thence up that river to where the section line between 18 and 19, Town 5, Range 9, intersects it, thence east on said section line, to the line between sections IG and 17, thence north, on said line to the north boundary of said township 5-9, thence west to the river, and south to the place of beginning.

Prices of road labor were as follows : Each 4 horse wagon, 50 cent*, each pair of horses, 50 cents ; each yoke of oxen, 50 cents; each cart, 25 cents; each plow, ISl and each hand with tool, 50 cents per day. The county was subdivided into the following road districts, placed under the management of the following supervisors:

Six Mile, with Joseph Squire; Edwardsville, with Nathan Scarritt ; Long Lake, with John Waddle ; Hoxey, with E. Hoxey ; Coles, with Robert Aldrick ; Indian Creek, with John Estabrook ; Piasa, with Isaac Scarriit ; Wood river, with Sam. W. Rhodes ; Alton, with Ephraini Marsh ; Sugar Creek, with Benaiah Gullick ; Silver Creek, with William Paikiuson ; Troy, with Josiah Caswell ; Saline, with James Pearce ; Ridge Prairie, with Joseph Bartlett ; Unionville, Ezra Post and Marine with Matthew C. Garey as supervisor.

Seventh District 1825-26

Joseph Conway resigned his office as clerk of the county commissioners, court on the 10th of December, 1S25, whereupon the court appointed Hail Mason in his place.

1826, April 29. The court ordered, that Hail Mason and Emanuel J. West be appointed commissioners to sell the old courF-house for cash to the highest bidder, also to let out to the lowest bidder the building of a flight of stairs on the new court-house and finishing two rooms for clerk's offices, and to report.

The undersigned appointed by the Hon. county commissioners at their special term in April, 1826, to contract for the finishing of two rooms in the second story of the courthouse and for erecting a flight of stairs in said court-house and to sell to the highest bidder for cash the old log courthouse, report :

That in conformity with the authority vested in them by the court, they proceeded according to previous public notice to sell and did sell the old court house to Isaac

Prickett for 155 dollars cash, which was paid, and that they contracted with Samuel Thurston for finishing the rooms and make the flight of stairs aforesaid, except plastering for the following sums, $60.00 to be paid in cash when the work is finished according to contract, that is on the 1st day of August, 1826, and S60.00 in an order on the county treasury, or its equivalent in state paper ;* of the above sums the undersigned will be able to pay the first amount in ca.sh, (i. e. state paper) out of the funds in auditor warrants in the hands of Hail Mason and the proceeds of the old court-house in like manner deposited.

The undersigned have it not in their power at present to say, if any or what balance will remain in their hands after furnishing the materials for the improvements, to make which they were appointed by your honors.

Joseph Conway, reelected state senator ; George Churchill, reelected representative ; David Prickett, elected representative; William Montgomery, Emanuel J. Leigh, Samuel Seybold, county commissioners ; Nathaniel Buckmaster, sheriff; Jacob C. Bruner, coroner; Hon. Ninian Edwards was elected governor of the state at the same election ; Joseph Duncan was elected in the same year iu place of D. P. Cook, member of congress.

Eighth Board 1826-27

In pursuance of "An act to provide for the election of justices of the peace and constables, approved December .']0, 1826, requiring the county commissioners of each county in this state, at their June term, to divide their respective counties into a convenient number of districts, not less than two or more than eight, distinctly defining the boundaries of each district, giving to each a name to appoint a place therein for holding elections hereinafter mentioned, and to cause, the same to be rendered of record in their respective courts. It is therefore ordered that the county of Madison be laid off into seven districts in the following manner, to wit:

Edwardsville district bounded as follows: Commencing at Cox's old bridge on Cahokia creek and running eastward so as to include Samuel Judy, thence northeast to the line between towns three and four, thence east to the line between ranges seven and eight, thence northerly so as to include

* The depreciations 01 county orders, ''state paper,' liad brought about a most deplorable state of afiUirs. State paper was then worlh 30 cents per i^l.OO, and county orderii G63 cents in state paper or 20 cents in specie. State paper was " legal tender," the collector had to take it in payment for taxes, and, in that year, was instructed to receive county orders in lieu of state jiaper at 33,^ cents off. T.ie revenue of 1826, .?4,74.5.29, had a specie valuaiion of §l,423.5S.

Joseph Hartlett's and Clark's old place, thence to Silver Creek, thence up the west fork of said creek to the county line, thence west along said line to Cahokia creek, thence down said creek to John Newman, thence west so as to include said Newman, thence southwest so as to include the widow Davidson, thence to the beginning. Tiie election to be holden at the court house in jthe town of Edwardsville, on the first Monday in August next, and Edmund Fruit, Isaac Prickett, and Joshua Atwater are hereby appointed judges of the same.

Six Milf, District bounded as follows : Bsginning at Charles Dejailais on the bank of the Mississippi running south with the county line to the south line of the county, thence east with said line to Cahokia creek, thence up said creek to Cox's bridge, thence west to the beginning. The election is to be held at the dwelling-house of Barbara Laughlin. Thomas Giilham, James Brier, and Henry Hayes are hereby appointed judges of election to be held on the Grst Monday of August next.

Indian Creek District bounded as follows: Beginning at Cox's bridge on Cahokia creek, thence along said creek so as not to include George Harlan, thence northeast to the widow Davidson, but not to include the widow, thence east to John Newman on Cahokia, thence up said creek to the county line, thence along said line opposite the east fork of Wood river, thence down said river so as not to include Little and Tichnells, and down the same to PuUiam's old ford, and thence to the beginning. The election to beholden at William Montgomerys. William Ogle, John Collet and Oliver Livermore were appointed judges of the same.

Silver Creek District bounded as follows: Beginningat the county line, where the line dividing sections 27 and 28 intersect it, in town three north and runniug north six miles, thence to the upper bridge on the west fork of Silver creek 80 as to include Caleb Gouterman, thence up said creek to the count}' line, thence east along said line three miles, thence southwardly to the south line of the county in the middle of Looking Glass prairie so as not to include Abraham and Joseph Howard, and to include John Herron, thence west to the beginning. The election is to be holden at the meeting house in the Marine settlement on the first Jlonday in August next, with William Parkinson, Isaac I ergusou and Jonah Caswell as judges.

Sugar Creek District bounded as follows : Commencing at the southeast corner of the county and running west along said county line to the middle of Looking Glass prairie, thence north so as to include Abraham and Joseph Howard, thence north to the county line, thence east to the northeast corner of said county, thence south to the beginning. The election is to be held at the dwelling-house of Joseph Duncan, with Joseph Duncan, James K. Good and Joseph Howard as judges.

Collinsville i)i'.s^cic< bounded as follows: Beginningat Cox's old bridge on the Cahokia creek, thence east along the south side of Samuel Judy's farm to the bluff, thence northeast to the township line between three and four north, thence along said line to the range Hue between range seven and eight, thence northeast so as to include Samuel ]McKittricks to the section line running through the center of range seven, thence south along said line to the county Hne, thence west along said county line to Cahokia creek, thence up said creek to the beginning. The election is to be held at Collinsville with Dempsey Guthrie, John Hall and Elihu Mather as judges.

Greenfield District houniei SIS follows: Commencing at Cox's bridge, thence west to Dejailais ferry, thence up the river to the county line, thence east with said line to the east fork of Wood river, thence down said river to where it passes through the blufi" so as to include Tiohnell and Little to the place of beginning. The election is to be held at Alton, with William More, Oliver Foster, and David Smith as judges of the same.

Cahokia District, to be bounded as follows : Commencing at the southwest corner of section 36, town six north, range eight west, thence north 24 miles, thence east 20 miles, thence south 24 miles on the line of Montgomery county, thence west to the place of beginning. The elections are to be held at the dwelling house of Stephen Wilcox, Sr., with Ephraim Beet, David Swett, Telemachus Camp, as judges. This was the largest precinct of the county at that period of time, containing 480 square miles.

The sheriff as collector of revenue was instructed to receive county orders in payment of taxes atadiscount of 33:V. It is truly painful to observe that the county authorities had thus to dishonor the county's paper. The county debt at that particular time was less than $5000, as will appear hereafter, and by jaroper management matters could certainly have been arrainged in a more satisfactory manner.

The law of 1826 above mentioned gave the people the long desired privilege to elect their justices of peace and constables, a boon that had been withheld for nearly a decade. The following justices of the peace were elected on the first Monday of August, 1827, to wit: Joseph Duncan, Moses Seeds, Thomas Giilham, (the one that had bought the silver kneebuckles at a public sale mentioned on a previous page) Jarrot Dugger, James Pearce, Roger Snell, Emanuel J. West, Samuel Seybold, Julius L Barnsback, Ephraim Mar h, Daniel Meeker, Samuel W. Rhodes, Jesse Starkey, William Ogle, Isham A'incent, Justus D. Selhorst and John Claypole.

The following are constables elected at the same time to wit: William Cummings, Nicholas Kile, Peter Branstetter, Daniel Funderburk, John C. Dugger, Josiah Seybold, Josiah Little, William Newman, Samuel H. Denton, Jesse Huffaker and Amos H. Squire. Joseph Bartlett was appointed treasurer and assessor, succeeding J. T. Lusk, resigned.

The records under date of December 1827, contain a lengthy financial statement of the county, which is here introduced. It refers to a statement published in December, 1S25, stating that there had then been a balance against the county (floating debt) of §3,783 62, whereas the records of that terra state that their debt had amounted to §4,937.311. This diflereuce is not explained.

Nixth Board, 1827-1830

E. J. Ivcigh, George Smith and David Swett. The courthouse troubles, like the ghost in Hamlet, would not down. This board was beset from all sides to have this incubus finished, and in February, 1828, the court contracted with Daniel Wise to complete the donation Court House at the expense of 8565.00. A few months liter Daniel Wise wrote and subscribed the following document :

" It is hereby understood and agreed that I will deliver up and have the contract canceled, which I have lately entered into with the county commissioners of Madison County re- i specting the court-house, and deliver up all the materials ' which I received from the county, provided the court which is to be called by judge Lee (means Leigh) on Monday nest, shall consent to receive the same.

The commissioners conducted the affairs of the county in ! a strictly economical style, the total expenditures of the year 1828 did not exceed the sum of S 1200, while the income collected and in process of collection amounted to over $3000.00.

The election of 1828 was a very quite one. George i Churchill was again elected to the legislature in company ' with old brother Williams Jones, who had again come down from the shelf, where he had been resting for years. The 19 ' revenue of 1829 was S2792.84, and it cost the county S209 06 to collect it. The court fixed the rates for ferries and taverns, making no changes except a slight advance in the price to be charged for whiskej' or brandy. A new ferry had been established in 1828, and Matthew Kerr located it at the present site of the town of Venice ; his annual license wa.? fixed at $20 00.

The board employed Cyrus Ei wards and David Prickett tobringsuit against Joseph Bartlett, ex-treasurer, superseded March 30, 1830, by the appointment of Isaac Cox. In June following, Joseph Bartlett brought suit against the county, but found it unprofitable to prosecute. The county subsequently obtained judgment against Bartlett, who took an appeal to the Supreme Court. Decree of court below was affirmed, and Bartlett paid $797.90 to David Swett, agent of the county, in March, 1834, in liquidation of the suit. Bartlett's securities, Matthias Handlon and Julius L. Barnback had previously served a notice on the court, asking to be relieved as no immediate steps were taken to obtain judgment.

The term of this board ended in August, 1830, when Thomas Gillham, Robert Aldrich and David Swett were elected. Joseph Conway was reelected state senator, and George Churchill representative. Madison and part of Macoupin formed a representative district, entitled to two members of the house. The second member elected was John B. E. Canal, whose residence is not mentioned in the records. Nathaniel Buckmaster was again, the sixth time in succession,elected sheriff, and James G. McGriffii coroner.

Tenth Board. 1830-1833

Thomas Gillham, Robert Aldrich and David Swett The board at its October special term requested Jud^e T. W. Smith to invite Hon. S. D Lickwood to attend the next term of the Madison county circuit court, and to preside during the trial of the case against Joseph Bartlett.

At the December term William Meads, an old revolutionary soldier, appeared before the court, in order to secure for himself the pension to which he was entitled under various acts of congress. There were quite a numbsr of the heroes of 1776 living in the county, as related in another chapter. The application of Meads has been preserved. It runs thus :

On the 6th of December, 183), personally appeared in open court, being a court of record for the said county of Madison, William Meads, resident in said county, aged ninety one years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the provisions made by the act of congress of the 18th of March, 1818, and the 1st of May, 1820, that the said William Meads enlisted for the term of three years in the year 1775, as well as he recollected, in the state of New Jersey, in the company commanded by Captain Dickerson, in the lineof the state of New Jersey, in the regiment commanded by Colonel Dayton ; that he continued to serve in the same corps until he was discharged in the state of New Jersey ; that he enlisted again in the same regiment and company in the year 1778 ; that his name is not on any state roll except in the state aforesaid. And the following are the reasons for not making earlier application for a pension. He says that he has made application, but was told ihat he had been returned as a deserter on these grounds : that he had been taken prisoner during the battle on Long Island ; that he had deserted from the British prison-ship at Charleston, South Carolina, and joined General Green at High Hills, not being able to get to his own regiment; and while with General Green was at the battle of the Eutaw Springs, and was wounded ; that he was left with the wounded at Santee under the care of General Sumpter, (?) and was unable to travel to join his regiment at the time it was discharged ; and that these facts have never been laid before the government, and that he has no other evidence now of his said services in his possession or power than his own oath. And in pursuance of the act of 1st of May, I do most solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States on the 18th of October, 1818, and that I have not since that time by gift, sale or in any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent thereby to diminish it so as to bring myself within the provisions of an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary war, passed on the ISth day of March, 1»18, and that I have not, nor has any person for me, any property or securities, contracts or debts due to me, nor have I any income other than what is contained in the schedule hereunto annexed and by me subscribed. My occupation is that of a farmer ; my ability to pursue it is very limited; none of my children are living with me, so that I am dependent on other persons for a support.

The preceding board had, as stated before, been very rigid in cases of economy. The pauper accounts in 1830 were less than §170.00; the elective cost, only $66.20; roads and bridges about as much, so that on the 9lh of December all the outstanding county orders had been redeemed, and yet a balance of §746.15 remained in the treasury. Measures were now, April, 1831, taken to finish the " donation " at public expense. Charles Sloper contracted to furnish material and fini.sh the following work by the 1st of October, 1831, to wit: a desk for the judge, with the front neatly paneled, with a shelf and cornice, and two doors, four jury boxes, five seats for lawyers and suitors, balustrading to enclose the bar and jury boxes; in the upper story to put up a standing partition, base and surbase, two paneled doors; to finish laying the floor, suitable for two jury rooms ; to make and hang six pairs of " Venetian" window-blinds, etc., all the work to be done in a good substantial manner, and of first-class material, for all which the county promises to pay said Sloper the sum of/o«c hundred and fifty dollars in specie.

September, with George G. Nevitt, at twenty-eight cents per square yard, to be measured according to the customary rules among plasterers. Mr. Nevitt was paid 8182 511 for his work. The donation courthouse was now completed - ten years after its corner-stone was laid. Ex-governor Ninian Edwards, who had once made the most liberal offer in reference to the county buildings, was now a resident of Alton. In September, 1831, he received and paid $12.00 for a license to. retail merchandise at Lower Alton.

Hail Mason resigned the ofiice of county clerk on the 8th of September, 1831, when J. T. Lusk was appointed his successor. David Prickett, who had been appointed commissioner of school lands, declined to serve, and J. T. Lusk was appointed to this place also. The court was ordered to loan school funds in sums of one hundred dollars or less, at twenty-five per cent., and larger amounts at twenty per cent, annual interest. Money must still have been very scarce, and people who had to pay such outrageous charges for their loans could scarcely be expected to prosper. The financial report of 1831 does not mention the balance of $746. 15 reported to have been in the treasury in December, 1830> and it may be presumed that the amount was converted into specie to pay off Sloper's claim of $450. The expenditures of the county are again on the increase, and exceed the income, leaving on said 1st of December the county in debt to the amount of forty-four cents.

Francis Roach, an old soldier of the war of independence, appeared before the court to have his pension secured for him. He said he was born in Fairfax C. H., Virginia, 1739 ; enlisted in Joseph Session's Co., Col. Richard Caswell's regiment of the North Carolina line for three months, in 1779 ; again, in 1780, with Captain Dougherty on the frontier, for one year; then went with his captain in the service under Gen. Rogers Clark, in 1782 ; and served again for seven weeks with his old captain, under Gen. Benjamin Logan, against the Indians in 1786 ; was then (1832) ninetythree years of age; had lived from 1787 to 1806 in the counties of Mercer, Lincoln, Washington, and Livingston, Kentucky; and in 1806 came to Madison county, then a part of St. Clair county, Illinois. Rev. John Barber and George Kinder gave testimony in reference to the claim of Roach and his character. The old gentleman lived long enough to see his application granted, and to enjoy the pay as member of this American Legion of Honor. The amount drawn, viz: $74.01, shows that he survived three years exactly, as his annual allowance was only $24.67.

This legion had 22 members in this county, and the annual pension paid to them amounted to $1,397.71. These annual pensions ranged from $20.00 paid to Laban Smart, and $97.- 50, paid to Joseph McAdanis.

the building to be fifty feet long and twenty feet wide, of brick, one story of ten feet, f.iundation to be of stone, eighteen inches below the surface aud twelve above; outside walls to be fourteen inches ; eight windows of twenty-four lights, l'2x 12 each; two outside doors, sill of outside doors and windows to be of stone ; to be done by November 1st, 1833, for $')00. And with Charles Sloper to do the carjionter and glazier work, and furnish materials, for $337.00. These buildings are still in existence, serving now as school-rooms for the children of the numerous negro population of the district.

During the official term of this court, a number of peti. tions, praying for suppression of grog shops in the towns of the county, were laid before the members. One of these petitions, signed by a large number of Altonians, gave a most graphic description of the condition of afifairs in Alton, saying : " Your petitioners have of late been led to reflect much upon the nature and effects of ardent spirits, as eshibiied in the character and condition of those who are habitually addicted to their use, - the result of which is a settled conviction in their minds, that they are not only totally useless as a means of supporting thcys-tem, or giving lasting energy to any foculties of themind, - but decidedly injurious to both ; and that they have for years, in common witl) many of their fellow citizens, deplored the wide-spreading desolation of intemperance, without the power of interposing any effectual barrier to stay its progress ; and that too often have they been compelled to witness the alienation of affection, - the subversion of principle, and the brutal ferocity of the senseless inebriate in his descent from respectability or comparative affluence, down the precipice of intemperance, to the abodes of wretchedness and want ; and that they have frequently witnessed the contaminating influence that is by the congregating of these loathsome objects in a mixed population, when method and fixed principles have not by their perfect establishment become the law of individual or corporate action; and they have often leflected upon the happy consequences that would result from a total sup- ])ression of this degrading vice in their village; and believing as they do, that the principal cause of the evil is to be traced to thenumerous dram shops that disgrace our towns throughout the land ; and that no step that can be taken will be as likely to bring about a permanent change in the habits of a community in this respect as to remove the cause of the evil ; they are constrained, from a sense of duty they owe to themselves and to the rising generation, to ask of your honors that the assistance which your official station commands may be directed to aid them in suppressing the degrading vice, and that you will refuse to grant any licenses to sell ardent spirits in the town of Alton the present year It is not, however, designed to prevent the licensing of respectable houses for the entertainment of travelers now at Alton, or that may become really necessary for the accommodation of travelers, but only those which, under the bonds of innkeepers, serve not to accommodate the weary traveler, but to afford facilities for drunkenness.