isa-normaladvance-1913-00057-Dec

Description:	-IndianaSTATE NORMALLIBRARYTHAL AVolume XVIII.TERRE HAUTE, IND., DECEMBER, 1912.Number 3.&n #lb glbtoerttsement(CONCLUDED)WALDO F. MITCHELL/^\N CHRISTMAS Day, 1802, a convention,Vf which had been called by Governor Har-hison to meet at Vincennes, passed, amongother things, the following resolution:We the people of Indiana Territory inhabiting the middle and western divisions ofthe country northwest of the Ohio, do by ourrepresentatives in general convention assembled, hereby agree that the operation of thesixth article of compact between the UnitedStates and the people of the territory shouldbe suspended for the space of ten years fromthe day that a law may be passed by Congress,giving their consent to the suspension of thesaid article * * •By order of the convention.Wiliam Henry Harrison, Pres.& Delegate from the County of Knox.Teste:Jno. Rice Jones, Secretary.1The reader at once recognizes this sixtharticle of compact as that article in the ordinance of 1787, which was intended to preventthe extension of slavery into the northwest.This resolution and other resolutions passedat the convention were sent to Congress, wherethey-were referred to the proper committee.The report of the first committee was not acted upon, but a committee composed of one manfrom each of the states of Delaware, Kentuckyand Tennessee reported upon the resolution onFeb. -17, 1804, and offered the following resolution with its report:Resolved, That the sixth article of theordinance of 1787, which prohibited slaverywithin the said territory, be suspended, in aUndiana Hist. Soc. Pub., Vol. II, p. 469.qualified manner, for ten years, so as to permitthe introduction of slaves, born within theUnited States, from any of the individualstates * * * • 2Despite the fact that the congressional committee was favorably disposed toward the petition and resolution, Congress failed to passthe resolution.This resolution and petition was but oneof the several efforts made from 1796 to the1820s to get slavery legalized in Indiana, Itis but just to say, however, that the greaternumber of the petitions sent to Congress, asking for the repeal of the sixth article of theordinance were from the western part of theterritory, along the Mississippi, in territorythat became a part of Illinois Territory in1809. But it is also to be noted that these efforts, which came out of the Illinois countrypreceded the great influx of southerners intowhat is now7 Indiana and Illinois.In 1796 the people of St. Clair and Randolph counties (Cahokia and Kaskaskia, townsof Illinois on the Mississippi), asked for arepeal of the sixth article. This was followed in 1800 by another petition, in 1805 bya third and in 1806 by a fourth. Congressdid not grant the prayers of these petitioners.These French settlers on the Mississippi,those on the Wabash and Maumee and thosein Canada had held slaves when the Frenchwere in control of these regions. When theFrench gave over their claims to the Britishin 1763 the ancient French customs were transferred w7ith the land, and slaves were held asthev had been under the French. When Vir-2Ibid, 475.
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/34502
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

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