Illinois.
They well knew that the people would follow their priests. Flattering
offers had been made to Edgar by the Spanish, among them being free lands,
no taxes, and free permission to work at the lead mines and salt springs.
He had refused all offers, but if government was not established by the
next March he would go to St. Louis, and if he went, Kaskaskia would be
practically at an end. Twenty-four British trading-boats from
Michilimackinac were on the Mississippi on the American side opposite the
mouth of the Missouri. Their purpose was to attract Indian trade.(138)

Gov. St. Clair arrived at Kaskaskia on March 5, 1790.(139) With his coming
anarchy technically ceased, but naturally the institution of an orderly
government was a gradual process. In August, Tardiveau wrote to Hamtramck
from Kaskaskia, saying that he hoped that Maj. Wyllys had given Hamtramck
such a specimen of the difficulty of establishing a regular government and
organizing the militia in Illinois as would induce the sending of a few
regular troops from Vincennes. Even ten men would be a help. The Indians
daily stole horses, and Tardiveau tried to raise a force to go and punish
the offenders, but he was effectually opposed by a lawless band of
ringleaders. A militia law and the Illinois civil power were useless to
remedy the matter. There were plenty of provisions in Illinois to supply
any soldiers that might be sent.(140) Tardiveau was then
lieutenant-colonel of the first regiment of militia, and also judge of
probate, having been appointed by the governor.(141) Harmar replied that
it was utterly impracticable to comply with Tardiveau's request for
soldiers.(142)

On June 20, 1788, a congressional committee reported that there were about
eighty families at Kaskaskia, twelve at Prairie du Rocher, four or five at
Fort Chartres and St. Philips, and about fifty at Cahokia, making one
hundred and forty-six or one hundred and forty-seven families in these
villages.(143) In 1766-7, the same villages, with Vincennes, were supposed
to have about two thousand inhabitants(144); and about five years later,
1772, there were some fifteen hundred inhabitants in these villages, not
including Vincennes.(145)

It is not surprising that the population of the Illinois country decreased
from 1765 to 1790. During these years, British and Americans had attempted
to impose upon the French settlers a form of government for which they had
neither desire nor aptitude.