ve the control. One of the men
elected on the Fillmore ticket went over, thus giving the Democracy
the coveted one necessary. The Republicans, or as they were then
called, Free-soilers, attempted to organize the House by recognizing
the clerk of the previous House, who was a Free-soiler, it then
being the custom to have the clerk call the House to order and
preside until a temporary organization was perfected. The Democrats
refused to recognize the clerk whom the opposition recognized.
The Democrats declared by vote the election of a temporary chairman,
nominated and elected a sergeant-at-arms and a deputy, and ordered
the two latter officers to carry the clerk out of the hall; which
was promptly done at the expense of a good suit of clothes to the
clerk who departed reluctantly. This was my first experience in
legislation.

A careful reading of the annals of the State of Illinois will show
that this incident is by no means unique in its history.

To go back a few years, when Edward Coles, who had been private
secretary to President Madison, was elected Governor, it was by a
mere plurality vote over his highest competitor, and--to use the
language of former Governor Ford--he was so unfortunate as to have
a majority of the Legislature against him during his whole term of
service. The election had taken place soon after the settlement
of the Missouri question. The Illinois Senators had voted for the
admission of Missouri as a Slave State, while her only Representative
in the Lower House voted against it. This all helped to keep alive
some questions for or against the introduction of slavery.

About this time, also, a tide of immigrants was pouring into Missouri
through Illinois, from Virginia and Kentucky. In the Fall of the
year, every great road was crowded with them, all bound for Missouri,
with their money and long trains of teams and negroes. These were
the most wealthy and best educated immigrants from the Slave States.
Many people who had land and farms to sell, looked upon the good
fortune of Missouri with envy; whilst the lordly immigrant, as he
passed along with his money and droves of negroes, took a malicious
pleasure in increasing it by pretending to regret the short-sighted
policy of Illinois, which excluded him from settlement, and from
purchasing and holding lands.

In this mode a desire to make Illinois a Slave State became quite
prevalent. Many persons had voted for Brown or Phillips with