The Jefferson-Lemen Compact: The Relations of Thomas Jefferson and James Lemen in the Exclusion of Slavery from Illinois and Northern Territory with Related Documents 1781-1818 — John Shaqi
The Jefferson-Lemen Compact: The Relations of Thomas Jefferson and James Lemen in the Exclusion of Slavery from Illinois and Northern Territory with Related Documents 1781-1818MacNaul, Willard C. (Willard Carey)
History
The Jefferson-Lemen Compact: The Relations of Thomas Jefferson and James Lemen in the Exclusion of Slavery from Illinois and Northern Territory with Related Documents 1781-1818
Editor of the Tribune:--In October, 1817, the Rev. James Lemen, Sr.,
had a government surveyor make a map showing how the boundary of
Illinois could be extended northward so as to give a growing state
more territory and a better shape and include the watercourses by
which Lake Michigan might be connected with the Mississippi river.
With these advantages marked in the margin of the map, he gave his
plan and map to Nathaniel Pope, our territorial delegate in congress,
to secure the adoption of the plan by that body, which he did.
The facts were noted in the Rev. J. M. Peck's pioneer papers and
others, and in commenting on them some of our newspapers have recently
charged Nathaniel Pope with carelessness in not publishing Mr. Lemen's
share in the matter, but unjustly. Mr. Lemen and Mr. Pope were ardent
friends, and as the former was a preacher and desired no office, and
he wished and sought for no private preferment and {p.38} promotion,
he expressly declared that as Mr. Pope had carried the measure through
Congress with such splendid skill he preferred that he should have the
credit and not mention where he got the map and plan.
Rev. Benjamin Ogle, Mr. Lemen's brother-in-law, and others mentioned
this fact in some of their papers and notes. The omission was no fault
of Mr. Pope's and was contrary to his wish.
The present site of Chicago was included in the territory added, and
that is how Illinois got Chicago.
PIONEER.
IV. ADDRESS TO THE FRIENDS OF FREEDOM
(From _The Illinois Intelligencer_, August 5, 1818.)
The undersigned, happening to meet at the St. Clair Circuit Court,
have united in submitting the following Address to the Friends of
Freedom in the State of Illinois.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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