USA > Illinois > Cass County > History of Cass county, Illinois > Part 5
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SEC. 3. If said county shall be created as aforesaid, the legal voters of said county shall meet on the first Monday of May next, at the several places of holding elections in said new county, and vote for the place where the county seat of said county shall be located, and the place receiving the greatest number of votes shall be the permanent seat of justice of said county, and on the first Monday of August next said county shall proceed to elect all county officers for said county, to be commis- sioned and qualified as in other cases.
SEC. 4. The owner or owners of the land where said county seat shall be located, shall donate and convey to said county of Cass, at least fifteen acres of land at the place where said seat shall be located, which may be dis- posed of in the manner the county commis- sioners' court of said county shall deem proper, the proceeds whereof shall be applied to the erection of the court house and jail, and clerk's offices of said county, but if the county seat aforesaid shall be located at Beardstown in said county, the corporation of said town shall, within one year from the said
39
HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
location, pay into the county treasury of said county, not less than ten thousand dollars to be applied in the erection of said public buildings.
SEC. 5. Said county shall vote with the county of Morgan for Senators and Represent- atives until the next apportionment, and said county shall make a part of the first judicial circuit, and so soon as said county shall be or- ganized, the clerk of the county commission- ers' court of said county shall notify the judge of the said circuit, and it shall be his duty to appoint a clerk and hold a court in said county at such times as said judge shall appoint. The seat of justice of said county shall be lo- cated at Beardstown, until the public build- ings are erected. But if the county seat shall be located at Beardstown, and said corpora- tion of Beardstown shall not pay to the treas- uier of said county, said ten thousand dollars for the purpose of erecting said public build- ings within one year after the location of said county seat, then the county commissioners' court of said county shall locate the county seat at some other point near the center of said county, when the quantity of land men- tioned in the fourth section of this act shall be donated as therein provided.
SEC. 6. The school funds belonging to the several townships in said county, and all notes and mortgages pertaining to the same, shall be paid and delivered over to the school commissioners of said county of Cass by the school commissioners of the county of Morgan, so soon as the said county shall be organized, and the commissioners of school lands shall be appointed and qualified according to law, together with all interest arising out of said money, that has not been heretofore expended for schools within that part of Morgan County now proposed to be set off into the county of Cass. This act shall take effect according to the conditions thercof, from and after its pas- sage.
SEC. 7. In case said county of Cass shall be created under the provisions of this act, then until the next apportionment of Senators and Representatives to the General Assem- bly, the said county shall be entitled to one Representative to the General Assembly, and shall at the next election vote with the county of Morgan for one Senator, also at every suc- cceding election for said Senator, and the county of Morgan shall be entitled to five Representatives and two Senators. Approved, March 3d, 1837.
The election was had; the feeling between the northern and southern sides of the county was such that the election was favor- able to division, and the northern townships immediately called an election for officers with which to organize the new county of Cass.
There were then but three voting precincts in this part of Morgan County, which was about being formed into a new county; they werc: Beardstown, Virginia and Richmond, and the following are the names of every man that voted at that election, with the names of the precincts they voted in:
Poll Book at an election held at the house of Moses Perkins, in the Beardstown Pre- cinct, in the County of Cass, Ills., August 7, 1837. Thos. Beard, James Arnold, John Scheffer, judges; T. U. Webb, C. W. Clarke, clerks.
John F. Bailey,
C. F. Kandage,
Alex. King, Elisha Marshall,
Ben. Beasley, John Marshall,
Christ. Shanks,
Jos Seaman,
Jerem. Wilson,
Isham Revis,
Jordan Marshall,
Nich. Parsons,
Jos. Britton,
Lewis G. Lambert,
Geo. Bryant,
Wm. Cox,
Jas. King, FrankI. Stewart,
Geo. MeKay, Sam. Hunt,
John C. Linsley,
Jas. Pounds,
Elizur Anderson,
Fredy White,
Edmund Ensly,
Landeriek Kale,
40
IHISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
Evan Jenkins, T. C. Mills,
Nich. Rheim,
Jn. Miller,
Fred. Krohe,
Moses Derby,
Lewis Haines,
Caleb Lee,
Wm. Turkymire,
Jas. Bonnett,
Phil. Schaffer,
Thos. Carroll,
J. W. Crewdson,
Curtis Ilager,
Gottlieb Jokisch,
Phil. Kuhn,
Thos. Ilaskins,
Dan. Wells,
Jn. H. Treadway,
G. Kuhl, John Rolın,
Andr. Keltner,
Ily. P. Ross,
John Richardson, Christ'n Kuhl,
Jac. Downing,
Chr. Boyd,
Edw. Saunders,
Jolın Holkmon,
Dav. Tureman,
Jos Haskins,
Adolph Shupong,
Seymour Coffren,
Dav. Spence,
Milton Parmelc,
G. Kahl, 21
Wm. IIomc,
Moritz Hallenbach,
John Quail,
Ileny T. Foster,
Thos. C. Black,
Ily. Boemler,
Bernard Beist,
Wm. Bryant,
Owen Clemens,
Dav. Emerich,
Ben. Britton,
Dav. Marshall,
Bradford Rew,
L. H. Wilkey,
Gco. Cowan,
B.uford Haines,
Lewis Cowan,
Thos. J. Moseley,
J. N. Jenkins,
Ily. Schaffer,
Nich. Coteral,
Joel K. Bowman,
Dan. Britton,
Thos. Pierce,
Gottlieb Jokisch,
Wm. W. Gillet,
Sam. Groshong,
Jacob J. Brown,
Jn. Cuppy,
Wm. W. IIemminghouse,
John Kettely,
Jackson Stewart,
Godfr. Gutlet,
Fred. Kors,
Wm. Quigg,
Jos. Canby,
John C. Scott,
John Decker,
Marcus Chandler,
Geo. Garlick,
Wm. II. McKanley,
Chs. Garland,
Leander Brown,
Jas. Dickinson,
Alex. Ratcliff,
John Brackle,
Jas. Garlick,
Westley Payton,
Math. McBride,
Chr. Hell,
Dan'I Boyne,
Isaac Short,
John Burns,
Elisha OIcott,
Thos. Proctor,
Amasa Warren,
John Bridgewater,
Ahsalom Spence,
Rich'd Graves,
Geo Schaffer,
John A. Thomas,
Wm. Ritchie,
Rich'd Wells,
Asa Street,
John Buck,
Hy. Miller,
George Brown,
Jas. Roach,
Wm. R. White.
M. Kemper,
Ben. Horom,
Jas. A. Carr,
Jn. W. Anderson,
Wm. Moore,
Jos. H. Clemens,
John Haram,
Henry Collins,
Sam. Shaw,
Jas. Neeper,
Zach. Bridgewater,
Hy. Roha,
Jos. McClure,
Jackson Scott,
Wm. Moore,
Wm. Bassett,
Wm. Dougall,
Stephen Buck,
Wm. R. Parks,
Jas. Davidson,
Wm. Holmes,
Wm. Shuteman,
John P. Dick,
Robt. Lindsay,
Lewis NoIte,
Edward Salley,
Joshua Morris,
Wm. Cross,
Wm. Clark,
Demsey Boyce,
Wm. W. Clemons,
Jn. Wilbourns,
B. W. Schneider,
Aaron Powell,
J. Philippi,
John McKean,
Francis Rice,
Jerm. Bowes,
Jas. Scott,
Jas. Logan,
Aug. Knapp, Dan. Scott,
A. Philippi,
John Gutliff Berger,
Christ. Newman,
Martin F. Higgins,
P. Philippi,
Fred. Krohe,
Thos. Stokes,
Dudley Green,
W. W. Gordon,
Aug. Krolie,
Jasper Buck,
Thos. Wilbourne,
IIy. Ilavekluft,
Fred Inkle,
Jas. Davis,
Ily. Braker,
Jac. Fisal,
Lonis Sudbrink,
Jas. Bell,
O. Long,
John Newman,
Adam Krough,
E. R. Gillett,
John Yokes,
Montela Richardson,
J. B. Pierce,
Orrin Hicks,
Rucy Richardson,
Harmon Byrnes,
John Waggoner,
W. Moody, Sam. Fletcher,
Joshua Alexander,
Edw'd Tread way,
Morgan Kemper,
John Ilicks,
L. H. Tread way,
Chs. Chandler,
Thos. Bryant, Otto Wells,
Dav. Newman, G. A. Bonny,
John Price,
Reuben Alexander,
Peter Liglit, Wm. B. Gaines,
J. W. Lippincoft,
Jas. Case,
Jas. Cook,
Jos. Baker,
John Schaeffer, T U. Webb, J. Blackman, Pet. B. Bell,
Thomas Cowan,
Ily. Kemble
Amasa Reeves,
41
HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
Wm. Shepard,
Jn. Steele,
John Wilson,
Calvin Wilson,
Sam. Thompson,
Arn. Arenz,
Oliver Loge,
Charles Scaggs,
Hy. Hendricker,
Pet. Douglas,
Wm. Lucas,
Wm. P. Morgan,
Rob. Moore,
Hy. Kashner,
Aaron Wright,
Riley Claxton,
Wm. Sewell,
J. M. Quate,
John Pryor,
Zachariah Hash,
Sam. McKee,
Jn. W. Gillis,
Standley Lockerman.
John Cook,
T. A. Hoffman,
Dav. Jones,
Henry S. Dutch,
Clinton Wilson,
Reuben Ilager,
Jos. W Hardy,
Robert Nance,
Henry Mellenry,
John Duchardt,
Wm. Miller,
Wm. Myers,
John Johnson,
Wm. L. Felix,
Christ. Trone,
Wm. Myers,
Mathew Loundsberry,
John Ayers,
Jessie Ankronı,
Amos Dick,
Frederick MeDonald,
llammer Oatman,
John McKowan,
IIenry Dick,
John Leeper,
Thos. Saunders,
Ily. Whitrick,
Jonathan N. Loge,
Pleasant Rose,
A. Williams, J. B. Wilson, Thos. Payne,
J. Smith,
John Davis,
Cyrus Elmore,
Wm. B. Ulside,
J. C. Spence,
Daniel Robinson,
Thomas Jones,
Dan. Sheldon,
Nich. Kelly,
John McLane,
Wm. W. Bolt,
Robert Leeper,
John L. Witty,
John Taylor,
JIenry Taylor,
F. Arenz,
JIy. Wedeking,
Robert B. Taylor,
Alfred Daniels,
Moses l'erkins,
Dan. Riggle,
James B. Conner,
Marcus Cooper,
Ily. Pheboe,
G. F. Miller,
Willis Daniels,
John B. Thompson,
Butler Arnold,
C. J. Norbury,
Wm. S. Clemons,
Eaton Nance,
Isane Plasters,
T. Graham, Jr.,
Z. I'. Ilarvey,
Lemuel l'lasters,
James Wing,
John Pratt,
Wm. II. Williams,
Jac. Anderson,
Washington Daniels,
JI. W. Libbcon,
Ely Cox,
Sylvester Sutton,
J. P. Crow,
John W. Pratt,
Austin Shittenden,
John Bull,
C. W. Clark,
Lewis Stoner,
John Cushman,
Thos. Beard,
J. S. Wilbourne,
J. Arnold,
W'm. Scott,
N. B. Thompson,
Elw. Collins,
A. Batoage,
John Pierson,
Dav. White,
Lewis Piper,
Poll Book at Richmond Prec'nct election of 1337.
Mat'w Soundsberry, Jr, Obadiah Morgan,
John Hillis, Horatio Purdy,
Wmn. T. Kirk,
Jerry W. Davis,
Thos. Lockermand, John Roberts,
Azariah Lewis,
John Chesshire,
Levy Dick, Gibson Carter,
Abner Foster,
David Pratt,
Peter Dick,
Wm. Paton, Ezra Dutch,
Wm. Graves, Young Phelps,
Levi Springer, John Craig,
Jacob Bixler,
Enoch Wheelock,
P. S. Oulten, L. B. Ross,
Election at the house of John De Weber, in the Virginia Precinct, in the County of Cass, Illinois, August 7, 1837. This cer- tificate is added: " The County not being or- ganized, and, of course, no Justice of Peace, or appointed Judge, Mr. Win. Clark admin- istered the oath to the other acting judges and Mr. James Daniel administered it to him and to the clerks. Subscribed by us, "WM. M. CLARK, "JAMES DANIEL."
Louis Thornsberry, Jolın Slack,
John Fancier, Cary Nance,
Ilenry Nichols, Wm. Linn,
Thomas Plasters,
James Ilickey,
Robert G. Gaines,
Jolın Baldin, Amos Bonney,
Ashley llickey,
James Roles,
John B. Witty,
Cyrus Wright.
Lewis Kloker,
Wm. Dellaven,
John Hathorn,
Geo. Fancier,
Wm. Butler,
Colman Gaines,
James Bonnet,
Carlton Logan,
Jolın Lucas, Henry D. Wilson,
Robert Carter,
James lathorn, -
Ralph Morgan,
Hy. Mckean,
42
HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
Thos. Plaster, Sr.,
Wm. Fields,
Denj. Corby,
Alex. Bain,
John Glover,
Jas. Garner,
P. Underwood, Jr.,
John Biddles,
Ferry G. Price,
Phillip Cochrane,
Thos. J. Joy,
Il. Il. Hall,
John Daniel,
Wm. B. Kirk,
A. Elder, A. S. West,
Jeremiah Northern,
Wm. M. Clark,
Jos. MeDaniel,
Wm. Blain,
Felix Cameron,
Titus Phelps,
Robt. Davidson,
Jas. Williams,
Il. Osborne,
llenry ilopkins,
Benediet Cameron,
Thos. Boicourt,
Anderson Phelps, Zeb. Wood,
John Robinson,
George Shaw,
Jesse Spicer,
J. M. Ross,
Wm. Craig,
Pleas. Scott,
Jas. Bland,
Jas. Biddle.
L. Carpenter,
J. T. Powell,
Jolın Clark,
John De Weber,
1 .. Clark,
Reddiek Ilorn,
Geo. Conningham,
Archibald Job,
Michael Reed,
George Beggs,
Green II. Paschal,
B. Stribling, Chas. P. Anderson,
S. Steveson,
Joel lIome,
Jas. Daniels,
Charles Brady,
James B. Davis,
Wm. Daniels,
John Redman,
W. P. Johnstone,
Elias Matthew,
W. P. Finch,
Thos. Finn,
John Carpenter,
Daniel Cauby,
Thos. Lee,
L. B. Freeman,
Thos. G. Howard,
J. M. MeLean,
Joshua Price,
B. A. Blantin,
Green Garner,
Jos. Jump,
Aaron Bonny.
C. H. Oliver,
Amos L. Bonny,
Alex. Huffman,
Ephraim Moseley,
Jonas MeDonald,
Jas. Ross, Sr.,
John Peirce,
T. S. Berry,
John Biddlecome,
A. Bowen,
Jas. Berry,
John Long,
M. O' Brien,
Evan Warren,
Isaiah Paschal,
John Cunningham,
M. IF. Biddles.
Jas. llolland,
CANDIDATES.
Probate Justice. J. S. Wilboarne, 65; Wm. Scott, 26; Jas. Berry, 15.
Sheriff. Lemon Plaster, 81 ; M. F. Higgins, 17; J. . B. Bueb./70.
Recorder. N. B. Thompson, 30; Thos. Graham, 1; Dr. O. M. Lóng, 7; Alfred Elder, 64.
County Commissioners' Treasurer. Thos. Wilbourn, 14; J. C. Spense, 84.
County Commissioners' Clerk. J. M. Pratt, 52; R. G. Gains, 49.
County Commissioners. Amos Bonney, 60; G. F. Miller, 16; H McKean, 30; Benj. Stribling, 95; Henry Mellenry, 7.
County Surveyor. Wm. Holmes, 86; Wm. Clark, 19. Coroner. C. Rew, 27 ; J. Anderson, none ; Halsey Smith, 75.
The election was held on the first day of August, 1837, and the following named officers were elected: Joshua P. Crow, Amos Bonney, and George F. Miller, County Commissioners; John S. Wilbourne, Probate Justice of the Peace; John W. Pratt, Clerk of County Com- missioners' Court; Lemon Plaster, Sheriff. These men were sworn into office by Thomas Pogue, a Beardstown magistrate.
On the 14th day of August, 1837, the county commissioners met and organized Cass County. At this first meeting of the board, the new county was divided into six precincts, which were named : Beardstown, Monroe, Virginia, Sugar Grove, Richmond and Bowens.
When this county was organized there was not a house, built exclusively for religious worship, in it, and not one in all Morgan County outside of Jacksonville. Physicians were searce, and fever and ague quite com- mon. Game was plenty, some of which was very disagreeable, particularly wolves, and an occasional panther. The wolves very sel- (lom did violence to human beings; but when the weather was cold and stormy, and the ground frozen, they were so bold and threat- ening, that nobody cared to risk himself out alone at night. The only instance of violence to a man within our recollection, was the case of Esquire Daniel Troy, living near Bethel
Onslow Watson, John McDonald,
43
HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
who was walking home one night from town, carrying a quarter of beef on his shoulder. He was attacked by a gang of wolves, the beef taken away from him, and he very roughly handled.
There were a few large gray wolves also, that were very much feared. One cold, bright, moonshiny night, we heard an uncommon fuss with our dogs, and opened our cabin door. A favorite little black dog immediately pounced into the house, and the largest gray wolf, we ever saw, which was after him, tried to follow. The door was open, and we had no time to get our rifle. The only weapon at hand was a stick of fire wood, but with this we did good execution, and Mr. Wolf had to beat a retreat. So severely had we beaten him, that he immediately left our premises. We afterward heard a fuss among the dogs at a neighbor's, Armstrong Cooper's house, and then the crack of a rifle, and in a short time we heard the dogs and another rifle at Mr. Lamb's house, and then all was still. We found next morning that these shots of Cooper and Lamb had killed him. He was a mon- ster, and measured nine feet and nine inches, from his nose to the end of his tail.
At that time there was very little litigation among the country people, and personal alter- cations were usually settled by a resort to blows.
It was in the winter of 1836-37, we be- lieve, although we defer our recollection to others, if they think we are mistaken, that we had what we called the "sudden change " in the weather, the most remark- able one we ever saw, heard of, or read of. On Saturday morning there was snow on the ground. The following Sunday was a very warm day, and Monday, until about one o'clock p. m., was still warmer, and on both days there was considerable rain. The snow had melted into slush and water, which was standing in ponds on the level
ground, and roaring down declivities. At that hour the weather turned suddenly very cold. In one hour after the change began the slush and water was frozen solid; and in two hours from that time, men were hur- riedly crossing the river on the ice. A vast amount of cattle, fowls and game, and many persons, were frozen to death. We heard of one man, who was crossing a prairie, on horseback, who had killed his horse and taken the entrails out of him and then crawled inside of him for protection, was found there frozen to death. We don't know how the thermometer stood, for we had none.
On Monday, during this sudden change, Dr. Chandler was returning home from a pro- fessional trip up the bottom. His overcoat was covered with slush and mud, and in a few minutes after the change began his coat was frozen stiff, and he felt that he was in danger of being frozen. He stopped at the store of Ilenry T. & Abner Foster, at Rich- mond, on the land since owned by John P. Dick, where he was warmed up and thawed out. He then mounted his horse and started on a gallop for home, about six miles distant, but soon found himself freezing again. He stopped at another house, and warmed, and started again, with like results. He thus was forced to stop at four different houses, be- tween Foster's store and his house, to prevent freezing to death. When he arrived within sight of his own house his horse fell down, and left him helpless on the ice, and his family dragged him, in a helpless condition, into the house.
At the special session of the Legislature, in the summer of 1837, was passed a pream- ble and statute to the following effect :
WHEREAS, at an election held in the county of Morgan, according to the provisions of " An act for the formation of the county of Cass," it appeared that a majority of the
44
HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
voters of said county voted for the creation of said county ; and, whereas, at an election for the county seat of said county, Beards- town received the highest number of votes for the county seat, and whereas, some doubts have been expressed as to the legality of the proceedings of said election, now, therefore, to remove all doubts on that subject :
SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois represented in the General Assembly, That the county of Cass, as desig- nated and bounded in the "Act for the formation of the county of Cass," approved March 3d, 1837, be, and the same is hereby de- clared to be, one of the counties of this State.
SEC. 2. The county seat shall be located at the city of Beardstown, in said county ; Provided, however, that the provision of the act above referred to, shall be complied with by the citizens, or a corporation of Beards- town, in relation to the raising the sum of . ten thousand dollars, to defray the expenses of erecting public buildings for said county.
SEC. 3. The corporation of Beardstown shall be allowed the period of one, two, and three years, for the payment of ten thousand dollars, aforesaid, to be calculated from the passage of the law aforesaid, which sum shall be paid in three equal payments. The County Commissioners' Court of said county shall make their contracts for erecting the public buildings in said county, so as to make their payments thereon when the said installments aforesaid shall become due and payable.
SEC. 4. The court house of said county shall be erected on the plat of ground known as the public square, in said town of Beards- town.
SEC. 5. Returns of the elections for the county officers of said county, to be elected on the first Monday of August next, shall be made in Beardstown, to O. M. Long and Thomas Poyne, notaries public in Beardstown, who shall open and examine the poll books of
said election in the presence of one or more Justices of the Peace in and for said county ; and said notaries public, after due inspection and examination of the poll books, according to the laws of this State, shall make out certi- fieates of election of those persons who have received the highest number of votes, which certificates shall be such as those required to be made by the Clerks of the County Commis- sioners' Court, and shall receive and be en- titled to the same effect in law.
This statute also provides how the school fund of Morgan County shall be divided with Cass County.
At the session of 1839, on the 2d day of March, the Legislature made this preamble and statute :
" Whereas, it was provided, by the act for the formation of the county of Cass, that, in case the county seat of said county should be located at Beardstown, the corporation or in- habitants should, within one year after the location, pay into the county treasury the sum of ten thousand dollars, to be applied to the erection of public buildings; and whereas, by the act passed 21st of July, 1837, in relation to said county, further time was allowed said corporation to make said payment, the said corporation having failed to pay the said ten thousand dollars, and not having complied with, or agreed to comply with the provisions of the last recited act, the County Commis- sioners of said county, under the provisions of the first recited aet, located the county seat at Virginia, and contracted for the erection of a court house and jail in said county; and doubts being entertained as to the true construction of the aet last recited in relation to the rights of said corporation, and the duties of the County Commissioners, therefore:
"Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois represented in the General Assembly, That the county seat of Cass County shall be and remain at Virginia, and
J.r. Arenz
1
THE
NEW ORX PUBLI
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1909
47
HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
the courts of said county shall hereafter be held at that place; and the several county officers, who are required to keep their offices at the county seat, are required to remove their respective offices, and all bonds, docu- ments, books and papers pertaining to the same, to Virginia, on or before the first day of May next, and thereafter hold and keep their respective offices at that place; and in case one or more of said officers shall fail, or refuse to comply with the provisions of this act, such officer shall forfeit his office."
In the years 1838 and 1839, was built, as we believe, the first railroad west of the Alle- ghany Mountains, running from Meredosia to Springfield. We particularly recollect this great enterprise, for two reasons: first, we took a trip in 1838 from Meredosia to Jacksonville, on the first passenger train that ever ran on that road; and second, because it was built by the State, and was a part of that great internal improvement policy, which bankrupted and disgraced the State, and spread misery among the people. Of all the hard times that the people of Cass County, and indeed of the whole State, have ever seen, these were the hardest.
This was caused by a passage of a bill in the Legislature, providing for a general sys- tem of internal improvements by the construc- tion of nearly 1,300 miles of railroad, and the improvement of various rivers. These im- provements never paid the interest on the money they cost, and in 1840, after a short but eventful life of three years, fell the most stupendous, extravagant and almost ruinous folly of a grand system of internal improve- ments that any civilized community, perhaps, ever engaged in, leaving a State debt of $14,- 237,348.00, and a population of less than half a million to pay it. For this the people could not blame the Legislature, or the poli- ticians, for the people themselves had de- manded and clamored for it, and the Legisla-
ture only obeyed their behest in granting it. At the same time, the State banks suspended, and left us with a depreciated currency. The State Bank of Shawneetown collapsed with a circulation of $1,600,000, and the State Bank with $3,000,000. The people were left destitute of an adequate circulating medium and were not supplied until the ordinary pro- cess of their limited commerce brought in gold and silver and bills of solvent banks from the other States, which was very slow. Even immigration was stopped, owing to the general financial embarrassment, high taxes, and disgraceful condition of the State. When money was abundant, credit had been extended to every body. With the vast sys- tem of internal improvements, and the large circulation of the banks, this was the condi- tion of our people. They were largely in debt on account of speculations, which proved to be delusions. Contracts matured, but no- body paid. The State had sold and hypothe- cated her bonds until its credit was exhausted. Then no further effort was made to pay even the interest on the State debt. Then the State bonds went down, down, until they were worth but fourteen cents on the dollar. The people were unable and unwilling to pay higher taxes, and what might almost he called a general bankruptcy ensued. The people owed the merchants; the merchants owed the banks, and for goods purchased abroad; while the banks, having suspended specie payment, owed every one who carried one of their rags in his pocket. None could pay in par funds, for there were none to be had. In this dilemma the Legislature tried to come to the relief of the people, but instead of relieving them from their wretched condition by summary legislation, they, as such bodies usually do, in like circumstances, only made matters worse. Among other statutes passed with this gener- ous object, was one that we have no doubt many citizens of Cass will recollect, which was
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