Centennial history of Missouri (the center state) one hundred years in the Union, 1820-1921, Volume I, Part 3

Author: Stevens, Walter Barlow, 1848-1939
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: St. Louis, Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 1074


USA > Missouri > Centennial history of Missouri (the center state) one hundred years in the Union, 1820-1921, Volume I > Part 3


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114


CHAPTER XX LAST OF THE BENTON DUELS


Thomas C. Reynolds and B. Gratz Brown-Two Challenges and Two Acceptances-The First Offending Editorial-Benton's Championship of Settlers-The District Attorney Protests-Brown Declares Authorship-Reynolds Satisfied-Friends in the Controversy -A Year Later-The Combination Against Benton-"Is It Perjury or Is It Not?"- Reynolds Asks "the Proper Atonement"-Rifles at Eighty Yards-A Question of Short- sightedness-The Meeting Off-Benton the Issue Again-Reynolds' German Speech- "Germans and Irish on an Equality with Negroes"-"An Unmitigated Lie"-The Editor Posted-A Peremptory Challenge-Acceptance in Two Lines-Friends, Advisers and


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CONTENTS


Surgeons-Selma Hall-A Graphic Story of the Meeting-Duello Etiquette-Kennett's Arrangements-Interchanges of the Seconds-Bearing of the Principals-The Pistols- "Fire !"-Reynolds' Quickness-Brown Wounded-The Return to St. Louis-No Prose- cution-In Later Ycars-Political and Personal Friends-Brown's Career Not Satisfy- ing-Reynolds' Fate .687


CHAPTER XXI


MISSOURI IN 1861


. "You Can't Coerce a Sovereign State"-An Extraordinary Vote-Advice from Two Gover- nors-The Secession Program-Three Kinds of Democrats-The Contest for the Arsenal-General Frost's Report-Archbishop Kenrick Applies Scriptures-The Com- mittee of Public Safety-General Farrar's Reminiscences-Some Aggressive Journal- ism-Home Guards and Minute Men -. Isaac H. Sturgeon's Warning-An Insult to Missouri-Harney Restores Quiet-The Testing of Sweeny-A Commissioner Before the Legislature-John D. Stevenson Interrogates Lieutenant-Governor Reynolds-A Loaded Military Bill-General Lyon Arrives-The State Convention-Election of Delegates-Missouri Goes Union by 80,000 Majority-Dismay of the Southern Rights Democrats-Blair's Appeal to Lincoln-John F. Philips on the Delegates-Sterling Price Elected President-Minute Men Raise a Secession Flag-Riotous Scenes in Front of Headquarters-The Legislature Refuses to Pass the Military Bill-Prompt Action by the Convention-Secession "Is Annihilation for Missouri"-Colonel Broadhead's Pre- diction-Price to Shackleford-The Convention Denounced in the Legislature-Police Control Taken from St. Louis-Lyon Promises Arms to Home Guards-The April Election . 701


CHAPTER XXII CAMP JACKSON .


Warlike Preparations-William Selby Harney-Plans to Capture the Arsenal-Lyon Patrols Streets-Muskets "to Arm Loyal Citizens"-Four Regiments of Home Guards Brigaded -Lincoln's Call for Soldiers-Governor Jackson's Defiance-Blair Grasps a Great Opportunity-State Militia Seize Liberty Arsenal-Washington Warned-The Com- missioners to Montgomery-General Frost's Suggestion-Jefferson Davis Sends Siege Guns-Midnight Trip of the City of Alton-Lyon's Ruse with the Flintlocks-Gov- ernor Jackson Buys Ammunition-"Armed Neutrality"-Editorial Strategy-Champ Clark's Comments-A Pike County Mass Meeting-Confidential Letter from Jackson -Washington Recognizes the Committee of Public Safety-Police Assert State Sover- eignty-Camp Jackson-Forms of Loyalty-Arrival of Confederate Siege Guns- "Tamaroa Marble"-Lyon in Disguise-Night Session of the Committee-General Frost Protests-March on the Camp-The Surrender-Baptism of Blood-Mob Demonstra- tions-More Loss of Life-Sunday's Panic-The Legislature Acts-Passage of Military Bill-Peace Agreement-Harney Removed-President Lincoln's Doubt of the Pro- priety-A Pathetic Letter-What Capture of Camp Jackson Meant-Frank Blair's Foresight-Vest, Rassieur and Broadhead on the Consequences 723


CHAPTER XXIII


THE STATE THE STAKE


Missourians Against Missourians-A Final Effort for Peace-Lyon's Ultimatum-"This Means War"-Jackson's Proclamation-The State Guard Called Out-An Expedition


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CONTENTS


Southwest-The State Capital Abandoned-Battle of Boonville-Its Far-reaching Sig- nificance-A Week's Important Events-Richmond's Early Missouri Policy-The March Southward-Home-made Ammunition-Historic Buck and Ball-Character of the State Guard-Battle of Carthage-The Honors with 2,000 Unarmed Missourians-Sigel's Masterly Retreat-Lyon Reaches Springfield-Polk and the Army of Liberation- Richmond at Last Heeds Missouri's Appeal-McCulloch Joins Forces with Price- Lyon Outnumbered-Fremont's Costly Delay-The Battle of Wilson's Creek-McCul- loch's Attack Anticipated-How the Missourians Fought-Death of Lyon-The State Won for the Union-Fremont's Failure to Support-A Secret Chapter of the War- Jeff Thompson's Dash for St. Louis-Grant Checks the Army of Liberation-The Battle of Lexington-A Great Victory for the State Guard-Ruse of the Hemp Bales-Fre- mont's Army of the West-The Marching Legislature at Neosho-Ordinance of Seces- sion Passed-"A Solemn Agreement"-Fremont Removed-The Anti-Slavery Protest- President Lincoln on the Fremont Fiasco-Border States Policy Endangered-Mrs. Fre- mont's Midnight Visit-The Browning Letter-When Washington Discovered Grant- The Grant Family in Missouri-Kansas City Saved-First Iron-Clads in Naval History The Civil War Kindergarten. .749


CHAPTER XXIV


CIVIL WAR IN MISSOURI


.4 Great Emergency-The Man of the Hour-"Old Sanitary"-Organizing the Plan of Relief -Merciful Missourians Behind the Firing Lines-Major Hodges' Narrative-James E. Ycatman-The Sanitary Fair-Assessment of Southern Sympathizers-Dr. Eliot's Protest to President Lincoln-Desperate Character of the Conflict-Women Took Sides -The Spirit of Jael-A Wooden Leg Shot Off-How Ben Prentiss Assessed-Secret Lodges-The Missouri Chaos "Stampeded" Sherman-A Leave of Absence-The Story of Insanity-A Long Hidden Confidential Letter-Halleck Called Upon to Explain- Missouri in the War Records-The Policy of Extermination-"War Is Butchery on a Grand Scale"-Guerrillas "Should Not Be Brought in as Prisoners"-"Forty-one Guer- rillas Mustered Out by Our Boys in the Brush"-William F. Switzler on "The Reign of Terror"-Missouri Warfare as John F. Philips Saw It-Graphic Story of the Charge on a Church-Retaliation by Order of General Brown-Bill Anderson and the "Kansas First Guerrilla"-A Defiant Proclamation-The Death of Anderson-Depopulation Suggested for Boone County-A Man Hunt in the Lowlands of the Southeast-"We Killed in All Forty-seven"-The Paw Paw Militia Controversy-Gen. Clinton B. Fisk's Reports-A Brush Expedition in Western Missouri-The War on Smugglers-Gen. John McNeil's Order to Burn-Fisk Said, "Pursue and Kill." 783


CHAPTER XXV


RECONSTRUCTION THROES


A State Without a Government-Secret Conference in a Newspaper Office-Midsummer Session of the Convention-State Offices Vacant-Provisional Authority Established- Willard P. Hall's Keynote-Judge Philips on Anomalous Conditions-Erratic Course of Uriel Wright-Governor Gamble's Death-The Enrolled Militia-Lincoln's Advice to Schofield-Missouri Problems in Washington-A Baby Christened "Sterling Price" -- The President's Plain Words-Seventy "Radical Union Men"-Encouragement from the Abolitionists-Reception at the White House-Drake and the Address-A Prayer to Send Ben Butler-Enos Clarke's Vivid Recollections-Lincoln's Long Letter-The Matter with Missouri-"Every Foul Bird Comes Abroad and Every Dirty Reptile Rises Up"-Election of 1864-Blair on the Permit Iniquities-Constitutional Convention- Immediate Emancipation, Test Oath and "Ousting Ordinance"-A Revolutionary Proposi-


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CONTENTS


tion-Removal of One Thousand Judges and Court Officers-Judge Clover's Frank Re- port-Ousting Vital to Reconstruction Policy-Supreme Court Removed by Force from the Bench -. 4 Military Demonstration-Thomas K. Skinker's Valuable Contribution to History-Lincoln and Blair in Accord-The President's Plans for the South-Restora- tion, Not Reconstruction-Farewell Message to Missourians-Plea to Get Together . . 817


CHAPTER XXVI


MISSOURI AND THE CONFEDERACY


Secrets of State-The Unpublished Memoirs of Thomas C. Reynolds-Missouri "A Sov- ereign, Free and Independent Republic"-Democratic Differences at Jefferson City-The Lieutenant-Governor's Animus-Price's Hesitation to Take Command-The Secret Plan of Campaign-Reynolds Starts for Richmond-The Harney-Price Agreement-Major Cabell Commissioned by Governor Jackson-The First Interview with Jefferson Davis- Refusal to Send an Army to Missouri-Price's Call for 50,000 Men-McElroy's Analysis of Price's Leadership-A Great Name to Conjure With-Admission of Missouri into the Confederacy-The Meeting at Neosho-First Congressional Delegation-The Movement against Davis-A Proposed Northwest Confederacy-Price's Disclaimer-The Alleged Quarrel with Davis-Shelby's Promotion-Quantrell and Lawrence-Recollections of a Participant in the Attack-The Palmyra Affair-An Account Written at the Time- Jefferson Davis' Demand for the Surrender of McNeil-Execution of Ten Federal Offi- cers Threatened-Gen. Curtis' Reply-Narrow Escape of General Cockrell-A Letter from John B. Clark-The Days of Rapid Reconciliation-Shelby and the United States Marshalship-Frost and Davis on the Confederate Policy .841


CHAPTER XXVII MIGHTY HUNTERS OF MISSOURI


Strategy in Elk Stampedes-Turkey Slaughter in the Ozarks-"Shining Their Eyes"-Game Tallies Along the Iowa Border-Wild Turkey Sausage-Bear Homes in the Grass- Abner Smith's Sled Load from One Shot-A Missouri Esau-Millions of Pigeons-A Suit of Panther Skins-Squirrels by the Bushel-Coonce and "Old Betsy"-Sam Cole's Recollections-The Bandana Ruse-When Fish Clogged the Mill-David Bowles' Win- ter Record-Three Deer at One Fire-Dr. Graham's Nerve-Boys Chased by Angry Deer-Major Daniel Ashby-A Record of Official Integrity-Stories of Three Expedi- tions-When Game Abounded along Grand River-Bee Trails at "The Forks"-The Annual Harvests of Sweetness-Honey by Wagon Loads-Law of Bee Tree Titles- How Morrow Saved a Swarm-Madame Chouteau and the First Hive-"Yellow Boys" in Pioneer Commerce-The Tallow Fork of Beeswax-Barter at Glasgow, Richmond and Brunswick-Poor Tom's Creek-An Expert on Honey Hunting-Amos Burdine, the Missouri Munchausen-Eccentric Customs and Amazing Stories-"Jimps" Dysart's Temptation-Norman J. Colman and Charles G. Gonter. 863


CHAPTER XXVIII THE MAKING OF A CITY


Westport Landing-Pioneer McCoy's Recollections-A Germination That Was Unique- Kansas City Just Sixty-five Years Ago-The First Business Review-Wonderful Stride of a Four-Year-Old-As a Woman. Saw the Bluffs-The Year of the Boom-Specula- tive Conditions Without Precedent-And Then the Days of Depression-After that Rational Philosophy-Two Pillars of Lasting Prosperity-Packing House and Park


CONTENTS


System-Amazing Sights in the Bottom-Fascinating Scenes on the Bluffs-A Remi- niscence of "P. D."-Beginning of Boulevards-Topographical Eccentricities-"Little Hyde Park, a Primary Lesson"-Policy of Maximum Frontage-The Financial Plan -Years of Legislation and Litigation-Defeat of the First Project-The Taxpayer Converted-Penn Valley and Roanoke Park-The Problem of Cliff Drive-Gillham Road and the Kessler Idea-Natural Grades Disturbed as Little as Possible-Effect. on Population and Values-The Kansas City Principle of Assessments-Cost and Profit -Congestion Banished-Development of the Playgrounds-What Recreation Centers Have Done for Neighborhoods-Effect of the System on Expansion-A Gridiron of Boulevards-Kansas City by Night-Standard of Residential Architecture Raised- The Local Nomenclature-Ambassador Bryce on Swope Park-Thomas H. Benton's Prophecy-Kessler on the Ideal City Plan-The Community United-Kansas City Still in the Making-Epics in Prose and Rhyme. 887


CHAPTER XXIX


A GRAND OLD MAN OF MISSOURI


John Finis Philips-Eighty-five Years of the Century of Statehood-Vivid Recollections of the Legal Giants-The Big Four after the Civil War-At the Gettysburg of the West- The Frank James Case-Abiel Leonard's Early Fee-Legislative Pardon for a Duel- Leonard's Last and Vest's First Notable Case-Washington Adams' Misquotation- Gardenhire's Peroration Spoiled-John B. Clark's Fountain of Tears-Barton, the Fore- most Citizen-Edward Bates' Appeal for Sacred Personal Rights-"Old Sarcasm" Hay- den-Four Supreme Court Judges at the Bar-Two Views of the Bench-Judge Ryland's Classic Lore-Vest's Missouri Version of Latin-Judge Napton's Search for Law-A Good Turn and Lifelong Friendship-Farmer Hicks and Lawyer Hicks-The Railsplitter-Lynch Law Rebuked-A Practical Joke that Dissolved a Partnership- Primitive Practice Along the Osage-Judge Emmerson's Free-for-All Court-John S. Phelps on Nunc Pro Tunc-Waldo P. Johnson's Thick-Headed Client-Duke Draffen's Mastery of Law-The Defense of Justice Cross-What Became of a Fee-Missouri's Best Story Teller-Speeches that Live Only in Tradition-Passing of the Old Breed- Modern Conditions-Ethics of the Shyster-A Tribute to the Pioneers of the Profes- sion . . 937


CHAPTER XXX


THE RELIGIOUS LIFE


Colonial Theology-The Coming of John Clark-Church Bells Barred-First Protestant Churches Built in Missouri-Presbyterianism's Foothold-Dr. Niccolls' Centennial Ser- mon-First Protestant Church in St. Louis a Public Enterprise-Catholic Diocese of St. Louis-Coming of Bishop Dubourg-Culture One Hundred Years Ago-Rosati's Constructive Career-The First Cathedral-A Catholic Census-When Rev. Mr. Potts Was "the Rage"-Archbishop Kenrick-"The Rome of America"-Baptist Church Building and City Planning-The Pulpit and Literature-Religious Journalism-Ante- bellum Church Architecture-St. Louis an Archdiocese-The Prayerbook Church-Dr. Montgomery Schuyler's Career-Some Notable Pastorates-A Hero of the Cholera- Dr. Hutchinson on David and Uriah-The Tallest Steeple-Far-reaching Influence of Dr. Eliot-Dr. Post and Congregationalism-Judge Philips on Presbyterianism in Cen- tral Missouri-War Experiences-The Kenrick Lectures and The Newsletter-Mc- Cullagh's "Great Controversy"-Father Ryan, Orator and Wit-Religious Intolerance Exceptional-Dr. Niccolls on Progressive Catholicism-Bishop Tuttle-The New Cathe- dral-Religion and Good Works-The Y. M. C. A .- The Provident Association-A Layman's Monument-Missouri's Moral Standards. .959


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Vol. 1-1


From the Pierre Chouteau collection


ST. LOUIS IN 1770, AT THE END OF THE ST. ANGE GOVERNMENT


...


BOAT WITH CORDELLE, SAIL AND POLES USED BY PIONEER MISSOURIANS


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Centennial History of Missouri


CHAPTER I


ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO


Missouri, 1818-1821-An Ultimatum to Congress-Statchood or a Republic-Public Senti- ment Measured by Cheers-No Compromise-An International Treaty Right-The Warnings to the East-Jesse Walker, Stalwart Methodist-The First Business Direc- tory-Population and Morals-Franklin, the Interior Metropolis-The Westernmost Settlement-Land Speculation-A Barrel for a Bank-The Rush, of Immigration- Franklin at Its Best-The Knous Axe-Judge Tucker's Shibboleth-Blind Justice on the Bench-Duff Green, a Force-Muster Day-A Stump Speech-Rapid Americanisa- tion of the French-Fourth of July at Murphy's Settlement-The First Political Speech -Dancing by the Light of Slubs-A Commercial Review-What Missouri Had and Had Not-Colonel Charless' Editorial Frankness-John F. Darby's Boyhood Impres- sions-The Show Places of St. Louis-Auguste Chouteau's Castle-The Years of the Ferries-Coming of the McKnights and Bradys-Organization of Erin Benevolent Society-An Experience with the Mexicans-Weather Records of 1820-Mrs. Matthews' Diary-Christening of Lincoln County-Shooting Matches the Popular Sport-Hodden Gray-Current News a Century Ago-Benton Changed His Mind-The Census in 1821- Textbooks and Goose Quill Pens-Town Rivalry-Stage Fares.


The Missouri Question is the most portentous which ever threatened our Union. In the gloomiest days of the Revolutionary war I never had apprehensions equal to what I feel from this source .- Thomas Jefferson to Hugh Nelson, February, 1820.


One hundred years ago Missouri was divided into seven counties The grand jury of every county went on record in most formal protest against the attitude of Congress toward Missouri. From April, 1819, to December, of the same year, wherever Missourians assembled, resolutions were adopted or toasts were drunk in defiance of the dictation of Congress as to what, on the subject of slavery, should be put in the state constitution. And these sentiments were indorsed with many cheers.


In these later days people applaud by the watch. The cheering is timed. Newspapers and partisans gauge popular approval by the duration of the applause. One hundred years ago the successive cheers were counted. After drinking fervently to a sentiment, the people "hip hip hurrahed." Their enthu- siasm was estimated by the number of these cheers. There was no fictitious swelling of the volume of sound by the blowing of horns, by the ringing of bells, by the beating of drums, by the stamping of feet. It was all vociferous. And, when the tumult and the shouting died, everybody knew that the sentiment or the candidate had been indorsed by one, or ten, or twenty, or whatever the count might be, cheers. Thus, at a meeting in St. Louis, over which Auguste Chouteau presided, the Missouri Gazette reported that these two toasts "received the largest number of cheers."


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4


CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF MISSOURI


"The next Congress-A sacred regard for the Constitution, in preference to measures of supposed expediency, will insure to them the confidence of the American people. Nine- teen cheers. Yankee Doodle (music).


"The Territory of Missouri-With a population of near 100,000, demands her right to be admitted into the Union, on an equal footing with the original states. Nineteen cheers. 'Scotts o'er the Border.'"


The Warning to Congress.


Probably the most significant and effective of these protesting meetings was one at which Thomas H. Benton presented the resolutions. These resolutions took the form of what might be called an ultimatum to Congress. They were passed upon by such foremost Missourians as William C. Carr, Henry S. Geyer, Edward Bates and Joshua Barton before being adopted unanimously by the meeting. Alexander McNair presided. David Barton was secretary. This, then, was the action of the men who were to be the first governor and the first two United States senators and other acknowledged leaders of the new state. The resolutions declared in no uncertain words "that the Congress of the United States have no right to control the provisions of a state constitution, except to preserve its republican character." They denounced the action of the House of Representatives as "an outrage on the American Constitution." But the conclud- ing resolution presented to Congress and the rest of the country a new if not startling situation :


"That the people of this territory have a right to meet in convention by their own authority, and to form a constitution and state government, whenever they shall deem it expedient to do so, and that a second determination on the part of Congress to refuse them admission, upon an equal footing with the original states, will make it expedient to exercise that right."


There might be Missouri compromises in Congress. There was to be no Missouri compromise in Missouri. The threats were not few that if Congress persisted in tying strings to Missouri's admission, the people of the territory might reject the terms and set up independent government for themselves.


A meeting at St. Ferdinand, in what is now St. Louis county, where, accord- ing to tradition, was the earliest settlement of Americans in Missouri, by two or three families from North Carolina, adopted this sentiment:


"The Territory of Missouri-May she be admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original states, or not received in any other way."


This toast, the reporter of 1819 tells, was "drank standing up-twenty-two cheers."


The Treaty Guarantee.


No wonder, Thomas Jefferson, growing old and, perhaps, somewhat pessi- mistic, viewed the deadlock in Congress and the defiance of the territory with dismal forebodings. Jefferson knew and remembered what the Congress of 1819- 20 seemed to have forgotten, that Missouri had a claim to statehood beyond that of Illinois, or Alabama or Maine, all of which were being given precedence. It was a claim based on international treaty. When the United States acquired the great Louisiana Purchase, it was solemnly stipulated with France that the inhabitants of the vast region west of the Mississippi "shall be incorporated in


5


ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO


the Union of the United States and admitted, as soon as possible, according to the principles of the Federal Constitution, to the enjoyment of all the rights, advantages and immunities of citizens of the United States." Sixteen years had elapsed since the United States had given that pledge by treaty to France, and Missourians were still waiting. Two years and two months after the presenta- tion of the petition for statehood; supported with the facts and argument justify- ing admission, Congress, in March, 1820, passed the bill permitting Missouri to frame a state constitution without restriction as to slavery, but providing that slavery should be excluded from the rest of the Louisiana Purchase territory west and north of Missouri. That was the "Missouri Compromise" which vexed American politics for thirty-seven years only to be declared unconstitu- tional by the United States Supreme Court in March, 1857.


Admission Celebrated.


When the news of this Missouri Compromise reached Missouri on the 25th of March, 1820, Missourians celebrated what they firmly believed was the birth of statehood. Candles burned in all of the windows in St. Louis on the night chosen for the formal ratification. The cartoonist of one hundred years ago was equal to the occasion. He executed a transparency showing a negro dancing joyously because "Congress had voted to permit the slaves to come and live in such a fine country as Missouri." As the news traveled slowly up the rivers, bonfires burned on the hilltops at night and jollifications were held in the day time. Charles J. Cabell told an old settlers' reunion at Keytesville, in 1877, that he could not remember another day like that in his long Missouri life time.


But one note of comment showed how determined were the Missourians that Congress should not continue to trifle with their rights, and that the memorial adopted by the St. Louis meeting a few weeks before was not an idle threat. In the St. Louis Enquirer, the paper for which Benton wrote, there appeared a paragraph on the 3Ist of March, 1820, which recalled the action of the meeting and told what would have been done by the Missourians if the passage of the compromise bill had been longer delayed :


"The people of the United States would have witnessed a specimen of Mis- souri feeling in the indignant contempt with which they would have trampled the odious restriction under their feet and proceeded to the formation of a re- publican constitution in the fullness of the people's power."


If Benton gauged the strength and extent of the Missouri sentiment at that time, Missouri may have been nearer the formation of an independent republic, to come into the Union later, as Texas did, than the historians have told. Pos- sibly Jefferson was correct in his judgment that the course of Congress threat- ened the loss of "the Missouri country and what more God only knows."


Scattered in the Missouri settlements were men, not many in number, who were not willing to trust the majority to make the constitution. They were against statehood unless it came with a constitution which would, in time, abolish slavery. They did not hold meetings. They did not propose toasts. They wrote confidential letters to northern Congressmen urging them to keep up the fight against admission. The effect was to encourage the deadlock at Washington, to embitter public sentiment in the territory, and to insure the


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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF MISSOURI


election of delegates to frame a constitution, when the time came to choose them, who were strongly committed to slavery in Missouri.


Jesse Walker Planted Methodism.


Jesse Walker, with two young ministers, arrived in St. Louis in 1820 to establish the Methodism in Missouri. The outlook was discouraging. The struggle for statehood was at its climax. The legislature was in session. Poli- tics was boiling. Immigrants were coming in caravans. Not only was the pioneer preacher unable to find a stopping place, but he was told by some who had been Methodists that it was no use to start religious services ; people were too busy with worldly affairs. The good man was sorely disappointed. He shook the dust from off his feet and departed, intending to go to Mississippi in the expectation of finding a more promising field. After going eighteen miles he stopped and looked back.


"Was I ever defeated before in this blessed work?" he communed with himself. "Never. By the grace of God I will go back and take St. Louis."


He returned to the city and continued his search until he found a place to stop. As he went out on the street he met one of the citizens who had pre- viously advised him against trying to do anything in the booming town.


"Father Walker," said this St. Louisan of one hundred years ago, "what brought you back?"


"I have come to take St. Louis," said the stout-hearted preacher. "I have come in the name of Christ to take St. Louis, and by the grace of God I will do it."




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