SOCIAL REUNION.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the day was the reunion held this morning in the lobby of the Windsor hotel. Here the convention of 1856 was conducted again. Gen. John M. Palmer who was the chairman of that body sat chatting with George Schneider, Paul Selby, Benjamin F. Shaw, Gen. Jas. M. Ruggles, Col. William Vocke, Gen. Thomas J. Henderson, David McWilliams, and other gray beards who are survivors of the convention of forty-four years ago today. In that group were several who occupied chairs just across the street in front of the old Pike House, now the Phoenix hotel, May 29, 1856, and discussed the business of the Major's hall convention. Little did they imagine what momentous consequences were to result from the proceedings of Major's hall. Lincoln, Oglesby, Wentworth, Yates and others who were there have gone, but hallowed in grateful and tender remembrance, their memory lives on till time shall be no more.

Reverently the name of the martyred president was recalled today. Incidents of his presence were told on every hand. A treasured relic brought from Chicago by Mr. Geo. Schneider was the picture of Lincoln taken in a Chicago restaurant in 1854. He was taking dinner with Mr. Schneider and while he was reading a copy of the Chicago Democrat, a photographer stepped in and asked permission to take Lincoln's picture and he consented. A copy of the photo was retained by Mr. Schneider and was viewed with deepest interest today.

Another interesting relic was a picture of the Union defense committee organized in Chicago just before the war to equip Illinois regiments for the field. This picture shows each member of the committee and was presented to the Historical Society by Mr. Schneider. There are but three members of the original committee surviving. Mr. Schneider, Thomas B. Bryan and A. H. Burley, all of Chicago.

It developed by comparing notes that the delegates selected by the Bloomington convention of 1856 to the national convention of Philadelphia, but two are living-General Palmer and George Schneider. Both were here today and the

latter had in his possession the original ticket of admission. He also had the ticket of admission to the national convention of 1860. These relics were also viewed with great attention and appealed strongly to the group of old gentlemen.

Of the group of Anti-Nebraska editors who met in convention in Decatur in February, 1856, to issue the call for the convention which met in Bloomington, the three survivors, Paul Selby and George Schneider, of Chicago and Benjamin F. Shaw, of Dixon, were here today. Selby at that time represented the Jacksonville Journal, Schneider the Chicago StaatsZeitung and Shaw the Dixon Telegraph, with which he is stil! connected.

He is 82.

The oldest man in attendance at the anniversary is General Palmer. He is 82. He has been in poor health of late and his paper will be read bv another.* He came very near dying during the winter and looks far from well. His eyes lit up with the old fire, however, as he recalled the old days and there was enthusiasm in his voice as he told incidents of Lincoln and the great men of the early days.-Bulletin, May 29, 1900.

*The paper was, however, read by Gen. Palmer.

Introductory,

BY EZRA M. PRINCE,

Secretary of the McLean County Historical Society.

To make plain to those who did not take part in the great anti-slavery contest this introductory note may not be inappropriate.

THE RISE OF THE SLAVERY QUESTION.

March 16, 1818, there was presented to the house of representatives a petition from Missouri for permission to form a state constitution. February 13, 1819, when the question came up before the house, an amendment was offered to the enabling act prohibiting the further introduction of slavery and providing that all children of slaves, born within the state after its admission should be free but might be held to service until the age of 25 years. March 6, 1820, a compromise having been affected under the leadership of Mr. Clay, the enabling act was passed without the anti-slavery restriction, but with the following amendment: "That in all the territory ceded by France to the United States under the name of Louisiana which lies north of 36 degrees and 30 minutes, north latitude, excepting only such part thereof as is included within the limits of the state contemplated by this act, slavery and involuntary servitude otherwise than in the punishment of crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted shall be and is hereby forever prohibited." This was known as the "Missouri compromise." The principle of this compromise, the supreme control of congress over the territory even in the regulation or abolition of slavery remained unquestioned for nearly thirty years and in popular estimation was held little less sacred than the constitution itself.

June 3, 1849, California formed a state constitution expressly prohibiting slavery but the senate of the United States refused to concur in the house bill providing for its admission into the Union. Mr. Clay again came forward with a

compromise, which in August and September, 1850, was finally effected as follows:

First; the admission of California with its constitution prohibiting slavery.

Second; organizing the territories of New Mexico and Utah, without any anti-slavery restriction.

Third; a very drastic fugitive slave law.

Fourth; abolishing the slave trade in the District of Columbia.

Fifth; the payment to Texas, of a large indemnity for the relinquishment of her claims to New Mexico.

In 1853 a bill was introduced in congress to organize the territory of Nebraska. January 16, 1854, Senator Dixon, of Kentucky, having given notice of an amendment abolishing the Missouri compromise in the case of Nebraska, the bill was recommitted to the committee on territories and Stephen A. Douglas, senator from Illinois, immediately reported a bill dividing the territory into two territories, the southern, adjoining Missouri on the west, called Kansas and the northern, adjoining Iowa on the west, called Nebraska and repealing the Missouri compromise in regard to slavery. This precipitated the inevitable conflict between slavery and freedom. It practically destroyed the Whig party. The anti-slavery sentiment of the north had grown gradually and the conviction had became general that there could be no lasting compromise with slavery. In the south the more aggressive and radical proslavery leaders gained control of the Democratic party and through it the complete domination of the south. In the north the repeal of the Missouri compromise caused great excitement. In 1854 when Senator Douglas returned to Chicago and attempted to justify his acts the people refused to hear him but for four hours yelled and hissed him until he retired from the meeting. In the condition of affairs here briefly outlined the Major's Hall convention met.

The Major's Hall convention was substantially the first state convention in Illinois in opposition to the repeal of the Missouri compromise. In 1854 an attempt was made by the