Edwards came into office on what in modern days we should call an anti-graft campaign, although his friend John McLean, the Postmaster General, thus expresses himself:1

"For your success in the late election (although your competitor was an old and I believe a sincere friend of mine) I feel a deep interest. It has often been referred to by me as triumphant refutation of the scandles which had been so extensively circulated against you."

Edwards now proceeded to bring all sorts of charges of financial irregularity against his opponents. The net result of the various investigations which the Governor set on foot was absolutely nothing. In view of the confusion arising through Edward's course, the following quotation from a letter of Samuel McRoberts to Sloo is of considerable interest.2

"The Session since I have been here, has been a boisterous one. Many circumstances with which you are no doubt acquainted, tended to produce a spirit of discord.

We have been expecting to see you here. And I am well assured had it fell to your lot to have presided over the State, and many here who opposed your election now regret the course they pursued and that you had not been elected, the ill feelings and angry passions produced here this winter, would never have been heard of. It is a misfortune to Illinois that you were not elected. It is in truth a deep misfortune, both as it respects the internal harmony and prosperity of the State. and her character abroad.

I was in Kentucky in the fall. Many gentlemen there expressed the warmest feelings for you, and hoped the Legislature would recognize you as Governor. It was understood there that there was likely to be a contest before the General Assembly upon the subject."

In

McRoberts was not the only one to voice the feeling of regret at the election of Edwards. Ex-Governor Coles wrote from Washington advising Sloo to be careful of the political course that he and the former Crawfordites took at this time. James Hall, one of the victims of Edward's judge-breaking law, expressed himself more forcefully. a second long letter describing political conditions in the State which affords an interesting comparison with those published in the Edwards Papers, Hall describes the various combinations which resulted in placing Illinois in the Jackson column. He was not much of a political prophet if we may judge from the fact that he advised Sloo that Jackson's day was over in Illinois, because of the canal appropriation which Cook had secured from Congress.

More interesting than these expressions of regret was the proposal made by Elijah C. Berry that Sloo might technically claim that he still exercised the office of Quartermaster General of the State militia and refuse to honor Edward's requisitions for certain arms belonging to the State.5 As the request from Edwards followed certain Indian difficulties which then afflicted the northern part of the State, this attempt to gain partisan advantage by hampering the Governor does not

1 Edwards, History of Illinois, p. 147.

2 See Note 3, p. 36.

3 Torrence Papers, Box 4, No. 56.

4 Torrence Papers, Box 11, Nos. 4, 5. See Appendix C and D.

5 Torrence Papers, Box 2, No. 26.

suggest patriotism of a high order. We are pleased to note that Sloo definitely and promptly rejected it. He writes:

"Situated as I am in relation to the present commander in chief [i. e. Governor Edwards] had I barely doubts as to the termination of my appointment delicacy would forbid my imposing any obstacle to interrupt the harmonious administration of his government. Believing as I do, that there is at present, no Quartermaster General of the State the arms would of course be under the entire control and disposition of the Governor."

With this quotation we may fittingly end the career of Mr. Sloo in Illinois. Within a few months he had closed his affairs in that State and transferred his family to New Orleans where he began once more his career as a merchant and where a large measure of success and honor came to him during his succeeding life of nearly half a century. We must not regard his leaving Illinois as in any sense a desertion of the field of combat in the hour of political defeat. His correspondence shows that his prospects for future success in the political arena were good and the success obtained by his friends indicates that he might have anticipated a like measure of political honors. But the financial burdens resting upon him since his failure in Cincinnati were not wholly liquidated and his public duties undoubtedly prevented him from giving the attention to the development of his private affairs that was necessary to accomplish this purpose.1 His field of operation in southern Illinois was too limited for him and with his business and political associates, his previous reputation for probity and good fellowship, he might reasonably aspire to a larger measure of success in New Orleans, the commercial emporium of the West. His course does not suffer in comparison with other political leaders in Illinois. Joseph Phillips had gone to Tennessee after his defeat for the Governorship in 1822. Jesse B. Thomas retired to Ohio when he completed his term of service in the United States Senate, and even Ninian Edwards planned at one time to take up his residence in Texas.

I have called Mr. Sloo a typical politician of Illinois. He came to the State, as did many others, representing certain political influences that were making themselves felt in the nation at large. He was young and ambitious. He immediately entered public life and aspired to the highest situations to be attained therein. He gained a measure of success, followed the personal bent of politics of his period, and eventually moved on to another and far different scene of action. In all of these respects he is typical of the various groups of politicians that played their part in the first decade of Illinois State history. And he has left an impression which, thought slight, is worthy of careful commemoration. It is in the multitude of such impressions that we read the early history of the State and its part in that political movement which we distinguish by the term "Jacksonian Democracy."2

University of Cincinnati, June 15, 1911.

1 Cf. Torrence Papers, Box 3, No. 13; Box 5, No. 46; Box 12, No. 5; Box 27, No. 14.

2 In the preparation of this paper the writer is under special obligations to Miss L. Belle Hamlin. Librarian of the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio; to Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber, Secretary of the Illinois State Historical Society; and to Mr. Thomas Sloo, of New Orleans, and Dr. J. F. Snyder, of Virginia, Illinois.

APPENDIX.

These letters are from the Torrence Collection of the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio, and are published in the Quarterly Publication of that organization for July-September, 1911. The numbers indicate the boxes of the collection in which the originals are to be found:

A.

JOHN MCLEAN TO THOMAS SLOO, JR.
(Box 17, No. 3.)

WASHINGTON, 16 January, 1825.

DEAR SIR-I have delayed writing a long time that I might have something to say which would be interesting or amusing. But I have waited in vain and it seems at present that if I [wait now till,] I shall have such intelligence to communicate, that the time will not arrive for beginning this winter.

The question of the President is beginning to be looked about a little, but it is a matter of entire doubt who is to succeed. Mr. Crawford's friends still maintain that his prospect is equal. In this I have no hesitation in saying that they are wrong. At present, however, things are so unsettled that his chance may be the best before the question is tried. But be certain that every thing on the subject is so doubtful that no man seems to have anything like a settled opinion as to the likely result.

I have been and an immensely mortified at my treatment in Illinois not because I have been beaten for the Senate; but because I am induced to believe that I have been treated with insincerity by men of whom I believed better; because I believe my friends have been imposed upon and led away from me by delusions fabricated for the express purpose; because I have been attempted to be played upon by the chimera that I was reserved for the purpose of sealing and capping the triumphs of the party by beating Mr. Cook for congress being the only man who could do it; because it has been given out that I was no candidate when the fact was otherwise; this kind of soft corn may do to feed children, but it is too lite diet for men. It is said too I am advised by my quandum friends that I am at the head of the triumphant party in Illinois that I am a man of great talents and cleverness; now this is a delightful dessert; but it will never do for dinner; I have long ago learned that if the only reward of talents and cleverness is to be called such that a man might as well be called rascal and fool.

By this time you begin to think that I have deserted my colours and that I am about to go over to the enemy. Expel your apprehensions I have taken my stand and will never leave it. But I must be pardoned if I should set about expelling some men from the camp. We have amongst us some cunning men, some men that are too wise they must be put out; and for the future I am determined to have no political connection with any man who has any secrets and who does not take a decided and open stand upon all important questions and that I will support no sly cunning man for any

office. If those who had acted with me and with whom I had acted chose to elect any man of our friends to any office in preference to me; and had heard said he has more claims, he is better qualified, he is more deserving, etc, etc., I should never have thought hard and if either of those reasons or any other good one had been assigned I declare most solemnly I would have been better pleased with Mr. Kane's election than with my own and if after it was arranged and determined that I should not be elected; could my name have been kept out of the contest I would have been rejoiced; it was my request I ought to have been gratified or had the election been put off till the last of the session so as not to have operated upon me here I should have contended myself; I requested that much; but even in that I could not be gratified. It seemed as if anything and everything which would cloud my future prospects was assiduously studied out and promptly executed; perhaps it was without design. I hope so but appearances are strange. If I had known that the same legislature that elected me for one session, would have beaten me for six years in a week I would now have been in Illinois for I was aware of the little benefit any man would have to be here for one session only and it known he was beaten for the next.

B.

JOHN MCLEAN TO THOMAS SLOO, JR.
(Box 17, No. 13.)

WASHINGTON, 22nd Jany. 1825.

DEAR SIR-Yours under date 31st ult is to hand and altho I was not fully satisfied with the result, I agree with you that it is pretty well. I am sorry that Browne is elected and that Robinson is beaten. I am exceedingly pleased that my name was not used as I could not have accepted the place. You mention that many have their eye upon me for a certain object; you do name what it is. Because I do now and never did doubt you; because I can in perfect confidence say to you whatever I may think, I take this occasion of answering to that remark that I never intend to trouble my friends in Illinois for any thing because I am satisfied that 1 can never get it without descending to a course of conduct which I ever have and I trust ever will be above.

I have no faith in the men who call themselves (the party) I mean collectively. Old Nic or the Devil could not be more hypocritical or false, or selfish than some of them. When I see you I will be more at large, for present believe me ever your friend.

C.

JAMES HALL TO THOMAS SLOO, JR.
(Box 11, No. 4.)

VANDALIA January 15th, 1827.

DEAR SIR-The bill for an act abolishing the Circuit courts has at last passed the council, and is now a law, if that can be called a law, which is in direct violation of the constitution. I sent you a copy of our Memorial, in which the constitutional question is presented at length. I wrote it in a

great hurry after the Bill had got into the Senate, but I think it will do before the People. If I can get an opportunity I will send a number of them to your County, if not, I will carry them there, on my way home. In the meanwhile, all is uncertainty here, as to the final arrangement of the Courts. Edwards still goes for two circuits, and with him go all his minions. Such a plan would carry if it were not for the uncertainty who would be the judges. Indeed we are not without some hopes, that they will even repeal

the judge-breaking law and put everything back to what the diplomatists call the status ante bellum, as they were before the war. Those who advocate the repeal of the Circuit System are alarmed at their own success, and the people who arrive here daily bring reports from all parts of the Country of the unpopularity of this measure. This feeling among the people should be encouraged. They are now, in many places, astonished and incensed, at the high handed measures of their representatives, and should not be suffered to cool. An expression of such feeling may perhaps induce the Legislature to retract. I wish therefore to have all the petitions which were got up in Hamilton sent on to Mr. Casey, and I would be glad that our friends would write to us. I intend, as soon as the Legislature adjourns, if things remain in their present shape, to make a public appeal to the people of my circuit, or else to join other judges in making an appeal to the people of the State. Governor Edwards has said, that one of the Supreme Judges, Smith, gave his opinion in the Council that the repeal of the system, was unconstitutional and that the Legislature ought to attend to that matter, in other words, that Smith should be addressed out, for not confirming his conscience to the will of the Legislature. Will the people submit to such degradation of the judicial office? Wattles has entirely given up Edwards. Indeed many of his friends are becoming very tired of him. The Adams men are much incensed at his joining Jackson. I have written to Colonel O'Fallen on that subject. A few days ago Edwards, in a message to the lower House, complained that he had not seen nor heard any thing of a memorial which had been adopted to be sent to Congress. This was considered as a censure upon the Committee on enrollments, and Dr. Alexander, one of that committee introduced a resolution, declaring in substance that the Governor had no business to know any thing about such a memorial until it was sent to him, and that his message was an encroachment upon the privileges of the House; it was referred to a select committee, who will report tomorrow against the Governor. All is confusion. The Legislature will not in all probability rise for six weeks yet-they have as yet done nothing of general interest except to pass a few laws submitted to them by the Supreme Judges, and to break the Circuit Judges. I am quite undetermined what course to pursue as respects myself. I cannot practice before Brown, his notorious partiality, and his hostility to me, would always prevent my success as a lawyer, and I should be engaged in continual war with him; on the other hand I cannot afford to be idle, or to await the decision of the next Legislature, who I think would reinstate us. But whether to go to the North, or the West, or quit the State, and its cursed politics, I am uncertain. It is a hard thing to be so poor, that we must bend to circumstances.

Please to present my best respects to Mrs. S. Thomas Sloo, Jr.

DEAR SIR-Will you do me a small favour? Our friend Mr. I. T. B. Stapp is an applicant for the office of Postmaster here, which is vacant by the resignation of Judge Warnock. His appointment would be gratifying to all your friends at this place, and there is no doubt of his capacity and integrity. We have all written to the Postmaster General, and to our members. Will you do us a favour to drop a line to Mr. McLean, if it is only to say that the testimony of Colonel Berry, Mr. Forquer, and myself, and Colonel Ewing, may be relied on, as we are strangers to him.