The Jefferson-Lemen Compact | Page 5

construction of the prohibition of slavery unfortunately
served to weaken even its preventive force and emboldened the
pro-slavery advocates to seek persistently for the repeal, or, at least, the
"suspension" of the obnoxious Sixth Article. A second effort was made
under his administration in 1796, when a memorial, headed by Gen.
John Edgar, was sent to Congress praying for the suspension of the
Article. The committee of reference, of which the Hon. Joshua Coit of
Connecticut was chairman, reported adversely upon this memorial,
May 12, 1796.[13] It is not possible to state positively Lemen's
influence, if any, in the defeat of this appeal of the leading citizens of
the old French villages. But, as it was in this same year that the first
Protestant church in the bounds of Illinois was organized in his house,
and, as we are informed that he endeavored to persuade the constituent
members of the New Design church to oppose slavery, we may suppose
that he was already taking an active part in opposition to the further
encroachments of slavery, especially in his own community.
The effort to remove the prohibition was renewed under Gov. Wm.
Henry Harrison, during the connection of the Illinois {p.14}
settlements with the Indiana Territory, from 1800 to 1809. Five
separate attempts were made during these years, which coincide with
the term of President Jefferson, who had removed St. Clair to make

room for Gen. Harrison. Harrison, however, yielded to the pressure of
the pro-slavery element in the Territory to use his power and influence
for their side of the question. Although their proposals were thrice
favorably reported from committee, the question never came to a vote
in Congress. The first attempt during the Indiana period was that of a
pro-slavery convention, called at the instigation of the Illinois
contingent, which met at Vincennes, in 1803, under the chairmanship
of Gov. Harrison. Their memorial to Congress, requesting merely a
temporary suspension of the prohibition, was adversely reported from
committee in view of the evident prosperity of Ohio under the same
restriction, and because "the committee deem it highly dangerous and
inexpedient to impair a provision wisely calculated to promote the
happiness and prosperity of the Northwestern country, and to give
strength and security to that extensive frontier." Referring to this
attempt of "the extreme southern slave advocates ... for the introduction
of slavery," Mr. Lemen writes, under date of May 3, 1803, that "steps
must soon be taken to prevent that curse from being fastened on our
people." The same memorial was again introduced in Congress in
February, 1804, with the provisos of a ten-year limit to the suspension
and the introduction of native born slaves only, which, of course, would
mean those of the border-state breeders. Even this modified proposal,
although approved in committee, failed to move Congress to action.
Harrison and his supporters continued nevertheless to press the matter,
and he even urged Judge Lemen, in a personal interview, to lend his
influence to the movement for the introduction of slavery. To this
suggestion Lemen replied that "the evil attempt would encounter his
most active opposition, in every possible and honorable manner that his
mind could suggest or his means accomplish."[14]
It was about this time that the Governor and judges took matters in
their own hands and introduced a form of indentured service, which,
although technically within the prohibition of involuntary servitude,
amounted practically to actual slavery. Soon after, in order to give this
institution a more secure legal sanction, by legislative enactment, the
{p.15} second grade of territorial government was hastily and
high-handedly forced upon the people for this purpose. It was probably
in view of these measures that Mr. Lemen recorded his belief that

President Jefferson "will find means to overreach the evil attempts of
the pro-slavery party." Early in the year 1806 the Vincennes memorial
was introduced into Congress for the third time and again favorably
reported from committee, but to no avail. It was about this time, as we
learn from his diary, that Mr. Lemen "sent a messenger to Indiana to
ask the churches and people there to get up and sign a counter petition,
to uphold freedom in the Territory," circulating a similar petition in
Illinois himself.[15]
A fourth attempt to bring the proposal before Congress was made in
January, 1807, in a formal communication from the Governor and
Territorial Legislature. The proposal was a third time favorably
reported by the committee of reference, but still without action by the
House. Finally, in November of the same year, President Jefferson
transmitted to Congress similar communications from the Indiana
government. This time the committee reported that "the citizens of
Clark county [in which was located the first Baptist church organized
in Indiana], in their remonstrance, express their sense of the
impropriety of the measure";