this
view, whilst the friends of a Free State had rallied almost in a
body for Coles.

Notwithstanding the defeat of the Democrats at this election, they
were not annihilated. They had been beaten for Governor only by
a division in their own ranks, whilst they had elected a large
majority of each House of the Assembly, and were determined to make
a vigorous effort to carry their measure at the session of the
Legislature to be held in 1822-23. Governor Coles, in his first
message, recommended the emancipation of the French slaves. This
served as the spark to kindle into activity all the elements in
favor of slavery.

Slavery could not be introduced, nor was it believed that the French
slaves could be emancipated, without an amendment to the Constitution;
the Constitution could not be amended without a new convention, to
obtain which two thirds of each branch of the Legislature had to
concur in recommending it to the people; and the voters, at the
next election, had to sanction it by a majority of all the votes
given for members of the Legislature.

When the Legislature assembled, it was found that the Senate
contained the requisite two-thirds majority; but in the House of
Representatives, by deciding a contested election in favor of one
of the candidates, the Slave party would have one more than two-
thirds, while by deciding in favor of the other, they would lack
one vote of having the majority. These two candidates were John
Shaw and Nicholas Hanson, who claimed to represent the County of
Pike, which then included all the military tract and all the country
north of the Illinois River to the northern limits of the State.

The leaders of the Slave party were anxious to re-elect Jesse B.
Thomas to the United States Senate. Hanson would vote for him,
but Shaw would not; Shaw would vote for the convention, but Hanson
would not. The party had use for both of them, and they determined
to use them both, one after the other. For this purpose, they
first decided in favor of Hanson, admitted him to a seat, and with
his vote elected their United States Senator; and then, toward the
close of the session, with mere brute force, and in the most
barefaced manner, they reconsidered their former vote, turned Hanson
out of his seat, and decided in favor of Shaw, and with his vote
carried their resolution for a convention.

There immediately resulted a very fierce contest before the people,
characterized by lavish detractio