Reclass.

1-5-32

AIA

INTRODUCTORY.

The following papers are the petitions to Congress from Northwest and Indiana Territories for the suspension of the sixth article of compact of the Ordinance of 1787, and the admission of slavery to the Territory, together with the counter petitions, the reports on them, and the accompanying documents. There is one-the Dearborn county petition of 1808-which appears to be wholly lost, though possibly it may yet be found in printed form, and there is probably one petition from Randolph and St. Clair counties missing, though this is not certain. In addition to these I have included the report of General W. Johnston to the Indiana Legislature in 1808, against the modification of the sixth article, and the opinion of John Johnson in Polly's case. These are the principal documents concerning slavery in Indiana, and most of them are hitherto unpublished, or have practically disappeared in their published form.

The object of this publication is simply to gather and preserve them. The consideration of their origin, their significance and their results forms the greater part of my "Indiana" in the American Commonwealth Series, to which are referred those who may be interested in the subject. J. P. DUNN.

Indianapolis, February 8, 1894.

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