Speech #640285032

Indiana is one of the great States carved out of the "territory northwest of the Ohio River." It was given a Territorial government in 1800. aind became a State In 1816. Barring a few scattered French hamlets. most of the pioneer settlers of Indiana came from two sources. the earliestand perhaps the greatest numbercaime from the States southof the Ohio River. and among this class was the. family of Abraham Lincoln. This immigration was supplemented by a considerable number from the Eastern and Northeastern States. This double source of immigration led to a slight cleavage on the question of slavery at an early period in the history of the State. for. although the ordinance of 1787 had prohibited the "institution." yet an effort. which had no great strength and soon collapsed. was made for its retention. This double ethnic sourcefrom which the population of the State has sprung has no doubt. to some extent. led to the many hot and close political controversies which have prevailed. so that. politically speaking and from a party standpoint. the State has for upward of threequarters of a century been regarded as a socalled "close State." The result of this political contention. ever recurring. has. been to breed frodi time to time a large number of able statesmen and versatile and eloquent orators in *both of the great political parties. The political battl6s have always been strenuous and acute. and have called for and produced aggressive and militant leaders on both sides.