Should Mexicans be penalized for crossing the border? This was before blacks had citizenship if I'm not mistaken. Illinois may have looked at the massive influx of immigrants as a problem just as some here see the influx of Mexicans as a problem. Some here call for border crossers to be shot. I think they need to be deported if they're caught quickly, and don't consider them criminals, but many here want much stiffer penalties against them, so this instinct may be expected, especially in the 1800s.
So how many black slaves sare you saying Lincoln had?
The records indicate two black indentured servants viz., Maria Vance and Ruth Burns/Stanton.