The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-05-08
Proclamation by the Governor
for aIi Extra Session Of the Leg


Believing that within the meaning Of tho
Constitution, an extraordinary occasion has
occurred and that subjects of vital impor-
tance to the people ofthe State of Iowa rs-
pGise the immediate attention of tks Le is.
.laure.
Now, therefore, I, SAxrELJ. KrRxwoop,
Governor of said State, by virtue of the su.
thority in me vested, 10 hereby convene ths
General Assembly Of said State in special
session. to be begin ani held at Des Moines
on WEDNESDAY, the 18th day Of Nay, 1861,
at o'clock P. M. ofsaid day.
In witness whereof, have hersunto set
my hand and caused to be hereto affixed
the great seal of the State of Iowa. Done at
Des Moines this 18th dsy Of April, A. D.
1861. SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD.
BY the GoGerncr. s-"@
ELIyAn SELLS, Secretary ste.
The Apccniypiic yiais Opened.
lfone viii raise and take aview Of tho
world 1T this moment he will see what was
never more perfectly seen upon the face. Of
the earth The world is convalsed. as It
probably neveI has been since the ere.
alton. with wars and rntnors of wars. hy
famine and desolation. History does not
present such general tnmr,lr Of nations as
we now see. 1t would seem that the vials.
Of the Revelations were opened, and tha, DIS
cord and blood were rained down aporv. cur
generation. What the issue viii be Of the
dreadful cntanelcmeRts which now environ
the nations time only will show. Cersain,
Il no one can divine it. Within : few years
we have beheld the most magnifcently
dreadful wars Of which history has record.
Nations have been conquered and subjugated
10 .hc caprices tf ambitious and tyrGnical'
sovefsiSns. Indian rcvolts, Syrian massa.
crees, and murlerous sieges have sopped tie
lifeblood of millions. Europe is just now
convulsed from centre to circumference
Poland and Hungary areiipe for revolt
Ials>ia has crnancipated,her serfs, and annex :
ed a large tract Of country lately derived,
from China, whose coasts are still infested
and are guarded by English and French
fleets. Sardiana stands demanding veni.
ito ard Rome, and Austria and Germany
proper resist her. France holds Syria for
the Sultan Of that wretched country, but is
ready to appropriate it to herso.f whenever
t!.c Emperor Napoleon thinks it 2iicy to 60
So - =: -.
England and France are fitting sus naval
fleets for the coast Of the United States, and
the United States themselves are disrupted,
threatening civil war at any moment. Spain.
has seized upon San Domingo and threat
ems Hayti and Mexico, while Mexico on her
part threatens to conquer Texas. Several
Of tbs South American Republics are quar-.
reling. Buonos Ayres and Paraguay are at
swords points. In India famine is following
dreadful massacre and revolt, and this
famine reaches into Persia and China. In
Holland the inunda.ion Of the country, caus.
ed by the breaking away Of the dikes, has
destroyed its thousands, and left houseless
and starving thousands upon thousands
more. The temporal power ofthc Pope top.
pies. The whole world seems on the eve ofA
general war, and is only waiting for soma
one 10 strike the first blow Athens COZ
Messenger