The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-09-21
GOV. KIRxWooD's SPEECH.

wv AlRA WVVDS CTEECBs
| Delivered 10 sherman's Hall, Des Moines,
Sept. 4, 1861. After stating that be had
been called out unexpectedly, and vas a.
together ssprepared, Sir. Kirkwcod re-
marked:
Nh. PaEHpESY, LADrEs ASx GsSrrx-
Nxk -
| again 6nd myself, what once thought
never sgsin would be, candidate for the
onice OF Governor; and confess find nv
self IN peculiar and unpleasant circumstan-
ers. The unpleasantness Of my position
arises from txo causes: First, the country
- 10 condition, such as it yer vas before.
We have had war before, but never civil
| var. We have had strife before, bot ney @r
intestine strife. And many Of the good
people who are in favor of pressing thi. war
thoroughly, vigorously, and triumphantly to
IN end, believed that nm error WAS commit
ted in making . party nomination at this
time. They thinx that the gentlemen who
have placed NE in nomination have erred
That Is one thing. Another is. and am
very sorry to say il, that some OF my own
| political household think that sm not the
man, that We should have had some other
person. Now intend to address few re.
| marks to each of theee points. shall GER
ta,nly make them AZ brief as possible.
Did the Republican party err 10 nominas-
ing Republican ticket at this me under
the surroundIngs2 What was the conoi,fon
Of the country IN May last, when your Leg
islasure, convened in extra se.sIop, aJ-
Journed? What was the condition Of
the State AT that time? The large mass OF
the people Of this State were IN favor ef
sustaining the Administration, Of prosecut-,
ing vigorously, thoroughly and TO a success
iul termination, the war Inaugurated by The
South. This was true OF the entire body
OF the Republican party, and large porti"n
| OF the Democratic party. And yet it was
true, and am sorry TO say it Was true, that
q portion Of the Democratic party was not
in favor of that course. Now you know,
and know, that political nominations are a
necessity in q Government like ours. With
out political organization, you cannot con
centrate public opinion. We have always
had political organizations, or parties since
the foundation Of cur Government. The
common sense Of the country has accepted
this truth, and acted upon it; and from that
period until this day, political organlza ations
/
popular will, and they always must be-
They are necessity in r publican form
of government like ours. Here then il a
political party in this State, party which
is earnest, united 10 favor Of the prosecu-
ton Of the war. Here was the only other
political party divided upon this question.
Now these parties act through thhir party
organizations, and when the Republican
Central Committee Of Iowa called together
the Convention. thev exercised the power
which was delegated to them to exercise
no more, no less. They had not power to
do aught more; it was the. duty to do no
less. They had not power to propose a un
ion Of parties. They could only call Con-
vention to nominate candidates. Your State
Central Committee Of the Republican party
did its duty in calling the party into general
Convention. Shortly after that had been
done, persons who claimed to represent the
Democratic party, whether truthful or not
cannot say, called State Convention at an
earlier day than that for the assemblnge OF
the Republican Convention. After this call
had been published, certain other persons,
desiring as they claimed to give hear =
support to the prosecution of this war and
the maintainance of the Union, Issued call
for what they denomina'ed "Peeple's OF
Union Consention," and fixed the time for
holding the same either the day before or
the day after the Democratic Conv vention
had been called to assemble. They showed
no desire to affiliate with the Republican
Convention. Tbev showed no disposition
to act in any way with the Republican or
ganization Of the State. Now they had their
choice to determine whether they would
place their Convention in q position to ACT
with the Republican party, OF with the other
They chose the other Convention, aud at.
tempted to act in conjunction with it. They
called their Convention to meet the next day
after the Democratic Convention which met
week in advance Of the Convention of th'
Republican party. Both Conventions were
held. and no agreement between them coad
be effected. Why the "People's" Part,
made that choice thereby placing it out OF
! their power to act with the Republican or
sanizstion, it 10 not for IN. TO say. They
chose to do il and did it. They went to th'
Mahony Convention for their allies. They
would not or did not attempt to affiliate witt
the Republican Convention. ! Was not herr
at the time, but understood that consuita
tions we're bad, and ,ha, no agreement couit
be effected. The Democratic or Mahon,
/
the day it was called. On the next day th'
Union Convention met and adjourned. The.
could. had they been go disposed, have me-
. xith the Republican Convention. called fol
the 3lst of July, when that Convention Wa
yet in the future. They let the Republican
Convention meet and pass by. as they had !
right to do; but they did not intimate II
them in any way Whatever hat they had an.
desire to affiliate With them.
In the course Of events, two more Con
veutions were held in your City last week
on the one day Union Convection and n
the next Democratic Convention. II yal
can TAX their acts as indications my frIeuds
our Democratic and Unien brethren hav
; sss~n they were unwilling to sc' with tn
Republicans. Twice have they met IN Con
vsntion on succeeding day, and while the,
were willing to thus act in conjunction. the,
: were uuwiIi z 10 attempt to act with tn
Republican Organization.
What did the Republicans do when the.
met in Convention? Take their p'atforu a
and read il. Search through il from be
ginning to end, and ~hat is there in il &
drive from its support any man Who love
his country? There is nothing! Scrutin
iss It a. closely A. you please, and you vii
6nd no partisanship there. Yen vii
find nothing there hut devotion to sh
, Americas Flag and love for the Amer
can Union. [Applanse.1 The Republican
placed themselves 10 . position to affsiat
; with the patriotic portion Of any party. o
all parties, in the State, Democrats Or Un
| ,ou men, call them chat you please, bu
they were silently passed by /: no desire va
shswn "a have anyshins 10 d. With them
and r.lyine upon the justice sf their eau.
,hsv threw their hsnnrr abroad. and appeal
ed 10 the people to rallv around it. in main
Itecarce of the Federal Union and the homo
. Of the Federal Flag. The Republicans D.
not s.k ys1, nv Democratic friends, TO CIV
90 any Of ysur precnnceived notions on ID
.rh;>c, AZ slavery. Thsy don't ask you 8