The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-05-18
address from Gen. Harvey.
MILITARY DEPARTMENT OF THE WEsr,l
Sr. LOUIS. Nav IA, 1851.

On nv return to the duties of the command
of this department. I End, greatly to my aston
ishment and modification, q most extraordinary
state of things existing in this State, deeply af
fecting the stability of the Government of the
United States, as well as the governmental and
other interests OF Missouri itself.
As citizen Of Missouri, owing allegiance to
the United States, and having interests in COM
mon with you, 1 feel it my duty as well as priv.
lege, to extend a warning voice to my fellow cit
liens against the common dangers that threaten
US and to appeal to your patriotism and sense OF
justice to exert all your moral power to avert
them.
1t is with regret that feel it my duty to call
your attention to the recent act of the General
Assembly of Missouri, known as the HILLARY
Bill, which is the result, no doubt, of the tempo
| rary excitement that now pervades the public
mind. This bill cannot be regarded in any other
light than an indirect Secession Ordinance, ignor-
ing even the forms resorted to by other States.
Manifestly its most material provisions are in con-
fct with the Constitution and laws Of the United
States. To this extent it is nullity, and can
not and ought not to be upheld or regarded by
the good citizens of Missouri. There are obliga-
tons and duties resting upon the people Of Mis-
! souri, under the Constitution and laws of the
! United States which are paramount, and which
trust you will carefully consider and weigh well
| before you will allow yourselves to be carried
out of the Union, under the form of yielding
obedience to this Military Bill which is clearly
| in violation of your duties as citizens of the
| United States.
| 1t must be apparent to every one who has ia
| ken proper and unbiased view of the subject
| that whatever may be the termination OF the
| unfortunate condition ct things in respect to the
| so called Cotton States" Missouri mast share
| the destiny of the Union. Her geographical po
| siton-her soil-productisns, and in short, all
| her material interests point to this result. We
| cannot shut our eyes against this controlling fact
1t is SEEM and its force is felt through the Nation
So important is this regarded to the great inter-
csts OF the country, that venture to express the
| opinion that the whole power of the Govern
| ment of the United States. if necessary, viii be
exerted to maintain Missouri in her present posi-
ton in the Union. express to you in all frank
ness and sincerity, my own deliberate convict
| IONS without assuming to speak for the Govern
| ment of the United States, whose authority, here
| and elsewhere, l shall at ali tunes, and under
all circumstances, endeavor faithfully to uphold.
| desire. above ailithiugs, most earnestly to
invite my feilow-citisens dspassionately to CON
sder their true interests well as their true re-
| lation to the Government under which we live,
and to which we owe so much.
| In this connection l desire to direct attention
| pretext for more or less popular excitement.
allude to the recent transactions at Camp Jack
! so,, near St. Louis. II is not proper for me to
| comment upon the official conduct of my prede-
| SCISSOR in command of this Department, but it is
| right and proper for the people of Missouri to
| know that the main avenue of Camp jackson,
| recently under command of Gen. Frost had the
| name of Davis, and principal street in the same
camp that OF Beauregard; and that body of
| men had been received into that camp by its com
| mande-, which has been VIGOROUSLY organized
| in the interests of the Secessio,ists--the men
| openly wearing the dress and badge distinguish
| ing the army of the so called Southern Contede-
| rdcy. 1t is also notorious fact that quantity
Of arms had been received into the Camp which
were Inlawfullv taken from the United States
arsenal at Baton iaouge, and surreptiously passed
up the river in boxes marked marble.
Upon facts like these, and having in view what
occurred ct Liberty, the people can draw their
own differences, and i, cannot be difficult for any
one to arrive at Il correct conclusion rs to the
character and ultimate purpose of that encamp-
meD.. No Government in the world would be
entitled to respect that would tolerate for mo-
ment such openly reasonably preparations.
1t is but simple justice, however, that should
state the fact that there were many good and
loyal men in the camp, who were in 70 manner
responsible for its reasonable character.
Dsclaiming as do, all desire or intention to
Interfere in any way with the prerogatives OF the
State of Missouri, OR with the functions of its
Executive or other authorities, yet regard it as
my plain path of duty to express to the people,
in respectful but at the same time decided langu-
age, that within the field and scope OF my COM
mand aud authority, the "sagp,ens lac" of the
land must and shall be maintained, and no SUBJ
teruges, whether in the forms of legislative acts
or otherwise, can be permitted to harass or op-
press the good and law-abiding people of Miss
ouri. shall exert my authority to protect their
persons and property from vic ence of every
kind, and shall deem it my duty TO suppress
all unlawful combinations ofmen, whether form
ed under prctext of military Organizations or
otherwise.
WIN. S. HARVEY,
Brig Gen. c. S. Army, Commanding.