The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-05-25

i In addition to the two regiments thus accept
ed oy me, have already received tenders q
companies enough to make up Eve regiment
mora, and have been strongly urged BY them
! and BY many other good citizens, to accept tn
| whole, aud place them in quarters at the e1
pense Of the State. In view ofthe facts that al
had done was without authority Of Law, and th
further fact that you, the law-making power Q
the State, were so soon to assemble, did not fee
justified in so doing, but have recommended ii
all cases that all such companies should, il pos
sible, keep up their organization, and should de
vote as much Of their time as possible to tn
drill without interfering materially with thei
ordinary business, thus keeping In reserve
large organized and partially drilled force, 4
meet emergencies.
In several localities patriotic citizens have q
their own expense furnished subsistence to-
companies thus organized and not accepted
and they have been in quarters drilling daily
! Whether any of the expenses thus incurred
shall be paid by the State, or whether any com
pensation shall be made TO the men for the time
thus spent iu quarters, is peculiarly within youi
province to determine s@ p3 -0H!53att sai
In addition to the passage of laws legaliztns
what has thus far been done, and providing fol
expenses thus far incurred, it will be your duty
carefully to examine what further the State
should do to meet present necessities, and future
contingencies.
In my judgment there are two objects which
in your deliber ton you should keep steadily
in view, and which recommend to your serious
consideration, viz: the protection of our State
against Invasion and the prompt supply tofthe
General Government of any further aid it may
require,
Our State is supposed by many to be exposed
to attack, on two sides--oar Southern and
Western borders--on the South by reckless men
from Missouri; on the West by Indians Mis-.
souri, is unfortunately strongly infected with
the heresy Of Secession, which is hurrying so
many of the Southern States to ruin. What
may be the ultimate result in that State, we do
not know. Should she unfortunately attempt
to dissolve her connection with the Union, se-
rious trouble may and probably will, spring up
along our 6outhern borders. Even in that
event | can hardly anticipate an armed invasion
by regular military forces from that State Sar-
rounded as she is by X .nsas, Illinois and Iowa,
such invasion by her would be sheer madness,
and it seems to me We nrs guarded against such
danger if not by her calm judgment and her
neighborly good will, at least by her instinct Of
selfpreservation. But unless reckless men
within her limits may take advantage Of the nm.
settled condition of public affairs to organize
system of border warfare, for the purpose OF
punder; it is your duty to properly guard
against this danger.
The known facts that the troops have wholly
or in Z: great part been withdrawn from .he
forts in the territories west of US, and the res
trsint of their presence thus removed from the
Indian tribes on our border, that the Indians
have received, probably, high-c -coored statements
In regard to the war now upon us, and that since
the massacre at Spirit Lake in our State, some
years sinoe, which went wholly unpunshed, they
have shown an aggressive disposition coupled with
the fact that they may be tampered with by bad
men, render it, in my judgment, matter of i'm
to guard against danger from that quarter.
have already done what l could. with the
limited means at my command, to furnish sIms
on both borders.
Two modes for the protection Of the State and furnish
Ing further aid If needed, to the General Government
service of the State armng equppng and placing in
camp to acquire discipline and drill, number of regi
ments Of volunteers The advantages Of this are that
would have at hand disciplined force, ready to any
emergency, State or National The disadvantages are it,
great expense and its nsuciency by Of he great
extent of our border to protect our frontier gnst the
awless bands to VIII ch exposed The other plan
ia to organise along Southern aud Western frontier
and equip, but not muster into active service su
cent force Of minute who be called upon any
moment to meet any emergency that may arise at any
point This will be the more effective plan foE home pro-
tecon but will not place the State In position to render
such effective aid to the General Government Which,
either, oflhese plans whether combination Of both
whether wholly distinct from either shall be
adopted, leave for your wisdom to decide.
1t will be necessary that you enact a military law eu-
horizng among other things, the formation of military
staff under which have the assistance and advice Of
and supporting such further troops you may direct to
be raised for the Of the State may be required by
the United States
1t will also necessary the credit Of the State to
eXDeuSes rrsl
and be incurred You have the power do this under
that provision Of the Constitution which authorizes with
out vote Of the People, the contracting Of debt ito
pei invasion" or to ''defend the State In War"
In most all Of the Counties in which Companies have
thus far been accepted the Board Of Supervisors pub
lie and spirit citizens have raised fr the sup
port of the families Of volunteers who have left families
dependent on them for support This action is emneny
praise worthy and yet Its operation Is partial and emerg
ed tisscarcely to be that companies will be
received from all counties of the State equally from
those counties from which they may be received and It
seems to much more equitable and just that the
b. borne by the and the burden thus equally
distributed among our people.
The procuring of liberal supply Of for the Of
the State, Is matter tnat earnestly recommend your
early and serious consideration The last four weeks
taught lesson which, trust forget that
peace is the proper time In which to prepare for var
feel assured ha State readily raise the
essary to place her In position consistent alike with her
honor and her safety Her territory of great extent and
unsurpassed fertility inviting and constantly receiving
desirable emigration, her population of three quar-
ters Of million of intelligent industrious energetic and
liberty loving people her rapid past and prospective
growth her present financial condition. having debt Of
only about quarter Of million Of dollars, unite to
make her bonds among the desirable that
country Affords
The people Of Iowa, your constituents and mine
memberng that money the snews Of war will consider
alike criminal mistaken parsmony which stops short Of
doing whatever necessary for the honor and safety Of
the State and wild extravaganza which would unneces
sarily squander the public treasure.
Our law, is in judgment defective in some
particulars requiring perhaps some unnecessary expense
and not being sufficiently stringent to compel the prompt
payment Of taxes. At all times and more especially at
time like this every good citizen should cheerfuy
tribute his share Of the public burhens and those who
disposed do should feel the force Of stringent
laws nsurng the performance Of that duty failure to
pay taxes promptly compes the State to her warrants
instead Of ash to the government and adds to
the expense Of the state not only the increased prices she
compelled to for articles s purchased for her
but also the interest upon the warrants issued until the
same are paid,
earnestly recommend careful examination, and a
full of your Constitutional powers to punish the
II any there be- in State who may feel disposed
furnish aid in any way to those who are may be in
beion against the United States or engaged in acts OF
hostility to this State.
The great haste in which, amidst the pressure Of other
duties have been compelled to prepare this Message
renders very probable that may have overlooked some
subjects that you may deem Of importance in the present
emergency When convened in extra session. your pow
regular session. aud feel confident your wisdom and
foresight will supply all such omissions.
Permit me in cotcuson to express the hope that what
Lot take counsel from passion, nor give to
element Let look situation broadly, squarey In
the face and address ourselves to and do duty like
who believe that while hold to fathers faith
and tread in fathers steps, the God Of fathers will
stand by In the time Of trial He stood by them
in the time of theirs. SAMUEL J. KIRKW00D.
A Description Of the Winans Steam Gun.
The steam gun captured at Ellicotts Mills, on
its way to Harper's Ferry, is one Of the lions OF
the Massachusetts, camp 1t is an odd looking
concern, bearing not single indication to the
unpracticed eye of its murderous purpose
Through the intelligent aid of Capt. Pickering,
who seems to know what's what about most sorts
of machinery, we obtained some sort of q notion
how the thing was worked. The whole concern
which weighs, perhaps, five tons, is monned on
wheels. Externally, it has the appearance of a
small two-horse power engine at one end, and a,
the other, runs off into sharp nose, not unlike
an end of the Winans cigar steamer. This nose
however, which is merely the sheath to protect
the machine and its operatives, is constructed Of
one aud quarter inch iron; and the expectation
of the inventor was, apparently, that balls aimed
at it would glance off harmlessly. In the opin
ion of those conversant with such matters Min
lie ball would penetrate this sheath, while six
pound shot would of course knock the whole
thing into a cooked hat This pointed sheath oI
covering ia divided nearly it's whole length by q