The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1861-05-23
GOV. KlRKWOOD'S
MI IL - . "A q Il.
Delivered at Des NIOines, May
EG. 1851.


HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES,:
The Constitution requires that shall
state to you the purpose for which you
have been convened in Extraordinary
| Session.
When little more than year ago
your regular session closed, the whole
country was in the enjoyment Of peace
and prosperity. At home, life, liberty
and prosperity were secure, and abroad
the title Of an American citizen was
claimed with pride, and full assurance
that it was u sure guaranty Of respect
and protection TO all who could make
good the claim. To-day Civil War is
upon us, and wide spread conspiracy
against the Gent Government, whichwe
now know has been maturing for years,
has been developed, and the whole
countryis filled with the dire Of arms.
| On the one hand, and from one section
| of the country men who would be legal
4
ernment should make man loyal to it,
are mastering in armed bands with the
intent to dissolve the Union and destroy
| our government, and on the other hand
partially from the same section, and as
one man from the other, our loyal poo
pie are rallying around our Union and
our Government, and pledging for their
maintenance, what our fathers so freely
| perillcd to secure them, life, fortune
| and honor
In this emergency Iowa must not and
does not occupy 4 doubtful position.
| E'or'the Union rs on: fathers formed it,
and for the government they founded
so wisely, and 50 well, the People Of
Iowa are ready to pledge every fighting
man in 1e State and every dollar Of
her money and credit; and l have call
ed You together III extraordinary scs-
ton, for the purpose Of enabling them
to make that pledge formal aud ctfec-
tive.
Those who, to gratif,. their mad am
bition, have brought upon the country
this great evil, seek 10 disguise their
true intent, to cover their true purpose.
They say they do not desire to destroy
our Government but that it has become
hostile to them, and they only wish to
peacefully with. iraw themselves from it,
which they claim the right to DO when
eyer in their Judgement their interest OF
safety may require such action. Many
loyal men, secured by their professions
and not pcrcei,ing that ''peacealle Sc
! cession'' are destructive alike Of the
Constitution and Union were unwilling
that Any coercire measure should be
used to bring them back to 4 sense oi
duty. How are the facts ? Our Gov
eminent is based on these great central
controlling ideas. The People are the
only true source Of power. In the OK
ercisc of their power, they have created
our present form Of Government, re-
tanning in their own hands its manage
ment and control They have honesty
enough to desire, and intelligence
enough to discern the right, and if 4,
any time they should, by reason of cx
element or passion misdircct the &C
ton of government and do wrong to
any portion Of themselves, their homes
ty and their intelligence can be surely
relied upon to correct such wrongs
These are the fundamental ideas of on,
form Of government, and when any sec
ton Of our country or any portion O
Of our people alleging that wrongs
have been done them, declare they can
not and will not rely upon the honesty
and intelligence Of our people to righ
such wrongs, but will right their wrongs
in their own way and by their own
hands they strike blow which if no
arrested will crumblc the fabric Of ON
! government into ruins.
Has the Government been hostile te
them At the time this unnatural rt
bellion commenced there was not on tn.
statute books Of the United States 4
single law that had not been dictated
or asscnted to by their Representatives
The recent election, Of the result O
which they so loudly complain, hae
placed in the Presidential chair per
son opposed to their policy upon one
important question, but had left then
in possession Of the other Independent
and coordinate branches of the Gov
eminent, 50 that it was utterly impossi
bic any injury could result to then
from tho election Of a President who
was not their choice. Under these cir
cnmstanccs, without waiting to sct