Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-04-30
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
To hae Senate and House Of Represenatirc
Of tie STATE Of Illinois:

o. NE Stdfe 81 Illinois:
GENTLENEN-The Constitution author
/ ICES me, on extraordinary occasions, to
I convene the Legislature in special session.
/ Certainly no occasion could have arisen
more extraordinary that the one which is
now presented to US. A 7ian, conceived
and cherished by some able but misguided
statesmen of the Southern States for mauy
/ years past, founded upon an inadmissible
and destructive Interpretation of our ma
tional Constitution, and considered. until
very recently, as merely visionary, has
! been partially carried into execution by
ambitious and restless leaders, to the great
| peril of our noble Union, ofour Democratic
institutions, and our public and private
! prosperity. The popular discomfort con-
sequent upon warmly contested Presi-
Dental election, which, heretofore, has
always soon subsidized amongst a people
having the profoundest respect for their
self imposed laws and bowling respectfully
before the majesty OF the popular will con
stitutionally expressed, was in this in
stance artfully seize1 upon, and before
there was time for the angry passions to
subside, one State after another was pre-
cipitated out Of the Union by machinery
wanting in most instances the sanction of
the people in seeding States. No previous
effort was made by the disloyal States to
procure redress for supposed grievances
Impelled by bold and sagacious leaders,
disunionists at heart, they spurned in ad-
vance all profers of compromise. The
property Of the Union-its forts and ar
senals, costing the people of the States
enormous sums of money-were seized
with strong hand. Our noble flag, which
had protected the now seeding portions
of the confederacy within its ample folds
in their infancy, which is the pride of
every true and loyal merican heart, and
which had become respected and rever-
enced throughout the world as the symbol
of Democracy and Liberty, was insulted
and trampled into the dust. All this time
the Federal Government, intent upon peace
trusting that forbearance would restore
friendly relations and remove the allena.
tions founded upon delusive apprehension
of aggression upon Southern rights, exhi-
bited an Indulgence and tolerance of wrong
and insult from our erring brethren, I'M
paral!eled in the history of nations. No
impeachment was thrown in the way of men
who had openly disowned and reasonably
defied their Government. Their mail ia
cilities and commerce were not interrupted;
the utmost liberty Of speech and the press
were tolerated, allowing them with impu-
nifty to express their views in all the loyal
States. They bad uninterrupted ingress
and egress, and were permitted to mingle
with the citizens of all the other States
without molestaticn, and to disseminate
their doctrines everywhere. The action of
the Government was confined to q passive
resistance and the holding, occupying and
possessing the property Of the United
States. Invasion was not only not threat
ened but distinctly disavowed, both by the
former and present Administrations. In
the meantime strenuous efforts were made
by Union men in the Border States to
bring about a reconciliation. Congress
proposed by a decided vote an amendment
to the Constitution, by which all appre-
hension of the interference With the do
nestle institution of any State was to be
quieted, by giving their universally pre-
waiting sentiment OF such noninterference
the highest Constitutional sanction. Ter.
ritorial bills were passed which did not
contain any assertion on the part of Con-
gress of the right to prohibit Slavery in
the Territories so that the perplexiug
territorial question, as regards the institu
ton of slavery, was virtually set at rest.
A conference of Commissioners at the in
stance of the commonwealth of Virginia,
was held at the Capital, attended by nearly
all the border States and all the free States,
with but one or two exceptions
Propositions Of highly conciliatorY char
acter were adopted by majority of the
free States represented in said conference,
but, before Congress had even time to con
slider them, they were denounced by lead
ing men in the border States, and by al
most every one of their members of Con-
gross, as unsatisfactory and inadmisable.
Though they met the approval of the best
patriots and of the mass of the people in
the border States, the seeded States treat
ed them with the utmost contempt.
That, under such circumstances and
when no practicable object could be at
tanned, the representatives of the Free
States declined to adopt them, is no matter
Of surprise. A proposition FIRST made by
the Legislature Of Kentucky for the call Of
National Constitutional Convention, as
provided in the Constitution, for the re
dress Of all grievances, undoubtedly the
best and surest mode Of settling all diff
culties, was responded to by Illinois and
by many other Free States, and such
Convention was definitely recommended
by the present administration on its adj
vent to the government. Enough has been
done by the Border and Free States to
satisfy every rational mind that the South
would have nothing to fear from any mea-
sures to be passed by Congress, or even by
any of the State Legislatures. Public SEN
timent was everywhere in the Free States
for peace and compromise.
No better proof could be required than
ba for I hav oto 10
which has now assumed such formidable
dimensions, and which is threatening the
destruction of the fairest fabric of human
wisdom and human liberty, is of long
standing, and is wholly independent of the
election of particular person to the Pres
idential Office, than the manner in which
the seeded States have acted toward the
loyal brethren of the South and North
since they have entered upon their crimi
nal enterprise. We must do them, howev-
er. the justice to say that all their public
documents and all the speeches of their
controlling leaders, candidly admit that
the Presidential election has not been The
cause for their action, and that they were
impelled by far different motives. So for
bearing and pacific has been the policy Of
the Federal Government aDxiously hoping
for return to reason in the minds OF our
Southern brethren, that they were suffered
to erect their batteries in the jaws Of our
guns at Sumter, finally losing to us that
strong fortress. by the most uuexampled
forbearance and reluctance to the shed.
ding the blood of our countrymen. A
simple attempt on the part of our Consti
tutional Government to provision stary-
ing garrison in one of our forts, of which
the revolutionary authorities hat received
official notice from the Government, has
been made the occasion for a destructive
bombardment of that fort. 0verpowered
by numbers, our gallant men had TO lower
our glorious flag, and to surrender on
terms dictated by rebels. The spirit of
a free and brave peolpe is aroused at last.