Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-05-24
GOVERNOR kIRKwooO's MESSAGE,



Delivered at Des MONIES May 1e, 1861. ii
OF THE SENATE AND Houss OF REPRE-. m
slNrATIvss: n,
The Constitution requires that shall state to you
10 purpose for which you have been convened in u
Extraordinary Session. t.tf )Pl
When little more than year ago your regular ~ =,
,ssion closed the whole country was in the en- r.
,ymeut Of peace and prosperity. At home, life, di
berry and prosperity were secure, and abroad the
tile Of an American citizen was claimed with pride
nd full assurance that it was sure guaranty o!
aspect and protection to all who could make good
he claim. To-day Civil war rs upon us. ana q n
nent, which we now know has been maturing for b
ears, has been developed, and the whole country n
. filled with the din Of arms. On the one hand, q
md from one section Of the country, men who :
yould be loyal citizens, if benefits conferred by
should make them loyal to lit, are mus
ering in armed bands with the intent to dissolve ,
he Union, and destroy our government; and on 4
The other hand partially from the same section, =
are rallying around our Union and our government,
and pledging for their maintenance, what our
Fathers freely perilled to secure them, life, for
tune and honor. k
occupy doubtful position. For the Union as our
fathers formed it, and for the government they
founded so wisely, and so well, the people of Iowa
are ready to pledge every fighting man in the State
and every dollar of her money and credit and
have called you together in extraordinary session
for the purpose Of enabling them to make that
pledge formal and effective. 80.
Those who, to crafty their mad ambition, have
brought upon the country this great evil, seek to
disguise their true intent, cover their true pur
nose. They say they do not desire to destroy our
Government, but that it has become hostile TO
them, and they only wish to peacefully withdraw |
themselves from it, which they claim the right to
do whenever in their judgment their interest or |
,HoA,r lOvo an
secured by their professions and not perceiving |
that speaceable secession" is destructive alike of
the Constitution and Union were unwilling that
any coercive measure should be used to bring
them back to sense of their duty. How are the
facts? Our government is based these great
central, controlling IDEAS The people the only
true source of power. In the exercise of their pow
er, they have created our present form of govern
ment retaining in their own hands its management
and control. They have honesty enough to desire,
and intelligence enough to discern the right, andn
at any time they should, by reason of excitement
or passion msdirect the action of government and
do wrong to any portion OF themselves their hon
esty and intelligence can be surely relied upon to
correct such wrongs. These are the fundamental
| ideas of our form of government, and when any
section of country or any portion of cur people
alleging that wrongs have been done them, declare
they cannot and will not rely upon the honesty and
intelligence of our people to right such wrongs,
but will right their wrongs in their own way and
by their own hands they strike blow which if not
arrested will crumble the fabric OF our government
into ruins.
Has the government been hostile to them? AT
the time this unnatural rebellion commenced there
was not on the statute DOCKS OF the United states
a single law that had not been dictated or assented
to by their Representatives. The recent election,
of the result Of which they so loudly complain had
placed in the Presidential chair person opposed
to their policy upon one important question, but
had left them IN possession OF the other independ
ent and coordinate branches OF the Government
so that it was utterly impossible any injury could
result to them from the eiecton OF PRESIDENT who
was not their choice. Under these circumstances
without waiting to see what would be the DISPOSE
ton OF the newly elected President, without trust
ing to Congress and the proceedings yet under
their control without waiting for an appeal to thu
honesty and intelligence of the people to right any
wrongs that might De attempted against them
they rebei!ed against the government, and sough
, to destroy 1t by force OF arms They have seized
by force the forts, arsenals ships and treasure
, and have set at defiance the laws and officers o
, the United States and they have sought to set VI
within the Union another and independent govern
o ment. They have for months past been levyin:
troops, building forts, and gathering munitions o
war, with intent to make warupon our government
if it should attempt to perform its lawful functions
, and after months OF preparation: have attacked
4 with overwhelming numbers and captured tn
J., troops of the United States, holding tort of thu
United States and have so far as in them lies dis
honored that nroud fac which throuphout thf
! 1rnrId ia tbe emblem of The mower the honor on
IALo ,lo 49, ox.n
TIE Siory VI Jul na'lon.
y What In the meantime, mas peen the action
The history of the world cannot show equal mod
7, Grafton and forbearance by any government to
wards a norton of it's neon]e in Rebellion aoa;ns
;ts ,o,,. Eor norths come of tboso ,nor,,
l. .S .. ia L;t ,.;n, -; az Ch:. ~
, aiioweo W lDa ngn posl'ious III .he oaoihe', an
e used their oiclai power ony TO petray the govern
:. ment of which they were the sworn and truste
u servants For months, many of them were allowed
to retain their seats in both branches of Congress-
" and used their positions to defeat the enactment
'.ha,asona Iaupts nonassorv fnr the nrot"o.;nn
Mnoiesoo '' T re.ey ioI VIC prU y.
- the governments: roi hou.ns' mahy VI tnem "er
g permitted to hold high command in the army an
IL navy, and used their position to betray and dis
dofsnd For Months the aoySrnment r;eIded s,e
&: nv stem and had used only words of Kindness an
900 ,r;lj Rnt forhearance nooSara+;on and L;nG
. ness were regarded only as evidences OF weakness
lmbecillty ana cowardce until at last the crownln
r outrage at Fort Sumter convinced all men tia
further forbearance had indeed ceased to be wiz
J. tine and would indeed make those CHARGED wit
the safety of the Gcvernment "a criminal az tbos
}. - 80 sooL;.r - ~ l..: 49, 10. ~
VIM "o.S oeon'uf w ueSs'oy H. ~ i'SG 'nI gov
ernment aus spoken, ana mas caiied the ioyai mel
:, answer has been such as to show the world tn
strength of a government founded on the love of
a free people.
nrociamaton calling on the iova States Sor aid
forces the laws On the 25th Of the same month re-
ceyed from the Secretary of War rannisiton on hi
State dated On the 18th cal;nr for one rooim.nt
troons Having been nefore advised ~ teesranb tbs
1T roonis;tion had bar issued T f.,t Iii p
J, tnst would onlv be carving ont vnr will md the G
If the peoDe of the State in resnondinr 70 the call
nromntly as possible therefore, did not wait the re-
cent of the NAL Int nj
to snch stems as seemed to mo hest "a cneoJ;i
fSsct that object was met at the ontset nv twp Ain
Ities There wers not anv finds nnJsr nv controi
meet the necessary exnenses nor ras there anv
military law under which to operats Your acton on
could furnish these aids in legal way and yet to avail
Law e'~''' ~ Nf' Ne'''.'' No
The frat difficulty was obvated nv the natriotc oc+io
of tho chrtarad hsnEa and cit;z.Gs NJ tho Stat b
nromntIv niaceS At NV DISMISSAL ali the money ngh
need. and determined, although without authority
Law 10 accent their offer Trusting that Won wouid Loci
iae NV acts One dicnitv was thus avoided. trnstsd
and AZ the resnt shows s:feIy r. tbe trotsm o1 tn
for the If tho other and an tho 17tb
IF Anil ssned INV proclamation calm for two renn
| site nnmber of troops 0"'Te w. 0 -'1''
The teIegranhic dsnatcb of the sscretarv of War in