The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-01-28
GOV. klRKWOOD'S INAUGURAL AID.
DRESS.

ut"teHfH ~ We Se1sQH ana HOuSe or
Representatives
AS this is the first time in the history
OF our State that the same person has
been twice elected to the office, the du-
ties of which have for the second time
just assumed, and as the transmission to
you Of Message in writing, communi-
eating the condition Of the State and rec
ommending such matters as seemed to
me expedient. was among the last of the
official acts of my first term Of service,
1t was for some time question with me
whether 1t was proper for me in com
mencing my second term to conform to
the custom heretofore acted on by in
coming Governors of delivering an Inau
gural Address. Upon reflection, | did
not feel at liberty to disregard what is a
well established, aud what Is considered
a useful custom.
When two years ago | first assumed
the duties of my present Office. | saw,
and in my Inaugural Address alluded. TO
the bitter and exasperated feelings eys-
ting in ce rlain portions of our country,
which have since resulted in the present
Rebellion, and pointed out what seemed
to me TO be some of the exciting causes
of that feeling. The people ofour coun-
try were then about entering upon one of
those political contests by which the pol.
icy OF our General Government is for a
time determined-and | expressed the
belief that this angry and excited feeling
would not result in an appeal TO arms, but
that people taught as ours have been
to yield almost instinctively to the fairly
expressed will of the majority, would,
when the feeling engendered by its con-
test had passed away. again permit the
calm dictates of reason to resume their
sway, and that we would again become a
conlented and happy nation. Time has
shown that my belief was erroneous, and
yet il seems 10 me il was reasonable
and just belief. All men know well that
the Government against which rebellion
would be made, if raised at all, was the
Government which made the least exac-
tions and conferred the most benefits up
on its people of any Government in the
world. All men know we'll and none
better than those now in rebellion that
| the Administration whose accession to
power their opponents declared they
would consider cause for revolt, could
not during their term Of Office, even If SO
disposed, infiict upon the defeated party
any wrong. And il seemed then. and
seems yet TO me 10 be reasonable and
just belief that no portion Of people, so
intelligent as ours has claimed to be,
could revolt against Government which
had conferred upon them only benefits,
and against an Administration poweress
to injure them. All men know, too, that
rebellion must bring upon those engaged
in IL terrible oalamites, If not sure des-
| tructiop, aud il did seem reasonable and
just to believe that sane men would not
bring upon themselves such results with
out cause.
Yet there were other things bearing
upon this question which we did not
know. We did not know--even although
we were so told by some far-sighted men
II seemed too monstrous for our honest
and loyal-hearted people to believe that
men whom they had delighted to honor,
men upon whom they had conferred the
high places-even the highest place of
honor, and profit, and trust under our
Government-could, whilst yet holding
these places and pledged in the sight OF
God aud before men faithfully to dis
charge their trusts, and with professions
OF love and attachment TO our Govern.
ment yet warm upon their lips, deliber-
aiely conspire TO overthrow and destroy
that Government which they were so
strongly bound to protect and defend. |
repeat II, our honest and loyal hearted
people could not believe these things TO
be true ; they We're TO them too monstrous.
ly infamous for their belief. They had
not yet learned the bitter lesson that hon.
esty, truth, good faith and loyalty, were
but mere words used by these men as a
cover under which to deal as they hon
ed, a fatal stab to that Government from
! which they had derived all they ever had