Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1897-01-02
OLD LETTER REsURRECTED.
Written by WiIIinm Clark When He
Was Running for Governor
of Missouri in 1920.

St Joseph, Mo. Jan. 1-tSpectal) Mr.. !
Harry c. Carter has found in his papers !
an. address to the people Of Missouri, writ I
ten by Governor William Clark. and bear |
ing date July >, 1870. He had been terri |
toriaI governor for seven years and at the |
time was candidate for first governor of |
the state of Missouri. The address reads !
as follows:
To the People of Missouri.
Fellow Citizens:-My name is before you
as a candidate for the office of governor of
the new state of Missouri A necessary
absence. the cause of which is known to
you. and l trust will he appreciated by
you, will prevent me from being among
you till after the election is over. But this
circumstance does not give me uneasiness,
except as it might be construed by some
into an Indifference Tor your good will.
Otherwise / think it of no Importance for
me to be present. The choice of a govern
or is your business and not mine; and so
far as my fitness for that place may be
subject to inquiry, that matter may be dis
Cussed as well in my absence as in my
| presence. | should take no part in the dis
| cussion even if | remained at home. but
should leave it to those whose business it
| is TO decide upon my pretensions.
There are several in this country who
| have known me from my infancy, and
/ many who have known me from my man
/ hood. My early life was spent on the
/ frontiers Of Kentucky, amid the dangers
and hardships incident to that exposed sit
i uation. Since seventeen years. ! may say
| that / lived in Missouri. | came to this
| country, then Upper Louisiana, in the fall
| of 1906, before the change CT government,
/ in company with the expedition which
was planned by Mr.. Jefferson and led by
| the late governor. then Captain Lewis
! 10 the Pacific ocean. ON the return OF
| that expedition | made Missouri the home
of nv choice and the country of my PER
| manent residence. This long residence
has given me personal acquaintance with
most Of the old inhabitants and early set
tiers: and to them | refer for answers to
| any inquiries which may concern my indl-
| vidual and private character. My pubic
conduct is more amply before you. During
the last seven years / have been governor
of the territory, and the period has been
one of uncommon danger to the inhapl-
tants, and of peculiar difficulty to the ex-
ecutive department Our country was en-
Gagged in war with the British and their
Indiaa allies. and this remote and isolated
territory was exposed to more than equal
share of the common danger, with less
than equal share of the means OF deiehce.
1t presented vast frontier or many nuIi-
dred miles circumference, thinly sprinkled
| with inhabitants and surrounded with In
dian nations stimulated to war by their
| own love of blood and plunder ana the
wicked arts of British emtssaries.
The territory was accessible to their IN
cursions by the large rivers which traverse
| il and by means OF which an immense
| force descending the Illinois, Missouri ana
Mississippi, might concentrate at any mo-
ment, and with the utmost secrecy, rapid
itv and silence. in the heart and center OF
our country. The general government had
| fnr-O GpfphSa-
and to d system of policy more than OIL
arms and TO the proper employment OIL
some rangers and militia, the territory
? was reduced to depend for its safety. II,
under these circumstances. a complete ana
perfect exemption from the calamities OF
) war did not attend every section of the
country the misfortune / think, might IN
, charity be attributed TO the difficulties OF
our position and to the manifest inequality
between the means OF our detense ana the
extent of our danger, and not entirely TO
\ want of capacity. and much less 10 want
of disposition. to defend the country. Still
: / fiattcr myself that the system adopted
was not without success; and although
: some remote settlements were temporarily
dispersed and some valuable citizens lost
their lives yet the country upon the whole
enjoyed comparative safety and suffered
less than any new. country has ever yet
, suffered during the progress of an Indian
war.
| NV polfticaI character is well known TO
f be Republican 1t was formed in the
, | school of those who have enjoyed the con-
: | fdence of the American people. My first
appointment to any office was under the
administration of General Washington; and
since his time, l have been placed in re-
: sponsible situations under the successive
l presidencies of Mr. Jefferson, MIR. Madison
4 and Mr.. Monroe. and have faithfully Ia
i bored within my province, to give effect
D, TO the enlightened policy of those distin-
: guished statesmen.
:, in appearing before you at this time a
s candidate for the exalted station Of first
A be blind to my own imperfections and to
n the duties of the place, If / did not fee
the greatness of the responsibility which
: have proposed to encounter. Our state
; has come into the Union under circum
!. stances which have fixed the eyes of the
IS nation upon her; and our people have ac
quired a character which eNcites abroad
the honorable expectation of an able ad
: ministration of our public affairs. To sus
II tain the high character of Missouri, 81
d far as 1t depends upon the executive de
i partment, would acquire abilities far great
e er than mine. l cannot fatter myself tina
% I am worthy to occupy the first otfic'
= among you: but if called to it by you
le voice I shall bring with me a fervent wisl
v to contribute to your prosperity, and II
= maintain the honor of state whose nam
% must forever be dear to me.
IT Respectfully your obedient servant
- WILLIAM CLARK,
OIIfS July