Year: 1861




Hall, the Lieutenant Governor of Missouri un-
der the Provisional Government-who is Dem
ocrat-r0se and addressed the Convention
follows:


GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION, appreci-
ate highly the honor conferred upon me by my
election to the Office OF Lieutenant g Governor
of the State. When l reflect upon the
barrassments and difficulties which surround
that position, cannot but regret that your
choice has not fallen upon another individual
L concur with the gentleman who has been
elected Governor, and who has just addressed
you, in deprecating the state of things which
now exist in the State Of Missouri. We arc
in .he midst of civil war, and l can only say
that will unite my energies with him to do
all that we can to mitigate its horrors and
shorten its duration. Gentlemen, it is scarcely
necessary for me to say that my opinion as TO
the causes OF our domestic difficulties has been
sufficiently exemplified by my acts and words
since have been member of this body. IL
can scarcely be necessary for me TO say that in
my opinion our difficulties have been produced
almost solely, if not entirely, by an effort upon
the part of certain of our officers and citizens
to dissolve our connection with the National
Government. l believe, gentleman, that to
Missouri Union is peace and Disunion is war.
l believe that to-day Missouri could be "a
peaceful as Illinois, if her citizens would havo
recognized their obligations to the Constitu-





to say that l know OF no reason why they
should not SO act. Whatever might be said
by citizens OF other States, certainly Missouri
ans have no right to complain of the general
course of theGovernment of the United States.
| believe it TO be fact that there is no law OF
general character upon your statutes that
has been enacted since Missouri came into the
Union, but, had received the votes and support
of the representatives of the people OF this
State. Whatever we have asked from the
Government Of the United States has been
given to us most cheerfully. We asked lib
eral land policy, and we got 1t We asked
grants for our railroads, and we got them We
asked for fugitive slave law, and it was given
to us; we asked that our peculiar views in ref
erence to the finances of the country should
be regarded, and even that was granted. In
short, feel may safely say, that If the peo-
pie of this State had the whole control of tho
Federal Government, if there had been bus
one State in the Union, the very policy which
has been adopted by the General Government
would have been adopted as best calculated to
advance the interests of the State. 1t is true,
Gentlemen, that, owing to divisions among US,
private and sometimes public rights have been
violated but believe 1 cannot be mistaken
as to the real cause of the troubles which are
now upon us. / believe there is no need, and
there never has been any need, of civil war in
this State. believe should have had none





in March last, had been carried out and be-
lieve if we will return to these views, civil war
will cease within our borders. 1t shall there
fore, gentlemen, be my duty, my pride as we'll
as my pleasure, TO do all that can for both the
success and prevalence of those views in this
State while have the honor to hold the posi-
tion which you have conferred upon me.
Notwithstanding the denunciations we some
times hear against the Government of the
United States and the assaults made upon il,
1 am free to admit that, when reflect upon
the history of this State; when / remember
its humble origin when look upon the proud
and exalted position that it occupied but few
months ago, my affections do cluster around
the Government of my country. As Mis-
sourian, | desire no change in the political
relations that exist between this State and the
Government of the United States, and least
of all do desire such change as will throw
her into the arms of those who have proved
unfaithful to the high trust imposed upon them
by generous and confiding people. Mr..
President, am ready TO take the oath.


DESPERATE AND DETERMINED SUICIDE.-A
foreigner, named Frank Howard, who seems
to have had no relations in this country, per-
petrated most desperate suicide near Eaton,
Ohio, on the 3lst ultimo. He went to the
barn, set it on Gre, and, after the fire had got
fair start with the intention of removing
every trace OF himself, he cut his throat with
his razor, and Immediately threw himself into
the fire. But loss of blood did not assuage
the'pain of burning. Human nature could not
endure it, and, with his clothes burned off and
his flesh literally on fire, be jumped into q
well that drowning might take the place Of
burning. I'm this condition his dead body
was found,