Year: 1861

OF REPRESENTATIyE


The Constitution requires that | shall
state to you the purpose for which YOU
have been convened in Extraordinary
Session.


When a little more than year age
your regular session closed, the whole
country was in the enjoyment of peace
and prosperity. At home, life, liberty,
and prosperity were secure, and abroad
the title of an American citizen was
claimed with pride, and a full assurance
that it was sure guaranty of respect
aud protection to all who could make
good the claim. To-day civil war is up.
on us, and wide spread conspiracy
against the General Government, which
We now know has been maturing for
years, has been developed, and the whole
country is filled with the din of arms.
On the one hand, and from one section
of the country, men who should be legal
citizens, if benefits conferred by a gov.
ernment should made men loyal to it,
are mastering in armed bands with the
intent TO dissolve the Union, and destroy
our Government, and on the other hand
partially from the same section and a,
one man from the other, our loyal people
are rallying around our Union and our
Government and pledging for their
maintenance what our Fathers So freely
periled 10 secure them, life, fortune and
honor.


In this emergency Iowa must not and
does not occupy a doubtful position.
For the Union as our fathers formed il.
and for the Government they formed 50
wisely and SO well, the people of Iowa
are ready to pledge every fighting man
in the State and every dollar of her mon
ey and credit and have called you to-
gether in extraordinary session, for the
purpose OF making that pledge formal
and effective.


Those who, to crafty their mad am
bltion, have brought upon ehe country
this great evil, seek 10 disguise their
true intent TO cover their purpose. They
say they do not desire to destroy our
Government, but that il has become hos
lille to them. aud they only wish to peace
ably withdraw themselves from it, which
they claim the right to do whenever in
their Judgment their interest or safety
may require such action. Many loyal
men, seduced by their professions, and
not perceWlng that peaceable secession
is destructive alike OF the Constitution
and Union were unwilling that any coer-
Give measures should be used 10 bring
them back TO sense of their duty How
are the facts ? Our Government is bas
ed upon these great central, controlling
ideas. The people are the only true
source Of power. In the exercise Of their
power they have created our present
form of government retaining iii their
own hands its management and control.
They have honesty enough TO desire, and
intelligence enough to discern the right,
and ii at any time they should by reason
Of excitement or passion, mlsdirect the
action OF the government, aud do wrong
20 any portion Of themselves, their hon.
esty aud intelligence can be surely re-
lied upon TO correct such wrongs. These
are the fundamental ideas OF our govern
ment. and when any section OF our coun.
try. or any portion OF our people, alleg
ing that wrong has been done them. de-
clare they cannot and will not rely upon
the honesty and Intelligence Of our peo.
pie TO right such wrongs, but will rght
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 Z
them At the time this unnatural re-
bellion commenced there was not on III,
statute books of the United States sin
] gle law that had not been dictated. or as