retained his optimism and his hope for a peaceful settlement. "In conclusion," he declared, "permit me to say that, although our political horizon is not unclouded, although anger and jealousy have to some extent taken the place of brotherly kindness and good will among our people, still, in my opinion, those who love our Constitution and our Union, have not very great cause for alarm. Passion will subside, reason will resume its sway, and then our southern brethren will discover that they have been deceived and misled, as to our feelings and purposes; and that the good old ways wherein we walked, when to talk of disunion openly, or to approve it silently, was to incur the scorn due a traitor, are ways of pleasantness, and that the good old paths our fathers taught us to tread, are paths of peace. And they will again pledge themselves as we to-day pledge ourselves in the full depth and force of its meaning to the sentiment of the true and stern old patriot of the Hermitage. "The Union-it must and shall be preserved.' ''216

Governor Kirkwood's inaugural address was received with approval, though without great enthusiasm, by the Republicans of the State. The editor of The Iowa Citizen considered it "a fair exposition of the sentiments he has proclaimed in every portion of the State, and a

truthful exhibit of the views of the party to which he belongs; so far as it has a party character." "His remarks on the John Brown matter are satisfactory", wrote a correspondent to the New York Tribune, "and are all that could be expected from a Marylander by birth; a Democrat by association up to 1854, and a successful canvasser before the people.

His sentiments, I think, are reflective of the tone of feeling in the northwest in the Republican party. "217

The Democrats were not so calm in expressing their disapproval of the address. It was denounced in long editorials in the newspapers; vigorous speeches were made in the General Assembly against the resolution to print the address; and twenty Senators and thirty-four Representatives signed their names to solemn protests which were spread upon the journals of the two houses of the legislature. These protests, which were identical in content, opposed the printing of the Governor's address on six grounds the central theme of which was that the chief executive had gone out of his way to discuss partisan doctrines which had no relation to the duties of the legislature. Besides, it was the belief of those who signed the remonstrances that "the dissemination of the sentiments contained in said message, tends to kindle anew that blind fanaticism, North and

South, which has already shaken the foundations of the Union, and threatens to blast the brightest hopes of every true friend of American Liberty."'218

It was characteristic of Kirkwood that in the midst of official duties and partisan controversies he did not lose his keen interest in the welfare of his friends and the members of his own family. On January 29th he took the time to write a long, fatherly letter to his nephew, Samuel Kirkwood Clark, who had lived with Mr. and Mrs. Kirkwood most of the time since his infancy and was regarded by them with all the affection they would have bestowed upon a son. "When your father was here", wrote the Governor, "he related to me a conversation he had had with your teacher which gave me great pleasure." The teacher had praised young Clark for his gentlemanly deportment and his diligence as a student, and had described him as being a leader among his fellows. After expressing his gratification at such a good report, Governor Kirkwood sounded a note of warning. "You must not allow yourself to become proud and overbearing. You must not use your position to put down any one who is weaker than yourself, either mentally or physically, but rather to support and defend suchin short, you must use your influence to see that 'the right' is done at all times and under all

circumstances, and you must not allow anything to make you flinch from seeing it done. You must not be quarrelsome. Avoid all personal difficulties, if possible, but if compelled to engage in such, then so bear yourself that your adversary will not wish to come in contact with you again.

On the subject of smoking he was not disposed to scold his nephew, but he advised him to make a thorough investigation of the effects of the habit and then determine his course accordingly. "I send you a copy of my inaugural address", he said in conclusion. "It is praised by some of my party friends and denounced by some of my party enemies. You are neither one or the other. Write me just what you think about it. Write me what you think about all these things. Take your time to do so, half a dozen evenings if necessary, and a half a dozen sheets of paper, if necessary. I. will read it all. You are at entire liberty to show this to your father, if you want to talk about it with him, and I think it would be well for you to do so. He may help you to read it; perhaps his help may be necessary."219

XIV

GOVERNOR DURING A YEAR OF PEACE

THE inaugural address and the sentiments therein set forth were soon forgotten,220 for within two weeks there was furnished a more tangible opportunity for partisan controversy. On the morning of January 23rd there appeared at the Governor's office in Des Moines a man by the name of C. Camp, "bearing requisition papers directed to the Governor of Iowa for one Barclay Coppoc, reputed to be a fugitive from the justice of Virginia. ''221

The events which led up to this request make a long story. When on his journeys to and from Kansas, John Brown had several times passed through Iowa and had made many friends and acquaintances, especially in the quiet Quaker village of Springdale in Cedar County. In this peaceful community the little band of oddly assorted characters who made up Brown's band spent the winter of 1857-1858, and here their leader matured his plans for a last attack upon the hated institution of slavery. To none of the inhabitants of the village did the warlike demeanor and aims of the men appeal