infancy, and as liberal appropriations were needed for them as the state of our finances would permit.

The Governor entered upon the discharge of his duties during a period that was very unpropitious in many respects. In the year 1856, we had a frost in the month of August that so injured the corn that the crop of that year sold as high as eighty cents a bushel before another was raised. During the following year, 1857, the worst financial cyclone of the century swept over the whole country, breaking up or suspending nearly all our banks and bankrupting nearly every one who had any considerable debts to pay. The next year was one of our very wet seasons, rendering it almost impossible to tend corn, and rusting and blasting our wheat crop to such an extent that whole fields were not worth harvesting, and those that were yielded a product that was very inferior, if not worthless. The currency then in circulation, consisting in great part of "Nebraska Shinplasters," and the issues of banks of the State of Illinois, founded upon State stocks, whose market value was constantly declining, had been blighted by a commercial mildew that shrunk and shriveled it almost as badly as the weather had our wheat crop. These causes, all combined, called for the strictest and most rigid economy in public expenditures, and the Governor recommended that the treasury should be well guarded.

In the address the project of building a Pacific railroad was discussed. This was not the first time the Governor had discussed that topic.

In the year 1848, before any railroad had reached Chicago, a great meeting was held near East Palestine, on the State line between Ohio and Pennsylvania, to celebrate the commencement of work on the first fifty miles of the Pittsburgh and Ft. Wayne road, when the President of the road would be there to throw the first spadeful of dirt, a free dinner would be given and speeches made. A participant at

that scene, Samuel Beeson, now of Liscomb, in this State, says that among the speakers was a lawyer from Mansfield by the name of Kirkwood, and that among other things said by him was that in spite of all opposition, the road would be built, and at no distant day railroads, like wagon roads, would be built where they were needed, and that in time the Atlantic and Pacific would be united and bound together with bands of iron, and then, with our North and South river system, we could defy the powers of Europe combined." This prediction, made at that railroad meeting forty-five years ago, the Governor has lived to see more than fulfilled.

CHAPTER VI.

Attends the National Convention-Supports Mr. Lincoln-Presidential Candidates-Spirit Lake Massacre-A Call for the Surrender of Coppoc-Special Message-Presidential Election-Challenge from Mr. Byington—Answer to Him—Invited to Speak at His Old Home in Mansfield, O.-Electoral and Popular Votes Contrasted— Visits Mr. Lincoln-Attends His Inauguration-Letters to Gov. GrimesTo the Governor of Maryland-Military Companies Tendered to the Governor.

The year 1860, while not memorable for its stirring events, except the election of Mr. Lincoln, was noted for those incidents which gave vent to the underground rumblings that were to burst forth in the following year in an eruptive volcanic explosion of secession that would make the country tremble from centre to circumference. John Brown's body was mouldering in the soil of Virginia, but his soul, typical of that freedom of thought which could not be put down or trammeled by the intolerance and insolence of the slave power, was marching on. Its spirit seemed in its marching to have, if not invaded the Democratic party, at least to have been skirmishing around and hovering over it and so distracted it that it gave us two National Democratic Conventions that year, and made possible the defeat of both their candidates and the election of the nominee of the Republican party whoever he might be.

Governor Kirkwood was favorable to the nomination of Mr. Lincoln as the Republican standard-bearer; and he did not need the letter he received from John A. Kasson, saying, "Pray be at Chicago, if possible, to aid and influence the indiscreet by your counsel," to induce him to do all he could to secure Mr. Lincoln's nomination. He attended that convention in Mr. Lincoln's interest.

The candidates before the convention were Mr. Seward, Mr. Lincoln, Mr. Cameron, Mr. Chase, Mr. Bates, Mr. Dayton, Mr. McLean, Mr. Collamer, Mr. Fremont and Mr. Sumner, and on the first ballot they ranked in the order named, Mr. Seward getting 1734 votes, it requiring 232 to elect. On the second ballot the vote stood: Seward, 184; Lincoln, 181; Chase, 421; Bates, 35, Pennsylvania deserting Cameron and voting for Lincoln.

Before the third ballot, Governor Kirkwood, with others, had won over to Mr. Lincoln most of the Ohio delegation, with many of whom he was acquainted, and the result was that on this ballot Mr. Lincoln got four votes more than enough to elect, when, on motion of Mr. Evarts, the head of the New York delegation and the particular friend of Mr. Seward, the nomination was made unanimous.

It is a noteworthy fact that after Mr. Lincoln's election he made the four strongest competitors he had in this convention members of his cabinet, bringing to himself more support, and giving to his administration more strength than he could have done by the appointment of any other four

men.

In the year 1857, near the close of one of the most severe winters in this climate, both on account of the depth of the snow and the intensity of the cold, a band of 200 Indians, led on by their chief, Inkpaduta, committed one of the most barbarous massacres near Spirit Lake that ever took place on our Western frontiers, in which forty-one persons were killed, twelve others were missing, probably killed; three badly wounded, and four women were taken prisoners and carried off into captivity. Three companies of troops, under the command of Major Williams, were hastily raised and sent to the theatre of the outrage. They did not arrive till the carnage had taken place, but on their march and return they encountered incredible hardships and endured untold sufferings, many of them freezing their hands and feet, and

two of them freezing to death. As their claims had not all been liquidated, an act was passed at this session making provision for their final payment in full.

For the purpose of enabling the citizens of the Northwestern frontier to defend themselves against marauding bands of Indians, the Governor was authorized to furnish them with arms and ammunition. A small company of minute men was enrolled and an active police employed to act in case of any emergency that might arise in repelling the attacks of hostile Indians, and $500 was appropriated for this purpose.

On the 3d day of December, 1859, the vengeance and supposed honor of the people of the State of Virginia was partially satisfied by the execution of John Brown, Cook and Edward Coppoc; but some others had escaped their vengeance, and among them was Barclay Coppoc, a brother of Edward and a citizen of the State of Iowa, and a requisition was made upon the Governor of Iowa by the Governor of Virginia for his delivery, which the Governor of Iowa refused to grant, and he so informed the Virginia Governor, giving his reasons for his action in the premises. It was hinted by some of the pliant tools of the slave power that Governor Kirkwood was not acting in good faith, and was resorting to frivolous excuses for not complying with the requisition. To bring the subject all before them and the public, on the second day of March the House of Representatives passed the following preamble and resolution:

WHEREAS, There has lately appeared in the public press a message, purporting to have been sent by the Governor of the State of Virginia to the Legislature of that State, in which it is stated that a requisition had been made upon the Executive of this State for the rendition of one Barclay Coppoc as a fugitive from justice, and that "the requisition had been refused for reasons stated in said message to be frivolous, and such as have in no previous instances, as the Governor says, to my knowledge, influenced the action of any State Executive in its intercourse with this Commonwealth." Therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Governor of this State is requested to communi