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AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED.

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means, arms and provisions, by distinguished members of the party, hitherto opposed to me in political sentiments, are beyond all praise, and are by me, in behalf of the State, most cheerfully acknowledged. There are now more companies received than are needed under the Presidential call, and almost unlimited numbers have formed and are forming, awaiting further orders. A single inland county (La Salle) tenders nine full companies, and our principal city (Chicago) has responded with contributions of men and money worthy of her fame for public spirit and patriotic devotion. Nearly a million of money has been offered to the State, as a loan, by our patriotic capitalists and other private citizens, to pay the expenses connected with the raising of our State troops and temporarily providing for them."

NEEDED LEGISLATION.

In this sudden emergency, when the call was made by the National Government, I found myself greatly embarrassed, by what still remains on our statute book, as a militia law, and by the entire want of organization of our military force. A great portion of this law has grown entirely obsolete, and cannot be carried out, and moreover is ir conflict with the instructions of the war department, which latter are based on the various military laws of the United States now in force. But as far as possible, I have made an effort to keep within the provisions of our law.

"I have to call your attention most emphatically to the enactment of a practicable militia law, as recommended in my Inaugural Address, which should recognize the principle of volunteering as one of its most prominent features. It ought to be plain and intelligible as well as concise and comprehensive. It ought to provide for many emergencies and future contingencies, and not for the present moment alone. I trust that our conflict will not be a protracted one; but if it unfortunately should be, we may well expect that what is now done by enthusiasm, and in the first effervescence of popular excitement, may hereafter have to be done by a stern sense of duty, to be regulated by an equally stern law. Trials may come, which can only be met by endurance and patient performance of prescribed duty.

"I deem the passage of a well digested militia law the more necessary, as it seems to me, that the present levy of troops, which will soon pass under the control of the General Government, is insufficient to protect our State against threatened invasion, and such commotions as frequently follow in the train of war: I would recommend to keep an active militia force, consisting of infantry, cavalry and artillery, for some time to come, at least; also a reserve force for protection against dangers of any kind, and for the purpose of readily complying from time to time, with the requisitions of the General Government.

"It is for you, representatives of the people, if you coincide with my views in this respect, to pass the proper laws to accomplish the objects recommended to your most earnest consideration.

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"I recommend the appropriation by the Legislature of a sum not exceeding three millions of dollars, so much of which only is to be expended as the public exigences may require; and I would further recommend that the law be passed authoriz

ing the Governor to accept the services of ten regiments, in addition to those already called out by the general government.

"Though the Constitution has very properly restricted the contracting of a public debt in all ordinary cases, it has, with commendable foresight, provided for cases of emergency such as the present, in allowing loans to be made 'for the purpose of repelling invasion, suppressing insurrection, or defending the State in war,' I invite you to a prompt action on this all important subject, and feel no hesitation that you will come forward with a zeal and alacrity, in providing ample means for the present emergency, corresponding to the devotion of our people to their sacred honor and their glorious flag.

"It has come to my knowledge that there are several thousand stand of arms scattered over the State, which are, however, not of the most approved construc tion, and need to be exchanged for others, or to be provided with the more modern appliance, to make them serviceable. I have already instituted means to have these collected at the State Armory at the Capital, and what disposition shall be made of them is respectfully submitted to your consideration.

"Other measures may be necessary by you for the purpose of lending efficient assistance to the General Government in preserving the Union, enforcing the laws, and protecting the rights and property of the people, which I must leave to your judgment and wisdom. As one of such measures, however, I recommend the propriety of passing a law restraining the telegraph in our State from receiving and transmitting any messages, the object of which shall be to encourage a violation of the laws in this State or the United States, and to refuse all messages in cipher, except when they are sent by the State or national authorities, or citizens known to be loyal.

"And now, as we love our common country, in all its parts, with all its blessings of climate and culture; its mountains, valleys and streams; as we cherish its history and the memory of the world's only Washington; as we love our free civilization, striking its roots deep down into those principles of truth and justice eternal as God; as we love our government so free, our institutions so noble, our boun daries so broad; as we love our grand old flag, 'sign of the free heart's only home,' that is cheered and hailed in every sea and haven of the world, let us resolve that we will preserve that Union and those institutions, and that there shall be no peace till the traitorous and bloodless palmetto shall be hurled from the battlements of Sumter, and the star-spangled banner in its stead wave defiantly in the face of traitors, with every star and every stripe flaming from all its ample folds."

On reception of the call, General Order No. 1 was issued from headquarters, requiring all commandants of divisions, brigades, regiments and companies, to hold themselves in readiness for actual service, and on the 15th, General Order No. 2 directed the immediate organization of the six regiments.

In reviewing the war, and looking back upon the formidable

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preparations made by the secessionists, it is at once matter of surprise and regret that the first call was for 75,000 instead of 500,000men, and for the brief term of ninety days instead of three or five years. Perhaps, trusting to that love of country which had been so prominent a characteristic to the American people, the President had faith that the sober second thought would rescue the Southern people from the mælstrom of treason, and that, when the misguided leaders should see that the Government would preserve its authority, integrity and existence at every price, and that a separate confederacy could only be established by a costly war, extending almost indefinitely, they would recoil from the opening gulf, would decline to lay down the crimson consideration. Perhaps there was an overconfidence in the existence of Union sentiment in the revolted States, and yet a comprehensive view of the whole subject would have suggested that the Union sentiment in South Carolina, Georgia or Alabama needed large armies to give it assurance.

The President was reluctant to concede the existence of war, hence his proclamation summoned the militia of the States to "suppress combinations too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings or by the powers vested in marshals by law," and with this, he would be content to await the action of Congress, which, by the same proclamation, he convened in special session on the 4th of July following, leaving it to decide, after it should be seen that the States in rebellion should refuse to recognize the demands of the government and to bow to its authority, what further "measures the public safety and interests may seem to demand."

It is also true that the President found the government almost destitute of the arms and munitions of war. Said Mr. Secretary Cameron: "Upon my appointment to the position, I found the department destitute of all the means of defence-without guns, and with little prospect of purchasing the material of war; I found the nation without an army, and I found scarcely a man throughout the whole War Department in whom I could put my trust. The Adjutant-General deserted. The Quartermaster-General ran off. The Commissary-General was on his death-bed. More than half the olerks were disloyal."

That the Secretary did not overstate the appalling difficulties we have the confirmatory evidence of rebel authorities. Said the Richmond Enquirer:

"The facts we are about to state are official and indisputable. Under a single order of the Secretary of War, the Hon. Mr. Floyd, made during the last year, there were 115,000 improved muskets and rifles sent from the Springfield Armory, Mass., and Watervliet Arsenal, N. Y., to different arsenals at the South. The total number of improved arms, thus supplied to five depositories in the South, by a single order of the late Secretary of War, was 114,868."

Another secession organ (Memphis Appeal), stated that there had been distributed at different convenient points in the South, 707,000 stand of arms, and 200,000 revolvers. Not less discouraging was the state of the Navy. Demoralization prevailed among its officers, and the Secretary, Mr. Welles, said in his official report, "Many of whom (the officers) occupying the most responsible positions, betrayed symptoms of that infidelity which has dishonored the service." "The Home Squadron consisted of twelve vessels carrying 187 guns and about 2,000 men. Of this squadron only four small vessels, carrying 25 guns and about 280 men were in Northern ports."

The people have since shown that they can create armies and improvise navies, and had they been trusted, half a million might have been in the field or in camps of instruction before the meeting of Congress.

We must remember that all this is written after the events, and in the light of history, rather than in the dim twilight of uncertainty and the haze of doubt in which were Lincoln and his advisers. And in our very delays are seen the developing plans of the Infinite, who was leading our nation out of its Egypt of bondage into an Israel of freedom.

CHAPTER V.

EARLY STATE MOVEMENTS-ORGANIZATION.

MUDDY-AT

TEN DAYS' WORK-TEN THOUSAND-WITHOUT ARMS-STATE MESSENGER IN BALTI ·
MORE IMPORTANCE OF CAIRO-RIVER AND RAILWAY KEY-YATES'S ORDER to Gen.
SWIFT-MEANS BUSINESS-CAIRO EXPEDITION-EQUIPMENT-BIG
CAIRO-ARTILLERY AMUNITION-A TRIO OF BORDER GOVERNORS-IMPERTINENCE—
KENTUCKY NEUTRALITY-PIOUS BERIAH-GOVERNOR'S SPECIAL MESSAGE-GRIM RO-
MANCE-BRASS MISSIONARIES-CAIRO IN KENTUCKY-COL. PRENTISS IN COMMAND-
CONTRABAND TRADE-SEIZURE OF STEAMERS-CARGO-LEGISLATIVE ACTION—
WAR-FOOTING-NUMBERING REGIMENTS-TEN REGIMENT BILL-DISTRICT HEADQUAR-
TERS-PRESIDENT'S SECOND CALL-CAPTAIN STOKES-ST. LOUIS ARSENAL-SECES-
SIONIST DIFFICULTIES-TACT AND COURAGE-SUCCESS-" STRAIGHT FOR ALTON."

Within ten days after the proclamation of Governor Yates was published, more than ten thousand men had offered their services. On all sides, enlistments went rapidly forward, and there was earnest competition for the perilous honor of acceptance.

But the State was without arms. In addition to the former extracts from the Adjutant-General's report, the following paragraphs show how deplorable was the condition of a State "on the border," and liable to immediate invasion:

There being no serviceable arms in the arsenal at Springfield, an unsuccessful application was made to Brigadier-General Harney, at the arsenal in St. Louis. Application was also made, on the 19th, at the arsenal at New York and a messenger dispatched to Washington to obtain them. As these troops were to be mustered into the service of the United States, on the 19th, more than our full quota having boen tendered, application was made for a mustering officer, and on the 22d Captain Pope arrived to perform that service. There were volunteers enough, and a surplus, on that eventful 19th of April, 1861, but the want of arms had become painful and alarming. It was on that day that Union soldiers from a sister State, hastening to the defence of the National Capitol were shot down in the streets of Baltimore; and on that, and following days, that your messenger, returning from that Capitol, and bearing concealed orders from the President to the commanding officer at St.

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