Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 1.
Frank Moore, Ed.

A series of unprovoked and unparalleled outrages have been inflicted on the peace and dignity of this Commonwealth, and upon the rights and liberties of its people, by wicked and unprincipled men, who profess to act under the authority of the United States Government; the solemn enactments of your Legislature have been nullified, your volunteer soldiers have been taken prisoners, your commerce with your sister States has been suspended, your trade with your fellow-citizens has been and is subjected to increasing control of an armed soldiery; peaceable citizens have been imprisoned without warrant of law; unoffending and defenseless men, women, and children have been ruthlessly shot down and murdered, and other unbearable indignities have been heaped on your State and yourselves. To all these outrages and indignities you have submitted with patriotic forbearance, which has only encouraged the perpetrators of these previous usages to attempt still bolder and more daring usurpations. It has been my earnest endeavor under all these embarrassing circumstances to maintain the peace of the State, and avert, if possible, from our borders, the desolating effects of civil war. With that object in view I authorized Major-General Price several weeks ago to arrange with Gen. Harney, commanding Federal forces in this State, the terms of an agreement by which the State might be preserved. They came on May 21st to an understanding, which was made public. The State authorities have labored faithfully to carry out the terms of that agreement. The Federal Government, on the other hand, not only manifested its strong disapprobation of it by the instant dismissal of that distinguished officer, who on his part entered into it, but it at once began and has unintermittingly carried out, a system of hostile operations in utter contempt of this agreement, and in reckless disregard of its pledged faith. The acts have latterly portended revolution and civil war so unmistakably that I resolved to make one further effort to avert these dangers from you. I therefore solicited an interview with Brigadier-General Lyon, commanding the Federal army in Missouri. It was granted on the 11th, and waiving all questions of personal and official dignity, I went to St. Louis accompanied by Brigadier-General Price. We had an interview on the 11th inst., with General Lyon and F. P. Blair, Jr., at which I submitted to them these propositions:

That I would disband the State Guard, and break up its organization.

That I would disarm all the companies that had been ordered out by the State.

That I would pledge myself not to attempt to organize the militia under the military bill.

That no arms or munitions of war should be brought into the State.

That I would protect all citizens equally in all their rights, regardless of their political opinions.

That I would repress all insurrectionary movements in the State.

That I would repel all attempts to invade it from any quarter, and by whomsoever made.

That I would thus maintain a strict neutrality in this unhappy contest, and preserve the peace of this unhappy State; and I further proposed that I would, if necessary, invoke the assistance of the United States troops to carry out these pledges.

All this I proposed to do upon condition that the Federal Government would undertake to disband the Home Guard which it has illegally organized and armed throughout the State, and pledge itself not to occupy with its troops any localities in the State not occupied by them at this time. Nothing but the most earnest desire to avert the horrors of civil war from our beloved State could have tempted me to propose those humiliating terms. They were rejected by the Federal officers. They demanded not only disorganization and disbanding of the State militia and the nullification of the military bill, but they refused to disband their own Home Guard, and insisted that the Federal Government should enjoy the unrestricted right to move and station its troops throughout the State whenever and wherever it might, in the opinion of its officers, be necessary either for the protection of the loyal subjects of the Federal Government or for repelling invasion, and they plainly announced that it was the intention [364] of the Administration to take military possession under these pretexts of the whole State, and to reduce it, as avowed by Gen. Lyon himself, to the exact condition of Maryland. The acceptance by me of these degrading terms would not only have sullied the honor of Missouri, but would have roused the indignation of, every citizen, and have precipitated the very conflict it has been my desire to prevent. We refused to accede to them, and the conference was broken up.

Fellow-citizens, all our efforts towards conciliation have failed; we can hope nothing from the justice or moderation of the Federal agents in this State. They are energetically hastening the execution of their bloody and revolutionary schemes for the inauguration of civil war in your midst, and for the military occupation of your State by armed bands of lawless invaders,--for the overthrow of your State Government, and for the subversion of those liberties which the Government has a right to protect, and they intend to bring their whole power to subjugate you if possible to the military despotism which has assumed the powers of the Federal Government. Now, therefore, I, C. F. Jackson, Governor of Missouri, do, in view of the foregoing facts and by virtue of the power vested in me by the Constitution and laws of this commonwealth, issue this, my proclamation, calling the militia of the State, to the number of 50,000, into service of the State for the purpose of repelling such invasion, and for the protection of the lives, liberty, and property of the citizens of this State, and I earnestly exhort all good citizens of Missouri to rally to the flag of their State for the protection of their endangered homes and firesides, and the defence of their most sacred rights and dearest liberties. In issuing this proclamation, I hold it to be my most solemn duty to remind you that Missouri is still one of the United States, and that the executive department of the State Government does not arrogate to itself the power to disturb that relation. That power has been wisely vested in the convention which will, at the proper time, express your sovereign will, and that meanwhile it is your duty to obey all constitutional requirements of the Federal Government; but it is equally my duty to advise you--first, allegiance due to your own State, and that you are under no obligations whatever to obey the unconstitutional edicts of the military despotism which has introduced itself at Washington, nor submit to the infamous and degrading sway of its wicked minions in this State. No brave hearted Missourian will obey the one or submit to the other. Arise, then, and drive out ignominiously the invaders who have dared to desecrate the soil which your labors have made fruitful, and which is consecrated by your homes.