Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/83

 ” assembled at Albany, New York. It was composed of thirty members and ex-members of Congress, several ex-Governors, State officers, members of the Legislature, Judges and the most distinguished leaders of the Democratic, Whig and “American” parties. The speeches made and resolutions passed were in favor of making such concessions to slavery as were required by the seceding States and were hailed with undisguised exultation by the secessionists still lingering in the halls of Congress, one of whom exclaimed upon reading them, “If your President should attempt coercion he will have more opposition at the North than he can overcome.” On the other hand, the Republicans, War Democrats and Free Soil men, in public meetings, in the State Legislatures and through the press took a firm stand in favor of the maintenance of the Union, enforcement of the laws and suppression of rebellion, if it should come.

The Legislature of Virginia issued a unanimous call for a “Peace Conference,” to be held in Washington on the 4th of February, at which all of the States were requested to send delegates. Twenty States were presented in this conference, thirteen free and seven slave. At the request of Governor Kirkwood, our senators and Representatives in Congress, Grimes, Harlan, Curtis and Vandever, represented Iowa in this convention. Ex-President John Tyler, of Virginia, presided over its deliberations. Governor Kirkwood sent a letter to our Congressmen expressing very clearly the general sentiment of the loyal people of the North as to the action of this conference. He wrote:

“If you find the convention in earnest in trying to save the Union, permit me to make a few suggestions: First—the true policy of every good citizen is to set his face like flint against secession. Second—to call it by its true name, treason: to use his influence in all legitimate ways to put it down: steadily to obey the laws, and stand by the Government in all lawful measures it may adopt for its preservation, and to the people and constituted authorities to correct under the constitution any errors that may have been committed, or wrongs that my have been suffered. But