PREFACE The messages and proclamations of the Governors of Iowa which are included in this volume are from one of the most noteworthy periods in the political history of the Commonwealth. The election of James W. Grimes in 1854, the organization of the Republican Party in 1856, the adoption of the Constitution in 1857, the call for volunteers in 1861, and the loyal support of the Union during the Civil War give to the administrations of Grimes, Lowe, and Kirkwood an interest and importance unsurpassed by any other three successive administrations in our political history. The place which Grimes and Kirkwood occupy in the political history of the Nation also adds to the interest of these pages. No one can read the messages and proclamations of Governor Grimes and Governor Kirkwood without concluding that these men were indeed statesmen. The messages and proclamations of Governor Kirkwood are of special interest since they cover the most critical years of the Civil War. Without the materials included in this volume the history of Iowa in the Civil War cannot be written. BENJ. F. SHAMBAUGH IOWA CITY, 1903 |