MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, SPRINGFIELD, ILL., December 9, 1871. TO HON. WILLIAM M. SMITH, Speaker of the House of Representatives : I have the honor to lay before the General Assembly the following papers: 1. Copy of slip from the "Chicago Journal" of November 2, 1871. 2. Letter from the Governor of Illinois to the President of the United States, dated November 3, 1871. 3. Answer of the President, dated November 9, 1871. Copies of papers transmitted by the President with his letter of November 9, 1871: I. Proclamation of R. B. Mason, Mayor of Chicago, of date of October 11, 1871. II. Order issued by Lieut. Gen. Sheridan, dated October 11, 1871. ÌII. Telegraphic dispatch from Lieut. Gen. Sheridan to the Adjutant General U. S. A., dated October 11, 1871. IV. Telegraphic dispatch from Lieut. Gen. Sheridan to the Adjutant General U. S. A., da ed October 12, 1871. V. Note from R. B. Mason, Mayor of Chicago, to Lieut. Gen. Sheridan, dated October 22, 1871. VI. Note from Lieut. Gen. Sheridan to R. B. Mason, Mayor, dated October 23, 1871. VII. Note from R. B. Mason, Mayor, to Lieut. Gen. Sheridan, dated October 23, 1871. VIII. Order of Lieut. Gen. Sheridan, dated October 24, 1871. IX. Order of Lieut. Gen. Sheridan, dated October 24, 1871. X. Report of Lieut. Gen. Sheridan to the Adjutant General U. S. A., dated October 25, 1871. with the endorsement of Gen. W. T. Sherman thereon. Vol. III-2 XI. Communication of Messrs. Wirt Dexter and others to Lieut. Gen. Sheridan, dated October 28, 1871. XII. Communication of Lieut. Gen. Sheridan to the Adjutant General U. S. A., dated October 29, 1871. XIII. Telegraphic communication of Gen. W. T. Sherman to Lieut. Gen. Sheridan, dated October 31, 1871. XIV. Military orders. XV. Letter from the Governor of Illinois to the President of the United States, dated November 20, 1871. XVI. Letter from the President of the United States to the Governor of Illinois, dated November 25, 1871. DOCUMENTS. No. 1. " UNITED STATES TROOPS IN CHICAGO." "It is telegraphed from Springfield that Governor Palmer is 'decidedly opposed' to United States troops being stationed at or near Chicago, and will oppose any such interference of his rights as Commander-in-Chief of the military of Illinois.' We do not believe, when the Governor knows the circumstances, that he will do any such thing. "The officers of the Relief Society, together with a large number of our most prominent citizens, signed an application to General Sheridan to station some of the troops in his command at or near Chicago, to be used in case of emergency. The large supplies the Relief Society will have in store during the winter were not deemed safe; besides, threatened strikes in some quarters indicated that laborers willing to work might not be allowed to do so. "General Sheridan referred the appeal of our citizens, with his favorable judgment, to the Secretary of War, who immediately ordered four companies of the Eighth United States Infantry from New York to Chicago, and they will arrive to-morrow morning, subject to the call of the authorities, should the necessity, unhappily, arise for their use. Only this, and nothing more. "That the government has the same right to establish a military post near Chicago that it has near St. Louis and New York, and other cities, the most sensitive head of the militia of a State cannot question. That the authorities can call upon the government to assist in preventing a threatened outbreak, or putting one down, has been often demonstrated; and the people of Chicago have a right to the security which the presence of these troops affords them, no one with a grain of sense will pretend to question.”— Chicago Evening Journal, Nov. 2, 1871. HIS EXCELLENCY U. S. GRANT, No. 2. STATE OF ILLINOIS, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, President of the United States: SIR: I have the honor to inclose to you a printed slip cut from the "Chicago Journal," a highly respectable newspaper, published in Chicago, and respectfully ask your attention to its contents. My apology for troubling your Excellency with a paper of the character of that inclosed is, that it is stated therein that "four companies of the Eighth United States Infantry have been ordered from New York to Chicago, and will arrive there to morrow (to day), subject to the call of the authorities," and that the reasons for ordering troops to Chicago are, that "the large supplies the Relief Society will have in store during the winter were not deemed safe; besides, threatened strikes in some quarters indicated that laborers, willing to work might not be allowed to do so," and that an application, stating these facts, was signed by the officers of the Relief Society, and other citizens, presented to General Sheridan, and by him approved and referred to the Secretary of War. In addition to this, rumors in the form of telegraphic dispatches from Washington and Chicago have reached me, that troops were ordered to Chicago for purposes connected with the safety of property and the preservation of order in the city, but no information of the existence of the dangers alluded to have reached me from any quarter whatever. I cheerfully concede that it is for the President to designate the stations of the troops composing the army, and that he is under no obligations, founded upon the constitution or the laws, or upon the rules of official courtesy, to communicate his orders, or the reasons that influence him in making them, to the Governor of any of the States, unless the orders in question, or the presence of the troops, are intended in some way to affect or influence the internal affairs of the particular State to which the troops are sent. In the latter case, it will readily occur to you that the Governor of the State, whose duty it is to enforce the laws, is deeply concerned for the troops, and the orders under which they are to act may operate to diminish, or greatly increase the difficulties of his official position. I am happy in the consciousness that the authorities of the State of Illinois are abundantly able to protect every interest of the people that depends upon its internal peace and good order, and am unwilling to believe that the President of the United States, acting upon information of a contrary character, communicated by private citizens to an officer of the army, has ordered any portion of the army into this State, to be subject to the call of the authorities, either to protect the store-houses of the Relief Committee, or to interfere with the possible, though not probable strikes" o laborers. I, therefore, deem it due to the importance of the subject, to frankly inquire of your Excellency whether the troops ordered to Chicago are intended or instructed to obey the call of any authorities of the State of Illinois, or the city of Chicago, or in any way whatever to assume the protection either of property or the preservation of order in that city? I have the honor to be, With great respect, etc., JOHN M. PALMER, No. 3. HIS EXCELLENCY J. M. PALMER, Governor of Illinois; EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, D. C., November 9, 1871. SIR: I am in receipt of your letter of the third instant, inquiring the nature of the orders, etc., under which four companies of United States troops have been ordered to the city of Chicago, and asserting your ability, as Executive officer of the State, to furnish all the protection asked in the appeal of the citizens of Chicago from these troops. In reply, I inclose you a copy of the appeal, of General Sheridan's remarks thereon, of the orders given in sending the troops, and of all correspondence between General Sheridan and the authorities here, since the great fire, which laid so much of the wealth of Chicago in ashes. I will only add, further, that no thought here even contemplated distrust of the State authorities of the State of Illinois, or lack of ability on their part to do all that was necessary, or expected of them, for the maintenance of law and order within the limits of the State. The only thing thought of was how to benefit a people stricken by a calamity greater than had ever befallen a community of the same number before in this country. The aid was of a like nature with that given in any emergency requiring immediate action. No reflections were contemplated or thought of, affecting the integrity or ability of any State officer or city official, within the limits of the State of Illinois, to perform his whole duty. I have the honor to be, With great respect, Your obedient servant, U. S. GRANT. I. (PROCLAMATION.) The preservation of the good order and peace of the city is hereby entrusted to Lieutenant General P. H. Sheridan, United States Army. The police will act in conjunction with the Lieutenant General, in the preservation of the peace and quiet of the city, and the Superintendent of Police will consult with him to that end-the intent hereof being to preserve the peace of the city without interfering with the functions of the city government. Given under my hand this eleventh day of October, 1871. DEAR SIR-With the approbation of the Mayor of this city, Lieutenant-General Sheridan directs that you organize a regiment of infantry, to consist of ten (10) companies; each company to consist of one (1) Captain, one (1) First and one (1) Second Lieutenant, and sixty (60) enlisted men, to serve as guards for the protection of the remaining portion of the city of Chicago, for the period of twenty (20) days. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Official copy: JAMES B. FRY, Ass't Adj't Gen'l. JAMES B. FRY, A. A. G. |