MADE TO THE

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF ILLINOIS,

AT ITS

TWENTY-SECOND SESSION,

CONVENED

JANUARY 7, 1861.

VOLUME I.

SPRINGFIELD:

BAILHACHE & BAKER, PRINTERS.

1861.

Gift

mich St hil

3-5-51

GOVERNOR WOOD'S MESSAGE.

Gentlemen of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois:

It is a matter of personal regret to me, and a deprivation to the State, that the gifted statesman and gallant soldier, whom four years ago you placed in the executive chair, no longer guides your councils. Had he lived from his long association with public affairs, his intimate knowledge of our political history, his personal experience during an almost completed term of service, aided by that clear, prompt, practical intellect, for which he was distinguished-we might now derive much more of valuable suggestion and advice. But although he has gone, stricken from his high place, in the noon of manhood, and in the midst of his labors, he has impressed his strong character upon the most noted periods of our State history, and his name, and fame, and services, will long retain our regard and pride-illustrating, as they do, the rare union of high civil capacity with brilliant military renown.

We have just passed through a political contest, which, owing to local causes, aroused a higher excitement and evoked a more ardent personal feeling among ourselves, than any previous struggle of which our State has been the theater.

It is a gratifying evidence of the law-abiding character of our people, of their trust in the justice of our institutions, that, throughout this long and stirring canvass, peace prevailed in all our borders-freedom of discussion was everywhere allowed-the right of every man to his own opinions and action was unquestioned and when the contest closed, all deferred to the result, conscious, as the intelligent American must always be, that a patriotic obedience to the law forms the only safeguard for public prosperity and private happiness.

Providence has given us other and many causes for thankfulness, during the past year. Health has been our fortunate portion-the various forms of labor have realized a fitting reward--the generous. soil has yielded an abundant harvest-our schools have prospered, and scattered abroad the seeds of future usefulness--our cities show a steady advance in wealth and strength-our vast prairies, so late a waste, are being overspread with the fruits of industry-our numbers have nore than doubled, during the last ten years; with a rapidity, hardly cicdible, we have risen to the fourth rank among our sister states, and well may hope, with our mighty energies as yet scarcely started into action, that no distant day will see us challenging competition with the proudest of this Confederacy. A state so blessed, so vigorous in its youth, only needs, at the hands of its rulers, a liberal yet prudent guidance, to achieve the highest influence and distinction.

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