Executive Office, Iowa,
Iowa City, April 13, 1863.
Hon. Wm. H. Seward, Secretary of State,
Washington City, D. C.
Sir: — The
next regular session of the General Assembly of this State will commence on the
second Monday (the 11th day of January), 1864, and my term of service as
Governor will close as soon thereafter as the votes can be counted and my
successor inaugurated. It will be very agreeable to me to accept the Mission to
Denmark, if I can be permitted to do so at the expiration of my term of service
as Governor, and after examining the matter carefully I cannot, consistently
with my sense of duty to the people of my State, accept it on any other terms,
at this time.
It is possible, that a few months hence, the condition of
affairs here will be so changed, that I may feel at liberty to leave the State
at an earlier date, but, it is I presume desirable to have the question of my acceptance
definitely settled and I therefore say that, if I can be permitted to remain at
home until the expiration of the term of my present office I will be glad to
accept the position, and if not, that I very respectfully decline it. Of
course, if my acceptance on this condition can be permitted in view of the
public interests, my compensation as Minister Resident to Denmark will not
commence until the expiration of the term of my present office.
I am unwilling to have you suppose that I sought this
position and then hesitated as to its acceptance after having it tendered to
me. I was informed in December last by the delegation in Congress, from this
State, that my name had been submitted to the President, and early in January I
wrote them that I could not, for the reasons above stated accept the position
tendered. I heard nothing more of the matter until I saw in the newspapers the
announcement of my nomination and confirmation.
I very much regret that I am compelled to send you what I
presume is substantially a declination of a position which, under other
circumstances it would be very agreeable to me to accept.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient
servant,
SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD.
SOURCE: Henry Warren Lathrop, The Life and Times of
Samuel J. Kirkwood, Iowa's War Governor, p. 278
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