Shortly After The Southern States Started To Seceed, Minnesotans From Belle Plaine Send A Petition To Congress To Reconcile National Differences

(MINNESOTA IN THE CIVIL WAR). DS. 2pg. 7 x 9 . No date [circa late January 1861]. Belle Plaine, Minnesota. A Civil War petition signed by thirteen residents of Belle Plaine. It is entitled Memorial to the Senate & House of Representatives of the United States and states in part: The undersigned citizens of the town of Belle Plaine, Minnesota, representing the nationalities of the new & old world, fraternally united in devotion to the Constitution of the Federal Union, and the principles of free government thereby secured, look with anxiety & alarm upon the increase in public dissension, evidently arising from the perturbed state of political affairs, now threatening the disruption & overthrow of the most perfect system of civil government ever devised by the wisdom of men. The petition was signed by Alex Pace, Peter S. MacDonald, Newton Southworth, Patrick Griffin, Eli Southworth, Joe Guion, David Musser and others. The 1860 Presidential election was Minnesotas first, and the state went overwhelmingly for Lincoln. Based on the wording, this was likely written in late January 1861, between the secession of Louisiana (the sixth such state) and Texas (the seventh). It is in very good condition with short splits and an ink smear.