question becomes
immediately visible and cannot be shut out of view.

Gen. Price Is earnestly requested to consider this, and Gen.
Harney will be happy to confer with him on the subject
whenever It may suit his convenience.

N. B.--Read to Gen. Price, In the presence of Maj. H. B.
Turner, on the evening of the 21st of May.

[Illustration: 100-General David Hunter]

113

Naturally this threw Gen. Price into much confusion, and his face
reddened with mortification, but after a few minutes he said that he did
not remember hearing the paper read; that it was true that Hitchcock and
Turner had come from Gen. Harney to see him, but he could recall nothing
of any such paper being presented. The discussion grew warmer as Gen.
Lyon felt more strongly the force of his position. Gen. Price insisted
that no armed bodies of Union troops should pass through or be stationed
in Missouri, as such would occasion civil war. He asserted that Missouri
must be neutral, and neither side should arm. Gov. Jackson would protect
the Union men and would disband his State troops.

Gen. Lyon opposed this by saying, in effect, "that, if the Government
withdrew its forces entirely, secret and subtle measures would be
resorted to to provide arms and perfect organizations which, upon
any pretext, could put forth a formidable opposition to the General
Government; and even without arming, combinations would doubtless form
in certain localities, to oppress and drive out loyal citizens, to
whom the Government was bound to give protection, but which it would
be helpless to do, as also to repress such combinations, if its forces
could not be sent into the State. A large aggressive force might be
formed and advanced from the exterior into the State, to assist it in
carrying out the Secession program; and the Government could not, under
the limitation proposed, take posts on these borders to meet and repel
such force.

114

The Government could not shrink from its duties nor abdicate its
corresponding right; and, in addition to the above, it was the duty of
its civil officers to execute civil process, and in case of resistance
to receive the support of military force. The proposition of the
Governor would at once overturn the Government privileges and
prerogatives, which he (Gen. Lyon) had neither the wish nor the
authority to do. In his opinion, if the Governor and the State
authorities would earnestly set about to