Governor's Message

JFelli a' Cilhcii ■if'lir ythit'c and ffuttte a f RrprtitnMivts : At tlie tilín1 of lio niljniunmonl n" lbo Kx'ra Svs-ion in M iv ];ist, il wh Imjdly ciuventplxlrd i ïi tt ii would l-e IoiukI hdlfjjeUSJibln to culi tllfl Lgl!" H'llrn Irjri? til,-! .-urnj., Wltllin lll C:r. Ti . S.,Mil l-'ll lul' Ittol', jlINt lllli'l Í'l!Í..t-(! " lll" l'.irniiii m :■.--:■- i nt'sewial Sluti s, mul ihe ' 1'! !' li SlltlltlT IV lllil'lHIJ (UVC'I-, unit mi! vel isnnifd the giganlic pniprtinii? wi.icii tt lic-.-, wents. Ii f.uinil ihe liyiil Öl t.x n infnuiid repos-, d,]iii.;iy engairi] in ilir; cullivaljon nf the ar;s and huiiviiiiiii's wliicti belang u p!C", bul ifllulh lin'iHevl lo war. 'l'lu-y luid lo.ig acciiiiomed Ihennelves lu bclicve tint Onder in furui of g..vern inent verv ! put,, duit riMiKI arise wonIJ be penowfully reiiV' Iv il. e verdict if (lie Imllut bos,' nnd wh-n the)1 "i ix' i ved ihal consideriil.K' run.ber ■■( Stdcs prtferred ti. e barbnibin of war, n:d li Kei deliberalely appesleri lo Ule swnnl, lljey wi-re iiiy preparad u met ihal nppeal. Of men, loja!, bardy, jmtriolic men, there wero enonoli, and niuch more than onngl-; bul oí il"1 kiiowlcdge of war, nnd ofsupjilics of irum and inunitions, there was a 8í ai-k ovcrvvvhcrc. MicIligDtl, witli more iIihi! m hunclred lliouHntl lichting men, Imü .'inns fi r liHfJty nmrc iIkiii r tlioiií.u.d, inj fiT military orgnn:zation, fliv li'i.l nest lo none at uil. Tlio ! niv COUI60H of trnle nnil boupefif liad been mdcly and almust insUntaneoiisly brnken p, au new ones h;nl to be sought ont. Doubt nnd i'.istrUfit were evcryw hum. In ihfl tni'!.-t of tliosu conilitions wc starled out lo explore the nevv putlis wliicli werfl to bc troililen hereaftcr. We ' were now to learn war; to croate ai mies; srm and eqmp tliem for tlio fild and send Lhcm forili to figlit those aftinst wlinm tlicv hail dono no wronjj and liad liever ir,U'n!ed any, and who weit bound [j oll'gatiuiis the mos', solenin to keep llic )wce tmv.inls tliem. The ordinary iiinchii.civ of govurniDuni lias been found niuliHiile t') meet the exigencies ofour ]rescr.t r:iiid!v cfaaugng att'iirs and a freqnefit ns rl to th (gmlative powur is rendeicd iinpcrativp. X.r onghl this to be regprJed as at a!l strauge. It is onlv in the light i.f evenls '.hemselves tliat lliuir Joi;ic is c'ear, and human foreoMSl cannot nlways bo relied upon to meet the deinnds of t!ie future. Kspecially is this iroe of liiiKs like ilie presulit. Oiirgool Ship of Stak: is driverj before a ftirious grile, and the best navigator can Lardiy ttíll what of disaster tho luxt wnve niay btiiiij. lt is the dnly of every one on luwi'l, wisi-lr, prudeotly, and bnively to eland mKJ at his jwst. MicbigAD has piidcav.ued to meet this responsibility faühfully - even enlhusiasticidly. What ■ wr sacnücu lias been rqairad of her, s!n? has nt once prepared hontelf to make. - Ik'th bv her gaUaMt soldiers in tha field, and her pntviotic titizeiiB at home, she has prompt! ƒ obeyed every cali made by the Jed-ei :ii Government upon her, and I dare proniiso tli-it slie will nol fail iu this resject hereafter. . 'J'he Congreaa of tho United States, in ponsequence of the uinisnal niMgniludeof thu deruand upnn Treasury, caused by íbe w.ir, has been e.impcllcd to resort to heavy lans, and is rapidlj' crealing i lar;o pablií cleb', for the pavmenl of thu interest upon whieh il wa-i necessiiry that new gourees of reveniM should be found. For lliis parpóse n act was pased on the 6th day cif August lasl, cntillcd " An ct to próvida increased revenue froin iruporis, d pay iiiteres.t on the public debt, and for other purposea." By section 8 of lliMt act it is provided " that a direct tnz of twen ly müliuus bo, and is hereby nmially laid upon the Unite.l States, ati'l the same r'ihII be, and is hereliv anpor tioned to the States rexpectively, in the ïianner foiloving: " To ihe .State of Michigan, tive blind red and ooetbousand, even liuiitlred and sixly threo and 0110third dollar." The act then goes on to aiuhorize ihe PreRJdonl of tho United States to divide the States and Teriiloiies uto couvenient colleCtion districts, and to appoint an assessor and collector for each dlotrict, aiui that eacb assL-si.ir nmy divide bis district and appoiut nwilaot8. In section 13 of this act, it is furthef enncted 41 ihaL thu said direct tax shall be assessud and laid on il. o y.alue of all iHuJaaod lots ofground, withlbdr improve:iien(a and ditelliug housen," witli Certaill iiniinport ant exeirptions. It will be ohsi-rved that this luw inl'oduces to us the Uui'ed States assessor and Ux gatherer, individuáis hithrfito ttuknowo to u?, and whusa aciuaintance I tliink we are not desiroiu of máking. Tiie collector comes also wilh a new rule of Uxaüoo. He u to asaots only the value of all laude ano lots ofground wilh thiiir inproveinenls and dwelling houses. 'Lha jViisitiiHl proper'.y is lo escape altogeiJicr, f this rule is foilowed, and it c-eems that' the Constiiuliun of the United States will.permit no olher rule to I adopto J iu case ihe tax is isesseJ and collected by the Uvderal. Groveinmwot. Seclion 53, however, onacts '.' that any State or Territorv may lawfullv aasumc to asess, collect nnd piy iuto the Tieasurv of the United States the direct tax, or lts quota thertof, in iu own way aud niauuer, aud by' ai:d thruub t own officers, assessors and irlleetoF8-."' And in case of such assumptuin smd pftyrneul, or assessment and colJüctioo, adt-ductioo of fifteen per ceut will be made froin tlje quota of direct tax apportioned to the State or Teiritory, notice of the same bcin;jf giv.n to the Secretary of tho Treasuiy, on or before the second Tuesday of FeLruary next. TJie ssme ROOliR (53) coatains a proMso lo the effect that " the amount of direct tax apportioned lo anv Stale shall ba Hable to bu paid and mtisfird, in whole or iu part, by ihe idease of such State, duly executed to the United States, of any liquidated wid delcruiinud claim of such Stale, of cqual amount ügainst the United State'." Aud in that caso the same deduction is nllowed as io case of actual piyinent into the Truasury. lu order to secure such a deduclk.il it is also required that payment juto tbe Tieasury be made on or before the last day ui jum 'm ihu jear to which uch paynieiit leíales. Tho a Ivaii'ages to Jje ikrived U tho Btate frum llia assumptioQ and payment f.f llio direct Ux, according lo the provif- ions of the luw of (ongress, are 60 mani(oAl and so groal that I catinot doubt that roii will ad pt tbatcoursa without hesita ion. Iu that ovent it will be found that lijo S;ate nill be to )ay the cutiré amouut of ihe tax duo in Junü next, by iii ruleaso to the United States, and withrfut any resorl to tho collectionu fioui tho people, unless tho tax should la increasea bv the present Congress, oí' whicb there is (OOM probability. Tlie gross unoaat of tke advances which tho State ha3 made on accouul of the Qeneral (lovernruent iu lbo raiuing of (ruOpSj i abotlt fivj hundied and thirty iin; thousand dollars, which is likely to be increased in linishing what remains to In; corupletsd to about six bundred tboulainl dollars. Of this surn, ninety-lwo lliotisand dolíais only hss been refunded to the SlatelYotii iksi appropriations made ly Cotigress for thit juupose. For exact iimouiiU I r.liii yotl o tlu) reports of the Auditur-Ueiujral Qi,d ijiy Slatg Trcnsuier. And fjr the piecse details of ihe nianner of the exiiditurf, and for wbat it was i.ade, I ivl'.-i )"u Lo the report oí tne Qmuternrsvr Qenprjtl, and (lie voucher mul Hrcminlfl of tliNt omVe, nul jlw S'nUj ]i.ivm:iiiiT, on lilu in üio A'iditor (iuiiernl's offl 'e in pursn inca oï :iw. A ■"i)inviii(T tliis mean o f submit f.u the coiMJileraiinn nf (lia fj-'gi.sl.iíore, h eiioular triMvnt't! I hr t!i D part.rUMitVif Sin't' nt Washington, in (' hei ■"!, t (. vii ■? if (Ji loy.-il Sja'.eSj itp n subject dfllu' ftrl 'i'.iliiir.u fif OUT Mtnl !ik eints. Yi'!i iIih circular ihe ■ml lic :ir nirÓHity f;inii:ti. Al lli" time nf iti rne il was ililiiciilt lp pcrveivn any advyiate reason for it. In l'ae!, t ?eomul mor.: likulv to créate ilUblood ftud furuish the ocaiii),i for Iroublu rilti oor iinmedi nte neigbbors thnn lo nssure ilie continu mee f' p-ace. Tlie circular is, lipwevgr, Rkngetlier temporale o lo&e, au 1 wiiKouL Heuse tvi ;:iv. Sttbspq tent evouts hve put an enl irtly now face upon tlio whole ml'j'ci. Tiie Ui ititii pciijilu, bolli Ame' rk'tn and tranialUutir, se?:n suddeuly, and to us mysteriously, to ttnve become po-sessed of tho paw'on for war. Turo i Dg their backs pon nli their history for tho ' last lialf ceiiliiry, they mo anxions toas-: sist the ftfRassina of libcrly in l'.ie South ; to ostabiish a shive qligarcli thore upon the ruina of the American Union. It is patent to all ths woild lh.it ws seek nolhBg but peacs wilh lliem, Involved in a irying domeslic Ktruggle, w;ir wilh England. at any time a grcat misfortune, wou ld be now an cvil of incalculable iiihíjnimde. This the Biitish Oovcrmnont, cannot f;iil to know. Wilh our ininioi'i ate neiglibor ofCnnndn wc bavo been on lerms of the most perfect ainity for many years. Nolwitbstaodiug their strange excitement of latQ, our peopla stül entertain the most friondly spirit towerd lliain. - Wo have not mounU-J a gun upon oneof our dismantled forta, nor commitled any act to disturb our fiiendly relations wit h I thein. All our business infeiests have beeome so nteilockeil tlia', in our material progresa, we have becmv.e almost as one natii.n. Our raUro&da and theirs are onlj paris of the same great linea, and our currencv anti business interroingk throughout the entne regloiM lyin naai tho boundary. Nor have our relations with the mother country been niiich ln inlimate. Brilisfa cajiilül has been largely empltyed in the improvements of our country, and we have boen, in turn, a valuable cusiomer lo thein. And all this bas been mutually beneficia!. Can these people have thought what it will cost thein to destroy il ? aud do iliey spe c'oatly what they vil] gain in its place by war f The apparent causo of the excitoment was the seizure of Mason and Slidell, on board tho Britisb steamer Trent, but I cannot bring myself lo believe that to be the real cause. It seems 10 be wholly insnfficient to be made the ciound of such a prudigious tempest, and I think it will, before long, be inado clear that the British Government has concealed desiens, ind only seoks a pretext for a rupture. - Mason and Slideil, after boing given a ïery inischievous importance by their detention, havo now been given up to the British Government. Whetlier that course was wise or not, it doos not beeome me to iidgp; at lenst, it does not change my puipose of recommen'ling to yon to put iho Stato in a posture of dtfense as soon as mny be, and for this purpose I thiuk we nccd r.ot so much Ibitifications as a Culi supjily uf arms for the poplo, and a powerful war marine upon the gi'pat iakes. Micliigan is to be defended, fit comes to that, not upon beï on giound, but upon tha soil of Canada. Givo us arms for the people, and the undoubted control of the lakes, and fortifications may be safe!y left to the most convecient season. Nut lliat fortifications would be ust-less, but that our main dcpendriice can nol safely be rested upon them, f'ur reasons too obvious to requiie a statement here. I reeoiuniend, thereforo, that provis ion be made for the re organization of the uniform volanteer militta of the State to coustitute an active forcé, and the spcedy enrolhr.ent of the ent ire body to be subject to draft at any time. This may be done under our present laws with gomo aincndiiients, or by the adoption of a ncw system similar to that io force in tho State of Massachusetts. It will not be necessary to incujr very heavy expenses in effecting tho orgauization until the forc; should be aetually required for service, and for such an event adequate provisión would re(juiro to be made. Iu addition to tho orgaoizatioa of our owu forces, I think it would be advisable for the Legislature to urge upou the attention of Cougress the great aud inmediato necessity of establishing at so;ne safe and convctiicnt point in the Xorth west, a great arsenal and manufactory of anus and uiuuitions of war, and also a naval station, to be located in sotne safe, spacious and convenient barbor of the State of Michigan, as being by all means the inost advautageous, both from the extent of her coast and her uurivalled resources in all the uiaterials for siiip building. As to the particular locality, you, gentleuien, are the better judges. I also submit herewith a preamble and resolutions of the Board of Ilegeuts of the University of Michigan, which the President of that body has requested me to lay before you. By the resolution, the Board propose to establish a military school at the University, whenever the State will add to the fuud SlOOjOOO, securing a permanent additional iucome of $7,000 yearly. That such a departinent as the Board proposes to establish, would be exceediugly advautageous to us as a State, I presume do onc will doubt. The war iu which wc are now engaged has proved that we cannot S3.&U neglect the military education of our people. Whcther the present is a fitting occasion for the establishment of the proposcd school, all thiDgs considered, I must leave entirely to the better judguieut of tUe Legislature. By the act of the extra session, approvcd May'10, 1861, the Goveruor was authorizcd to mustcr iuto the service of the átate the voluutecr militia, iu numbcr uot to exceed oue hundred coinpauiüs, the Coldwatcr Light Artillery, and a. corps of sappers and miners, not to exceed one huudred in number. At tho time of the passage of the act it was supposed that thia was as largo a force as Michigan would be called upon to furuish, iu any cvent. Such, however, was not the case. Tho whole force authorized by the law has been put into the field, and the State bas raised, and is now raising, eleven reginients more, the United States Government paying the expenses, making twenty-one in all ; bende six batteries of light artillery, a squadron of eavalr)', and a number of organized companies of infantry, which have joined regiments iu ether States, making a total of troops furuishcd by the State of Michigan of about 24,000 men. For details iu regard to these force, I refer you to the fnll aud compietu report ot the Adjutant Uoneral. The aggregate cost to tho State, of organzing, uniforniing, paying, transporting and subsisting tlie troops authorized by tiie hiw, inolud'mg the First liegiment, which was uiusiied out at the end of its threo months term of service, and was re-organized, lias been thus far, as beretofora stated $530,428 91; and I am conGdcnt that when Van whole is ejosc,d, wliicli wi'l now ba vcrv goot), the hntin eost will not exceed $000,000.- ' Whosi it ia tukcn ulo accouuj that n vcry largo i m it of the ■ üitrae'.s wero ncces-arily ïiiad pnyablc in t-lic war 1 i ii iii.Ih ;il par, w'iicli wen' ivgarded as sYoxtii but uinety eouts on ihü dollar, in the mnfktit, and thit :i vory couai ■ ■ mr! in:i of the expenses have been '■ d t' i r 1 1 ■ -uiis to üi ii'p regiinunte :iln :i:lv in tho lifld, wjiieh ha-d b 'C Wie reductid hy sieknesa or othorwiso I bo iiuve it wiil bc fonnd that nowhwa in tliu Union bus the. liko service been performed at a losa expenso. 1 ihh:!; !t, : may a!:-i ba srifoiy afiirnio.il tlmt no trnopa lia a taken ibe field botti r pro : vidod r.u all respecta (with tho singla i ccptiou of trunspurtatiou traius), than ; tlioso froun Miouigan, Of' ihe troups ] theiusclvea, both officera and pr vates, L I spenk in tornis of' liig'i commebdation. : They bïLvs bonorcd the. Statu from which tbcy went fortli Never, sinco Michigan beeaiue a State of llio Union, did slie occupy so high n, position among her sister States as now. This I nttribttto to her firin, consistent and (oval ocurso throughout tho wholo controversy, Whiïo it was a question of politics the voice of Michigan was never doubtful. Her priueiplcs were plaialy set fortb and iu all constitutioual ways she maiotaiucd them firmly. - When it became a question of war, with equal alaority her pcople llocked to the standard of the Uniuu to dcfend thcir ooustitutioual liberties with their lives. In these straight paths I bolieve. they will continue to the end. Some dioerences of opinión have arisen in regard to the proper constructión of the law assigning the duties of the Military Contract Board and the State Military Board. It does not seem entirely olear as to whioh of theso is the j proper Auditing Board. I reeommend that the doubt bo removed by amendment. I reeommend, also, a careful revisión of the act "for the relief of the families of volunteors by couuties." As the law now stands it soems to oífer a premium to the volunteer to retain the entire amount of his wages received from the Uuited States, and leavc the support of his farnily entirely to the couut)-. The burden upon the counties is becoming very heavy, and the relief ! does not scem always to be wivsely 1 plicd. Perhaps the law might be so j changcd as to Qiake tho relief to the j families depend upon the volunteer iirst securing to his family by allotment some j reasonable proportion of his wages. - j Great faroritism, also, is Bftid to be used by some Supervisors, in the 1 sation of the {and. For tho purposc of : correcting this, it is worth considering whether somo systeni of proofs to be j submitted to the Supervisors, might not j be adopted, whieh should be uniform in all cases. It has also been made a question whether troops raised, not under the State laws, but by authority from tho War Department, were entitled to the beuefits of the law at all. - It would gratify the Independent Iiegiments, so callea, if all diatin ctiona between Michigan troops were now removed. The whole subject is submitted to and I think requires the carncst attention of tho Legislature. In tho act for the orgauiaatioo of the now eounty of Keweenaw, a blunder I oeeurred in the boundaries of tho 1 tory, which has oecasioned some perplexing questious in regard to the legality of the action of the peoplo in the matter. I reeommend that a.lawbe eriactcd fixing the boundariea correctly, and confirming what has already been done in the organizativo of the couuty, Some ttine since I gave to Mr. Houry T. Q. D'Aligny, a commission to be a ' CoiBinissioiier for this State at the Intern1 ational Exbjhitjoü of the worka of Industry and Art, to be held iu London in 1SG'2. It seemed to me espeeially i desirable that the attention of the capitalists of the world should be drawn to the great mineral r:sources of Michigan, and for this purpose no method appeared to prowiise botter suceess than the. representatiun iu tb is exhibition. - It was then supposed every iaeihty would be funiished by the Dritish Government to exbibitora from all natiocs. This will, no doubt, bo tho case, duless our relations with that country should bo further complicated by cvents hercafter to take place. Of course the Commissiony will havo no pecuniary assistaucc or salary unlcss the Legislaturo grant it. I submit the rpestioneutirely to your deciiiiou. In October last Governor Kinslsy S. Bingham, one of tho Senators in Cougress from this State, died at his homo iu the County of Livingston. By virtue of the second subdivisión of soction three, of the firt article of the Constitution of tho United States, it will be your duty to fill the vacancy. Gentlemen of the two Housc3 : I cannot close this brief address without an allusion to the great subject which now occupies all me:i's attention. The Southeru rebeilion still niaintains a bold front against the Union armies.- That is tlie cause of all our complicatious abroad and our troubles at home. To deal wisely with it, is to find a short and easy deliverance from thein all. - The peoplo of iliehigan are no idle spectators of this great contest. They havo furnished all the troops required of them,aud aro preparing to pay tbc taxes and submit to tho most onerous burdons without a murmur. They are rcady to iucrease their sacrifiees, if need be, to require impossibilities of no man, but to be patiënt and wait. But to seo the vast armies of the llepublic, aud all its pecuniary resources, used to protect and sustaiu the accursed systcm which bas boen a perpetual and tyranuical disturber, and whieh now makes sanguiuar y war upon the Udíoii aud the Constitu tion, is preciáely wliat they will never submit to tamely. The loyal States haviriij furuished adequate means, both of uieu uud moiiey, to crush the rcbcllioi), havfi aaight to expect those men to be used. with the utmost rigor to aecomplish the object, and that without any mawkisli syiupathy for the interest of traitors iu arma. Upon those who caused the war ;md now maintaiu it, its chief burdens ouglit to fall. No property of a rebel should be froo from confisea tion - uot eveu the sacred slave. The object of tho war is to destroy the power of the eueiuy, and whatever nieasiires are calculatcd to accomplish that objact; and are iu aceordance with the usages of civilized nations, ought to be employed. To undertake to put down a powerful rebelliou aud at the same time to save and proteet all the chief sources ot the power of that rebellioii, seems, to commou niinds, but a ghoït remove from simple folly. Ho wlo 6 not for the Union uuconditioually in this mortal struggle. is against it. The highest dictates of patriotisni, justice and liumanitv combine to demand that the war bhould be eondueted to a speedy close upon principies of the most hcroic eoergy and retributivo power. The tinje i'ur a geutle dalliance bas long iuce pasged away. We meet an eneiny I vindictive, blood thirsty and eruol, pro j fouudly inearnest. iuspired with an energjr and self-aerifloe wbieh would or a good causo, reapeotiu" nejthcr biws, conslitutions nor historie liHMnorte, fmiatieally devoted ouly to bis one wickcd purpoBp to destroy the GovernDieut and estublish bis slurcholding oligarchy in its stead. 'J'o troat this wy gently is fcti excite bid donvdon, To proteot liií slave pvoporty, is to licip ' Lini to butcher our people and bnrn our ' lioimos Nn. lic must bc met with ar. u;tivity aud a purposo oijuul to his own. Ilurl tlie Union torces, vtíiicb outnuniber liim two tooiic, upon bis wholc lii: likc a thundcrbolt ; pny tlioin out of hia propertj, feed them trom bis granarics, mount tiicm upon bis bordeo, and carry tlioiu in liiü wagons, if lie ba anv, nnd let biin fepl the full force of tbu storm of war wbiob b) lias rnisod I would apologizo noitber to Kerihiclcy nor anybody clse, for tlieso measures, but quiokly rango all ncutrals citlier on tbc oue side or the otber. Just a little of tlie courage and ability wbieli carried Napoleon over the AIps, dragging bis oannon tbrough the snow, would (juickly settle ifc all rigbt. If our soldiera must die, do not let it be of the inactivity and diseases of camp?, but let them at least have the satisfaction of falling liko soldiers, aniid the roar of battle, and hearing the sbouta of victory, then will tbey welcome it as the tired laborer wclcomes sleep. Let us hope that we have not much lcnger to wait. AUSTTN BLAIR. Lansing, January 2, 1802.