, 1842-12-03
MESSAGE.
OF THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF
MISSOURI,

MISSOURI,
To the Senate and House Of Representative,
Of the Stale Of Missouri:
You have assembled at a period
when the result of your deliberations
will be regarded with the deepest in.
terest by your constituents.
Since your asst adjournment, a kind
and benificent Providence has con-
,inued to bestow upon US the most
cherished blessings. Our climate has
neen unusually temperate, and The
health OF our citizens preserved in a
remarkable degree. Abundant crops
have rewarded our agricultural in
dustry-the great increase of our eX-
ports. and the comparative diminu-
ton of our imports. exhibit 4 condi-
ton Of trade peculiarly favorable to
our renewed Industry. and economy
among the people have added great
~ to u nemerical strength and our
productive wealth.
For blessings 50 numerous. and so
essential to u happiness and pros.
periiy, let us render our heartfelt
thanks TO Him. who, in his infinite
goodness, mas beloved them all.
In the enjoyment of these blessings,
sufficient. 1t would seem. tn make Il
free and virtuous people happy and
prosperous, we are nevertheless
struggling in the midst nf emhnrass,
menrs arising solely from artificial
cluSpS.
II will be conceded By every re-
lecting person. that no civilized na-
tlnn crn attain the fu.l enjoyment oi
! III lis natural resources. IN the ab
sence of Il SOM | circulating medium.
ANY substitute for such Il tacdiu II
must from the nature "f things. be-
temporary and partill 10 its benefits.
and ultimately disastrous in lis couse.
~qIcnces.
The substitution Of an irredeema.
be paper currency, resting solely on
Il credit derived fiom metals. and pa
per convertible At pleasure into
those metals. has brought upon us a
train Of evils. which has inflicted the
~>everesr injury upon Ill he great in
,cres,s of society. Men imagined
thr, they were in the possession oi
wealth. whra, in reality. they pos
Scsscd nothing but worthless pronI
ScS.
Now Tint the mist has been dissi
pare,I. and we see nothing before Us
hur stern reality. it becomes Is Ia
use every proper ~exer'Irn tn extrI
cate ourselves from the ~diiHcultie,
which, surround uS.-Srranye rs II
may seem, there are those who con
tend that The remcdv lies in perpelu
aIiay the evil: that. in order /" cXtrr
cate ourselves from embarrassment,
brought upon Us by I VICIOUS currcn'
CIV, we must lend to Il similar cuiren
rv the sanction of the law. Ohe
would naturally suppose that. in order
To cure The disease. II would be ne
cc>>ary to remove the cause. Tem
perary expedirnis may give partial
relief for the moment, tut the invarI
able effect is To increase the evil, and
render The remedy nor difficult.
Tie State cannot paw the individ
ull debts of her citizens; and even |
i, had the ability. and chose to cX
errt<r il. it could not do So without
INJECTING mnnstr"uS injustice uFor
the great mass of the people. Sucl
a proposition would shock the mora
sense of every upright man.
We have an industrious, enterprIs
ing and economical population. Gu
soil not only abounds in mlnera
wealth.. hut is admirably adapted Il
=. the cultivation of the most vaIulbl,
articles OF export. With such advan
lages. nothing but our " short
sighted policy can retard our advance
ment. Feed from The miserable an'
worthless currency. that has rested
like an incubus, upon our energies
we would find us place supplied b,
Il sound intrinsically valuable circu
Ia,ing medium. Our pe"p'e woui'
then gradually, but safely, recove
from their present emharrassmenis
and all would fully realize the t!utI
OF that axiom in political economy
prduction is the only true source &
wealth.
When the State has extended I
the citizen protection of person an
property and of reputation, the Ell
fnrcement of contracts and the re
dress of injuries. it has fulfilled II
chief duties. Let these purposes b
accomplished the imposition "f has
and unnecessary burdens upon tn
people, and an improper interfering
with their contracts. avoided; let ou