Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-10-15
Governors Message.
Fcllow Citizens Of The Senate
and House Of Representatives


On assuming, as we do, tie guardianship Of those
civil interests Of the State which have for short Pc
Rod been entrusted to care, it is proper that we
should call distinctly to mind the nature and extent OF
the obligations and responsibilities which rest upon us.
We are but "trustees and servants of the people,
And, therefore, while accept the trusts which they
have conferred with that unteigned gratitude which
the cohdence thus reposed in us so justly demands,
let us not be seduced to imagine that free, in
the discharge OF those trusts to consult our own per-
sonal benefit or to be guided altogether by own
personal views and pedilectons On the contrary, we
should keep clearly and constantly in view, that the
offices we hold are bestowed TO be executed for the
benefit of those who conferred them
1t is not however, sufficient for us merely to recog-
nize responsibility to the people, We should also
remember that the civil privileges which we enjoy, and
of which the guardianship is temporarily committed to
our hands, are the gifts of gracious and beneicent
Providence: and consequently, if we are unuithfu to
our trusts, not only treacherous to those who
have confded their interests to care, but we incur
the yet deeper guilt Of ngrattude to Heaven.
Let us then hbtually regard the Offices with which
we have been entrusted not only as oblgatng us TO
those who have clothed us with brief authority, but
as involving sull higher responsibility to Him who
gives the privileges and blessings which we are called
to guard.
During the past year we have, as q State and pco-
ple received from the Great Author Of all good,
newed tokens of His benefcence in not only preser
wing to us our civil privileges, but in granting to us
even more than the common blessings of his Provi-
dence, in the means Of personal and social enjoyment
The earth has yielded her increase in more than ordi
nary abundance and our citizens have generally been
prospered in their various pursuits, so that industry has
every where received large reward for her tolls No
wasting sickness has visited u.s. but the contrary,
even more than wonted health has generally prevailed
And although the sound of war has been heard in the
distance, yet has not excited apprehensons for our
own personal security; its desolatons have not been
felt within our borders have its sorrows,
cept in a few instances entered our dwellings.
Perhaps State in the coniederacy has been char
acterized by greater simplicity n its Legislation and
government than has the State of Vermont The line
of policy, which the State seems to have marked out
has been to govern little might be consistent with
the proper protection of her citizens and the advance
ment of their substantial interests Never turning
coldy away from the claim of the humbest to be pro-
ected in the enjoyment Of "life liberty and happiness,
she has yet stunned the opposite of eglsatng
for the benefit of individuals to the injury of multtudes
and avoided all complicated and entangling connec-
tons with private local interests. And while she
has extended her avorng smiles and fostering to
all useful enterprises calculated to promote the gen.
era good, whenever their successful prosecution re-
quire it. she has yet never sought assume the spe
cal and exclusive guardianship even of public and
common interests, when they could be adequately sus
tanned and prvuo'ed in any other way. And this gen.
eral course is ole which sound economy and regard
for the best interests Of the people at large would fol
reasons sufficiently obvious, ever dictate. Let it be
our purpose, then, to conform to SO wise and prudent
system of policy and aid in perpetuatng it.
Aside from making the ordinary annual appointments
your duties for the session will probably be few In
the proper field of legislation there is not to my
knowledge, any great and prominent measure of pub
lie interest which will demand your attention. Mod
ifcations of existing laws may, in some cases. be re-
qured to meet features in our condition, or to
remedy original defects in past enactments Our hab
its of rapid Legislation of course expose to the danger
of passing laws not perfectly matured. Yet this expe
don in the transaction of business can scarcely be
regarded fault unless carried to the extreme and
this ought doubtless to be guarded against But i'm
projections and errors, whether the result of haste
Of changing circumstances, should Of course be rene