Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1847-01-13
THE SENTINEL
CHARLES wooDRurr, EDITOR.
YPsILANTI, WEDNESDAY JAN 49, is47
The Message.

tii many TeSpcCtss duic IucSsdgc VI Wv ciCh.
In brevity it is o commemorate example. For
being confined to State affairs except on such
subjects of general interest as properly came
within the scope of such document it merits
all praise. Thatit is all thai it might have been
would be saying too mitch.
There are numerous measures for the benefit
of the people, and the promotion Of general hap
piness which chief magistrate ought to bring
before the Legislature, with the full weight Of
the influence of his station. Especially, if he
designed TO be entirely independent of political
Ibias,oughl he to discountenance such corrup ion
and Injustice as the present system of tax ad-
vertising. Nor ought he to fail of bringing to
stheir notice that defect in the Constitution by
wbi:h numbers of our citizens are deprived of
the right of suffrage. Perhaps other ''sins OF
omission might be found, bat with such sins
we find no great fault; what one fails to do, an
other may accomplish, and doing in the first
place is much easier than undoing and doing
over. But with the following portion of the
Message we have more to do. In regard to
the sale of the Railroads the Governor says:
The sale of the two principal works of In
ternal Improvement will produce an impor-
tant changed in state affairs. Its effect is to re-
lieye the state government from the construc-
ton of rail roads. and the management of a car
rying business upon them. 1t renders the bus
i:ness of the different departments less compli-
catod, and prevents most frghtful source of
expensive legislation. Itprecludes the employ
ment and supervision of numerous agents, ar
tizans, and workmen, and simplifies the whole
operations of government. Ii discharges state
Indebtedness, to the amount of two millions FIVE
hundred thousand dollars, yields large annu-
| al revenue, and by heavy expenditures among
our citizens, in prosecuting the work to com
pletion, secures the benefit of most important
chain of communication.
1t is not my purpose here to discuss the prop
rlety or expediency of the Legislation by which
these results are produced. Time must test
the wisdom of the measure. No important
change in public policy, has, however, been de-
manded with more urgency, or sanction
ed with more hearty approval by the people.
The more we contemplate the genius and de-
sign of republican government the more, |
think. we shall be led to deprecate the policy, a
few years since so rife, of bringing within its
care and supervision, snhiects foreign to its
real design. The responsibilities, f.r"tts and
hazards of private business, should be left to in
dividual enterprise. To avoid being governed
too much, is one of the objects ola representa-
tive form of government, land to secure the good
of community in this regard, all authority in
matters not Immediately connected with the
public veal, and indispensable to the welfare of
the body polite, should be withheld. It is "a
mong the encouraging signs of the present time
that the public mind is demanding a more def
mite limitation to the powers and duties of gov
eminent, and REIMBURSEMENT of all unneces-
sary interference with the free action of the in
dividual citizen.
IN these sentences we see at once the thought
less concession e. the Governor in parcel of
sophistical assertions, first pat into the mouths
of the people, and furnished ready made to him
by interested monopolists and SPECTATORS. That
the sale will cause San important change in
State affairs" we admit; now let us look at this
'change:''-
"Its effect is to relieve the State Government
from the construction of Railroads, and the
management of carrying business upon them."
Is this an argument in favor of the sale?-
Has ''the Government right to seek to be re-
lieved of burden necessary to be borne for the
good of the whole people? Suppose the Soci-
ETY. of the Jesuits, or any other body of men,
should propose to undertake the management
IF our University and Common-schools,- all
know the failures we have made in both these,
would it be wise to 'srelieve the State from
he construction of University buildings and the
administration Of School discipline? and yet,
We aver, that the construction and management
Of railroads, achere thev CONTROL the entire conf
nerce of entire States, so to speak, is business
more properly belonging to the Government,
md more easily performed by it, than the educa-
ion of children.
"It renders the business of the different de-
3artments less complicated, and prevents a
frightfM source Of expensive iegisiation."-
None but Official vampires, and the in iolent in
;umbents of sinecure Offices, ought TO complain
If the intricacies of public duties: and, as for
he t'frightful source of expensive Legislation"
We ask in all sincerity ifthe sectional pickering
shall be brought forward as an ar
yument against an enlarged liberal, general,
md necessary policy of State. "a frightful
.ource of expensive Legislation" is it! The
BUSINESS which some half dozen men will do
It an occasional hours sitting, frightful source
# expensive Legislation! 1t may be made SO
brown into the political shambies as make
weight with the paltry expectations of pettifog-
,pimps and panders, to extricate it thence
S it necessary to sell an entire people, to
monopoly p
at precludes the employment SIC" and so it
would preclude the employment of a host of i
lie drones, should we farm out the revenues;
20 it would simplify governments should we burn
'ur written laws and Constitution; so it would
lismiss mum erous "agents" less worthy than
ssrtizans" and s'work -"men" to confide the |