Washington sentinel., 1855-01-10

pie Of the District.
GOVERNORS MEssAGEs-sOME GEN.
ERAL COMMENTS.
Every season has its fashions. There are
times when suicides occur with most melan-
choIy frequency. They have their day, and
then give place to murders, which in turn re-
sign their claims. on public attention to bank
frauds, absconding tellers or other less distin-
guished kinds of embezzlement and larceny.
Divorces, too, protrude themselves on the pub
lie in such numbers as to create many misgiv-
ings as to the course Of true love and the un-
ruf1ed bliss Of the matrimonial relation. There
are periods when mobs rise up in such num-
bers, and so simultaneously, as to suggest the
suspicion Of secret concert, and to awaken the
apprehension that reckless incendiaries with
uncombed hair and unwashed hands will ambi
tiously seze upon the country and subvert all
regular and organized institutions.
AT the present time, what is far better, more
peaceful and more pleasant has become the
fashion of the hour. We can scarcely take
up paper that does not contain Governors
message, or an extract from, or allusion to,
one. This Of course is not the result of acci-
dent, but is attributable to the fact that at this
period of the year most of the State Legisla-
effecting their organization, is to invite COM
munications from the chief magistrates. These
communications, as is known to all, have been
| dubbed messages" Our exchanges have
lately furnished us with the messages of many
of the Governors of States-among which
occur to us as we write, North Carolina,
South Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania,
Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, Maine, &C., DC. Most
ofthese messages we have glanced over, for they
cannot be passed over by those whose business
it is to keep themselves posted in public affairs.
They are authoritative -expositions of the po.
litica, social, financial, and industrial condi-
tions Of the several States Of this Confederacy
made by the respective chief magistrates un.
der their official responsibilities. As such, they
| challenge the attention Of all who desire to be
| informed as TO the condition of the country;
l.
not more concise and direct. They are usually
so verbose and unreasonably long as to intimi-
| date all but the most determined readers from
| their perusal. They, besides, are usually dis.
figured by ambitious attempts to be eloquent
| and impressive. Exactness of Statement, and
brevity of narration, are essential elements in
successful State papers. This is too often for
gotten by our public men. They should al
| ways bear in mind that to be read, they should
| not indulge in such prolixity Of statement, such
tediousness Of detail, and such turgid loose
| and drawn out language, asto make the perusa
of their papers an undertaking and task.
Whilst We have not the space to present ex-
tracts from these various messages, or even to
comment on them severally and specifically,
we feel that few general remarks will not be
| out Of place.
| First. 1t is gratifying TO discover in these
documents the evidences Of growing prosperity
| and advancing improvements amongst the
people Of the different States. Most, if not all,
Of these messages contain expressions Of graft
tude to Providence for blessings enjoyed, and
congratulations to the constituent bodies on
the development Of new resources, on the COM
mencement, progress, or completion Of great
| public works, and the general prevalence Of
contentment.
Secondly. Some Of these messages, and we
are sorry to record it abound in unhealthy SEN
| timents and fanatical views. They emanate
| from men who we're placed in their high and
responsible positions by amalgamated dema.
gogues, factions, and Abolitionists, and they
feel that they must fulfill the pledges they
made, and by which their elections were Sc
cured. Hence their efforts to rekindle the
fanaticisms, strifes and commissions, that pre-
| vailed in many Of the northern States during
| the pendency Of the Nebraska bill, and hence
their recommendations to the people still fur
ther to agitate.
Third. II is observable that more complaints
Of poverty, want, and destitution, are made by
Abolition communities than by those in which
the institution Of slavery exists.
But we cannot conveniently continue these
comments. 1t gratiies us, in conclusion, to
say that most Of these documents are charac-
terized by healthy tone, by Just sentiments,
and iudicions recommendations