Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-01-01
GOVERNORS MESSAGE
(No. III.)
on M1sCRILANEn1rs snn1Ecrs.

ON MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS.
To tie Senate and House of Delegates of
the General assembly Of The State Of
Virginia:
GENTLEMEN.-1t has not been for the
want of reverence for religion, or that l
have been unmindful of Gods providence
to our people. that have omitted to OBJ
serve the mere foIm m and fashion of exec
utlve messages, to acknowledge Divine
Goodness. l have purposely omitted to
do so. for the same reason that l have,
on every occasion when called on by the
clergy or others, declined 10 recommend
or appoint a day of Thanksgiving. The
mayor of Alexandria lately addressed me
on that subject, and l returned for an
answer the letter. copy of which is
here with communicated. | declined for
the reason that the state officers have no
authority or power to interpose in religi
Ous matters belonging exclusively to pri-
Vate Individuals and their voluntary
church organizations. We are a chris
tlan people, recognizing the christian law
in our baptism. in the naming oi our
children, in the sanction OF our oa1hs.
around our family ahats. in keeping the
Z,
our IDEAS and observances OF common
morality and decency, in marriages and
in burials-from the cradle to the grave,
in our whole lives and laws. But there
is no church establishment, and ought to
be none; and there ought to be no med
ding of the state with matters of religion
and faith, except to protect and defend
the freedom of conscience and voluntary
worship, and to enforce sound morality
und common decency. This hinders us
not. but rather sets US free 10 praise God
in our own way. Any recommendation
OF wOI ship from the state or its officers, in
any form, is TO some extent Il cUnstraint
upon the people, who have forbidden bY
tn 'ir constitution the intermeddling with
such matters by political power. Poll
tics aud religion ought not, in any way.
to be brought into contact. They polluIe
and destroy each other. Two Of the
worst evils of the times are political-reli>
giun and reliS Sious politics. l am not
constituted and appointed to handle God s
holy things. and | will not dare hypocrit
icaiy and cantingly to huCks'er them in
the market of popularity among men.
Having fully discussed other subjects
important enough To fl two separate
messages, l now address you upon the
general and miscellaneous topics OF legis
latiOn:
THE PUBLIC WOR-s.
The various reports of the board and oi
the superintendents Of public works will
show the details of their expenditure and
progress, and Of their estimates for the
future. My own general views are fully
presented i'll the accompanying pamphlet
containing my correspondence with NJ
LacouVure. on his proposition Of u line o
steamers with France. | have only tC
add on the general topic, that what
have endeavOred to show respecting the
law Uf the centres OF trade, bears slung-
ly on the policy of expediting the public
works of the commonwealth by all the
means III her power. n centre Of trade
Is lndlSpenSably necessary to save the
cost OF exchange, though the balance oi
trade be in our favor; and the cost of ex-
change is nothing compared with the loss
Incident to the want OF a control over the
great monetary operations of the country.
dependent upon a central commercial
power. That control is what can shut up
or open the banks, or contract or expand
"
pleasure. 1t is that which can play be
nefcent or injurious. conservative OF
destructive part. according to a good OF
bad administration of commercial and f
nancial policy. To have that control as
far as possible at our command, within
the reach of our own laws, in our OWL
limits, is vitality essential. 1t would not
perhaps. be hyperbolical TO say that the
total want of that control will cost Vir
ginla more in this one year than would
the completion of the Covington and Ohie
railroad IN the next five years to come
That control cannot be had without a cen.
tre Of trade; and that centre of trade cam
not be built up without public works &c
bring back country to some point ol
commerce. This argument alone is suf-
hclent to maintain the whole policy ol
state Improvement upon which we have
entered, and from which we cannot now
recede without loss of capital and loss
OF character which would not be credita.
BILE in any respect.
The greatest line of Virginia. bv far.
is her James River and Kanawha Canal
Its practicability, through the ALLEGHENY
chain Of mountains, no one doubts who
has any pretensions to science. The
able engineer on the work would blush to
give up the problem; and no intelligent
othcer would admit that it is any other
question than one merely of means and
OF time. The history of the canal aad oi
Ns disasters. and of its cost to the state
ana to private stockholders, is too yolum.