The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-01-15

fraction over thirty cents to a person, and
when you appoitio it upon the real value Of
orr property, the sum sinks into insignif-
cance. ....
The Auditor General has prepared state
ment, taken from the census returns Of 1860,
showing tho real value Of the taxable proper.
ty Of the State to be two hundred and seven
ty.fve millions of dollars. Two hundred and
twenty five thousand dollars raised upon this
valuation, is less than ono mill upon the dol
lat, n sum not at all burdcnsome 10 tho peo-
pie, and yet sufficient to keep the State NOV
ing forward in her onward march OF prosperi-
ty and greatness. know that the subject of
taxation is one that addresses itself directly to
tho pockets of the peple, and that tho dema-
gogue is ever ready to raise the cry Of "high
taxation" hoping thereby to win applause. -
To me, that cry has no terrors The people
arc sensible, and will always sanction and sus-
tain that which is just and proper. Michigan
must movo forward-she connot rctrograde or
remain stationary. Her destiny, for the time
being, is in your hands, and liberal and expan-
ded views of state policy should govern your
action. Whenever you make an appropra-
ton, you should at the same time lovy a tax
sufficient to meet it, and the appropriation
should not be expended until the money is
actually in tie Treasury. Heretofore it has
been the policy of the Legislature to make
their appropriations payable out of the Gener Y.
al Fund, as IL that fund were inexhaustible.-
The result has been that the institutions 10
whose favor tho appropriations were made
have been calling for money at the Treasury
long before one dollar could by any possibility
be realized from the taxes levied to meet the
appropriation. Such a course Of legislation
will always put the executive department OF
your government in a false position, aul
caution you against the further continuance Of
this policy.
The Constitution and laws Of the State i'm
pose upon the Exective onerous duties, and
which require the exercise of judgment, both
in the constitution and execution Of tho laws
In exercising this judgment, may have erred,
but | have endevored that such errors should
always he in favor Of The progress or the State,
and | invite your closest scrutiny into each
aud every official act Of mine.
THE UNION.
should feel as If l were neglectng my
duty and unfsthful to the high trust reposed
in me, were | to remain silent when the
whole country is excited, and the cry Of dis.
union is ringing in our ears. We cannot shut
our eyes to the painful truth that one portion
of our common country is fast arraying itself
ageinst anothcr-that already ono Of the SOW
eregin States Of this Republic has declared by
a solemn ordinance Of her people that she no
longer forms an intergral part of the Union,
and that other States are expected soon to fol-
low her example.
Michigan cannot remain an Indifferent spec
tator when she sees sister State thus atteln.
pting to subvert the happiest government on
earth, and dismember and break in fragments
the union of these States. We love the
Union. Our fidelity and loyalty never have
been, and win not now be questioned. 1t is
but natural, then, that VIC should wish to
know what good cause, if any, really exists
for this most unnatural estrangement Of our
Southern sister. 1t is claimed what the non
sa7eholding States are trampling upon the
constitutional right Of the slaveholdng, and
that the Republican party was organized and
has elected the President Of the United
States for the purpose Of aggression upon the
institution Of slavery in the States where il le-
galIy exists We deny the charge. We say
distinctly, that although we loathe and de-
test the inttution c slavery, yet we have no
intention of interfering with it in States where
it is now tolerated by law. Neither have we
any desire or disposition to interfere with the
constitutional right of any one of our sister
States. The constitution under which we
have lived for more ;han seventy years was
passed by Shareholders and ratified by slave
holding people. 1t is made up Of concession
and compromises, without which it sould ncv-
er have been adopted, and we believe it to be
the most perfect from cf government that
human wisdom could devise. 1t is not
pro-savery instrument; on the contrary, its
declared object is to "secure the blessings of
liberty to ourselves and our posterity." 1t
recognizes the cxistance Of slavery as State
not as n national institution II is n form Of
government created by the people and not by
the States, and none but the people can abro
gat it. Each and every part Of that nstru-
ment is equally binding upon all, and no one
part is more sacred than another. So careful
were our forcfathers in guarding against the
extension Of slavery into the Territories s-ihe
common property Of the United States-that
two months before the adoption Of the Con-
stituiion, Congress passed an ordinance for.
ever prohibiting slavery upon every foot Of
the Territories then owned Ivy the United |
States, The Institution Of slavery was con-
sdcrcd as local in its character, and of tenn.
porary duration. Gradually, however, has il
increased, both in magnitude and power, un-
til it now threatens our peace and demands
nationality at the hands Of the government,
or, in default thereof, tho compact entered in
to by our fathers shall he broken, and this
proud temple Of liberty desccrated to unholy
purposes.
For more than thirty years portions of our
common country have shown a restlessr css of
spirit not at all compatible with our peace
and harmony, and now, as il emboldencd by
the successors Of the past, the startling doc.
trine is advanced that no real union has ever
existed between us-tbat it was all a myth
that the government which our fathers intend.
ed to be as lasting as tho hills, is really limit
ed in duration by the will Of any particular
State that Cuba, after we shall have pur
chased her for three hundred millions Of dol
lars, may 90 back to Spain and again offer
bclself for sale in the market. Another doc.
49,. ,o,a;I1o Ia, 10,