Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-01-08


Ths report Of the Beard of Public Works,
and the Auditor Of State eoat1n many tasls
connected With this subject ftzt vii cid IN
your investigations. So large ~ interest,"
in4clving g Important qae53lns Of pebble
policy, and snch Tast peeuuiarf .es1li1 1lcel
not Be disposed ol without ~ natnra1t con-
sideIaliou. Ailsr giving tss subject ny
earnest attention Z an o11sirai1sd 70 repeat
ny former recommendation. AID suggest The
passage Of q joint resolution aath3lizing tie
eoumission of three gsntsmen Of larse sz-
perieuce and capaciiy, Whsse specizl duty it
shall be 70 make detailed examination Of the
entire subject, and . report TO the 1o7suos
attss 1llilst u1IIcliicahia e reriod such caanr11
and modf6caiiol5 10 our canal lava D IN
their iudrri may Be desirable. 70 les
sen the expenses or 10 augment the income
soss at least, 70 make the canals ssli-su1.sin-
ing.
Il invite your special aitsnton fo tie Re-
port Of the Adiutaut General. The su1eet p
og oar Eiais militia should not 6ll q place u
IN Executive Message merely hsoaule TIE
CoEsdluton eajoin5 upon the General a3-
/ ssmbiy the nscsssafy legislation % render it
/ effective 1t demands e more considerafs ai-
/ tenfi0n. The Report referred to presents
1 clear and practical outline of the system es-
n
4 tablished By lsE and regulations, me burdens
4 under which il Struggles and the necessity Of
i Legislative action in iis behalf
III The orgsuized militia Of the State numbers
at present q little lezs than twelve huadrsd
4 men. These are uniformed, armed and
equipped, and ara for ihe NOS. part ID q
c0nmendable state Of discipLna- The 1l
l'orranizsd militia. subject % be drafted ior
4 military duty in the event of iusurrsction Or
invasion, amounted, in 1883, % 250, 600 meni
and ahe entire disp0sablo l5rce Of the State,
aFthe present time, Is about 2s5, 900 able
bodied men,
The Constitution requires the enro..ue1t
Of al white citizens residents Of tha et1tei
being ls years Of age and under as years 81
age, in the militia. me Law Of March u,
1881, provided Tor such enrollment; but 20
much Of It aa relates 70 that subject has been
repealed recommend The revival 81 The
repealed sections.
fThe present. Eilitia system, en- allgisad,
; has received lie ilsola5ls notice cf o.hcsls
Of the army, and military men Of otler 6talel.
but no system can work successfully ! uuaided
By the State. The sxperiments wherever
tried, has failed.
J The citizen soldier Is neesssarily s16iectsd
! 10 q continual expense 81 existing laws the
State shares no Part Of fbs burden IL msin-
: tsining cur present Hilitis system. The biil
z which PISSED one branch Of tas General A.
/ semble At its last session, proposing an allow
snce to each wen disciplined company, Of q
certain annual sum for s6e care and keeping
Of the public arms, Is 10 the right direction
B1t submit, With great deie1ence, Whelser
J the basis Of that bin should not be enlarged,
both as regards the sum % be eDuropriated %
each company, and the number Of the M
formed militia e Be aided Cerlainit Is tha
two thousand q g miiitia--the estimate upon
J which the sum in that blu IS hased IS p
number greatly disproportOned 70 the extent
and population Of the State.
By the theory Of our g5VerBmeut the ssu-
/ eraI defense is entrusted % the militia L i3
your duty 70 determins TO what extent that
Z theory shall be practically observed il Chic
: A majority Of the States have made hneral
I provision for the support Of their militia
While t would be unWise % burden The
! people with taxes for large military appropri-
: ati0ns in time Of peace, i Wo1ld se equally
: unwiss to disregard the acEifces and bur
!. dens Of those who have undertaken the du-
ties and responsibilities Of the service. and
Z the practical purposes Of military organiza-
Z ton. An effective militia IS one Of the most
I
4 ability Of the State to summon her citzens
. TO support her peace when threatened, or her
: laws when TiOiated, is silent but impressive
= guaranty Of their perpetuity and supremacy.
= It appears that the State has received q, r
y $50 muskels and rifles, and has but about
{. 600 at her present command OF 1852
4 cavalry pistols, but 722 remain Of 2I2 re-
:. Vol7ers about 40 are supposed to Be recover
= able. OF 46 brass cannon more than tlree-
5 fourths were useless, or dangerous, for ser
Q vice, from neglect OF bad usage, until the
q Ousrter- Master General restored them %
ie serviceable condition The same proportion
8 Of loss and depreciation runs through the
Z whole list Of arms received from the United
re States, the original cost Of which vas $780,
g. 2os,
e While the present system Of the issue aud
3 care Of the public arms prevents similar
q resnlt for the future il IS for the General As
l. semblF 10 deteTmine whether the supply nov
b owned By the Stata is adequats to hsr usnis.
T. Other States, under similar circumstances
have supplied the loss and waste By purchase.
K The annual quota received IRON the Gener-
re al Government diminishes with the secession
Of Of each new State and Territory. It is %
K present, less than one Thousand muskeis ia
Of value and when other arms or the necezsar7
d accessories to keep Other arms 10 serFieeahle
J. order are substituted the number Of muskets =
q diminished 70 the exient Of The slbsitution-
re Its obvious, therefore, We cannot look 20 tha
IA General Government for suficieut supply
Fl Of arms for an effective State militia re-or-
T ganization-
nj Your attention is also invited to the duties
1s of the Quarter Master General and in This
,e connection, to the phnseology Of the last
"a general appropriation bill, By which be bas
1t been p1aTented from dnaTing The comPsnsa-
ton due bis services as armorsr. The salar-
a les Of both the Adjutant and Qusrter-Aa
d General are merely nominal This ought
: not to be. Their duties are srduous and Of
= great responsibility.
d During the recess Of the General Assem-
n by, the State Arsenal has been completed TO
+ the extent provided BY law uEd1r the imme-
i date supervision Of the ouarisr-lsstsr Gen
J. eral. It is e substantial ediice. Estimates
b for its completion to meet al the purposes
Y contemplated By its erection, viii be furnish
v ed By the Adiutmt-GeneraL
n Iha7e thus called your attention to such
ie topics in connection with the State Militia g
If require the application Of money. The sg-
d gregate IS sufficiently reasonable when g is
remembered thatit viii bring 70 thepactcal
n test the experiment On the part Of Ono. as
: a State, seriously and effectively 70 give ani-
J. nation and strength to a thorough and well
d balanced militia system.
q DuriRg the legislative recess, tbe pover ol
i the Executive Of the State 70 surrender fugi-
It tives from justice has frequsnt'y been in
s voked, and though as q rule this class Of
It cases does not require special public notes,
3 yet in two instances the applications inyciFed
matters Of the gravest moment The recla-
! nation in one cass was founded on 60
: that The fugitive had stolen certain slai'.-
! ! with intent to defraud the imputed oSncg +
and in the other case, the demand vas pre-
!, dicated on an iudiciment charging lie -
4 cused with aiding female slave to es-
! cape from ''her owner and possessor." These
A cases did not in my judgment fall within
, the scope Of the authority conferred on me