The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-01-09

of the direct tax, according to the pro-
visions Of the law of Congress, are so
manifest and so great that l cannot
doubt that you will adopt that course
without hesitation. In that event it
will be found that the State will be able
to pay the entire amount of the tax due
June next, by its release to the United
States, and without any resort to col
Ilections from the people, unless the tax
should be increased by the present Con-
gress, Of which there is some proba-
bility. rTgzrsfr rfg
The gross amount Of the advances
which the State has made on account
of the General Government in the rails
ing of troops, is about five hundred
and thirty-nine thousand dollars, which
Is likely to be increased i'm finishing
what remains to be completed to about
six hundred thousand dollars. Of this
sum, ninety-twO Thousand dollars only
has been refunded to the State from the
appropriations made by Congress for
that purpose: For exact amounts re-
fer yOn to the reports of the Auditor
General and State Treasurer. And for
the precise details of the manner of the
expenditure, and for what II was made,
l refer you to the report Of the Quarter
Master General. and the vouchers aud
accounts of that office, and the State
paymaster on file in the Auditor Cen
erals office in pursuance of law.
Accompanying this message sub.
nit for the consideration of the Legis-
lature, circular transmitted by the
Department of State at Washington, in
October last, to the Governors of the
loyal States, upon the subject of the
Notifications of our sea and lake coasts.
With this circular the public are al
ready familiar. At the time of its is
sue it was difficult to preceiye any ade-
quate reason for it, In fact it seemed
more likely to create illblood and fur
nish the occasion for trouble with our
immediate neighbors than to assume
the continuance of peace. The circu-
lar is, however. altogether temperate
in tone and without offence to any.
Subsequent events have put an entirely
new face upon the whole subject. The
British people, both American and
atlantic, seem suddenly, and to us
mysteriously, to have become possessed
of the passion for war. Turning their
backs upon all their history for the last
half century, they are anxious to assist
the assassins Of liberty in the South to
establish a slave oligarchy there upon
the ruins of the American Union. 1t
is patent to all the world that we seek
nothing but peace with them. In
volved in a trying domestic struggle,
war with England, at any time great
misfortune, would be now an evil of
nncalculable magnitude. This the
British government canno fail to know
With our immediate neighbors Of Can
ada we have been on terms of the most
perfect ami:y for many years. Not
withstanding their strange excitement
of late our people still entertain the
most friendly spirit towards them We
have not mounted gun upon one of
our dismantled forts, nor committed
any act to disturb our friendly relations
with them. All our business interests
have become so interlucked that IN our
material progress, we have became al.
II, est as one nation. Our railroads and
theirs are only parts of the same great
lines, and our currency and business
intermingles throughout the entire re-
gions lying near the boundary. Nor
have our relations with the mother
country been much less intimate. Brit
ish capital has been largely employed
III the improvement of our country, and
we have been, in turn, valuable custo-
mer to them. And all this has been
mutually beneficial. Can these people
have thought what it would cost them to
destroy ii? and do they see clearly
what they will gain in its place by war !?
The apparent canse of the excite
ment was the seizure of Mason and Sill
dell, on board the British steamer
Trent, but / cannot bring myself to be-
lieve that to be the real cause. 1t seems
TO be wholly Insufficient to he made the
ground of snch prodigious tempest,
and think it will before long he made
clear, that the British Government has
concealed designs, and only seeks
pretext for rupture. Mason and Sill
dell, after being given very mischiev-
Gus Importance by their detention, have
now been given mp to the English Gov
eminent. Whether that course was
wise or not, it does not become me to
Judge at least, it does not change my
purpose of recommending to you 10 Put
the State in posture Of defeuce as
soon as may be, and for this purpose |
think we need not SO much fortifica.
tons as full supply of arms for the
people, and a powerful war marine
upon the great lakes. Michigan is to
be defended, if it comes to that, not
upon her own ground, but upon the
soil of Canada. Give us arms for the
people, and the undoubted control of
the lakes, and Notifications may be safe
ly left to the most convenient season.
Not that Notifications would be useless,
but that our main dependence cannot
safely be restored upon them, for reas-
ons too obvious to require statement
here.
/ recommend, therefore, that provis.
Il, r