Delaware State journal and statesman., 1863-01-09
1ourmaI alu @tateamau
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

ton 10 give you Information pertaining to the
/ affairs of the State, and to recommend to your
cous leratiOn such measures as in my judgment
are expedient.
! Before proceeding however, to the performance
ot that duty must express my profound regret
that lhe condition Of tho country at present. anl
during the past two years, is and has been such
that | cannot address you with the ordinary con-
gratulations Oh its pence, prosperity and happi-
ness. These inestimable blessings which have
hitherto been among the most prominent charac'
teristcs OF our country, under its admirable form
of government, are no longer realities, but mere
drenms of the past.
For nearly two years the ties, which, thereto
fore from the organization of the Government,
bound us together as sovereign lister States, have
been rent asunder, and we are aud have been
for nearly that period Of time involved in civil
and most sanguinary war, the commerce of the
country interrupted and crippled all business
and industrial pursuits paralyzed and prostrated,
the currency of the country deranged, depre-
cated, and in fact, destroyed; the country in
vOlved already in n debt too buTdensomo to be
borne by It's resources in it's most palmy days
aud daily and enormously increasing without a
prospect or hope OF speedy cessation. But
Notwithstanding the deplOrable fact that we are
visited by all these terrible oalamites, which
have been brought upon us by the fanatical mad
ness Of the North aud the folly of the South, we
still have great cause to be thankful to the Ruler
| of the universe, by whose omnipotent power the
destinies of all nations and of all men are con-
trollcd, Tor ihe nhuhur.ule blessings which HIS
most gracious aud bonntiful hand has lagished
upon us.
OF the immediate causes of this unfortunate
condition of affairs have hitherto fOrhorne TO
speak, and it is not my purpose now to animad-
vert upon them or TO venture prediction as to
the ultimate result Of the conflict between the
autagonistic portions of tho once united and
common country. must be allowed, however,
to express the opinion that il they, who are now
intrusted with the administration of the affairs
of the General Government, had adhered to and
carried out the principles enunoiated by them
previous to and on their induction to office, our
disasters would have been much les7, and the
prospect OF the restoration OF the Union fur great
er aud more hopeful than it now is. 1t is greatly
to be feared that the determination on the part
Of the Administration to press and carry out its
emancipation measures, will place the country
in a much more pcrilous condition and leave US
without glimmering hope of restoration Of
the Union. Who, of ordinary intelligence, whose
reason is not blinded by fanaticism, can fail TO
see and fear the danger persating in the course
Of policy which seems to have been adopted by
the Administration To whom would it be u
matter Of surprise, if those who have shouldered
their arms and marched to The field of battle and
there periled their lives, in defence of the Con-
of the Union, as they were told and believed,
should lay down their arms and sheathe their
swords For the Constitution aud the Govern
ment formed by our fathers, and under which
we live and have hitherto been protected, and
still have right to PREDICTION ia life, liberty
and property, our brave men will shed their
blood aud sacrifice their lives. But ii the war
is to be used as the instrumental power for the
abolition OF slavery, mud for he accomplishment
Of that End the Constitution and rights of the
people are to be vonted ia every conceivable
manner, then those who nave been clothed with
the mighty power OF the Government for the
suppression Of the Rebellion, and who may at
tempt 10 WELD its great engines for other and
such purposes have mentioned, may we'll
expect to be speedly dyesed Of that power.
The blow which IS gned to strike down
slavery everywhere, is not aimed ut the revolted
States and tn disloya citizens thereof alone, but
II falls upon the loyal as well as disloyal. What
is not accomplished by unconstitutional Procla-
nation is to be effected by promise 10 recommend
to Congress the passage OF an act providing com
pensatiOn to shareholders for their slaves, which
would be equally unconstitutional. But no such
provision has been made, aud there is no reason
to suppose any will be, aud if it were made in
strict accordance with the promised recommen-
dati0n, il would be but to tax the people to pay
for the slaves TO be freed. II would be- too, at
a rate at least fifty per cent. below the value of
the slaves, and to be paid in a medium now
worth one quarter less than gold, that is one
quarter below par, aud which. before the time of
payment, will not be less than fifty per cent.
below par, il not utterly worthless
With this emancipation scheme cOnsum mated
and carried out, what would be the condition of
Delaware with even her own slaves added to the
present number Of free negroes, to sny nothing
OF the hundreds that would no doubt come in
from the neighborng States Of Maryland and
a H. Ltu.f. L. -.
very clear To me that such n policy carried out
would prove highly detrimental to the interests
of the people and the country at large, in any
and every possible aspect in which it can be
viewed, as the inevitable result of the project
would be to tax the Industrious, hard working
white man to pay for the emancipation Of the
slaves, and oblige him to support them after
wards either iu the aims. house, county jail or
otherwise. Others may think differently, but it
is to be feared that their minds are clouded aud
their judgement biased by fanatci,m.
The fundamental conditions OF the Federal
Constitution and the principles on which the
Government is based, recognize the existence of
independent sovereignty in the respective States
with their reserved rights Of sell government
sured to them by their co.equa power. Without
these conditions and principles the Government
never could have been formed aud can never
exist. Particular rights Of the States where ii
was deemed expeden, were expressly guaran
teed by the Constitution, and NIL Others were care
fully guarded by the Limitation of the powers
grautod and by express reservation OF such
powers as were not granted by the compact of
Union.
One of the most remarkable and prominent
features Of local condition, interests aud rights
in which one portion of the States, constituting
great section of the UniOn differed from the
other States forming the other section, was the
fact that larger relative c0lored population ex-
listed in the Southern than iu the Northern States,
and though population OF this class existed and
was held to service in nearly all the States yet,
in consequence of the difference of climate and
productions of the soil, the number of those held
to service was much larger in the Southern than
in the Northern Stnles aud their value greater
to one section than 10 the other, and for the same
reasons it was very naturally supposed that while
this population would decrease, and probably
in the course Of time cease to exist in the North
ern section of the country, it would increase in
the Southern. Therefore and in view Of the
magnitude and peculiar character Of the question
us a local interest and right, il was made part
of the special slipulatlons of the Constitution,
aud accordingly thereby provided, each and
every State spulRtiug for itself md for each and
all of its citizens who became soemnly bound by
their allegiance to the Constitution, that "No
person held to service or labor n one State under
the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall in
consequence of any law regulation therein, be
discharged from any service or labor but sha
be delivered up on claim of the party to whom
such service or labor may be due In this wise
by mutual and reciprocal guarantee of the
rights of each and every State against any in-
reference or aggression un the part OF others
was our form Of Government established by OUT
al. .gota.N .1w,