Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1863-01-30
RATES OF ADVERT IsING.


For twelve months, ..........'.......'.. o.
Spe cial Message Of Gov. Vance.
The following special message from Gov
Vance was read before the Lsgi stature upon it.
re re.assemblng on the 10Th inst:
To the honorable, the General Assenbly
of North Carolina
With the flight OF time great events have oc.
Cured aud are now crowding upon US. Since
YOUR adjournment in December; the invaders
of our State have concentrated a large force up
on our coast, and are again threatening our re-
maining saaports and lines OF communicat'on
Every preparation possible has been made to
resist them, aud it is hoped not without SUCCESS
Still much remains to be done to strengthen
our army and add to its efficiency. beg leave
respectfully to offer few suggestions TO you
on this subject.
The most serious evils with which our gen
erals have to contend are the inefficient execu>
tor Of the conscript law and the alarming in
crease of desertion in the army. A long ab
since from home, and the severe hardshps Of
our rapid and wonderful campaigns, naturally
tends to produce these effects during q protract
ed war To arrest these delinquents and re-
turn them to duty, the militia have heretofore
been em mployed with some degree of success ;
owing to the many obstacles interposed by the
law. Should an officer start sut to arrest de
serter. the friends Of the latter have only to
give the alarm and he is spirited out of the
way or the officer is resisted by open violence.
A desertion ia not crime known to- the laws
of this State, these persons who thus shield the
desertsr from arrest are liable t. no punish
ment The consequences is that numbers of
deserters are concealed in many parts of the
State, and banding together for company and
m utual protection, depredate upon the citizens
near them, thus forming kind of outlawed
population in the midst of our quiet and order
ly people.
This state of things, ruirous alike to the dis
cipne of our array and the morals of our peo.
pie. ought not to be suffered to continue and
might be prevented in my opiaion by a little
prudent legislation. With the consent Of the
highest military authorities from. whose COM
mands they are absent, | propose to give alb.
sentees from the army without leave, by pro-
clamation, thirty days in which they may re-
turn to duty free of punishment, and after that
time to make them liable for the delay, to the
severest penalties of the law. To enable the
authorities to effect their arrest, recommend,
rs had the homer to do ia my regular mes
sage to you that the militia laws be SO amend
ed rs to subject both officers an6 privates OF
any particular company or regiment Of the mi.
litia to the articles Of war, when ordered to
perform any duty of this kind at the discretion
OF the Executive that power be given the
Executive summarily to drop from the rolls
officers guilty of gross and wilfal neglect of
duty, and that it be made crime to shield or
harbor deserters or to assist them to avoid
capture. Should it bs deemed best to continue
TO use the militia of the State for executing the
Conscrpt law, these amendments will be in dis
pensable as Congress has failed in these res
spects to provide for the enforcement of its
own acts.
have been applied to in several instances as
the appointing power of the regimental officers
Of our regiments raised originally for three
years or the war, to promote men for gallant
and meritorious conduct, but on close examina
ton of the law find have no authority to de
viate from the regular order Of promotion by
seniority in the appointment Of company Off.
Gers.
This power ought to reside somewhere-the
good Of the service requires 1t. The humblest
private in the ranks of the army ought to feel
That there is the powsr and the will to lift him
aoovs humbls position TO o commissioned Off
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