Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-01-23
special message from Gov. Vance.

Special Message from Gov. Vance.
The following special message from Gov Eance,
was sent in to the Legislature Of this State on
Wednesday last: sss-fr
To che Honorable, the GsasyGl Assembly Of North
Carolina:
With the fight of time great events have occurred,
and are now crowding upon US. Since your ad-
journment IN December, the invaders OF our State
have concentrates large force apon our coast and
are again threatening our remaining seaports and
lines Of communication. Every preparation posi-
BILE has been made to resist them, and 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 generals
have to contend are the inefficient execution Of the
conscrpt law and the alarming increase Of desertion
in the army. A long absence from home, and the
severe hardships of our rapid and wonderful cam
paigns, naturally tend to produce these effects du-
ring protracted war. To arrest these deiinquents
and return them to duty, the militia have hereto
fore been employed with some degree of success !;
but latterly they have been found inefficient owing
to the many obstacles interposed by the law Should
an officer start out to arrest deserter the friends
of the latter have only to give the alarm, and he is
spirited out of the way the officer is resisted by
open violence. As desertion is not crime known
to the laws of this State, these persons who thus
shield the deserter from arrestare liable to punish
ment The consequence is that numbers of deser-
tiers are concealed in many parts of the State, and
banding together for company and mutual protec-
tion depredate upon the citizens near them, thus
forming kind of outlawed population in the midst
Of our quiet and orderly people.
This state OF things, runous alike to the discip-
line of our army and the morals of our people, ought
not to be suffered to continue and might be proven
ted in my opinion by little prudent legislation
With the consent of the highest military authorities
from whose commands they are absent, propose
to give absentets from the army without leave, by
proclamation, thirty days in which they may return
odnty free ofpunishmen 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, as had the honor'to do in
my regular message to you, that the militia laws
be so amended as to subject both officers and pri-
Yates Of any particular company or regiment of the
militia to the articles of war, when ordered to per-
form any duty of this kind at the discretion of the
Executive; that power be given the Executive sum-
mariy to drop from the rolls officers guilty of gross
and wilful neglect of duty, and that it be made a
crime to shield or harbor deserters or to assist them
to avoid capture. Should it be deemed best to con-
tinue to use the militia of the State for executing
the conscript law, these amendments will be indie
spensable, as Congress has failed in these respects
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 orr
regiments, raised originally for three years the
war, to promote them for gallant and meritorious
conduct, but close examination Of the law find
have authority to devate from the regular order
Of promotion by seniority, in the appointment of
company officers
This power ought to reside somewhere-the good
of the service requires it The humblest private in
the ranks of the army, ought to feel that there is
the power and the will to lift him above the humble
position to a commissioned officer, as a reward for
gallantry and heroiSm. therefore recommend that
this authority be vested in the Executive, to be
ercised upon proper recommendations OF command
ing officers in the field
The subject of arresting citizens on charges of
disloyalty beg leave again to allude to. Many
have been recently taken up by the Confederate
officers, and with spirit of courtesy and respect
for State authority turned over to me for investga
tion l am at loss how to dispose of them. l
cannot examine them myself, and of course regard
it inconsistent with my duty to set them at liberty
without an examination, and am yet more unwill-
ing to see them placed in the Confederate prison at
Salisbury, where the tracks of the accused all lead
in one direction and the light of old English liberty
is never seen. | therefore recommend the estab-
fishing of a commission for the investigation of
charges against all such persons, with power to
commit for trial before the proper tribunal if suf-
cient cause appears DC.
uniting letter from Hon. JAS S. Seldom, Secretary
of War; in relation to the case of R. j. Graves, and
in response to the demand for his delivery to the
authority of this State made in obedience to joint
resolution of your two Houses Admirable in spirit,
ample in explanation of the circumstances under
which the arrest was made, and in expressions of
regard for the rights and sovereignty of the State
am sure that accompanying as it did the prompt
surrender of the accused it cannot fail to give you
the satisfaction l experienced on its perusaL
In view of the threatened invasion of the State,
have been advised by the War Department to call
out the militia to assist in repeng it Having con-
suited with the General in command of this depart
ment, concluded to do so, but am at least doubt
.tuI of my authority to take the step, whilst your
body is in session. Not wishing to exercise any
doubtful authority, when your presence and appro-
baton may so. easily make it certain, most
respectfully recommend, that be authorized imme-
diately to call out such portion of the militia as may
bedeemed sufficient to meet the present emergency.
have the honor herewith to transmit copies Of
resolutions various subjects Of the Legislatures
of the States Of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,
and Alabama, forwarded to me by their respective
Executives with a request that they be laid before
you. The most important of these relates to the
proposition of guaranteeing by each State of its pro-
portion of the Confederate war debt; and to these
invite your early and deliberate attention.
l am also pleased to be able to inform you that
the correspondence conducted by me with the War
Department at your request in relation to the burn
ing of cotton in Eastern North Carolina Yas entire
ly satisfactory, though for prudential reasons
thought it improper to make it public.
Very respectfully.