Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-01-15

ness vt our national position from any poy
er which could menace us with real dang
e as well as in our conscious and conced,
J. strength. sentiment obta lined that miltar
K prep ,ration on our part was unDecessar
l. and idle, and that the military duty exactc
,s OF the citizen was Il burden attended by n
:. corresponding public benefit. At lengt
"A mlit vice became 50 distastciul, thr
! modih ..IJns of the law requiring 1t com
n menced, ana finally the whole system of &C
4 two militia was abandoned. This is its hi:
+ tory Of Maine.
, The doctrine Of the fathers was, tina
). every ablebo1icj citizen, during the perio
| Ct hull manly strength, owed military ser
. vice to his country. Recognizing this prin
ciple, article sevcn, section five of tho Con-
stitutiJn OF Maine, has the following pro
I vision Persons 1.-THE denomina tons OF
Quakcrs and ShIkers, justices of the Su
preme Judicial Court, and Ministers of tht
Gospel, may be exempted from military
duty but no other persons OF the age u
, eighteen, aud under the az, Of forty five
, years, excepting officers OF the militia who
, have been hOnorably discharged, shall be so
exempted, unless he shall pay an equivalent
fixed ty law" language cannot be found
more clearly to assert the uniyersalty of the
obligation of military service upon the citi-
zen than 10 contained in this article. The
exemptions therein specified are not man
ditoly, bat simply ? rmisslys, out OF ten
derness 10 conscience, regard tor the pubic
necessities, and the acknowledged incJm.
pltibility of the clerical profession VITA
military pursuits.
Daring the last summer, when the surScs
Of hostile Invasion were heard like the
distant rot9 of the ocean, rolling towards
the b)rjcrs Of the loyal States, your Chief
, Ma, strhtc wao interrosateI by the Score
tary OF War As to the number OF regiments
Of militia Maine could furnish to aid Ia
rcpelins the importing attack. II is nee
cssary for me to say to You what hi, reply
ws-waat 1t only could have bcca. Thus
appealed to for hsl p, the people Of Maine
could only told their arms, bow their heads
in sorrow, if not shame, and await the u
cvitable shock , they had no power to help
their brothers, who had gone out from
am M them, in tn, tims Of their ex.
igent need so near at hand. This, too,
gentlemen. when there were at home thous-
ands OF stalwart arms and willing hearts,
utterly unavailable by reason OF an almost
criminal neglect of an obvious constitution
al duty. Thanks be - God, and the yalJr
Of the army of the Potomac, after weary
and bloody days, the 70, at Gettysburg W IS
battle and beaten hack. The thought of a
difrrcnt result drives the blood to the
heart.
Wen hal it been t, our nation had the
teachiass AMI practice, Of the founders Of
our government been needed. Had We en-
ioyed the blessings of well regulated mIlit-
ia, the loyal States would not have been 50
llv prepared To meet the rebellion hosts who
sought the nations destruction.
Aimon shed by the experience Of the
past, hav, fell compelled to urge upon you
the necessity and duty of making loyal
provision for supplying this deficiency and
; omission. In all States, nee ,ssitles i.r
short Of actual war, may call for the en-
plovment OF military f1rce-all States are
liable to be plunged into war almost with
out notice or time for preparation. 1t is u
wise sentiment, that the preparation for war
| i. the best security against it. Situate As
Maine is, frontier State, contiguous to the
/ territories Of power, with whom the shai'
ows of collision have fitted athwart the
horizon more than once since the commence
ment Of our cisil Var, growing cut OF cir
cumstanccs kcenly wounding the national
scnsibiIities. by. which under the influence
Of wise and forbcarIng councils we ma,
, h 1pe have passed away, 1t Is nevertheless q
duty we CIV. To ourselves and our State L
, sce t. it that this matter OF a well regulated
militia shall be no longer neglected.
EDUCATION.
. The subject Of education is onc which il
Maine never falls on an inattcntivc ear
rhe duty of making adequate provision for
; the education of youth is cnlolned upon th'
Legislature by the Constitutln. This duty
is one which continually abdcs. Pressing
are tn. calls on the Treasury, the present i
no time 20 indulge in lavish expenditure
. upon any object, but educttijn is one Of the
last to be neglected.
\ grant Of four half townships of Ian
, was ma &c ~ the State last year, for ths
eudowm mt Of two Normal Schools, to be es
c tablicheI, one in the eastern and the other
in the western part OF the STATE. Farming
ton and CAstine have been selected by TIM
commission appointed t. make the loca ion
as points combining more OF the desired al
vantascs than any other OF the yiilaS~
! which were competitors therefor-cach en-
loving u delightful situation. silubrion
$ climate, and easily accessible, one by rail
i and the other under arran ,smcnts N 'd,, /
become So by steamboat, they tairly fulfil III
: c,nditlons of the law. There j, no reas II
0 why youth seeking advantages of thes
institutions. removed from the hustle an
temptations of larger towns, may not vindi
cate the wisdom OF those whD 81 loas hav
!, urged their establishment. | refer YOU t
{ the elaborate report of the Saperintcnden
10 of Common Schools for further details i
= relation IL these. as well as for information
ir in regard to the educational interest of tn
re State, Committed to the charge of that u
n hcer.
~ BY act Of Congress July 1862, wa
r granted TO the several States, which shout
lie accept the same, aud comply with ii
to conditions, an endowment of thirty thou
he and acrts of land for cacn federal senator an
representative, being to this State tw
en- hundred and ten thousand acres. tn
IL purpose of this grant is declared to be, f
~ :. the endowment, supported and mantei
to ance OF at least one college. in State
n =. where the leading object shall be, withou
H. cxciudln, other scientific and classic
n. studies. und including military tactics
ne sench branches of learning Is arc related
to agriculture and mechanic arts. in SUI
of manner as the legislatures of the Sat
he may respectively prescribe, in order to pr
e mote the Ii eral and practical education
he the Industrial classes, in the several plrsnI
., and profession. of life." Among the co
To- ditiun. it is required " that the State sh'
he keep the principal Of the fund forever" e
Ms cept that :. not more than ten per cent.