Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-01-05
THE COVFRNOR,s NIFssAcR-

70 communicate to the General Assembly
the condition Of the State, and recommend
such measures as he may deem expedient," "
address you.
The condition of my health for the past
few weeks, and my present indispositiou,
viii account for the brevity Of the conmu-
nication.
Your well-known character for intelli-
gence and experience as legislators makes
it necessary, only, that you be put in pos
session Of the true condition Of the affairs
Of the State, to enable you to adopt such
legislation as the welfare Of our common
constituents demands.
The past year has been one Of severe
labor to sl concerned in the administration
Of the government; and take pleasure in
bearing testimony to the faithful and Wig
liant manner in which the Auditor of
State, Treasurer Of State, Secretary of
State, Comptroller of the Treasury, Super
intendent Of the State House, Superintend-
ent of the Public Printing, and the Libra
rian, have eseverally performed their respec.
tive duties. regret that Icannot include
the Attorney-Genersl and the former Com
missioner Of Common Schools in this COM
nendstion. The School Commissioner,
fortunately for the State, resigned his
Office on the 1lth day Of November last,
and the place is now filed by highly
competent and worthy man.
The duties Of the Executive are SO ardu-
Gus as to command every moment of his
time. To demonstrate this, it is sufficient
to refer you to the note Of Private Secre
tary Hoffman, herewith, giving somewhat
detailed statement Of the lsbors Of the
Office. In view Of the increased labor
thrown upon this department, also upon
the departments Of the Auditor and Treas
urer Of State, consequent upon the war,
added to the fact that the expenses of liv-
ing in this city have greatly increased
within the past two years, recommend an
increase OF the salaries of these officers.
This increase should not be less than fifty
per cent; aHd to secure the benefit of such
increase to the incoming officers, immedi-
ste action, during the first week Of your
session, is necessary, as the Constitution
forbids the increase of salaries of any OF
the State officers during the term for which
they are elected. am aware that the
people Of Ohio have never favored high
salaries 10 their public officers; but 1 also
well know, that they will cheerfully sus-
tain us in fixing such rate of compensa-
Cion as will enable those in moderate Pc
cuniary circumstances to accept positions
Of high trust and confidence. also renew
my recommendation Of last year, for a
proper increase of the salary of the So
psrintendent Of Public Printing The
duties nf this office are highly important
TO the State, and have materially increased
within the past year. The present rate of
compensation is entirely inadequate to the
duties.
invite your special attention to the
Auditor views on the subject Of abolish.
ing the office of Comptroller Of the Treas
ury, and urge that your finance committees
thoroughly investigate the matter. So far
as l am able 10 discover, | can gee no
practical good result from maintaining
this office.
During the early part of the past year,
an unusual degree Of excitement, disorder
and violence prevailed in many parts of
the State; to such an extent did this state
Of lawlessness exist, as to make it neces
ssry to send an armed force to several
points in the State, to maintain the peace.
The points Of greatest alarm and sppre-
hension were in the counties of Holmes
and Montgomery. To a great eztsnt the
causes Of this unhappy condition of affairs
may be attributed to political excitement
and party strife. am most happy to an
nounce, however, that as the day for the
election approached, the passions and pre-
judices Of the people became allsyed and
reason and judgment thus left free to act,
quiet and order throughout the State was
The happy consequence we have seldom,
if ever, had q more quiet and orderly
election. Copies of the several orders,
and other correspondence relating to this
important matter, will be found among the
documents herewith, No. Is.
L will be seen that the main or princi
pal oaute of the difficulty referred to, grew
out Of the effort on the part Of the officers
and sgents Of the National Government,
to enforce upon eur citizens the military
orders Of the President of the United
States; orders deemed necessary by him
to crush out and put down the rebellion
It was claimed, or pretended to be claimed,
by those who resisted or counseled resist
ance to the enforcement of these orders,
Happily for US as q nation and people, We
had enjoyed so many years of peace, that
the questions arising, touching the powers
Of the President when the nation is in war,
had been but little discussed by the present
generation of people, and therefore were
not thoroughly understood by them. The
Constitution had simply declared that
Il the President shall be commender-in-
chief Of the army and navy Of the United
States What q commander-in- chief Of
the army and navy Of a nation might do,
or might OF do, when that nation was at
war to maintain its very existence, the
trainers Of our Constitution wisely omitted
to attempt to define. Issy wisely, for it is
not in the province Of any one nation on
earth to define the authority Of the com
chief of its army and navy
this is the combined work OF all the civil
lied nations; we must therefore study the
laws Of nations to fad out the limit and
extent Of this officers authority. Thus
viewing this question, and believing as
lid, that the several military orders issued
0y the President, or under his authority,
which in any way affected our State or its
citizens, were clearly within his power
and discretion, aud were highly necessary
and proper to maintain cur good govern
ment, most cheerfnlly gave to the duly
constituted authorities Of the National
Government, assigned to duty within our
border, my aid and assistance as Executive
Of the State. It is extremely gratifying
TO be able to believe, that in this exercise
of official duty, have but met the wishes
NJ very large msjOriiy Of the people Of
Ohio.
The financial affairs of the State were
never in better condition. Although we
have advanced, during the past year for
the General Government, in the care of
sick and wounded soldiers, and in the pay
ment Of troops called out to aid in the cap
ture of Morgan and his band, the sum Of
Sl53, 4S6 05, and have reduced our public
debt, by payment from the Treasury, the