Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-05-25
Mortb- CaroliillQ 9tanharb
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
The Honorable,

rhc Honorable,
tho General assembly Of North Carolina:
Since your last adjournment, various ana impor-
ant changes in the situation of our affairs have &C.
,urred and many CT Them require Legislative acton
It your hands.
The late act of Congress comforting power on the
President of the Confederate States, TO impose regu.
atiens and restrictions commerce has given rise
to such system on the part Of the Confederate au
horities, as will cfectuay exclude this State from
importing any further supplies for the army or peo
Die. The port of Wilmington is now more ehsc
tusIIy bockaded from uithin than without The
teyms imposed upon ship owners being such that a
heavy loss is incurred by every voyase-and Cot
the said act provides. )" That nothing
in this act shall he construed to prohibit the Con
federate States or any Of them from importing acy
of the articles herein enumerated on their own &C.
count,"-yet this is so construed by the govern.
men as to compel the States to submit to the same
terms as arc imposed on private parties; and clear
ances arc refused and the guns Of the fortcations
brought to bear upon our own vessels 10 compel
compliance.
Private parties importing supplies for the govern
ment bv contract for enormous profits are not tax
ed by these regulations yet the State OF North Car
DINA, importing almost the same articles Tor the
same purpose, is compelled to submit to them. l
deem it inconsistent with the public interest to refer
lions and the loss which the State will suffer on
both ships and supplies on hand if those regulations
continue in force When this is considered with
the further fact, as hold it that the general gov
eminent has no right to seize one-hal or aHy part
If the interest of sovereign State in the vessels
employed in importing her supplies (this being the
terms to which called upon to submit y or
to impose such regulations as will destroy instead
of regulating commerce. it becomes your province
40, ,nS of tho If opd
respectfully and earnestly recommend that sou do
40. And in case Congress should decline to repeal
OF modify the act, respectfully ask for directions
as to What shall do with the ships and supplies On
hand A detailed statement Of these supplies toge-
ther with account accurate as 1t can be- With
out vouchers for expenditures abroad not yet receiv.
ed, is herewith submitted-together with the report
Of Mr. John White, our special Commissioner to
Europe. In reference to this gentleman, it is due
TO him thst should say, that have every reason
to be pleased with the skill ard fidelity with which
ne performed the duties of his difficult mission A
repor: IF The operations Ct our other Commissioner,
COL D. h. McRae, necessarily incomplete, is also
submitted and WILL believe, be found equally sat.
isfactorY. ard credtablc to him as Commissioner.
In this connection, respectfully ask fer the ap
pointment Of a committee to investigate all matters
appertainiDg to- the blockade running Of the State,
to be appointed at an eslly day, so to report to
your present session if possible No appropriation
has been made by your honorable body to pay the
current expenses of the vessels engaged in running
the blockade and will be necessary, all these
expenses can be paid by selling bills drawn On our
agent in England as being incurred IN Wilmington
chiefly for the expenses connected with the loading
and unloading vessels, COMPRISING cotton, &c. And
they can be discharged in currency. would sug
gest that you authorize the Treasurer to purchase
these bills out of any money in the treasury, and
thus keep the sterling exchange in the treasury
which otherwise would have to be put Oh the gen.
eral market, and be lost to the State.
Being convinced from experience that the legiti-
mate business of my Office, now four-fold greater
than formerly is sufficient to tax all NY energies Of
mind and body and that cannot do justice to the
interest Of the State in business so complicated
as many of the transactions arc carried on at
such distance, respectfully recommend that a
commission of one or more gentlemen, skilled in
such business, be appointed to conduct the future
operations of the State in importing supplies wheth
er for the purpose of continuing the operations or
winding up the business.
A report of the Adjutant General covering reports
of his slbordinstcs in the different departments is
herewith submitted.
The impresslnens Of property of citizens by off,
GERS and agents Of the Confederate Government,
harsh enough in itself, has become, doubly SO, by
the constant disregard of the provision Of the Law
regulating seizures. In addition TO this, the Ga.
grsut outrages committed, in every part of the
~country by struggling soldiors and other persons
in the Confederate service, having no shadow of
authority to impress property, has become griev-
ance almost intolerable. A recital Of many in.
stances Of such, which have been brot my
knowledge, would shock the neral Sc Ylgf the
most heaItless.
have urged in vain upon the authorities The
Confederacy to check this evil, and have used
every possible efforts to do so myself But it seems
to grow worse, ard as the supplies of our people
become mere scant they feel more sensibly thit
unjust deprivation Of their property, which reduce:
them almost to the verge of starvation. Il mus
lie stopped, if possible, and earnestly recommeu1
such action on your part rs you may think beg
calculated to aid me in rcmedying the evil Ny
correspondence with the War Department on th!
subject is submitted fer your consideration. l De
sire to call your attention specially to certain
mens Of the last Congress Of the Confederate States
Among them is one extending the age of conscrip
ton from - to q and fro9 45 to so years, wbicl
force is 10 be organized State reserve-thei
company officers to be elected and the field officer
appointed by the President, and all to be under hi
command.
In addition TO the great injury to be apprehende
to the agricultural interest of tho country, shout
these men &c ordered into actual SERVICE have
remind to you that it will absorb the entire mti
IOTCo CT lQe Statc, anu WOuu leagc the ExeCutlV
with no force whatsoever except State officers
condition dangerous at once to the peace aud orde
of the State and to its sovereignty and di entity.
Their can scarcely be doubt Of tho lnexpedienc
Of this act as to this State since the same mel
with the exception OF boys from II to IS are no7
very thoroughly organized as Home Guards unde
State authority, and have been heretofore and woul
be again promptly turned out in cases of gre.
public danger. Grave doubts are also entertaine
Of its cohstitutionality the forces raised under i
being to all rten,s and purposes militia, the con
troll Of which cannot be legally taken from the Ex
ecutive Of the State Government least so fur a
the appointment and commissioning of officers il
concerned. Should you, however, In the absenc
Of Judicial decision as to the consti,u,onality 0
the act, decline to take the Responsibility of refus
ing assent tc it. there will be indispensable ne
eessity Of your constituting some militia for TIL
preservation of Law and order in the Stately ex
tending the age Of service in the militia and b,
some pew organization Of the remnants Of th
Militia and Home Guard organizations; otherwise