Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1865-03-30

VI necessity Dy the lmprcssncDt OF prOYls-
ions for that purpose.
The measure adopted to raise revenue,
though liberal in its provisions, being clear
~ inadequate TO meet the arrears Of debt
aud the current expenditures, some degree
OF embarrassment in the management Of the
finances must continue to DC felt 1t is to
be regretted, think, that the recommen-
datiOn Of the Secretary Of the Treasury Of y
tax on agricultural income equal to the aug
mentcd lax on other incomes. payable in
treasury notes, was rejected By Congress.
This tax would have contributed materially
to facilitate the purchase Of provisions and
diminish the necessity now felt for supply
Of coin.
The measures passed by Congress during
the sisson for recruiting the army and sup
plying the additional force needed for the
public defense, have been, in my judgment,
insufficient, and lam impclled by profound
conviction Of duty, and stimulated by sense
Of the perils which surround our country,
to nrge upon you additional legislation on
this subject.
The bill for employing negroes as soldiers
has not yet reached me. though the printed
journals Of your proceedings inform me Of
its passage. Much benefit is ANTICIPATED
from thi, measure. though far less than
would have resulted from its adoption at an
earlier date, 50 as to afford time for their
organization and instruction during the
winter months.
The bill for diminishing the number of
exempt, has just been made the subject Of
special message and its provisions are such
as would add no strength to the army. The
recommendation to abolish all class exemp-
tions has not met your favor, although still
deemed By me a valuable and important
measure; and the number Of men exempted
by u new clause in the act just passed is be-
lieved to bc quite equal to that Of those
whose exemption is revoked. A law Of u
few lines repeating all class exemptions
would not only strengthen the force in the
field, but be more beneficial by abating the
natural discomfort and jealousy created in
the army by the existence Of classes priv
LEGGED by law to remain in places Of safety
while their iellow-citizens are exposed in the
trenches and the field.
The measures most needed, however, at
the present time, for attording an effective
increase to our military strength, is gener-
al militia law, such as the constitution auth
orizes Congress to pass, by granting to il
power ITO provide for organizing, arminG,
and di>cipining the militia. and for govern.
ing such part Of them a9 may be employed
( in the service Of the Confederate States
and the further power Ito provide for calling
( forth the militia to execute the laws of the
Confederate States, suppress Instructions,
and repe invasions.' The necessity for
the exercise of this power can never exist II
not in the circumstances which now surround
us. The security of the states against any
eucroachment by the confederate govern
ment is amply provided by the constitution
by reserving to the states respectively tn,
appointment of the officers, and the author
itv of traiuiug the uIiiitiu according to TIN
discipline prescribed by Congress.
= \ law is needed to prescribe not only hoy
and Of what persons the militia are to h
organized, but to provide the mode of call
ing them out. If instances be required tC
/ show the necessity for such a general law, il
is sufficient to mention that in one case
have been informed by the governor Of 9
state that the law does not permit him tC
call out the militia from one county for ser
vice in another, so that a single brigade oI
the enemy could traverse the state and de
vastate each county in turn without any
/ power on the part of the executive to ust
the military for effective defense while il
another state the executive refused to allow
/ the militia ITO be employed in the service
{ OF the lOnIcicldte DlatcS III lne dpScnct
Of law for tkat purpose.
| | have heretofore, in a confidential mes
sage to the two houses, stated the facts which
induced me to consider it necessary that the
privilege Of the writ of huJeas corpus should
| be suspended. The conviction Of the neces
sitv of this measure has become deeper a,
the events of the struggle have been de
veloped Congress has not concurred will
] in i N tn s1N ba
the time has arrived when the suspension o
the writ is not simply advisable and expedi
ent, but almost indispensable to the success
| full conduct of the war. On Congress mus
rest the responsibility of declining to exer
else a power conferred by the Constitution
as means of public safety to be used il
periods of national peril resulting from for
eign invasion. If our present circumstance
were not such as We're contemplated whel
this power was conferred confess myself a
a loss to imagine any contingency In whicl
this clause of the Constitution will not re
main dead letter.
With the prompt adoption Of the meas
ures above recommended, and the unite
! and hearty cooperation of Congress and tn
people in the execution of the laws and tn
defense of the country, we may enter on tn
coming campaign with cheerful conhdenc
in the result. And who can doubt the col
tinued existence Of that spirit and fOrtltud
of the people, and of that constancy unde
reyerses, which alone are needed to rende
our triumph secure? What other resource
remain available but the undying, uncon
ouerable resolve to be free? 1t has become
certain beyond all doubt or question that W
must continue this struggle to a successful
issue or must make abiect and unconditiou
al submission to such terms as it shall pleas
the conqueror to impose upon us after ou
surrender If possible doubt could exls
after the conference between our comml,
siouers and Mr.. Lincoln, as recently reporte
to you, it would be dispelled by recent o'
currence, of which it is proper that 20
should be informed
Congress will remember that in the COZ
i, ference above referred to, our commissionel
were informed that the government of IL
; United States would not enter into an
= agreement or treaty whatever with the Coz
a federate States, nor with any single state
and the only possible mode Of obtainil
peace was by laying down our arms dlsbal
! ding our forces aud yielding uncondlton
J obedience to the laws OF the United State
: including those passed for the conhscatlc
of our property, and the constitution
amendment for the abolition Of slavery.
> will further be remembered that Mr.. III
! coin declared that the only terms on whit
" hostilities could cease were those stated
a g n ka, lost in W hich u