Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-02-02
A Courageous and Able Goyernor.

out making the needful appropriations
for carrying on the State government or
raising troops TO meet the calls OF the
general government, owing to the fact
that a majority of the members Were
Democrats and in full sympathy with the
rebellion. They We're not only deter
mined that Indiana should render no
ald6n putting down the rebels, but that
the affairs of the State should be thrown
into disorder and confusion, in order,
probably, to facilitate the designs of the
Knights of the Golden Circle to obtain
control of the State5 The Governor was
thus left without the means of carving
on the various State institutions or
meeting the interest on the State debt.
The emergency was difficult and try
ing one, but Governor Morton proved
himself fully equal TO the occasion, and
by his patriotic and judicious manage
ment the public institutions have been
kept in regular operation. and the credit
of the State has been maintained at
home and abroad.
In his message just delivered to the
new Legislature, Gov. Morton recounts
the obstacles that were thrown in his
way by copperhead officials sand the
means he used to foil their reasonable
Vaccinations. The first dificultyoarose
in regard to the benevolent institutions,
for whose support the copperhead Aud
itor and Treasurer promptly decided no
funds could be drawn from the treas
Ury, because tlJsre were no oappropria-
tons. Yet these same officials did not
hesitate to pay the State printer, al
though Jbere was nos appropriation for
him. In order to keep these institu-
tons and the State penitentiary in OPP
eratiors the Governor made an appeal
for outside help, and was generously
sustained by the officers of various coun-
ties, many private citizens, and one rail
road corporation, who advanced the
needed funds. By judicious manage
mant of the State arsenal which for a
time manufactured small arm ammuni-
tion for the general government, there
by rendering invaluable service to the
national cause, the sum of S7I, $50
(profts) was added to the resources CT
Gov. Morton. There being no FUNDS for
paying the militia of the Sta$e, fire.
quently called out to repel Excursions of
guerrillas from Kentucky, or meeting
the great expense q raising the quotas
Of troops called for from time to time
for the UniCn armies, the Governor OBJ
tanned an advance of S250,000 from
President Lincoln ou4 of an appropria-
ton Of 100000 placed at his disposal
by Congress for general military pur-
poses. OF this sum Sl7l ,661 has been
expended, of which the greater portion,
however, has been reimbursed by the
general government on presentation of
the pay rolls of the Indiana militia for
services rendered in the war. The ad-
vance was not made as a loan to the
State, and constitutes no debt against
it. TheeGovernor recommends that the
whole sum be returned to the national
government.
The next thing which the Governor
had to provide for was the interest on
the State debt. Here the malignant
copperhead spirit Of Democratic officials
H~E9+ ,-e aP~esh- = 40 Attorney Gene
raj denied that there was power to- draw
tlAe money from the Treasury, and the
Treasurer gladly accepted his decision,
Determined that the credit of the State
should not again be injured by a repu-
diation of its obligations, as in the pc
Rod from 1912 to 1846, the Governor at
once took issue on the legal question
involved, but the Supreme Court, the
supple tool of the copperhead Democra-
cy, affirmed the decision OF the Attorney
General, and no money could be drawn
from the Treasury. This decision was
rendered in the face of the fact that the
Constitution Of the State, adopted in
1850, expressly appropriated all the rev.
enue of the State derived from taxation,
after defraying ordinary expenditures, to
the payment of the interest and princi-
pal of the State debt.
The Governor was again thrown on
his own resources. He stated the case
to Winslow, Lanier & Co., New York
bankers, who at once agreed t0 pay the
interest on the bonds, trusting to the
future action of the Indiana Legislature
Tor the reimbursement of the money and
compensation for their trouble. There
being nearly three millions of spurious
bonds atlOat, however, it was necessary
that correct list of tie stockholders
should be furnished these bankers. but
here apprehension again showed it's
cloyen foot, and the State agent, John
c, Walker steadily refused to give such
list or permit one to be made or to
pay the interest in the usual way, upon
his own books, though they agreed to
honor his checks and absolve him from
all personal liabilities for moneys thus
paid. In consequence of this extfaor-
binary conduct the interest of July 1858,
went unpaid; but list of bondholders
was obtained from another source in
November of the same year, and the in
terest then due and subsequent Install
ments have been fully paid. The
amount thus paid out has been $500, 00O
Copperhead plotting has been defeated,
and the honor of de State sustained
Indiana owes a great debt of gratitude
to Governor Morton for his courageous
and patriotic course.-Boston Journal.
SRA FISH IN OUR INLAND LAKES AND
10 st