Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-01-09

sisdatstn ~ to n,istopdsc s q U. &. sur.
,esons and other aoxsrnnaent afRcen .ntirr.
" beyond our T sch. or the "a. 0Oo a.
pfopriated It the last session ior exrrdc3.
dinary expenses # the Executive Office and
relief Of sick add wounded soldiers, up to
the close Of the last fiscal term 320SOO
have been expended. Of which $500,
were for claims unpaid under the preccd.
Ing appropriation, leaving the sum VI 4iS,
5SV. undrswn up 70 that date.
ARSENAL.
desire to urge upon your attention the
necessity OF immediately erecting build
ing for the safe eping Of ordnance stores
belonging to the State. and the. preser.
walton VI our military records. Tie last
Gcnefal Assembly appropriated s., 900 fnr
TIE construction Of IN Arsenal ut Des
Moines. aud directed the Adjutant 0eoessl
to commence the buill.ng. provided the
necessary grounds for that purpose could
be procured without expense 70 the State.
The advance in prices 70 far increased TIM.
value Of labor and materials b. yond the
estimate upon which the appropriation was
based, that the Adjutaut General deemed il
advisablc to defer the work Tor the larthe,
consideration OF tue General Assembly.
We nov have under our control about 10
wv Stands of arms aud several pieces II nj
tinery, Desi.es large amount Of ordnance
torres, which Can only be prcscrycd from
by having . suitable building
in which 70 place them. In addition 10 this
the Importance Of = safe depos tory for the
records VI the A,ljutlnt Generals Office
must not bc overlooked. These records
contain the original rolls and AL the docu
'iients Of various kinds per, aiming t. the en-
listment, service and discharge Of Iowa sol.
diers, the destruction Of which would be m
irretrievablc loss to tn. State. We now
bAve none but rented buildings for this pur
pose, costing about 81 wv annus lv. and
*iihout any adequate security against fire.
fre-proof building Of sufficient capaci,y
for all these purposes could be erected nj n
III oderate cos, and it should be done with.
out unnecessary delay.
MILITIA.
Early in the summer Of 1864. General Or.
ders were promulgated rs contcm lated bv
tie law enacted at the last session. for III,
organization vi the State Militia. Hostile
lnuiails on the plains and guerrilla bands il,
Missouri threatening our = uthern a,,u
| North Western borders aud the preparations
! OF u reasonable order in the State to offeI
/ forclble resistance to the Draft, necessituteu
| the distribution u large quantity Of arm.
and ammunition To the NIL TIA In many 10
calities conspiracies wert formed or secur
ing the control Of companies by excluding
| men OF known loyalty, AMI having then
| Commanded ny persons chosen from til,
| trcasonblc organization mentioned
| therefore appointed committees of proml
a.a,i
| assist III the formation OF companies tina
would be loyal and reliable, and 1 also Iii
recied that to such companies only wcr,
commits lions and arms to bc issued. Not
outstanding the opposition in,crposcd L
these precautionary measures, they wer,
| successful in preserving almost uninlerrupt
~ the tranquility of the State
The only serious outrage was pcrpetratet
Ia Poweshiek County, in October, 1864. By
company sty ling themselves Democra
Rangers" Captain John l.. Bashorc ant
Josiah NJ. Wood utf were bruially murdxrc,
by members Of this company, while engage
III the execution Of o. deis from the Proves
Marshal Ut the Fourth District The fact
connected with mis- atro,i us affair ar,
fully set forth in the report Of The Adjutan
General mr 1863, TO which your attention II
respectfully invited.
| Having thus presented you with such mat
tiers as deem most important for Legislative,
consideration, cannot close ihi- commuui
cation without cor graduating you upon III,
activity every here displayed in recuverin.
from all effects Of the recent stru gle fO
, the preservation Of the Union Where il
all history has any nation developed sucl
wonderful energy and power. The for
eigner no now visits our shores will llarll,
discover in tine general Thrift and qnletu,i,
OF the country the traces Of that gigantic
contest which 50 amazed the civilized world
| With no interinissOn IN the exercise OF it.
sovereign authority, either On land or sea
except the brief usurpatihns Of the insurrcc
tiOnary States, or any material diminuti"l
in the vast measure of its foreign commerce
| our cJLntry has continued to advance, in n
the essen, ial elements of national greatness
with a steadiness and rapidty unsurpassed
even during the prrinds OF profound tran
guilty. Terrible and tlondy. beyond al
precedent, rs the conflict WIS. it may moi
under Gods disposing Providence. hav,
been unprOductIve OF wholesome RESULTS
For, notwithstanding the unparalleled ex
pcnditure o. lille and treasure in, urrcd in il
prosecution. and the thousands Of henrtl,
stones made desolatc, the sacrifices Of I'll,
war have intensified the attachment Of III,
American people TO the Government 0
their fathers. and secured the involuntar,
respect Of other nations for tho exalted DUAL
tiles it has developed in our National char
| actcr
| Although unable at this jnncture to ade
quately comprehend the influence Of this ri
ganiic struggle upon the ultimate destiny o
the Republic, yet we may clearly discern
that our gratitude is emf enlly due to ,h,
Divine Ruler Of Nations for graci"usly sus
tanning our Government through its perils
in guiding our armies 10 victory. in preserv
ing the Nationality Of our people. and in Iii.
own good time delivering our land from thu
horrors Of continued war. Deriving wisdom
from the instructive lessons Of the past, LEI
us calmly devote ourselves to the future. re
m"mhering that postcriiy has claim upor
our efforts, and that the great work Of thi.
generation remains 10 he completed
WILLIAM NJ STONE.