The Portland daily press., 1869-01-09
THE, PRESS.
Saturday Morning, January 9, 1869.
The Governors Addr ess.

Governor Chamberlain's last address is not
his best. He has been in ill-health recently,
it seems, and probably has not been able to
give it that attention which he otherwise
might We do not miss any of the graces of
style and felicity of expression which, as char
acteristics of other official papers and public
addresses, have given our Governor a wider
and more envable reputation as literary
man than is possessed by the executive of any
other State, and have already made him ia
vorite on the lecture platform. The thing that
it observable in his third address, distinguish
ing it from those that have preceded it, is an
argumentative, and, we might say, controver-
sial TONGA disposition to pass over many i'm
portant aspects of State affairs hurriedly,
while s0ecial questions in which his personal
feeling is enlisted, are given undue prominence.
We miss something of the broad views oil State
policy, the generous enthusiasm and the dis
in terested spirit that made his first address
one OF the most delightful papers that ever
came from an official pen.
However, we have no disposition to indulge
in a captious criticism of the fal ewell address
(for our governors have not yet adopted the
practice of taking leave of the people at the
close of their administrator of the gallant
soldier who now begins the third and last year
of bis administration. We most heartily re-
| greet to find that the criticism of his course in
| issuing warrant for the execution of the
| death penalty has so excited his antagonism
| that he now goes the whole length of justify.
ing and approving capital punishment as
wise feature of criminal codes. Remark
might be made on his extraordinary delay in
| promulgating these views till he is ready to
| announce bis voluntary retirement from the
Office which he holds. It might be shown, too,
| that his arguments on this subject are to the
| last degree sophistical and inconseuuential
| But the whole subject is now formally brought
| to the attention of the Legislature and any
further controversy about it until the action of
that body woull be useless. Harris is to be
executed on the 9Th OF February unless the
general court affords him protection from the
halter, but we have no doubt that the peoples
| representatives will postpone indefinitely a
deliberate return to barbarism.
The suggestions of Gen. Chamberlain in
reference to temperance legislation will be re-
ceved with Disappointing mt by persons whose
feelings are interested on either side OF the
controversy. The one distinct avowal of opip-
ion made by the Governor is that State po-
lice force is not required by the ex'gencies of
the situation. He is in favor of prohibition.
but suggests no method of enforcing he stat
utes on that subject, in lieu of the means to
which he is unwilling to have recourse.
The financial condition of the State, as pre-
sented by the Governor, is only less favorable
than hot nf 10
paid off their entire war debt. The payment
of $37 900 during the year leaves only little
more than five millions outstanding-a sum
which seems insignificant when it is remem-
bered that The city of Boston alone. with a
third of our population, has debt hearty four
times as great as our own, while the State of
Massachusetts, has debt, six times as large as
ours, which has increased four millions and
half within three years. There is every reason
for the people of Maine to congratulate them
selves on the rigid economy with which their
State government is conducted. Salaries are
moderate, appropriations are made cautiously
the lobby is a negative quantity, and "jobs"
rarely meet with any success at Augusta The
prospect for the future is fa,tering. The
equalization of municipal war debts, while it
relieves towns oil burden that in some cases is
almost uncomfortable, adds only an ininitissi.
NAL to the State tax.
There are several subjects of which the Gov
ernors treatment is worthy of the spirit that ac-
tuated him in the earlier days of his admins
tr2tion. His genuine and hearty enthusiasm
for the industrial and commercial develop
ment of State, his interest in educational
reform and the promotion OF agricultural in
dustry and his earnest desire to check the en-
igration of the young men of Maine are
worthy of all praise