Year: 1864

be fixed, and I would prefer to see it four
mills. The patriotic people of the State
will cheerfully pay it, and justify you for
imposing it. The act should also require
County Commissioners to collect reports
of disbursements from township and ward
Trustees, and communicate their aggre-
gates annually to the Auditor of State.


Our State has heretofore flledher quota
in the armies by volunteering. In ad-
dition to this, We have several thousand
men in the service Of West Virginia, Ken
lucky and Indiana, for which we can not
have credit in our allotments. Hopes are
entertained that we will be able to fill
the reeentcall, without resorting to draft.


The conduct of our officers and men in
the field has been highly creditable to
themselves and honorable to the State.
Upon every battlefield they have won high
encomiums for cool and steady courage,
prompt obedience, and deeds of noble dar-
ing. They are bright jewels in the crown
Of the State; and while we wear them
with pride, we should cherish them with
affection.


During the past year steady and efec-
tive Advancement has baen made in the
prosecution Of the war. We have repos-
sessed ourselves of a large amount Of the
reYolted territory, and the triumphs Of
our arms and policy that have strength
ened US, have materially weekend our ad.
versaries. Present events indicate very
strongly that the end of the rebellion is
rapidly approaching The contest has
been fierce and sanguinary, and has been
protracted beyond the expectations of our
people. But on the other hand it is to be
remembered that it was precipitated upon
US under every possible disadvantage. On
the part of the rebel leaders it was not
only coolly and deliberately planued, but
years we're spent, while they we're still in
the councils and even control of our Gov
ernment, in preparing for it. They even
exercised this control to disal m Us, in
great measure, of men and material for
conflict. They trained and educated their
people for it, by filling them with hatred
of the people of the Northern States, and
ourrepublioan form of Government They
anticipated much, no doubt, from the sup
posed weakness of our Government to pro-
tect itself from such an assault, on the
one hand and from political co cooperation
in the Northern States, on the other,
They brought about, by their management,
the necessity of what they termed "sec-
tional election" of President, and then
seized upon that as a pretext to put in
practice what they assumed to be the right
of "peaceable secession" They under
took the revolution of the Government,
but prepared for, and eventually adopted
the alternative of armed rebellion. We
were not prepared for the first onset. We
had armies to gather, and arms and NUM-
tions to provide for them a navy to col
lect, whence rebel leaders, while in power,
had scattered it, and equipped it for the
strife and it was only with the lapse Of
time that we realize the magnitude and
strength of the rebellion, and the elabo-
rate and effectual means that the leaders
had taken for its prosecution and success.
When all these things are carefully con-
sidered, our people should not be sur
prised at the duration of the conflict, or
the cost of blood and treasure it has in
Yolved.


By no act of wrong OF oppression did
the people of the Northern States provoke
this rebellion. It has no warrant of JUS
tifcation whatever. We have infringed
upon no right guaranteed to them by the
Constitution Of the land We had as
sented to all the compromises they pre-
sented to US, and kept our faith, while
they violated, repealed, or destroyed them
at pleasure. While the great mass of our
people, of both political rites, refrained
from interfering with their " peculiar in
stitutions," we first family protested, and
then more resOlutely declared against its
being made an engine Of political power,
and, for this purpose, extended over ter
ritory that otherwise should be free. We
urged the Southern people to confne that
Hinstitution within its existing limits,
and take with it all the guarantees the ma
ton could give for its quiet and peaceable
enjoyment; but we could not consent
that the blighting influence Of slavery
should be spread over free territory, merely
to create slaYe States, in order to preserve
" the balance Of political power" For this
check to theiF political ambition, the lead
ers inaugurated this gigantic rebellion
and large portion of their people took
upon themselves its consequences, in an
armed attempt to destroy government
under which they had been prosperous and
happy-to dissolve Union of States that
had been their protection and strength
without contemplating the possibility of
failure, or the fact that success must i'm
poverish rather than benefit their cOndi-
ton


According to the magnitude of this re-
bellion, the result of a restoration IF our
Government and Union, will be potent IN
its influence, not only upon ourselves, but
the civilized world. It involves the
question of mans capacity for sef-govern-
ment. The issue is on trial, whether
government resting solely with the people,
and controle led by delegated powers, pos
sesses the elem nts of strength and unity
to protect itself and assert It's sovereignty
in such an en- rgeucy as a great reEoIu-
ton or rebellion inaugurated among por-
ton Of its own people for its destruction.
When this fact shall be demonstrated, as
the loyalty of the great mass Of our peo-
pie gives unmistakable evi Ience that it
will BE-, it establishes At once the stability
# our form of Government-it vindicates
the integrity and intelligence of our peo-
ple-it will stand forth as a warning to
future attempts at rebelIion-whiIe it will
constitute a page in history that the patriot
and phianthropist OF other lands may con-