Year: 1863

absence of some definite plan for meeting Its


expenses, did not justify the attempt to put


the system in operation. l have, Tor these
reasons, deferred any action upon the subject


until the re-assembling of the Legislature


when the whole matter could be brought to Its


consideration and proper disposition made


of it. To this end invoke to II your calm de-
! liberation. hes.
| The State Guard law is, in my judgment,
one of the most perfect acts of the kind to be
! found in any system designed to make reilapie
| soldiers out of undisciplined militia. 1t was,
matured by military men of experience and
ability, and combines all the excellencies OF


the militia systems of our sister States, reliev-


ed of their defects, together with such lm-.
provements as the experience and observation


Of those who framed it enabled them to sug-


gest do not therefore, hesitate to commend


it as the perfection of militia systems; ana, II


ever put in successful operation in Kentucky,


l am confident it will prove as complete


protection to her against external and internal


violence as could be devised. As before re-


marked. however, it is system that VII! IN
volve heavy expenditure, and when fully IN


operation will necessitate tax OF fully one
and quarter per cent. in addition to that now


paid for revenue and educational purpose
submit it to you, however, whether it would
not be better that we should incur even this or
! a greater amount of taxation, if thereby the
repose and safety of the State are secured, than
| to be subjected, as at present, to continual


raids from and depredations by lawless and


abandoned men. In other words, whether it


would not be better to expend portion of our


means to secure the remainder, than to have


the whole destroyed, or even subjected to the
risk o destruction. - ...-.. .-..... ...- .
refer you to the reports of the Adjutant
General and Quartermaster General for full


information in regard to their respective de-


partments. 1t will be seen by the Adjutant


General report that Kentucky has signalized


her devotion to the Union by sending into the


field for its defense upwards of forty -four


thousand of her brave and gallant sons; and


she has not vet ceased to respond to the demands


upon her in the way of recruits for the mill


tary service When it is borne in mind that,
| from the operation of various causes, the pop


ulation of the State is now, as it has been from
| its inauguration, to a considerable extent


divided in reference to the rebellion, the quo
| ia she has contributed to the grand army of
! the Union may Justly be claimed as placing


her among the fore most of those of her sister


States who have signalized their devotion to


our noble Constitutional Union. Kentucky
/ has ever been true and loyal to- the Govern
4 ment of our fathers; the nation has never been
involved in difficulty or danger that she has


not promptly responded to calls upon her man
i illness and patriotism; the blood of her sons


enriches the soil of every battle field upon
which blood has been split and death defed


in defense ofour National rights and honor;
and when the history of the present wal for
the preservation ofthe Union and maintenance
I of the Constitution comes to be written, no
] prouder more enduring monument of her
patriotic devotion to the cause of constitution


al freedom will be exhibited in all the glorious


record of her past fame.


While the regular progress of the cause of
1 common school education in the State has,
| like that of every other interest, been some
| - ~ 4Io ,,4,, bo1


ton of the Commonwealth for the past year,


am gratifed to be able to say that the wisdom


of the provisions made for it years ago by


your predecessors, is being constantly made


more manifest The reportof the Superinten
dent of Public Instruction will inform you
! fully of the condition of that deeply important


and interesting State interest, and l beg to


commit it toyour consideration. @


An act was passed by Congress atits last.ses


sion, and became a law by the approval of the


President on the I'd day of July last, making


a donation of public lands to the several States


and Territories which may provide colleges
for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic


arts By this act it is proposed to donate to
Il such States as may accept its provisions with


in two years from the date of its approval by
I the President an amount Of land equal to thir-
ty thousand acres for each Senator and Repre-


sentative in Congress, apportioned according


to the census of 1885, and in the event that
there is not the quantity of lands within the
! State, subject to sale at private entry at one
! dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, land
RI scrip to the amount of such States distribu
tive share is to be issued in lieu thereof which
: scrip NAV be sold, and the proceeds Thereof
applied to the foundation of at least one col
:, lege in the State, whose leading object shal
be, without excluding other scientific anc
, classical studies, and Including military tao
tics to teach such branches of learning as are
: related to agriculture and the mechanic arts
-, in such manner as the Legislatures of tn,
9 States may respectively prescribe, in order tt
: promote the liberal and practical education o
the industrial classes in the several pursuit


and professions in life" 1t is further provi
/ ded, that each State accepting the provision
of the act shall, within five years, provide a
u least one college for the purposes indicated
. Without going into further details in regar


to this benefcent provision of the general GOV
=. ernment for the promotion of the great educf
- tional and industrial interests of the country


l will simply refer you to the act itself, an
= commend the subject to your faithful eonsit
\ GRAFTON. You understand too we'll the vita
= Importance of fostering and promoting thes
: great interests to require commendation {
= them from me. The substantial wealth {
the Commonwealth, as well as its true glory
! depends so much upon education, agriculture
= and the mechanic arts, that they should col
70 stitute especial subjects of attention at a
= times by the eplighted representatives OF th
= people, and doubt not it will be cohsohal
= with your disposition as well as your Juas
~ ment to respond With -cheertnlness an
! i promptitude to this generous iprouer OF alo
i their behalf by the common government


nation ever became truly great that did N
-. ,aonla and annrfTraoa fnSter an