Year: 1864

tIey clearly comprehend was that they
did not receive their interest They as
sociated this failure with that Of lS4I,
and began to say that there was some
strange fatality attending Indiana Sc


curities, and declared their intention of
sending them hack to America and get
ting clear Of them at once and forever.
Such measure would have given the
State a bad name abroad, seriously af-
fecting emigration to her borders, and
would have been followed by great de-
probation and loss of credit throughout
the United States.


Having presented the list to Messrs
Winslow, Lanier, & Co, they promptly
renewed their offer, and gave public no
tice that they would pay the back inter-
est which fell due in July, and after
wards gave further notice that they
would pay the interest which accrued on
the Ist day of January, 1864, and up to
this time, as | am advised, have paid
out $2S0,000. The noble and generous
conduct of this house should and will
be appreciated by the people of Indiana,
and Mr.. Lanier, in his clear compre-
hension and able management of the
affair, has displayed not only financial
ability but a broad craftsmanship that
should put to the blush the petty and
contemplate management of State off
cials who, for partisan purposes, were
willing TO disgrace the State before the
world


There is another transaction connect
ed with the refusal to pay the interest on
the public debt which must, if possible,
increase the adherence entertained for
it in the public mind. On the - day of
August, Messrs. Ristine and Brett. the
Auditor and Treasurer, advanced to
! Walker, from the State Treasury, the
sum Of $4,000, to be invested by him
in our war-loan bonds or the State stocks
of which have been speaking Messrs. |
Ristine and Brett have also taken from
the Treasury the sum of $4,000, with
which they have purchased Indiana FIVE
percent. stocks, making in all the sum
of 100000 taken from the Treasury for
that purpose We are here presented
with the remarkable spectacle of State
officers deciding that there is no law by
which they can pay the interest on the
State stocks, but finding law to take mo-
ney from the Treasury for the purchase
of the stocks themselves at price de-
preciated by the failure to pay the inter
est In what light must such transac-
tons be viewed among private persons
in the business world? A refuses to pay
his paper at maturity, and then puts the
money in the hands of B to buy it up at
discount Ristine & Co decide that it
is unlawful to pay the interest on our
stocks, but that it is lawful to take mo-
ney from the Treasury to buy up the
stocks themselves, reduced in price by
the failure to pay the interest Surely
the State might have been saved this
last disgracel
STATE PRINTING.
l should fail to present the conduct of
the State officers in its proper light if !
did not allude to their action in regard |
to the State Printer. 1t is difficult to
see upon what legal or moral ground |
they could refuse to advance money for /
the support of the Benevolent Institu-
tions and Penitentiaries, and at the /
same time pay large sums of money to
the State Printer; yet this was the case.
When the Senate Journal of the last day
of the session, Monday, was read, it was /





minutes showed to have been adopted, /
appropriating twelve thousand dollars
for the payment of the State Printer.


The Union members present declared |
/ that no such resolution had been read in
their hearing, and that no quorum was
present to pass that or any other Be
that as it may, it was but the resolution |
of one House. 1t was not law, and !
had no force or validity whatever. I'm
der the himsy pretext of this resolution
warrants were issued to the State Prin-
ter for twelve thousand dollars, on which
he drew the money. When this sum
was exhausted, there was little delay
in the payments, but having become
bolder, and the necessities of the editor
of the Sentinel becoming greater, they
dispensed with all pretext or forms of
law, and paid him large sums of money
from time to time, in all amounting to
about twenty thousand dollars. When
asked to pay for the support of the Be
nevolent Institutions, they plead the ab-
sence of appropriations, and the terrors
of the embezzlement bill. But when
asked to pay the editor of partisan


newspaper, they laughed at the embez-


element bill as good joke, and treated


the plea of no appropriations as clever
thing in its way, but too trifling to inter
fere with the support of the newspaper
organ of the party. am informed that
the Attorney General gave an opinion to


the effect that it was legal to pay the


State Printer. 1 should have been sur


prised if he had not


Right Of the Government tOtOard Rebels


Passing from matters of local or State


interest, the Governor next took up our
national condition, and said:


+ 1t is truth taught alike by reason
: and history, that the more terrible and
? destructive wars are made, the sooner
t they are ended Lingering and pro-
tracted wars are the most terrible calam-
e tiles that can befall nations. Not only
t do they consume the blood aud substance
| of a nation, bnt they are attended with
e a decentralization and dissolution of the
Y framework of society, more dreadful
e than the loss of even blood and treasure.
e Humanity, mercy, and sound policy then
c dictate that war, if it must exist, shall be
4 made terrible and destructive that it may
i soon be ended, and demand that every


legitimate means for that purpose shall
e be promptly employed.


t The power of the enemy may be over
}. come and destroyed in two ways First,
= by destroying or capturing his army in
d the field. Second, by Withdrawing or
e cutting off his resources so that he shall
: not be able to furnish, clothe, feed, or


maintain an army; and where this can
: be done it is quite as efficient as the for
/ mer, and far less costly and bloody to
It both parties. The resources to which L
IF refer consist chiefly in arms and muni-
f lions of war, transportation, food and
e clothing for armies.


of NThe first great step adopted by the
n Government to cut off the resources of