Year: 1864

Gentlemen Of The Senate


and Honse Of Representatives.


In compliance with the provision of our
Constitutions which requires the Governor
to Communicate to the General Assembly
the condition of the State, and recommend
such measures us he may deem expedicnt,
/ address you


The condition of my health for the past
few weeks, and my present indisposition,
will account for the brevity of the commu-
nication.


Your well known character for Intelligence
and experience as legislators makes it nee
essary, only, that you be put in possession
of the true condition of the affairs of the
State, to enable you to adopt such legisla
ton as the welfare of our common consti-
tuition demands.


The past year has been one of severe la
Dor to all concerned in the administration of
the Government and l take pleasure in
bearing testimony to the faithful and vigi-
liant manner in which the Auditor of State,
Treasurer of State, Secretary of State,
Comptroller of the Treasury, Superintend-
eDt of the State House, Superintendent of
Public Printing, and the Librarian, have
severally performed their respective duties.
| regret that / cannot include the Attorney
General and the former Commissioner of
Common Schools in this commentator.
The School Commissioner, fortunately for
the State, resigned his office on the llth
day of November, and his place is now
filed by highly competent and worthy
man.


The duties of the Executive are so ardu-
GUS AS to command every moment of his
time. To demonstrate this, it is sufficient
to refer Sou to the note of Private Secreta-
ry Hoffman, herewith, giving somewhat
detailed statement of the labors of the Of
flee. In view of the increased labors thrown
upon this department, also upon the depart
mcnts of the Auditor and Treasurer of
State consequent upon the war, added to
: the fact that the expenses of living in this
city have greatly increased within the past
two years, | recommend an increase of the
salaries Of these officers. This increase
should not he less than fifty per cent; and
to secure the benefits OF such increase to the
incoming officers, immediate action, during
the first week Of your session, is necessary,
as the Constitution forbids the increase OF
the salaries ofany ofthe State officers during
the term for which they are elected. ! am
aware that the people of Ohio have never
favored high salaries to their public officers;
but ] also well know that they will cheerful
ly sustain us in fixing such rate of compen.
: sation as will enable those in moderate pc
cunlary circumstances to accept positions o.
high trust and confidence | also renew my
recommendation of last year for a proper
increase of the salary of the Superintend
ent of Public Printing. The duties of thi,
office are highly important to the State
and have materially increased within the
past year. The present rate of compensa
, ton is entirely inadequate to the duties.
g Invite your special attention to the Au
ditor views ON the subject of abolishinl
the Office of Comptroller of the Treasury
n thoroughly investigate the matter SO fal
as am able to discover, l can see no prac
tica good resulting from maintaing this Of
fee.


During the early part of the past year,
. an unusual degree of excitement. disorder
I; and violence prevailed in many parts of the
q q State to such an extent did this state OF
lawlessness exist, as to make it necessary tc
: send an armed force to several points in the
State to maintain the peace The points
;, of greatest alarm and apprehension were in
d the counties of Holmes and Montgomery
# TO a great extent, the causes Of this un-
5 happy condition of affairs may be attribu
Q ted to political excitement and party strife


] am most happy to announce, however
that, as the day Of election approached, tn,
passions and preiudices of the people be
, came allayed; and reason and Judgment thu,
i left free to act, quiet and order Throughout


the State was the happy consequence We
have seldom, if ever, had a more quiet or
derly election. Copies of the several or
J, ders, and other correspondence relating tC
this important matter will be found anon.
the documents herewith, No. l3.


. 1t will be seen that the main or principa
cause of the difficulty referred to, grew on


of an effort ON the part of the officers anC
agents of the National Government, to en-


force upon our citizens the military order
,. of the President of the United States or
ders deemed necessary by him to crush on
and put down the rebellion. 1t was claim
ed, or pretended to be claimed by thos
J, who resisted or counseled resistance to thes,
orders, that they were unconstitutional ant


void. Happily for us as a nation and pco
c. pie, we had enjoyed so many years ofpeace


that the questions arising, touching tn


in war, had been but little discussed by tn


were not thoroughly understood by them


The Constitution had simply declared tina


9 the President shall be commander-ir


chief of the army and navy of the Unite


States" What cOmmander-in c


the army and navy of a nation might do, O
!, might not do, when that nation was at wa


to maintain its very existt nee, the framer
of our Constitution wisely omitted to at
&C. tempt to define. l say wisely, for it is no


in the province of any one nation on cart


to define the authority of the commander
= in-chief of its army and navy this is tn


combined work of all the civilized nations


we must therefore study the laws Of nation
:. to find out the limit and extent of this off
} cer's S authority. Thus viewing this ques


ton, and believing, as | did, that the sev
eral military orders issued by the President
or under his authority, which in any wa
!. affected our State or its citizens, were cleai
y ly within his power and discretion, wer
ui highly necessary and proper to maintain on


good Government, most chcerfully gay
= the duly constituted authorities of the Ma
4 tional Government, assigned to duty with
" in our borders, my aid and assistance a


Executive of the State. 1t is extremel


gratifying to be able to believe, that in thi


exercise of official duty, have but met tn
Id wishes of very large majority of the pee
rs ,e pie of Ohio.


of The financial affairs of the State wer
i'd never in better condition. Although W


have advanced during the past year, for tn
Is General Government, in the care of sic


and wounded soldiers, and in the paymer


of troops called out to aid in the capture


Morgan and his band, the sum of $l53
II L.,., !