Alexandria Gazette, Commercial And Political

Executive Communication
IN COUNCIL
Annapolis. Dec. 8. 1813. :
Gentlemen—In virtue of a resolve
of the General Assembly. at its May
session, the Treasurer was directed
to borrow 800,000 dollars : the
terms upon which the loan was effected, will appear by the report of
the Treasurer. As soon as the
money was obtained steps were taken
to procure arms, ordnance. and
military stores for the state. and
considerable purchases were made
but owing to the interruption of
intercourse between the states, they
could not all be received in time to be
sent to those parts of Maryland
which are most, exposed to danger.
Soon after the adjournment of the
Legislature, an order was passed
for a return of the public records &
papers to the seat of government ;
but in consequence of the approach
of a considerable naval force of the
enemy, it was found necessary again
to order their removal, and they
were sent to the town of Upper
Marlborough. It has been deemed
expedient to direct, from time to
time a return of such of them as
were necessary for the purpose of
holding the courts ; but the board
has passed no order for the removal
of the rest. and it is submitted to
the legislature what shall be done in
regard to them. It is certainly
much to be desired that the offices
should be kept open for the transac-
tion of business ; but besides the
difficulty of removing the records
from the seat of government in time,
whenever the appearance of the enemy
may require it, there is consi-
derable danger of their being lost
or destroyed by frequent removals.
The legislature will see the neces-
sity of making some further provision
with respect to them. The resolu-
tion of the last session does not make
it a duty of the officers to open their
offices at the place to which their
records are removed, and by con-
fining the authority thereby conferred
upon the Executive to two counties,
it has been found impracticable to
procure the necessary accommoda-
tions for the officers.
The attention of the legislature
will of course be directed to the mi-
nitia system ; in its present state it is
almost a dead letter, and without
power to compel the service of those
who, on any sudden emergency, are
willing to assist in the defence of the
country.—It is not to be expected. that while those who under-
stand the defects of the system, con-
trive to avoid the service. others
will engage in it with cheerfulness
and consent to bear an undue pro-
portion of its burthen and sufferings.
It was not designed by the wise
framers of the constitution. to leave
each member of the union to
defend itself. and after having sur-
rendered to the general government
the most material sources of reve-
nue, it is impracticable for the in-
dividual states to bear the burthen
of any extensive system of defence.
It was, therefore, expressly provid-
ed, that the U. States should pro-
tect each individual state against in-
vation; and the militia or other
force of the latter. was designed to
be employed only on sudden emer-
gencies, and until the national go-
vernment should come to its relief.
If the expences of a war waged by
the national authorities, are to be
borne by the states, it is not difficult
to foresee, that the state treasury
will be soon exhausted, and the an-
nihilation of the state governments
must follow. We had an unques-
tionable right to expect, that in a
war declared by ourselves. the na-
tion would have promptly ordered to
us the protection which the consti-
tution has so solemnly guaranteed
to every member of the union. In-
stead of this, however, we are to de-
plore the ravages and distresses
which have been produced in differ-
ent parts of Maryland, by the in-
cursions of the enemy, and that its
most exposed places have been left
in a defenceless and unprotected si-
tuation. Thus abandoned by the
national authority, and without any
well founded prospect of a speedy
termination of the present disastrous
war, it is for the wisdom of the leg-
islature to devise the means of de-
fence, which, upon any future in-
vation
provision, the state authorities shall afford laws not at least as to be permitted to raise men to the legislature the organization of volunteer corps of infantry. (to be noted) and which would, at this time, be found the most efficient force for the kind of warfare in which we are engaged.

In some places, threatened with invasion, this species of force has been resorted to, under an idea that it was authorized, and because fond capable of affording the most ser-
vice; the pay rolls of those men, when presented to us, we have been under the necessity of rejecting, be-
cause the legislature had refused its sanction to their organization.

We shall also call the attention of the legislature to those clauses of the militia law, which establish the rules and articles of war for the government of the militia, while in actual service: we do not mean to question the propriety of such rigor-
ous rules for the government of a re-
gular army, nor do we mean to say, that the militia, while in service, ought to be subject to no regulation, but we persuade ourselves that the legislature can devise rules for the government of the militia, without depriving them of any of the essen-
tial privileges of free men, and sub-
jecting them, for offences made heinous, to the most cruel and opprobrious punishment.

We take the liberty also of sub-
mitting to the legislature, the pro-
priety of adopting a system of gene-
ral education: no subject, upon which its wisdom can be employed, is of more vital importance, or can have a more imperative claim to its attention. Governments, like those under which we have the happiness to live, depend for their existence & prosperity upon the intelligence and virtue of their citizens: and to place the means of education within the reach of every description of the people, ought to be the primary con-
cern, as it is the unquestionable duty of the legislature of every free state.

It is one among the many causes which ought to be employed in the education of our youth, we still, however, think, that if, in the opinion of the legislature, funds can be spared for the purpose, the work should be at once commenced, and a system matured for the establishment of schools in every part of the state.

The amount of claims for pay and rations of militia, called into service in the course of last summer, alrea-
dy sanctioned by this department, exceeds one hundred and six thou-
sand dollars: a more particular ac-
count cannot, at this time be given, as the board is still acting upon those claims, and many of them are yet to arrive.

For the purchase of arms and mi-
litary stores, orders have been drawn to the amount of sixty nine thousand six hundred and seventy five dollars: but a considerable sum is yet due on this account.

We have the honor to be, With much respect, Your obedient servants, LEV. WINDER.

The Honorable General Assembly of Maryland.