Daily National Intelligencer

KENTUCKY

GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE TO THE LEGISLATURE.

Gentlemen of the Senate And of the House of Representatives.

We meet on the present occasion under auspices much more favorable to our common country, than at any former period. The blessings of peace are again restored to our land, and the abundant productions of our fields, furnish to every part of the state, all the necessaries, and many of the comforts of life; and demand from us our most grateful acknowledgments to him from whom we receive so many blessings.

On former occasions it has been my duty to point out to you the dangers which overhung our country, from a war with one of the most powerful nations of Europe, brought on us by his cupidity, envy and ambition, and which, in its progress, threatened the subversion of our national institutions, and the prostration of our independence.

Under a long sunshine of peace, we had forgotten much of the art of War: Most of those, who in the former war, had stood the battle's brunt, and led us to victory, were in the silent tomb. Of those who remained, age had generally unnerved the vigor of early life: The generation which had sprung up in the meantime, had betaken themselves to the pursuits of civil life. The nature of our government, whose end and object is the general happiness of the whole of the community, rendered us averse to war, and solicitous to avoid, by any honourable means, an appeal to arms. Our forbearance was considered by the enemies of our institutions, as the result of weakness in the government, and the loss of its citizens of that high sense of national honor and love of country, which had once been our distinguished characteristic.

When at last that appeal was made, the eyes of the world were upon us. They considered it as the test of our national character, and the ordeal which was to prove, whether our government was capable of sustaining the shock of external war, aided by internal intrigue. The spirit of the nation which lay dormant, not extinguished, was no sooner roused into action, than it burst upon the heads of our enemies, and struck terror and consternation through their ranks. The haughty grounds taken by our adversary, during a period auspicious to his views, have been abandoned. Terms of peace proffered by our ministers at an early period of the negociation, were finally accepted by our enemy; but not until the negociation had been spun out to see the events of impending campaign, and which terminated highly honorable to the American arms. No longer is our character obscured by our forbearance, and our love of peace. Our brilliant successes at sea, and our splendid victories by land, have placed us on high ground among the nations of the earth.

To secure this standing, and to transmit it unimpaired to our posterity; to avail ourselves of the experience which the late war has given us, by providing against those errors in our policy which it has pointed out; and to cherish and improve the blessings of peace, after the privations of war, is the duty of the whole American family, but more especially of its several legislative bodies.

Toward the attainment of these ends: We should avail ourselves of a period of peace to increase and improve our fortifications; our arsenals; our armies, and every species of military equipment. We should gradually increase our navy, as the increase of population, and the resources of the nation will permit. We should re-organize the militia, and consequent thereon, revise the militia law; and as far as practicable, prevent in future those evasions and delays, in complying with executive requisitions for militia, which were so severely felt during the last war. In short, we should recollect that to be always prepared to resist aggression, is the surest method of escaping it; and that in peace, is the safest and cheapest time to prepare for war.

We should extend the fostering care of government to our infant manufactories: And we should improve and extend our internal navigation and our highways. It is true, that to the national government it more properly belongs to provide for, or give impulse to some of the measures here suggested; but much may be done by the state legislatures, by a frank and liberal co-operation in their part, on subjects connected therewith, or having an influence thereon.

I particularly recommend to your consideration, the propriety of establishing a state Magazine; and making provision by law, for procuring arms, ammunition, camp equipage, &c. sufficient to meet any public emergency.

The navigation of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, by Steam Boats, regularly sailing up and down those waters, afford to our country, a fair prospect of receiving many of our imports upon much cheaper terms than can be obtained by bringing them from the ports of the Eastern States. Should this succeed, it will also be highly advantageous in opening a direct barter of our export produce for our imported goods, thereby saving to the state the commissions and per centages of the intermediate agents and merchants employed in our present circuitous trade.

The experiments which have been made by the steam boats on the western waters, give strong assurances of ultimate success. There has, however, not been a sufficient number of them in operation to enable me to speak with entire confidence. It is believed by many, that a sufficient capital has not yet been employed in that line, to give the experiment a fair trial. I submit to the information which the general assembly will possess in its collective capacity, the determination of the question, and whether it should be left to individual enterprise to ascertain its utility, or whether the state should lend its aid in the undertaking.

Whilst we are reaping the fruits of an honorable peace, we should bear in mind, those brave men, who fell in the war, and whose valor, together with that of their compeers in arms, secured to us that peace. Many of them left wives and children who are dependent upon the bounty of their friends. I therefore, recommend that provision be made by law for the support of the widows, and for the education of the children of the militia of this state, who were killed or died in public service during the late war.

It will also be proper for the general assembly at their first session after the return of peace, to review the laws fixing the salaries of the civil list. Owing to the rapid increase of our population and to other causes, the duties of some of the officers have been much increased, and their salaries will be found inadequate to the services rendered.

No part of the seven thousand dollars appropriated by the act of the last session "to provide camp equipage for the troops destined for Detroit." have been used. I was enabled through the Quarter-Master Department of the general government, to supply what was requisite without any advance from the treasury of the state.

I have also been enabled since the adjournment of the general assembly, to pay from the treasury of the state, to the Bank of Kentucky, the sum of twenty-seven thousand dollars of the money borrowed from it; and I have no doubt the debt may be further diminished in the course of the present session of the general assembly.

I assure you, gentlemen, that I shall derive great satisfaction, in co-operating with you in all your measures which may conduce to the welfare of my fellow-citizens.

In a few months the time for electing a citizen to succeed me in administering the government will arrive. I look forward to that period as the termination of my public course I cannot take my leave of the general assembly without expressing to them the grateful sense I shall always entertain for the favorable light in which my countrymen have viewed my public conduct, and offering to the divine Disposer of all human affairs, my devout acknowledgments for his many favours extended to our country, and my fervent prayers that his protecting arm, may long preside over its destinies.

ISAAC SHELBY.

December 5th, 1815.