Thomas Kirker 1807 State of the State Address

              (    !«   )
ihe senate, a communication in writing1, containing sundry chcld*
lures, Which he handed in ul the clerk's table, where the same were
read as follows*
Gentlemen of the senate and house of refirc»entativeit%
Callkd to discharge the executive functions, in consequence
of the resignation of the late governor, it becomes my duly to lay
before you, such information as has come to my knowledge, relative
to the state of the government, and to recommend lo your con.[deration* the adoption of such measures as shall be deemed expedient
for the well-ordering of our own internal police, and the protection,
peace and prosperity of that government of which wc forma com4
ponent part-
Shortly after I entered on the discharge of my official duties, a
communication was received from the secretary of the war depart*
ment, under the direction of the president of the United States, requiring the organization of a detachment of the militia of ibis stale,
amounting to two thousand four hundred and forty-three effective
nun. Orders were immediately issued, and every exertion wiihiii
the province of the executive, made to comply with this requisition.
It is, hovv.vc:, with regret I inform you, that owing principally to the
defects in our militia system, with perhaps some want of exertion oil
the part of some of the officers to whom orders were issued, (and
even this may be said to grow out of the defects of the militia law)
that the returns have not as yet all been received at the office of the
adj itant-general; this leads me most earnestly to recommend toyour
early attention and examination of the act, for disciplining the mi"(
Btttt*
The limits intended for this communication, will not justify a
detail of the defects of the before recited act. 13ut coming gentlemen as yew do, from every part of the state, and from amongst
our fellow-citizens who have been practising on this system under
the before recited call for a detachment of the militia of this state,
the defects and difficulties consequent thereon, have doubtless present-"
ed themselves to your minds, and you will thereby be enabled to up-
. ply the remedy.
The circumstances which occasioned fhe call for a detachment of
the miliiiaof this state, and which produced the moat lively sensations
in the breastsof our fellow-citizens throughout every part of the union,
must be fresh In your recollection.
From the stand which the state of Ohio already occupies among
her sister states, it will be expected that the same patriotism and
promptitude which she has heretofore exhibited, will not be wanting, in the event of a struggle, to vindicate the rights and maintain
the liberties of our country.
It will be recollected, that antecedent to the last session of the
legislature, a majority cf the judges of the court of common pleas,
for Jefferson and Belmont counties, in the third circuit, decided that
part of the act, entitled " an act, defining the duties of justices of the