The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1838-07-28
PENNSTLTaNIa, IS,


ity Of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
by JOSEPH RITNER, Governor of SAID Com
nlonwealth.
A PROCLAMATION.
The period has arrived when the, series
of mislortunes produced by the injurious
interference Of the National Government
with the Currency of the Country is about
to terminate. Congress having risen with
out sanctioning the attempt to give the Fed
eral Executive the entire control of the Ma
tional wealth, and of the whole amount of
specie in the country, and the consequent
power to effect and WELD to its own purpo-
ses all the capital and credit of the Union !;
and having also imposed certain salutary
restrictions on so much of this power as
had been already arrogated, it is incum-
bent on the Commonwealth af Pennsylva-
MIA to put forth her strength, to quicken
her dormant energies, and to take that
stand in the trade and commerce Of the
Union which unbounded resources, her
vast natural and artificial facilities for their
Development, and the solid and energetic
character of her citizens demand; to de-
piive her of which stand, all the measures
of the National Government have recently
tended.
For the productions of this most desirable
result, the measures first requisite is that an
end be put to certain open infractions of
the spirit of the laws, which have been for
ced upon us by the overbearing necessities
of the times and to restore credit and the
IL IL
stood before their late arrangement was un-
necessarily brought on the people.
|, therefore, by virtue of that enjoinment
of the Constitution which requires the Gov
ernor of the State TO take care that the laws
be faithfully executed, and for the purpose
aforesaid, do require all Banks in this Com
monwealth, on or before the thirteenth day
of August next ensuing the date hereof, to
resume and continue the redemption of their
respective notes, bills and other obligations,
in gold and silver coin, according to the
true intent ard meaning of their charters.
And, for the purpose of aiding those insti-
tutlons in the accomplishment of this lauda-
BILE object, | deem it proper to state, from
the information have obtained, that their
to entitle them to the confidence of llwho
hold their notes, their amount of specie
on hand being largely increased, and of
notes in circulation much diminished since
the suspension of specie payments in May,
1897.
When II is thus cheerfully announced
that the means of the Banks are ample,
and that their conduct has been, through
out the late trying crisis, generally such as
to sustain our already high character for
punctuallity, honesty, and solvency, main
tain and even increase our trade, keep up
the value of property, and prevent the
State from becoming the theatre of panic or
distress, yet shall feel bound, in duty to
the public, to fake all the means in nv
power to compel return to that agency
and responsibility, to their creditors for
which they weIe created. If however, re-
turn be promptly and faithfully made to
that line Of duty, to the laws and to the pub
llc, from which they have been compelled
to depart, .he occurrences OF the last year
will only be recorded in our history as anoth-
er instance ofthe perfect adoption of republi-
can institutions TO the demand of eyery cri-
sis, and will show that common and over
lulng necessity being bowed to by general
consent becomes for the time the law Of the
land. D.,
But to justify such rule of necessity, and
to prevent future evil from its unnecessary
recurrence or unjust CONTINUANCE, il is IN
dlspensably requisite that the instant the
pressure Of circumstances which produced
1t ceases, the empire of the express and or
dlnary law of the land should be restored.
Accordingly, if on the other hand a return
to general, and real redemption in specie.
and withdrawal of all illegal paper money
from circulation do not now take place.
when all admit that it may, with safety and
public benefit, shall hold it my duty, forth
with, TO take all the measures 10 compel il.
which the Constitution and laws have placed
In my power; and at the opening of the
next session of the Legislature, to recon-
mend the passage ofsuch laws as NAV more
efiectually guard the future from the evils of
the past.
And further for the purposes and by vir-
tue OF the enjonment aforesaid, do also
hereby require all persons or bodies corpo-
rate who may have violated the laws of
this State, by the emission and circulation
OF notes of any denomination under that of
hVe dollars, commonly called ushinnlas-