Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-01-09
GOVERNOR PACKERS MESSAGE.

|
The Pennsylvania Legislature met Tues
day January 1st. In the Senate, Robert III. Pal
mer, of SchuylkIll county, was elected Speak
er, and Russell Errett, of Pittsburgh, Chiei
Clerk. In the House, E. W. Davis, OF Venan.
60 county, was elected Speaker, and Z. II.
Ranch, of Carbon county, Chief Clerk. W.
A. Nichols, of Mexican, elected one OF
the Transcribing Clerks in the House. On
Wednesday, Gov. Packer sent in his me essage.
The financial condition of the State is repre-
sented to be in good condition-the actual
Indebtedness having been reduced during the
past three years 50, ,236, ,8S2 Is. After calling
attention to the various subjects requiring
the consideration Of the Legislature, he goes
| on to speak Of the condition of the country
| as follows:
The extraordinary and alarming condition of
our national affairs demands your immediate
attention. On the 10th of December last, the
convention of South Carolina, organized un-
der the authority OF the Legislature of that
State, by unanimous vote, declared ssthat
the Union now subsisting between South Car
| olina and the other States, under the name OF
| the United States of America, is hereby dis
| solved !" and the action already taken in sever
! al other southern States indicates, most clear
| ly, their intention to follow this example.
| On behalf of the advocates of secession, it is
claimed, tha. this Union is merely a compact
between the several States composing it, and
that any one OF the States, which may feel ag-
| grieved, may, at its pleasure, declare that it
will no longer be party to the compact.
| This doctrine is clearly erroneous. The con-
sttntion OF the United States is something
| more than a mere compact, or agreement, be-
tween the several States. As applied to ma
&c ,,.nt,
a5rogated at the will of either party respon-
sible to the other party for its bad faith in
fusiDg to keep its engagements, but entirely
irresponsible to any superior tribunal. gov
ernment, on the other hand, whether created
by consent, or by conquest, when clothed with
legislative, judicial and executive powers, is
necessarily in its nature sovereign; and from
this sovereignty flows its right to enforce its
laws and DEGREES by civil process, and, in an
emergency, by its military and naval power.
The government owes protection to the peo-
pie, and they, in turn, owe il their allegiance.
Its laws cannot be violated by its citizens,
without accountability to the tribunals created
to enforce its decrees and to punssh offenders.
Organized resistance to it, is rebellion. If
successful, it may be purged of crime by reyo-
luton. Ii unsuccessful, the persons engaged
IN the rebellion, may be executed as traitors.
The government of the United States, within
the limits assigned to it, is as potential in SOW
ilized world. The Constitution, and laws made
in pursuance thereof, are expressly declared
to be the supreme law of the land. Under the
Constitution, the general government has the
power to raise and support armies, to create
and maintain navy, and to provide for cal
ling forth the militia to execute its laws, sup
press insurrection and repel invasion. Appro-
pirate statutes have been enacted by Con-
gress, to aid in the execution of these impor-
tant governmental powers.
The creation of the Federal Government,
with the powers enumerated in the Constitu-
ton, was the act of the people of the United
States, and it is perfectly immaterial that the
people of the several States acted separately
within the territorial limits of each State. The
form of their action is of no consequence, in
view OF the fact that they created Federal
Government, to which they surrendered GER
tain powers of sovereignty, and declared those
powers, thus surrendered, to be supreme with
out reserving to the States, or to the people,
the right OF secession, notification or other
resistance. 1t is, therefore, clear that there
is no constitutional right of secession. Seces-
sion is only another form Of notification. Eli
ther, when attempted to be carried out by
force, is rebellion, and should be treated as
such, by those whose sworn duty it is TO main
tain the supremacy of the Constitution and
the laws of the United States.
1t is certainly true, that in cases Of great ex-
tremity, when the oppression of government
has become so intolerable that civil war is
preferable to longer submission, there remains
the revolutionary right of resistance but
where the authority of the government is linn |
tied by written Constitution, and each de-
partment is kept in check by the other depart |
ment, it will rarely, if ever, happen that the
citizens may not be adequately protected, |
without resorting to the sacred and inalienable
right to resist and destroy government which |
has been perverted to tyranny.
But, while denying the right of State to |
absolve its citizens from the allegiance which |
they owe to the Federal Government, it is new
ertheless highly proper that We should care
fully and candidly examine the reasons which |
are advanced by those who have advanced a |
determination to destroy the Union of these |
American States, and if it shall appear that |
any of the causes of complaint are well found |
ed, they should be unhesitatingly removed, |
and, as far as possible, reparation made for |
the past, and security given for the future /; |
for it is not to be tolerated, that government |
created by the people, and maintained for /
their benefit, should do injustice to any por- |
tion of its citizens.
After asserting her right to withdraw from
the Union, South Carolina, through her con-
vention, among other reasons, declares that /
she is justified in exercising, at this time.
that right, because several of the States have
for years not only refused to fulfil their /
constitutional obligations but have enacted |
laws either nullifying the Constitution, or rem
dering useless the acts Of Congress relative to /
the surrender of fugitive slaves-that they |
have permitted the open establishment of So
cieties to disturb the peace of other States
that the people Of the -slaveholdng States |
have aided in the escape Of slaves from their /
masters, and have excited to servile insurrec-
tion those that remain-and have announced |
their determination to exclude the South from |
the common territory of the Union. As the |
Representativesioft thepeopIe of Pennsy lvania, |