Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-07-11

triotc instinct Of plain people. They under
stand without an argument that the destroy
ing of the Government which was made by
Washington means 10 good to them. Our
popular Government has often been called
have already settled, the successful establishing
and the successful administering of it. One still
remains. It's successful maintenance against
formidable internal attempt to overthrow it,
1t is now for them to demonstrate to the
world that those who can fairly carry an cleo
tion can also suppress rebellion that bal
lots are the rightful and peaceful successors OF
bullets, and that when ballots have fairly and
constitutionally decided there can be no sue.
cessful appeal back to bullets, that there can
be no successful appeal except to ballot them
selves, at succeeding elections Snch will be
great lesson of peace, teaching men that
what they cannot take by an election neither
can they take it by war. Teaching oil the
folly of being the beginners of a war
Lest there be some uneasiness in the minds
of candid men as to what is to be the course
of the Government toward the Southern States
after the rebellion shall have been suppressed,
the Executive deems it proper to say it will
be his purpose then, as ever to be guided by
the Constitution and the laws, and that he
probably will have no different understanding
OF the powers aud duties of the Federal Gov
ernment relatively to the rights of the States
and the people under the Constitution, than
that expressed in the Inaugural Address
He desires to preserve the Government, that
il may be administered for all as it was ad.
ministered by the men who made it.
loyal citizens everywhere have the right
to claim this of their Gtvernment, and the
Government has 10 right to withhold or neg
lect it. 1t is not preceiVed that in giving it
there is any coercion, any conquest or any
suhiugatiOn in any just sense of these terms.
The Constitution provided and all the States
have excepted the provisions, that the United
States shall guarantee to every State in this
Union Republican form OF government
but if a State may lawfully go out of the
Union, having done so, it may also discard
the Republican form of government, so that
to prevent its going out is an indispe nSable
means to the end maintaining the guarantee
mentioned, and when an eud is lawful and
obligatory, the Indispensable means to it are
also lawful and obligatory.
1t was with the deepest regret that the Exc
cutive found the duty of employing the war pow
ef III ueltHSe vi Ine UONeIuuleHl lOICeu upuh
him he could but perform this duty, or sur
render the existence of the Government. No
compromise by public servants could in this
case be a cure-not that compromises are not
often proper-bnt that no popular Govern
ment can long survive marked precedent
That those who carry an election can onl y save
the Government from immediate destruction
by giving mp the main point upon which the
people gave the election. The people them
selves and not their servants can safely re-
verse their own deliberate decisions
As private citizen the Executive could
not have cansented that these Institutions
shall perish, much less should he, in betrayal
Of 50 vast and so sacred trust as these free
people had confded to him he felt :hat he
had no moral right to shrink, nor even to
count the changes of his own life in what
might follow.
In view of his great responsibility he has
so far done what he has deemed his duty
You will now according to your own judg-
meut perform yours. He sincerely hopes that
your views and your actions may so accord
with his as to assure all faithful citizens who
have been disturbed in their rights of GER
tin and speedy restoration to them under the
Constitution and laws 4; and, having thus cho-
sen our cause without guile aud with pure
purpose, let US renew our trust in God and
90 forward without fear and with manly
hearts ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
July 4, 1861.