Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1861-01-11

mence0 and prosecuted under his auspieaes 12G
| resulted in great advantages 10 tho Library,
and deserves the continued countenance of the
Legislature. The increase of the Library, AZ
a comparatively small expense to the State, has
been such, that il Bow needs enlarged aceom~
nodstions for the safe keeping of che volumes,
and, il the increase continues, will soon re-
quire a separate building for its excl1siys
! use.
| The reports Of the State Treasurer, the AM
ditor General, the Surveyor General, the Ad-
jutant General, and the Attorney General, viii
inform you, in detail, of the operations OF the
government, as presented BY those several de-
partments, for the last fiscal gear. They are
entitled to the attentive consideration Of the
Legislature.
Soon after my naugurstiOp, upon the recon-
mendation of my predecessor iu Office, dwell
1 ling house was purchased in this city for the
residence of the Governor of this Common
wealth. The purchase included several arti-
cles of heavy furniture, then in the building,
and small appropriation would complete the
necessary furnishing o. the house, so as to
make it 6t and convenient residence for the
/ incoming executive. cheerfully recommend
| she immediate passage of bill making suit
able appropriation sor this purpose.
| The extraordinary and alarming condition Of
our national affairs demands your immediate
attention. On the twentieth of December last,
the Convention of South Carolina, organized
under the authority Of the Legislature OF that
State, BY unanimous vote, declared sathat the
union now subsis ting between South CarolinR
and the other States, under tho name OF the
United States of America, Is hereby 2issolv-
ed" aud the action already taken in several
other States indicates, most clearly, their in
tention to follow this example.
On behalf of she advocates of secession, 10
is claimed that this Union is merely compass
between the several States composing ii, aud
that any one Of the States, which may feel sg-
grievci, may, at its pleasure, declare that il
will no longer be party to the compact. This
doctrine is clearly erroneous. The CoEstisu-
tion Of the United States 10 something more
than mere compact, or agreement, between
the several States. As applied 10 nations,
compact 10 bat treaty, whlch may be abrUga
ted at the will Of either party; responsible to
the other party for its bad faith in refusing TO
keep its engagements, but entirely irrespousi-
bic TO any superior tribunal. 4 government,
on the other hand, whether created by consent,
or by conquest, when clothed With Legislative.
judicial and executive powers, is necessarily
IN It's nature sovereign; and from this sovar.
eigoiy flows its right to enforce Its laws and .
deerees by civil process, aud, in an emergency,
by It's military aud naval power. The govern
rnent owes protection TO the people, and they,
in turn, owe it their allegiance.
Its laws cannot be violated by its citizens,
without accountability to the tribunals created
TO enforce its dserees aud to punish offenders.
Organized resistance to it is rebellion II
successful, it may be purgsd Of crime b. rev
olution. II unsuccessful, the persons engaged
| IN the rebellion, may te executed as traitors.
The government of the United States, within
the limits assigned to il, is as potential in
sovereignty, as any other government in the
| civilized world. The Constitution and Laws
made in pursuance thereof, are expressly de-
clared to be the supreme Law OF the land
Under tbs Constitution. the general govern
| neps has the power to raise and suppors
armies, to create and maintain a navy, and 20
provide for calling forth the militia to execute
its laws, suppress insurrsction aud repel in.
vasion. Appropriate statutes have been 60.
| acted by Congress, to aid in the execution Of
| these important governmental powers.
The creation Of the Fsdersl Governments
| with the powers enumerated in the Constitu-
ton, WAS the act Of the people of the United
S,stes, and it is perfectly immaterial that the
people Of the several States acted separatelV
within the territorial limits Of each State
The form OF their action is of no consequence.
in view of the fact that they created O Fed
eral Government, to which they surrendered
certain powers OF sovereignty, aud declared
! those powers, thus surrendered, TO be supreme
without reserying to the States, or to ths
people, :he right Of secession, nnlli6cEtlon or
other resistance. 1t is, therefore, clear that
there is no constitutional righ, of secession.
Secession Is oGly another form of notification.
Either when attempted 20 be carried out b9
force, Is rebellion, and should be treated an
such. By those whose sworn duty ii il 10 main
tain the supremacy Of the Constitution ard
laws Of the United States.
1t is certainly true, that in cases OF great
extremity, when the oppression Of goycInnehi
has become 60 intolerabls that civil war 10
preferable to lenger submission, there remains
the revolutionary right of resistance; bas
where the authority Of the government 10 limit
cd by . written Constitution, and saoh depart.
nent is held IN check by the other departments,
il will raiely, if ever, happen that the eitisen
may not DO adequately protected, without ra-
sorting 20 the sacred and inalienahle righf la
resist and destroy government which has heen
perverted TO tyranny.
bat, while denying sae right Of State 20
absolye its citizens from the sllegiauce which
they owe to the Federal Government, il is nev.
erthelsss highly proper thai We should carefully
and eAndidiy examine the reasons which are
advanced BY those who have evincsd deter
minstion TO destroy tbe Union Of theaa Aneri-
can States and if il shall appear shaiaaf oi
tho causes Of complaint are well fouD1sds lheg
should be aDheailntingly removed, and, 80 Tin
mo possible, rsPnratioD made for che past, aud