North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1863-09-30

inst, is specific demand for State defence.
You will be mustered INTO the service
of the State he says, for the period If nine
ty days but will be required to serve only
so much of the period of the muster as the
safety of our people and honor of our States
may require
"There ought to be such an instant upris-
ing of young men, in response to this call, as
shall be sufficlen; to assure the public safety,
and to teach the world that no hostile foot
can, with impunity, tread the soil of Penn
sylvania.
" | am, very truly, yours,
"GEoRGE w. WOODWARD.
"Phladelphia June 20, 1862"
And again-and let US mark vel his senti,
ments-they come to US from the BencE
which he adorns by ais independence, dignity
and ability. In his decision affirming the
constitutonality of the soldiers stay law,
which protected their property during their
term of service, and thirty days after, from
executions issued by superlatively "loyaI'
creditors, he says
"Yet it is impossible to separate this
question of reasonableness from the actual
circumstances in which the country found
itself at the date of the law. Eleven States
had seeded or revolted from the Federal Tn
| ion, and had set up an independent Govern
ment within the jurisdiction of the Constitu-
| zion Of the United States, and armed possess
ion had been taken of forts, and arsenals,
custom-houses, navy yards and other proper
| ty of the United States within the boundaries
of the revolted States. IN the Judgment of
| the president and Congress, who were the
| IL. 4 IL ~,
| qulred an immense increase of the army and
navy, and the active employment OF both OF
these strong arms to subdue the rebellion
and restore the Union. Accordingly, Con
gress authorized the President to accept vol
unteers, and to call upon the States for their
militia. He did both, and a vast army has
| been in the field for many months.
" Now if stay of execution for three years
would not be tolerated in ordinary times, did
not these circumstances constitute an eIaer-
gency that justified the pushing of legislation
| to the EXTREMIST limit of the constitution
| No citizen could be blamed for volunteering.
| lie was invoked to do so by appeals as
| strong as his love of country. In the nature
of things there is nothing unreasonable in eX-
| empting soldiers property whilst he Is ao-
sent from home battling for the supremacy
of the Constitution and the integrity OF the
Union. And when he has not run before he
was sent, but has yielded himself up to the
call of his country, his selfsaclifcing patriot
ism pleads, trumpet et-tongued, for all the in
dulcence from his creditors which the Legis
Iature hare power to grant. If the term of
indulgence seem long in this ins stance, it was
not longer than the time for which the Presi-
dent and Congress demanded the soldiers
| services 1t was not for him, nor Is 1t for US,
to reiudge the discretion of the President and
| Congress in this regard. Baslng ourselves
on what they did constltutlonally, the ques
ton for us is whether the stay granted by
our own Legislature to our citizen soldiers
was unreasonable In view of the extraordi,
| nary circumstances of the case, we cannot
pronounce it unreasonable We see in it no
wanton or careless disregard of the obligation
of contracts, but only sincere effrrt to en-
able the general Government to prosecute,
| with success a war which, in its exclusive
right of judgment, it resolved to wage"
/" Another circumstance which bears on
the reasonableness of the enactment is the
provision which suspends all statutes of limlta
ton in favor of the soldier during all the time
that he is exempted from process. The pro-
visions were reciprocal and both were reason
able"
Judge Woodward as the representative of
their principles, the twelfth resolution Of
their platform declaring
"That while this General Assembly
condemns and denounces the faults of the
Administration and the encroachments of the
| AbolitioniSts, 1t does, also, most thoroughly
condemn and denounce the heresy of secession
as unwarranted bv the Constitution, and de
| structive alike of the security and perpeiuIty
of Government and of the peace and liberty of
the people, and it does hereby most solemnlv
declare that the people of this State are dn
alterably opposed to anv division of the Union
and will persistertly exert their whole influ-
ence and power, under the Constitution, to
maintain and defend it,"
And yet, such charges are made against
him !-made by men who never have been in
the field, and who had no kindred there who
contented themselves with plastering the
streets of Philadelphia with huge posters,
calling for volunteers, headed " Actions, not
words" and limited their own services to
such safe work. In luxurious ease, in the
rooms of the &C League" they loudly declaim-
| ed that TO crush this unholy rebellion they
would be willing to shed the last drop of
blood" taking care not to shed the first drop !;
and if they did mean to be liberal at all in
offering to shed blood, it was probably like
Artemus Wards offer of " all the blood in
the veins of his able-bodied male relatives !"
And while they were thus occupied, Judge
Woodward had resigned bis sons to defend
his State and his defamers. No defamation
of him and of his supporters then! But now
the danger is past, and they are safe and
now they denounce their defenders as " Sc
cessionists ~
With what feelings must these gallant sons
listen to these calumnies on their honored
father! With what feelings must the people
of Pennsy ivania be inspired, as they reflect