American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-08-17
GOV. CURTIN.s MESSAGE.

Cdhid
GENTLEMEN 81 have called you to-
gether in advance of your adjourned ses-
sion, for the purpose of taking some ac-
tion for the defense of the State. From
the commencement of the present rebel
lion, Pennsylvania has done her whole
duty to the Government, Lying as her
southern counties do, in the immediate vi
cinity of the border, and thus exposed to
sudden INVASION, selfish policy would
have led her to retain a sufficient part of
her military force for her own defense.
In so doing she would have failed in her
duty to the whole country. Not only
would her men have been withheld from
the field of general operations, but the
loans and taxation which would become
necessary, would have to large extent
diminished the ability of her people to
comply with the pecuniary demands of
necessarily interfered with and hampered
all the military action of the Govern
ment, and made herself to some extent
responsible for any failures and dshortcom-
ings that may have occurred. In pursu-
ance of the policy thus deliberately adopt
ed, this State has steadily devoted her
men to the general service. From the
beginning she has always been among the
first to respond to the calls of the United
States as is shown by her history from
the three months men and the Reserve
Corps to the present moment. Thus faith
fully fulfilling all her own obligations, she
has a right to bo defended by the nation
al force, as part of a common country
Any other view would be absurd and un-
just She of course cannot complain
when she suffers by the necessary contin-
gencies of war. The reflections that have
in too many quarters been made upon the
people of her southern counties are most
unfounded They were invaded in 1862,
when a Union army, much superior to any
force of the rebels, (and on which they
had of course right to rely was lying
in their immediate vicinity and north of
the Potomac. They were again invaded
in 1868, after the defeat of the Union
forces under Milroy at Winchester, and
they have again suffered in 1864, after
the defeat of the Union forces under
Crook and Averll How could an agri-
cultural people in an open country be ex-
pected to rise suddenly and beat back hos
tile forces which had defeated organized
veteran armies of the Goyernment2
1t is Of course expected that the inhab-
itants Of an invaded country will do what
is in their power to resist theinvaders, and
the facts hereinafter stated, will show, |
think, that the people of these counties
have not failed in this duty. If Penn
sylvania, by reason of her geographical
position, has required to be defended by
the national force, it has only been against
the common enemy. 1t has never been
necessary to weaken the army in the field
by sending heavy detachments of veter-
ans to save her cities from being devasta-
ted by small bands of ruflians, composed
of their own inhabitants. Nor have her
people been disposed to sneer at the great
mass of law-abiding citizens in any other
State which has required such protection.
Yet, when brutal enemy, pursuing a de-
feated body of Union forces, crosses our
border and burns defenceless town, this
horrid barbarity, instead of firing the
hearts of all the people of our common
country, is actually in some quarters made
the occasion of mocks and gibes at the
unfortunate sufferers, thousands of whom
have enrendered houseless. And those
heartless SCOTS proceed from the very men
who, when the State authorities, foresoe-
ing the danger was taking precautionary
measures, ridiculed the idea of their be-
ing any danger, sneered at the excrtions
to prepare for meeting it; and succeeded
to some extent in thwartipg their efforts
to raise forces. These men are themselves
morally responsible for the calamity over
which they now chuckle and rub their
hands.
1t might have been hoped-nay, we
had right to expect-that the people of
the loyal State engaged in a common ef-
fort to preserve their Government and all
that is dear to freemen, would have for
gotten, at least for the time, their wretch
ed local jealousies, and sympathized with
all their loyal fellow citizens, whereverrcs-
ident within the borders of our common
country. 1t should be remembered that
the original source Of the present Rebel
lion was in such jealous;es encouraged for
wicked purposes by unscrGpulous politi-
clans The men who forany purpose now
continue to encourage them, ought to be
held as common enemies 1enemies of our
union and our peace, and should be treat
ed as such. Common feelings-commo
sympathies-are the necessary foundations
of common free Government
I am proud to say that the people of
Pennsylvania feel every blow at any of
her sister States, as an assault upon them
selves, and give to them all that hearty
good will, the expression of which isso
times more important under the infiction
of calamity than mere material aid.
1t unnecessary to refer to the approach
of the rebel army up the Shenandoah Val
ley on the third day of July last-to the
defeat of General Wallace on the Mon
ocacy, their approach to and the threat
ening of the Capital, or to their destruc-
tion Of property and pillage of the coun-
try of Maryland lying on the border
These events have passed into history,
and the responsibilities will be settled by