Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1864-08-17
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

the purpose OF taking some action for the
oeience OF the State. From the com
It mencement Of the present rebellion Penn
syiTania mas done her whole duty to tho
Government. Lying, as her southern
counties do, IN the immediate vicinity OF
the border, and thus exposed to sudden
invasion, selfish policy would have led
, her TO relain q sufficient part of her n,;li
t"ry lorce ior her own defence. In SO
dong she would have failed in her duty
TO the whole country. Not only would
her men have been withheld from the
held OF active operations, but the loans
and taxation which would have become
necessasy, would have, to a large extent.
diminished the ability of her people TO
comply with the pecuniary demands of
the United States. She would also hayo
necessarily intertered with and hampered
all the military action of the Government,
and made herself to some extent respon.
siblt for any failures and short comings
that llay have occurred. In pursuance
lof the ro!icy thus deliberately adopted.
this State has steadily devoted her men
to the general service. From the begin
ming 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 mel, and the Reserve
Corps, to the present moment. Thus
faithfully fulfilling her own obligations,
she has right TO he defended by the Ma
tional force, as part of a common country.
Any other view would be absurd and un-
justs She of course cannot complain
whea she suffers by the necessary ccntn-
gencies Of war.
The reflections that have IN TOO many
quarters been made upon the people of
the southern counties, are most un found
ed. They were. invaded in 1862, when e
| Union army, superior to any force of the
rebels, (apd on which they had right of.
course to rely,l was lying in their imme-
diate Vicinity, and north of the Potomac.
They were agair invaded in 1858, after
the defeat of the Union forces under Mil
roy at Winchester, and they have again
suffered in 1864, after the defeat OF the
Union forces under Crook and Averill.
How could an agricultural people in all
open country be expected to rise up sud-
denly and beat back host lie forces which
uere aIcu organized veteran aIIuIrs
Government 1t is, Of course, expected
that the inhabitants of an invaded coun
| try will do Whist is in their power tc,,resist
the invaders and the facts hereinafter
stated will show, think, that the people
OF those counties have not failed in this
duty.
If Pennsylvania, by reason of her geo.
graphical position, has required 10 be de-
fsnded by the National forces, 1t has only
been against the common enemy. 1t has
never been necessary TO weaken the army
in the field by sending heavy detachments
OF veterans 10 save her cities from being
devasted by small bands of rufiians COM
posed Of their own inhabitants, nor have
her people been disposed to sneer at the
great mass of law abiding citizens in any
State who have required such protection.
Yet when brutal enemy, pursuing y de-
feated body of Union forces, crosses our
border and burns defenceless town, this
borrid barbari,y, instead OF firing the
hearts of all the people of our common
county, is actually in some quarters. made
| the occasion Cor mocks and jibes at the
! unfortunate sufferers, thousands Of whom
have been rendered houseless and these
heartless SCOTS proceed from the very
men who, when the State authorities, for
seeing the danger, were taking precau-
tionsry measures, ridculed the idea of
there being any danger-sneered at the
exertions to prepare for meeting it, ard
succeeded to some extent in thwarting
their efforts TO raise forces. These men
are themselves morally responsible for the
calamity over which they now chuckle and
rub their hands.
I |. might have been lrored-nay, we had
a right to expeo.-that the people of the
loyal States, engaged in a common effort
10 preserve their Government and all that
is dear to freemen, would have forgotten,
lat least for time, their wretched local
jealousies, and sympathized with all their
loyal tellowcitizens, wherever resident
within the borders OF our common country.
1t should be remembered that the original
source of the present rebellion was in such
Ijealousies encouraged for wicked purposes
by unscrupulous politicians. The men
who for any purpose now continue to en-
courage them, ought to be held up as
public enemies-epemies of the Union
and peace, and should be treated as such.
Common feelings, common sympathies,
are the necessary foundations of a common
free Government.
l am proud to say that the people of
Pennsylvania feel every blow at any OF
her sister States, as an assault upon
themselves; and give to them all that
hearty good will, the expression of which
IS sometimes more important under the
inhiction OF calamity than mere material
aid.
1t is unnecessary to refer to the ap-
proach of the rebel army up the Shenan-
doah valley on the Sd day of July last to
the defeat of Gen. Wallace on the Monoc-
acy, their approach 10 and the threatening z
Of the Capital, or to their destruction of
property and pillage of the counties of
Maryland lying on the border. These
events have passed into history, and the
responsibilities will be settled by the
Judgment Of the people.
At that time, a call was made upon
Pennsylvania for volunteers to be muster
ed into the service of the United States
and "to serve for one hundred days in the
States of Pennsylvania and Maryland and
/ o,l ~ s,.a;,,,t,r ~