Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-08-12
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
ExEcUTIvE GHAMBER,


HARRISBURG, August 9 1864.
70 the Senate and House Of Representatives. of the
Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania
GENTLEMEN II have called you together in
advance of your adjourned session, for The pur-
Rose of taking some action Tor the defence OF the
State brom the commencement of the present
rebellion, Pennsylyania has done her whole duty
to the government. Lying as her southern coun
ties do in the immediate vicinity 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 defence. 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 have be-
come necessary, would have to a large extent dl
minished the ability Of her people to comply with
the pecuniaTy demands ofthe Unlted States, she
would also haze necessarily intertered with ana
hampered all the military action OF the Govern-
Iaent and made herself to some extent, Tesponsl-
bic for any failures and shortcomings that may
have occurred. In pursuance OF the polcy thus
deliberately adopted this State has steadily dey0
ted her men to the general service From the
beginning she has always been among the hrst to
respond to the calls OF the United States, as Is
shown by her history from the three month S men
and the Reserve Corps to the present moment
Thus faithfully fulfilling all her own Obligations,
she has right to be defended bY the natonalforce,
as part of a common country. Any other law
wtiuid be absurd and unjust. She OF course can
not complain when she suffers by the necessary
contingencies of war. The reflections that have m
too many quarters been made upon the people OF
her southern counties are most untounded They
were invaded In 1862, when Union army much
superior to any force OF the rebels, land on which
they had Of course right TO rely was lying IN
their immediate vicinity anu north ofthe Potomac.
They were again invaded IN 1868 after the defeat
Of the Union forces under Mllroy, at Winchester,
ard they haze again suffered in 1864, after the de-
feat of the Union forces under Crook and AverlL
How could an agricultural people IN an open coun-
try be expected to rise suddenly and beat back hos
| tile forces which had defeated organized veteran
armies Of the Government
| 1t is of course expected that the inhabitants Of
an invaded country viii do what Is in their power
TO resist the invaders. and the facts hereinafter
stated viii show, | think that the people on these
counties have not failed in thus Gss. I74RrassA assA
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 detaehlnents of veterans TO
save her cities from being devastated by small
bands Of rufhns composed ot their own inhabitants
Nor have her people been disposed to sneer at the
great masses of law-ablding citizens in any other
State who have required snch protection. Yet
when brutal enemy pursuinga defeated body Of
/ Union forces, crosses our borders and burns de-
enceless town. this horridoarbaritY, instead Of hr
| ing the hearts Of all the people of our common
country, is actually in some quarters made the oc
casi0n OF moeks and glbes at the unfortunate suf
| tefers, thousands OF whom have been rendered
houseess. All these heartless SCOTS proceed from
the very men who, when the State authorities
/ foreseeing the danger, were taking precautionary
measures, ridiculed the idea Of there being any
! danger, sneered at the eSertlons TO prepare tor
meeting it, and succeeded tosone extent in thwart-
ing their efforts to raise forces These men are
/ tbpr1 10 fhp ItTy
! over which they now chuckle and rub their hands
1t might have been hoped-nay, we had a right
to expect-that the people OF the loyal States en-
gagged IN common effort to preserve their Gov
ernnlent and all that Is dear to tfeenen, would
have forgotten at least for the time their wretch
ed local iealouses and sympathized with all their
loyal fellow citizens, wherever resident within the
borders of our common country. 1t should be re
memhered that the original source of the present
Rebellion was In such jealousies encouraged for
I wicked purposes by UnscrupuloUs politicians. -
| The men who for any purposenow continue to en-
courage them, ought to be held as public enemies
| enemies ofour union and our peace, and should
be treated as such Common feelings-eommon
i synipathles--are the necessary foundations oT a
common free Government.
| / am proud to say that the people of Pennsylya-
MIA feel every blow at any Of her sister States as
an assaultlupon themselves, and give to them all
that hearty good will, the expression of which is
calamity than mere material aid.
1t Is unnecessary to refer TO the approach of the
rebel army mp the Shenandoah ' alley on Che third
day Of july lastr-to the defeat Of Gen Wallace on
the Alonoeacy. their approach 10 and the threaten
ing Of the Capital or to their destruction of prop-
erty and pilage ofthe counties of Maryland lying
on the border. Theseevents have passed into his
tory and the responsibilities viii be settled by the
Judgment of the people.
At that time, call was made upon Pennsylyania
for volunteers to be mustered into the service OF
the UEited States and ito serve for one hundred
days In the State of Pennsylvania and Maryland
and at Washington and ats vicinity Notwith-
standing the enbarrassments which complicated
the orders for their organization and muster, six
regiments were enlisted and organized and bat
talon of six companies The REGIMENTS we're with
dgEwn from the State, the last leaving the 29th day
ofJuly
desired that at least part Of this force
should be confined in their service to the States Of
Pennsylvanug aad Maryland, and made such an
application to the War Department, as the pFopo-
sitiCu did not insect their appreciation it was reject
ed and the general order changed to include the |
States named and " WashiIRytoR and its vicinity.
No part or the rebel array at that time had /
come within the State The people Of the border
counties were warned and rensovedtheir stock, I
and at Cha1nbersburg and \ ork were organized I
and armed for their own protection. | was not 4
officially informed Of, the movements ee the Fed-
eral anpies ana OF course not 81 the strategy of
their commanders, but 1t was stated 10 the news
papers that che rebel army was closely pursued
after il had crossed tie Potomac and wss retiring
ap the Valley Of the Shenandoah. Rspeated
success Of OR troops were also announces and
Ihe people of this State bad just cause TO believe
hat quite sufficient Federal sofce had been thrown
oTEard Tor its protection Rgon the line Of the
Potomac r
On Friday, the 29th Of July. the rebel brigades