The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1864-08-18
JOB PRINTING,
Exrta Session of the Legislature.
THE MESSAGE OF GOV. CURTIN.

is Governor Curtin's message, delivered
to-day =
/ have called you together in advance
of your adjourned session, for the purpose
of taking some action for the defense of
the State.
From the commencement of the pres
ent Rebellion, Pennsylvania has done her
whole duty to the Government, Lying,
rs her southern counties do, in the imme-
diate vicinity of the border, and thus ex-
posed to sudden invasion, selfish policy
would have led her to retain sufficient
part of her military force fer our defense
In so doing she would have failod in
her duty to the whole country. Not on
ly would her men have been withheld
from the field of general operations, but
the loans and taxation which would have
become necessary, would have, to a large
extent, diminished the ability of her peo-
pie to comply with the pecuniary demands
of the United States. She would ulsc
have necessarily interfered with and ham
pered all the military action of the Gov
ernmeut, aud made herself, to some ex-
tent, responsible for any failures and
shortcomings that might have occurred
In pursuance of the policy thus deliber-
atcly adopted, this State has steadily de-
voted her men to the general service.
From the beginning the has always
been among the first to respond to IT,,
c.m- c.- &c .hc c United St.aics, as is shown by
her history from the three months men
aud the Reserve Corps to the present mo-
ment. Thus faithfully fulfilling all her
own obligations, she has right to be de-
Tended by the national force as part of
common country. Any other view would
bc absurd and unjust. She of course
cannot complain when she suffers by the
necessary contingencies of war.
The reflections that have in too many
quarters been made upon the people Of
oursouthern counties are most unfounded;
they were invaded in 1862, when Union
army, much superior to any force of the
Rebels, and on which they had, of course
right to rely, was lying in their imme-
diate 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 a.
gain suffered in 1864, after the defeat of
the Union forces under Crook and Ay-
GRILL
How could an agricultural people in an
open country, be expected to rise sudden
ly and beat back hostile forces which had
defeated orgonized veteran armies of the
Government? 1t is, of course, expected
that the inhabitants of an Invaded coun-
try will do what is in their power to resist
the invaders and the factshereafter sta
ted will show, | think that the people of
these counties have not failed In this du-
ty. If Pennsylvania, by reason of her
geographical position, has required to be
defended by the national forces, it has
only been against the common enemy; it
has never been necessary to weaken the
army in the field, by sending heavy de-
tachments of veterans to save her cities
from being devastated by small bands of
rufhans, composed of their own inhabi-
tants, nor have her people been disposed
to sneer at the great mass of law-abidiug
citizens in any other State who have re-
quired such protection.
Yet when brutal enemy, pursuing a
defeated body of Union forces, crosses our
border and burns defenseless town, the
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 jibes at the un-
fortunate sufferers, thousands of whom
have been rendered homeless; and these
heartless SCOTS proceed from the very
men who, when the State authorities, for
seeing the danger, were taking precau-
tionary measures, ridiculel the idea OF
there being any danger, sneered at the
exertions made for the purpose of meet
ing it, and succeeded, to some extent, in
thwarting their efforts to raise forces.
These men are themselves morally re-
sponsible for the calamity over which
thew 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, engaged in common effort
to preserve their Government and all that
is dear to freemen, would have forgotten,
at least for the time, their wretched local
jealousies, and sympathized with all their
loyal fellow citizens wherever resident
within the border of Our common country
1t should be remembered that the origl-
nal source of the present Rebellien was
in such jealousies, encouraged for wick
ed purposes by unscrupulous politicians.
The men who, for any purpose, now
continue to encourage them, ought to be
held as public enemies of our Union, our
peace-aud should be treated as SUCH
Common feelings, common sympathies, are
the necessary foundations of common
free Government
] am proud to say that the people OF
Pennsylvania feel every blow at any Of
her sister States as an assault upon them