Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-01-11

wen for errors that may be comnttcd, ex.
'ept through appeal to the Executive. If
Judge can remit or shorten a sentsnce, he
can increase it, and that is a power dan.
gerous TO allow any one to WELD. And
louther, IL 1T be lawful Tor the Judge of one
court 10 remit sentences OF pleasure, it fol.
lows that judges Of all other courts should
be invested with the same preroparive and
1t requires no argument TO show to what n
dangerous extent it might be used Hap
ply, the custom appears to be confined to
the court named, as judges in other counties
disclaim any such authority
Former Legislatures have had their atten.
tion called to the fact that persons are now
confined in our county prisons under sen.
tence OF death, some of them for many years,
whose death warrants were never issued,
and towards whom the several Governors,
during whose term they were sentenced,
could not discover sufficient cause for the
exercise OF the pardoning power. The Gus
tom has been for each Governor to decline
issuing death warrant which had been
withheld by his predecessor Hence, these
convicts, sentenced to death, for whose exc
cution the previous Governors did not issue
warrants, and whom, it is presumed they
believed deserved q milder punishment,
must either be pardoncd or remain prison.
ers for life To remedy this the Governor
should be vested with authority to commute
the death penalty in the cases only to which
allusion has been made, to such a term of
imprisonment as his judgment would APP
prove, and to remove the convicts from
county jais to the penitentiares.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS.
Contrary to the hopes of the great mas
ses of our people, that portion of the couu-
tt,Iat tnl. al. Ill:
yet attained complete tranquility And
this seems to have been inevitable; for all
history teaches us that people who engage
in the perpetration of high crimes cannot
entirely nor Immediately escape their con
sequences. Nor, perhaps, is it desirable
that they should. However this may be, it
Is certain that perfect repose cannot he Sc
cured until the insurrectionary States shall
resume their original practical relation to
the General Government.
Nor, rken and through nhom this car be
best done, is the great question Of the pre-
sent.
That the views and conceptions of 4 sin
gle individual, however high be may be ac,
cidentally and temporarily exalted, should be
allowed to control or determine this ques-
ton, cannot for moment be conceded. -
The Constitution provides that the United
Union republican form of government
and, where the will of the people is the
acknowledged law of the land, it requires
an extraordinary amount OF political eiflon-
terry to assume that Chief Executive of the
nation, to any degree or under any circum.
stances, is the United States.
And yet in effect or substance, if not in
plain terms, this was assumed shortly after
the surrender of Lee and his armed forces,
by the President; and he has continued to
act on this assumption, even in his late an.
nual message, in which, while claiming. in
words unknown to our foreiathers and our
institutions. to be the elected defender" Of
the people, he arrogantly calls nn Congress
to ":mmediately strike from the statute
books" its reconstruction laws.
That Congress will surrender its plan of
t reconstruction" to this manilestly drspotic
: demand, cannot be even imagined or con
jcctured. That plan. care!uliy mulured as
1t was, and fully Approved when it was Il
direct issue before the people is cmjneaj I
just, wise and patrioi.c.
Individual interests. as well rs the gpucr
al financial condition OF our national affairs
would be greatly benefited by the sinlpji-
/ tcation nf internal revenue taxHiOn +, Gls
e cling the number of articles taxed aud insur.
0 ing honesty and iaithtunrss in collection.
= The reduction Of taxes on the nCCCsSariD~ vt
. life and on manufactures that are in con-.
t petition with the products of foreign labor
: should be encouraged, while the tuA on
luxuries and imports should be made su,-
3. ticent to sustain the expenses Of the GOV
ernmcnt
: AS regards the tariff the protection Of
); home labor aud resources, | need oniy refer
q to The views expressed in my inaugural --
J. Time and continued reflection have strength.
), cncd the views therein expressed. I.E
: this subject is committed to the watchful
a care of our representatives, in Congress, and
). it is hoped their labors will he Crowned
If with the happiest consequences Surely Nc
United States should protect and dcl,tl
her own industry aud skill her own toll.
L ing millions
70 l earnestly invoke the blessing of Al.
v mighty God upon your deliberations, an,
Q, that lie Will prosper your exertions to pro
). mote the happiness OF the people and tn
Il welfare of our beloved Common wealth.
= JNO. W. GEARY.
If EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
:. Harri6nrg January T. 1868.