The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-09-04
The Lesson OF 1851.

The Lesson OF 1851.
Suppose Charles X. Buckalew had
been Governor of Pennsylvania when
Abraham Lincoln called for seventy
five-thousand volunteers to quell the
shareholders insurrection, does any
man doubt that he would have caused
the good old Commonwealth to make
a very different history for herself
than that she caused to be recorded
under the administration of Andrew
g. Curtin? That appeal, remember
was made to the States as States. 1t
so happened that nearly every free
State was ofiicered by Republicans.
We all remember how nobly the free
states responded 1t was, and con-
tinues yet to be, cause of pride and
graduation that the Governor ofPenn-
sylvania was so prompt and sagacious
that the reaction of Bull Run was
stayed thereby. Does any man be-
lieve that the famous Pennsylvania
Reserve Corps would have had an
existence had Charles X. Bucka-
lew been the Governor to whom the
Presidents appeal was made
We have only to regard the re-
spOnses to that appeal made by Dem
oeratic Governors in the border and
Southwestern States, and we are suf-
fciently answered. "The militia of
Virginia will not be furnished to the
powers at Washington" replied Gov
ernor Letcher II can be no party
to this wicked violation of the laws
of the country" replied Governor El-
lis, of North Carolina. Tennessee
will not furnish a single man for CO.
ercion, but fifty thousand, if neces-
sary, for the defence of our rights
and those Of our brethren" replied
Isham g. Harris. 81 say emphatical-
iy that Kentucky will furnish no
troops for the wicked purpose of sub
DUNG her sister Southern States"
replied determined Governor Magoffin.
"The Presidents call is illegal, un-
constitutional, revolutionary, iahuman
diabolical, and cannot be complied
with" replied Governor Jackson, of
Missouri. The laws of the State do
not confer upon the Executive any
authority allowing him to comply
with such requisition," replied Gov
ernor Burton, of Delaware. al will
suffer my right arm to be torn from
my body before / will raise it to strike
a sister State" said the Governor of
Maryland Is it necessary to go
further in these quotations, to show
the action of nearly every State un-
der Democratic control in that hour
of great peril T?
To know what Mr.. Buckalew would
have done had he been Governor of
Pennsylvania in that emergency, we
have only to note what he did do as
a citizen and as Senator. Neither
as citizen nor as Senator did he at
tempt to strengthen the hands of the
State or Federal government during
the four years of war for national
life. He was the apologist for the
wing of the Democratic
party in arms against the Union, and
the willing defender of men who
stroye to embarrdss the government
by discOuraging enlistments and re-
sisting the drafts. Had he been in a
position to split hairs touching the
right of armed regiments from other
States to pass through Pennsylvania
to the defence of the capital, who can
say that he would not have submit
ted six columns of protest to the in
vasion of Pennsylvania? He was in !
perfect political accord with such
Democrats as Mayor Brown and
Kane, of Baltimore. So late |
rs 1864 he was in secret communica-
ton with rebel emissaries, though at |
the time q Senator of the United |
States.
No man who was against us, or
who occupied doubtful position dur
ing the rebellion, can be trusted with
the control of State affairs. Nor is
this harsh judgment The tories were
never admitted to positions of trust
and honor after the Revolution. Nor
ally and practically Mr. Buckalew's
attitude toward the government from
1861 to 1865 did not differ essentially
from that of the tories toward the
If it be said that no
emergency like tina, of 1861 will
again arise in national affairs, we re-
ply that no man can fOrereach time |
and decide that. No such emergen-
cy was believed likely to arise when !
in 1860 Andrew g. Curtin was elect
ed Governor And so the people of !