Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-04-07
On the following day, the 18th Of
December, Pinchback tclegraphs to the
President Ii ,l.a II'fI

a.
December, pinchback tclegraphs to th
President 81. .lOa sfI'r
lH NEw 0nLrAss, Dee. 70, iS72.
President GRANT, H
In view Of the fact that II. 9. Yarmouth as
/ suning to act us Governor after having been i'm
peached and suspended from his Office Of Gov
crnor In strict compliance with tho constitution
and laws Of this State, has issued proclamation
declaing himself as still 6overnor o
tho State, and has assumed to con
yenc an Illegal body Of men styling themselves
legislature, thus endangcring the public pcsc,
and tranquility and threatening domestic VIC
lencc, respectfully request that the command
ing officer Of this department bc instructed "a
compliance with tho rcqusiten Of tho Legisla
! lure, to aid nnd assist me In maintaining thl
public peace and protecting aud sustaining the
legal State government. IIN
P.D. S. PlNCHBACK,
Acting GOternor ef Lomsiano.
That is on the 18TH three days ai.
ter the demand Of the Legislature, and
still il is but threat still II is but a
proclamation, still il is bat the effort
ofWmmouth. Where are there armed
troops9 Where is the armed insm'-
rection ofthc domestic violence against
which the mailed hand of tho Presi.
dent is to be raised? 1t is not to be
found in these dispatches and yet
upon that very day the President
tclegraphs q recognition Of the cxccu-
tive, Pinchbacl, and of the Legislature
under his control and guarantees to
him troops 1ag ia
Now, sir, as bearing on this question
let us contrast tho action of n Presi-
dent Of the United States thirty-six
years ago with the action of the presi-
dent of today, and let us see, il we can,
whittier we are tending and how this
question of protecting the rights of the
people Of this country according TO the
doctrines OF civil liberty, is being turned
TO their injury and the deprivation OF
their most valued privileges, Let us
see whether this is tho normal or alb
normal condition of this people. Let
us learn, il we can, whether prccedents
are not being piled upon prccedcnts
that are sm geaeriS but ought not TO be
used against this people, to take from
them the great rights that are guaran-
tecd to them under the Constitution
Of the United States and that came TO
them from the country from which
they draw their laws and their liber
tics. Hear now what in the State that
| have the honor TO represent was
said by the governor thereof at me
morable crisis in that State in regard
to the condition Of things there This
is under date of December z, 1888;
slp; It's my exceedingly unpleasant duty
officially to iniorm you that such state OF Do
nestle violence exists at this place as has put an
end for the present TO all the exercise OF the reg
ular functions OF the State government. The Sen.
ate Of the State has been compelled by intinida.
ton to break up in confusion. The duly ap-
pointed presiding officer Of the House Of Repre-
scntativos was prevented from calling the House
TO order at the hour to which II stood adjournei
aud was elected from the hall by violence. The
State department is closed, and | have moi
deemed It safe or prudcntto proceed to the exccu-
tive chamber since the first disturbance which took
place on the Afh instant.
l JOS. RIrNRR.
To his Exeellonoy MARTIN VAN Duars,
D Presideai Of ne Uniied States.
And under date of the 4th of Decem-
bor previous to that we find this proc
lamation of the governor of Pennsyl-
ran;"
the counties Of Philadelphia Lancaster, Adams,
and other places, have assembled at the seat Of
government, with the ayowed object Of disturb
Ing, ntcrrupting, and overawing the Legislature |
Of this Commonwealth, and Of ofprsventing prop
or organization and the peaceablc and FREQ dis
charge Of its duties aud whereas the said mob |
have already on this day entered the senate
chamber anl in an outrageous aud violent man
ncr by clamoring, shouting, and threatening vio-
lenee and death to seme OF the members Of that |
body and other olicep Of the government and |
finally by rushing within the bar Of the senate |
chamber in dehatco of every effort to restrain
them, compelled the Senate to suspend business.
Hero is the proclamation and the
demand on the Federal Executive
Now | will ask the Clerk to read the
answer authorized by the President of
the United States, as marked in the
book which | send to the desk.
The Chief Clerk read us follows:
WAR DErAnrnEsr, December II, 1855.
Sin The letter addressed by your excecncy
10 tilt IIftlutii ul tut tulttu Gthtttt uuutfuhtt
Of tho 7th instant, was received yesterday and |
referred to this Department, where II has re-
eeived that respectful and earnest consideration
20 which the high source whence II emcnatos and |
the importance Of the subject entitle II.
In this communication your cxcollcncy informs
the President that such n state of domestic yio-
lencc exists at Harrisburg as to putan end, FOR the
present, to all the exercise Of the regular func-
tons OF the State government, and renders II |
lt.t 10 la DroaII,uN In
with the lourih section Of the fourth article Of |
the constitution Of the United States, to take
measures 10 protect the State of Pennsylvania
against the effects Of the domestic violence which
your oxccllcney athrms to be then in existence.
The clause Of the constitution to which your
exccllency rcfcrs, and the act passed In pursu-
ancc thereof authorize the President TO call out
the militia only on the app lcation Of the Lcgis-
lature Of n Stnteor Of the executive OF a Slate,
when the Legislature cannot be convened. The
nature Of the Presidents duty being, therefore,
discretionary, II Is incumbent npon him to exer-
else the utmost care in examining into all the
circumstances Of the ease. as well ms to deter
mine whether the occasion contemplated by the
law has occurred.
The commotion which now threatens the peace
Of the Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania does not
appear to arise from any opposition to the laws
but grows out Of political contest between diff
all OF them, admitted to be the legal representa-
tiyes of the people constitntoually elected,
about their relative righisi and especially inrof-
orcncc 10 the organization Of the popular branch Of
Legislature. To rointerfercn any commoiion grow (
ing Out Of controversy Of so grave and deii.
caie character, by the Federal auihorlty, armed
sith tile military power Of the goyornmentwould
be attended with the most dangerous conscqucn-
ces 10 our republican institutions. In the opin-
ion of the President, his interference in any po-
lilical commot0n In State could only be justi-
fed by the application for u being clearly within
the meaning Of the fourth section Of the fourth
article Of the constitution, and OF the act Of con
grcss passed in pursuance thoreof and where the
domestic violence brought 10 his notice Is Of such
eharao ter that tho State authorities, civil and
military, after having been duly called upon,
have proved inadequate to suppress II.
Very respectfully, your obedent servaui,
.I.iJ J. II. P0fNSEIr
His Excellcncy Jos. ,RrSrn,
0or. of Pennsyicrnia, Harri,JWry, Pa.
Mr. WALLACE. Mr.. President, il
will be noted that in one case, that
which occurred in 1888, armed violence
had elected the officers of the Senate
and Of the House of q State Legislature
from the halls of Legislation. They
were absolutely driven from the halls.
The Governor had issued q proclama-
ton that domestic violence Of the
gravcst character existed and that he
could not suppress the instruction
thcrc and hence he made application
TO the President OF the Unitod States
for assistance; who after consideration
of the whole subject declined to furnish
TO him the troops Of the United States
because the power Of the Common
wealth had not been exhausted, because
the strong arm Of the civil power that
can command az will the assistance of
the militia had not been invoked, and
had not been used TO its utmost extent.