Year: 1861


FELLOW CITIZENS :


Having been entrusted by the people of
PENNSYLVANIA, with the administration OF the
Executive department of the government for
the next three years, and having taken a
solemn oath of fidelity to the Constitution Of
the United States, and to the Constitution of
Pennsylvania, avail myself of your presence
to express to you, and through you to the peo-
pie OF the State, my gratitude for the distln-
guiShed honor they have, in their partiality,
conferred upon me.


Deeply impressed with its responsibilities
and duties, enter upon the office Of Governor
of Pennsylvania, with determination to full
fl them all faithfully to the utmost of my
ability. Questions of great moment intimate
ly connected with the feelings and Interests Of
the people Of all parts of the Nation, now ag
tate the public mind; and some of them, from
their novelty and Importance, are left for set
tlement in the uncertainty of the future. y
selfh caution might indicate silence as the
safest course to be pursued as to these ques-
tions, by one just entering upon the respons
biIties Of high official position; but fidelity to
the high trust repoSed in me demand especially
at this juncture that l yield to an honored
custom which requires frank declaration of
the principles to be adopted and the policy to
be pursued during my official term.


We have assumed, as the great fundamental
truth of our political theory, that man is cap
able Of sef,governnent, and that all power
emanates from the people An experience Of
seventy-onc years. under the Constitution of
the United States, has demonstrated to all
mankind tnat the people can be entrusted
with their own political destinies; and the de-
lberate expression Of their will should furnish
the rule of conduct to their representatives in
official station Thus appreciating their
liberal capacity for selfgovernment, and alive
to the Importance Of preserving pure and un-
sullied as it came from the hands Of the Apostles
of Liberty, this vital principle, pledge N.Y.
self to stand between it and encroachments,
whether instigated by hatred or ambition, by
fanaticism or folly.


The policy that should regulate the admin
istraton of the government Of our State, was
declared by is founders, and is fully establish
ed by experience. 1t is Just and fraternal in
It's aims, liberal in its spirit, and patriotic in
its progress The freedom of speech and Of
the press the right of conscience and private
Judgment in civil and religious faith, are the
high prerogatives to which the American citi-
zen is born. In our social organization the
rich and the poor, the high and the low, enjoy
these equally, and the Constitution and the
laws in harmony herewith, protect the rights
of ALL The intelligence Of the people is one
of the main pillars of the fabric Of our govern
ment, and the highest hopes Of the patriot for
its safety rest on enlightened public morality
and virtue Our system Of Common Schools
will ever enlist ny earnest sOlicitude. For
It's growing wants the most ample provision
should te made by the Legislature. | feel
that | need not urge this duty. The system
has been gaining in strength and usefulness for
q quarter Of a century, until it has sIeuced op-
pOsitiOn by its beuefceut fruits. 1t has at
times languished for want Of just appropcia-
tions from changes and amendments Of the
law, and perhaps from ineficiency in its admin
iStration; but it has surmOunted every difficult
ty and l. nov regarded by the enlightened and
patriotic of every political faith as the great
buwark of safety for our free institutions
The manner in which this subject is presented
to the Legislature, by my immediate predecessor
in his annual message, fully harmoniZes with
public sentiment: and his recommendation for
aid to the Farmers High School of PennSyl-
vania meets my most cordial appreciation
Invited to the rich prairie lands of the West
where the labor of the huSbandman is simple
uniform, when population has filed our valleys
it passes away from our highland soils where
scientific culture is required to reward labor
by bringing fruitfulness and plenty out of com
parative sterilitv While individual lberality
has done much for an institution that is de-
signed to educate the farmer of the State, the
School languishes for want Of public aid. An
experience of ten years has fully demonstrated
that the institution can be made self sustaining
and it requires no aid from the State except
for the completion OF the buildings in accord
ance with the original design. A liberal ap-
preparation for that purpose would be honor
able to the Legislature and a just recognition
of system of public instruction that is of the
highest Importance to the State In the deVOlp-
ment of our wealth, the growth of our popula-
ton and the prosperity of onr great agricultu-
raj interests.


The State having been wisely relieved Of
the management Of the public improvements
by their sale, the administration of the govern
ment is greatly simplifed, its resources are
certain and we'll understood, and the amount
of the public debt is definitely aScertained. A
rigid economy in ali its various departments
and strict accountability from all public off,
GERS. are expected by our people, and they shall
not be disappointed Now that the debt of
the State is in the course of steady liquidation
by the ordinary means of the treasury, all un-
necessary expenditures of the public money
must be firmly resisted so that the gradual
dimnution Of the Indebtedness shall not be in
terrupted.


To promote the prosperity Of the people and
the power Of the Commonwealth, by increas-
ing her financial resources, by liberal recogni-
tion of the vast interests of our commerce, by
huShopdipp onr means and diminishing the