Year: 1863

Thus far We have been treating of State
matters exclusively, as being entitled to the
first consideration in the choice OF aGover-
nor, and not unlikely to exercise the over
ruling influence upon that question. Turn
we now to our national relations, and in
quire how the case stands there?


And here we think it may be safely affffin-
ed that Gov. Curtin has not only fallen far
short of the occasion in every element Of
courage, truthfulness, and ability, which it
required, but has in point of fact enacted
the part of a Marplot from the beginning,
and created more trouble and embarrass-


ment at Washington, by his otficious inter


meddling and wel-known weakness, than
all the other Governors Of tie loyal States
together, without regard to their party POI
itics. If the public have looked N vain in
| to the personal character and requirements
of the Governor to find reason for sending


him abroad, it might possibly be discovered
in very natural desire to get him out OF
the road, as both Governor and candidate,
with so much to fear from him in both OF
these relations. Who knows whether the


threat OF being candidate might not have
alarmed the Government, and whether its
renewal now is not intended only to keep up
salutary apprehension OF that justly dread
ed contingency? We may have a story to
tell on that subject on some future occasion.
When we speak Of his officiousness, we
do not, however, refer now to the business
of his standing agency at Washington, held
at present, we believe, by Col. Il. Biddle,
Roberts, of this city, of which we confess
that we comprehend as little, as we did the
reasons for withdrawing that officer from
his regiment, or the authority for installing
him in comfortable winter quarters alongside
of the Executive Chamber at Harrisburg.
| If we had been member OF the Legisla-
ture, we would have made it a point TO un-
derstand these things, even at the risk of
reproof Of our impertinence, Like that ad


ministered on the occasion of the inquiry
for the suppressed document. But what
was his conduct in regard to the requisition
made on this State for troops in 1862, and
the draft ordered thereupon? Who are the
mon whom hn hoe, a.acon1nienaed for e,,a-
ployment, and insisted on, in opposition to
the better judgment of the authorities at
Washington How often has he not been
there-not to further his own interests alone,
as in the case of the desired mission-but
to urge the claims of men whose zeal tor the
suppression of the rebellion was anything
but hot one? How many of his bosom
| friends and counsellors are there not, who
have thought and said that this was negro
war; that they were surprised that so con-
scrvative State as Pennsylvania, should
have contributed so largely to carry it on
that for every South Carolina rebel they
would hang Massachusetts Abolitionist-
that the rebels could not be whipped that
the war ought therefore to be stopped-and
that they would be glad to see it done even
| by foreign intervention, if not otherwise.
| For which Of these sentiments was it that


he considered the thanks of the State to
have been deserved by some of his fellow
laborers? 1t would be invidious to name the
men who have been so favored, but it will
require no great shrewdness on the part of
those who have been familiar with the faces


that have graced the Executive Chamber,
| from the day that Governor Curtin entered
it, to guess at the individuals to whom we
refer. Everybody will recollect, however,


the official dinner at Washington, and the
semi-ofliclal announcement in the Lntetligen-
Ger, that Governor Curtin was to head a con-
Servative party in this State, as its candi-
date for Governor. That, if true, would
have been only to go back to the position
from which his administration started, un-
der his revised and diluted inaugural. He
found it necessary, however, to deny, and
did deny, that he was so engaged, and we
give him the advantage of the statement.


We must be excused for saying that we
have reason to believe that it was true, and
his message to the Legislature, Immediately
thereafter, in which he denounces what he
considers as arbitrary arrests, while John
ston and Wriglt-both Democrats
defending them, is, to our mind, the strong
est evidence of it, in connection with the
associations which he has always had around
him. His learings are, and unquestionably
always have been, in that direction, and thus
it is that he has secured some Democratic
liberation, and been inspired with the delu-


sive hope, that he would receive some Dem
ocratic votes 1t may be, and perhaps is,


the fault of his complexion and tempera-
ment. Weak and nervous; timid and va
cillating, as he has ever been, it would be
impossible to find a man who is constitu-
tionally more untitled for crisis like this,


which really ''tries mems souls" We have


already suffered enough from men of that


kind, whose very virtues have been turned
into defaults by it-whose misplaced ten
derness has been real cruelty to innocence
and whose tinidity has had worse conse-