Valley Spirit: January 20, 1864 — Newspapers

Page Description:

Curtain's address takes up the entire page.

Governor's Message

(column 1)

Summary:

The Spirit reprints Governor Andrew Curtain's annual address to the State Legislature. In it, he gives an overview of the state finances, proposes that state debts be paid in paper currency rather than in specie, and discusses expenses incurred by the Confederate raid in the summer of 1863. Curtain goes on to recommend several areas of action: a revision of the laws caring for orphans of volunteers to make sure all are cared for equally across the state; a revision of state revenue laws for the first time in twenty years; a revocation of transportation monopolies granted to certain large mining companies; a survey and tax on all unpatented lands; an extension of the provisions that allow municipal corporations to deduct and pay into the treasury the tax on all loans paid by them; and a tax on the gross receipts of all railroad and canal companies. Curtain also proposes a more permanent organization of the militia, and describes the establishment of the cemetery at the site of the Gettysburg battle.

Page 2

Page Description:

Fiction, poetry, and humor

Page 3

Page Description:

Agricultural advice and four columns of classified advertisements

Page 4

The "Dead-Lock" in the Senate

(column 1)

Summary:

The editors note that Republican papers, among them the Transcript, are upset that the Democrats in the State Senate will not vote for a Republican to break the deadlock on the organization of the Senate. Republicans also accuse the Democrats of taking advantage of the absence of Major White, a Senator serving in the army who is a prisoner in Richmond. But even if White were in the state, say the editors, he would not be legally elected as he holds a commission as an officer in the federal army. This commission prohibits him under the State Constitution from holding any state office.

Excerpt:

"No we profess to be willing to abide by the Constitution, and if there is anything in the Constitution obligating our Democratic Senators to vote for an abolition Speaker, in case of a tie, we have no doubt they would cheerfully do so, but if there is not anything of the kind; it is fair to supposes they will claim to vote as they please."

The Governor's Message

(column 2)

Summary:

The editors give lukewarm praise to the Governor's address, but criticize him severely for proposing to pay state debts with paper money. For those holding the obligations of the state, particularly foreign capitalists, this will devalue the worth of what is owed them by half, as this is the discount they will be forced to accept to redeem the notes. It is hypocritical of the governor to take this approach, particularly while it is paying specie to the federal government and demanding specie for its customs payments.

Excerpt:

"It is a document of tolerably fair merit, and is in some respects more reasonable and conservative that we had expected."

(column 3)

Summary:

The editors argue that there are three types of Union being argued for by various parties in the county. Secessionists wish to give the states all the power and the federal government nothing; Abolitionists wish the reverse. Only the conservatives in the middle, say the editors, have the proper balance of reserving the rights to the states not expressly granted to the federal government.

Excerpt:

"The first is the Union as it existed under the old confederation; the second is the Union under the Constitution; the third is the Union as the radicals want to have it--The first is a confederate Union; the second a constitutional Union; the third a consolidated and despotic Union."

(column 3)

Summary:

The new assemblyman for the district, Mr. Sharpe, has been appointed to four of the "most important" committees in the House of Representatives--the Judiciary General, the Judicial Local, Federal Relations, and Estates and Escheats. This is an honor for a new member, particularly one of the opposite party of the Speaker, and it speaks well of his reputation.

Names in Announcement:

Mr. Sharpe

Democratic State Convention

(column 4)

Summary:

The Democratic State Central Committee met in Philadelphia last Wednesday and set the date for the Democratic State Convention, to be held in that city on March 24.

The Democratic Platform

(column 5)

Summary:

The Democratic State Central Committee passed a number of resolutions concerning the recent elections, Lincoln's recent proclamations on abolition, and the procedure for seceded states to return to the Union.

Excerpt:

" . . . the assumption of Mr. Lincoln, as indicated in his late message and proclamation, that the revolted States, and that they can be reconstructed as States and re-admitted into the Union by a mere fractional vote of one tenth of their people cast within the limits of each, is a proposition at once revolutionary and preposterous, manifesting an astounding inclination on his part to act in utter disregard of the Constitution and the elementary principles of our republican form of government, and at the same time foreshadowing a scheme through which stupendous frauds may be practiced upon the upon the [sic] ballot at the next election, and a still more stupendous fraud upon sovereign States that have furnished without limit of their blood and treasure to put down rebels and rebellious States . . . "

Full Text of Article

At a meeting of the Democratic State Central Committee, held in the city of Philadelphia, on Wednesday last, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted:

Resolved, That notwithstanding the apparent result of the late election in this State the consequence, as we believe, of an unfair use of the military power and the practice of gross frauds on the ballot by our opponents, we are still firm in the belief of the ultimate triumph of Democratic principles and policy, and that their ascendency [sic] is the surest means of redeeming our country from its present afflictions: and to that end we earnestly invite and entreat Democrats and all conservative citizens, in the several counties, wards, townships and districts of the State, to unite themselves together in more perfect and complete organization, as the best means to re-establish the purity of the ballot, maintain personal and public liberty, and to provide for a final effort, at the next election, to displace the men now in authority at Washington, whose policy and measures have proved so predjudicial [sic] to the cause of the Union, subversive of the rights of the citizens and oppressive to the people.

Resolved, That we deplore the enunciation of the schemes and purposes embodied in the late Proclamation of the President, appended to his Message, the inevitable effect of which must be to prolong and extend the bloody strife now raging among the people of the United States, and to furnish an additional verification of the worst apprehensions entertained as to the purpose of his administration, to wit: the intention to subordinate the cause of the Union to the cause of Abolition.

Resolved, That no State can withdraw from the Union by its own action; and that the assumption of Mr. Lincoln, as indicated in his late message and proclamation, that the revolted States, and that they can be reconstructed as States and re-admitted into the Union by a mere fractional vote of one tenth of their people cast within the limits of each, is a proposition at once revolutionary and preposterous, manifesting an astounding inclination on his part to act in utter disregard of the Constitution and the elementary principles of our republican form of government, and at the same time foreshadowing a scheme through which stupendous frauds may be practiced upon the upon the [sic] ballot at the next election, and a still more stupendous fraud upon sovereign States that have furnished without limit of their blood and treasure to put down rebels and rebellious States, by admitting into the Electoral College men who would have no legal or constitutional right to seats in that body; the consummation of which scheme would be so gross an outrage upon the rights of the people and the States, as might fully warrant resistence [sic] on their part, by all the means which God and nature have placed within their reach.

Resolved, That it is our deliberate judgment, that the enunciation of a wise and judicious political policy, at this time, on the part of the Administration at Washington, to the effect that, any State heretofore in revolt, within which resistance to the authority of the Government shall cease should be allowed, through the vote of a majority of its electors, to resume its former status and functions in the Union among the States, and saving the lives of thousands of our fellow citizens now in the field.

Resolved, That the Democratic party will continue their efforts to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and to re-establish its supremacy both at the North and at the South; so that neither the revolutionary schemes of the Abolitionists nor the Secessionists shall avail against it.

The resolutions were unanimously adopted.

On motion of the Hon. George Sanderson, of Lancaster Co., it was unanimously

Resolved,That the thanks of this Committee be tendered to the Hon. Charles J. Biddle for the able and efficient manner in which he has discharged the duties of Chairman of the Committee.

The Committe [sic] then adjourned;

Charles J. Biddle, Chairman.

Robert J. Hemphill, Secretary.