Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-06-18
The Tragedy at washington-The Com
sIiLutiOn Violated.

1t was great outrage, the firing of the
marines, called out by order of the Presi-
dent of the United States, on American
citizens at Washington, on the LIST inst.
This tragedy, terrible as it was, is the more
startling when it is recolected that the
President has committed the act without
authority of the Constitution of the United
States. The Constitution authorizes Con-
gress "to provide for calling forth the mill
tia, mot the regulars or marines) to exc
cute the laws of the Union, suppress in
surrection," &C., and Congress has accord
ingIy authorized the President ito call
forth the militia, under certain circumstan-
ces. But the Constitution gives no author
ay either TO Congress or the President to call
forth the regular army or naUaL forces, to
fire upon the people in such cases. The
law allows the President to call out the mi
litia only a0here 'the execution Of the La1oS' is
"ObStructed By combinations too pO1osrfuL TO
be suppressed by the ordinary course Of judi
cial proceedings, or by the powers vested in
the marshaIs," (such as sheriffs possess,
and then not till the President shall 'by pro-
cLamation command such insurgents to disperSe
and retire peacea6ly to their respective abOdes
aoithin a limited time" In this case, the dis
order had already been quelled, and there
was no proclamation issued, no reading Of
the riot act to disperse the mob, no cOmpli-
anoe Nth the Lal0, giring the people fair a0arn-
ing. Indeed, the disorders seem to have
been quelled an hour or tloo before the ma
rines got to the ground, and when they got
there they were ordered to fire upon the
crowd, without the slightest respect to that
warning to the people which the law re-
q~ires Many innocent persons were killed
or wounded, some of them distant from the
scene of disorder, and who had had moth
ing to do with it. Little children were
among the sufferers.
Now, we respectfully but earnestly pro-
test, that this rash use of the marines by
the President of the United States, is in
violent disregard of the Constitution of
the United States. That it is fagitious
mistake-a dangerous usurpation Of pow
er-an appalling precedent in the face of
the American people. The people have
no safety left, if a hired soldiery may, re-
CARELESS of the sanctions of the funda-
mental laws of the land, be brought to
pour their volleys in among them, at the
mere caprice of an excited or erring Off
cial. This case must receive a searching
scrutiny. Where, we ask, is the authority
in the Constitution for such a use of the
hired soldiery of the Government The
President has done a great wrong. He
has acted above the Constitution. Let
the people look into it closely and careful
ly. The Constitution has been wounded
in vital point. How long would this
Government stand, when it ceases to be
government of written constitution and
lawsg After Cromwell began to employ,
without sanction of law, his hired soIdiery
against Parliament there was no longer
any law in England, except that which he
chose to give. Let the marines fire only
when the Constitution allows. Let us
take warning in time: let this precedent be
reprobated. and the Constitution guarded
from farther infractions. Let the people
arouse, awake to the magnitude Of this
offence, and speak out their earnest judg-
ment, that no other erring official may for
moment fancy that they are indifferent
TO such dangerous Entertainments Of execu-
tive power.