Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-02-06
From the Memphis Bulletin.
The Senate Report on the Capture of
.aIl

Eve give in another column n synopsis of
this remarkable document. No better evil
dence Of the decadencc of that body could be
offered: nor could higher proof be given Of
the venal suhscrviency of the age to power
and patronage than the laudations which
have been bestowed upon ii by those whose
interest il is to support the present Admins
tration. This Report marks Il new era of pro
gress in the Republic: but il is a progress
backwards from the principles of stern and
strict adherence to lar, and the rigid contine-
mcnt of the Federal Government within its
constitutional prerogatives.
While paying all due respect to the motives
of the President. we have hitherto attempted
to show-and Statesmen of study vigor of
mind, and manly independence of thought,
have shown. in Congra ss-that in the con-
structiOn given to the Neutrality Laws, there
has been an unwarrantable stretch of federal
authority; that the Executive had no power
to ins titute an inquisitorial tribunal out of
the officers of the army and Navy. vesting
them with the authority to dive into and
punish the motives of free citizens, who, while
they remained citizens, respected and obeyed
the laws of the country: and that the act OF
these naval officers, of these improviscd Tor
qucmadas, was essentially and purely, IL tdtc-
less outrage. We have attempted 10 show, and
it has been shown-hy the very acts of our
Government itself in the release of Walker,
his naval satrap bad committed grave err
ror''-that this outrage WAS Of a character TO
demand signal rtparation and atoncment.
The Senate Committee, Misunderstanding
below the elevated standard il maintained by
which to weigh public actions in the days
when ''thcre were giants in the land giants
in heart well rs brain-undertake to wh'te-
lrdNi the entire transaction and in doing so,
stultify themselves by the PRONUNCIATION of
the most glaring inconsistencies. We have
barely time this morning to notice but one Of
these. Take the following M II specimen, both
of the inconsistency of argument, as well as
downright pe,rersioa of the plain letter Of the
law
In the 9th section of the present act. (IsIs,)
it is declared u high misdemcanor ''within the
territory or jurisdiction of the United States
to begin, or set on foot. or prepare or provide
the means for any military expedition, or en-
terprise, to be carried on from thence against"
etc, etc. The ofiense il thus clearly defined
the gist of it being the iHtca 10 carry such
expedition etc. from the territory or jur.sdic-
tion' of the United States. so long as il re-
mainCd in the United States it would be harm
less: but if begun, etc, with the LHteid TO car
~ it on beyond the limits of the United
States, the ofiense would be complete, though
il should never have left the country.
Ii will he seen that the whole oficnsc here
contemplated. hinges upon the designation of
enterprises that are TO be -eaFTref GA frcEa
rHENCE''-that is, from the United States, and
from ,o,thia their territorial jurisdiction. The
Committee, however, transform this phrascolo-
Nv of the law into, carrying on LegoHd
ne Enli,s Of TIE JIuted Shacsi They first ask Us
to believe that to "set on foot ia the United
States is to "c1rry on from the United Stat s,
and then, az If this perversion OF the plain
meaning of words was not enough, they de-
mand OF us submission 10 their dogma, that
the intent TO do eatl,er IL TO commit the crime
of which both necessary clements under
| the law.
The as,oius,on. however, To which these sup
pie echoes Of Executive opinion arrive, out
| lierods even their pespeySsoas of law. i. In a
distinct ratification aud approval of an act
confessedly ''ariihof trdrrdhf II 5o,c.' They
are constrained 10 SAY, of PAUIDGNGs capture
| Of WNLKER. in effect, just what oth'rs have
said-that IL was a lawless usurp1tion 81
1 power-and yet, they have no word of cen
sure for il, but they rather dcprecate eensnrs
in the good motives which actuatsd him.
We are pleas, a to sc that oae member OF
Committee Mr.. Douglas, Of Illinois had the
manhood to repadiate this disgusting political
toadyism.