The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-01-27
DOUGLAS en- EillibusteIism.

LIS is leportC q to Lave spoken as follows:
Mr.. Douglas of Hin is. ] do not rise to
rotract 'he debate, but to return The compl-
ment which my friend fOm Missi> s'ppi (Alr.
Brown paid me- when he said he edni.ed my
pluck in speaking my sentiments freely, with
out fear, when differed rom the President of
the United States. Re has shown his pluck
and.various others have shown III rs on The
present occasion. According to the doctrine
announced the other day, each Senator who has
done so hes read himself out o: the ty. !
find tlat am getting into good company ; l
have numerous associates; am beating up
recruits q little faster than Gen Walker is at
this time. I.augh:cr.] / think. however, it
will be found that we are in The parry, intend
ing TO do our duty, expressing our opinions
freely and fearlessly. without any ~ rrchcnson
of being communicated, or hav;ng any pen.
alties inflicted upon ls for thinking or speaking
rs we choose If my friend from Louisiana
(Mr. SlidelD were in his seat. | should say to
him, inasmrch as he declared in J is Tammany
Hall letter that he WIS going to fill by recruits
from the republicans all the vacancies caused
by assertions in the democratic party on ac-
count of differ noes in the 0; inion with the
PRESIDENT, that he seems to be very successful
to-day in getting leading reI ublicans on his
side, and recruiting his ranks Just as rapidly as
laughter The Senator from New York, l
believe, has the command of the n,w recruits.
Well, SIR, strange things occur in these days.
Men rapidly find themselves in line and out of
line. in the PARTY and cut of the rarity.
Mr.. Seward. Will the honorable Senator
allow me TO interrupt him
Mr.. Douglas. Certainly.
Mr.. Stewart have an indrccment on this
occasion Which is new and pa ticularly crafty
ing to me, which will excuse me for being found
OH the side of the Administration. The mes
sage announces that. in the judgement Of the
President, this expedition of Mr.. Walker was
in violation of the laws of the land, and there
fore to be condemned. So far agree with i'm !;
but he goes further. and rronor nccs it TO be in
violation OF higher law ); and am sure should
be rccreant to my sense of the higher law it.
self did come to his support on sgch an occa
sim. Laughter
Mr.. Douglas. Iperceive the consistency of
the Senator from New York in the ground on
which he bases his support of this message.
Now, sir, 50 far rs the President pronounccs
this arrest of Gen. Walker to have been viola
tion Of the laws of the Land, | concrr with him.
As to the allusion of tit "hieher law" | think
that is we'll enough in its place but it is not OK
acily appropriate in the eNecut on of the n. IL
trality laws of the United Stat $. I would
for the authority Of the President to use the
army and navy in enforcing the neutrality laws.
BY the statute of Isl he has ample authority
within the Jurisdiction of the United StatUs :
and that jul isdiclion is defined To extend as far
as one marine leagre from the coast If an
arrest be made within that distance the courts
ofthe United States have itrisdi ction, ut there
is no authority to arrest beyond that distance.
The authority given in the eighth section of the
act, 10 which reference is made, ut which is
not quoted in the message. is confined i'm terms
to cases within the jurisdiction of the United
States as defined in the act. How defined :?
Defined in the previous sections rs being within
one marine league of the coast. 1t thus ap-
pears that the whole extent of the PRECEDENT 9
power to rse the army and navy under the act
OF lelS 10 within our own waters and one ma
rinc league from the coast.
did suppose that The pres 'ent himself PIT
that construction on his a thority for ! under
stood him TO ask fer further and additional
authority from Cong: ess tn enable him t. put
down lilibr s'cring ex Ell ions. What fur Ii, r
authority iu,d he want, if the existing laws
allowed him to roam over The high seas and
sail Ground the world and go within one marine
LEAGUE OF every nation on the earth 1t
might be supposed Il at his authority was extern
sive enough to employ his entire navy: and
W =
wade other nations.
For these reasons Is"ppos"d that the Fresi-
dFnt, on rejection and exam II" ton, had come
to the conclusion tl,at his authority WAS full and
ample within one marine league of orr co st,
and ceased the moment YOU passcd bcvonl that
on the high seas. That has b en- my constr2c-
ton the neutrality laws. believe it is the
fair construction. | am in favor Of giving those
neutrality laws Il fair, faithful and vi-orous cx.
ecutlnn. believe the laws of the land should
be vigorously and faithfully executed. There
may be public sent 'mcut in cert in localities
untavorable to the OF cratiors of The law, but
prtj dice should not lie allowed to deter us
from its execution. This is government Of
Jaw. Let us stand hy the laws so long as they
stand upon the statu,e-book, ard execute them
faithfully, whether We like or dislike them.
Sir, have no fancy for this system of fill
clustering. believe lis tendency is to defeat
the very Object they have in view, to wit the
extension OF the area of fccdom and the
American flag. The President avows that his
opposition to it is because it prevents him from
CARRYING out line Of policy that would absorb
Nicaragua and the countries against which
these expeditions are fitted out, l do not know
that should dissent from tie President in that
object. would like to see the boundaries of
this Republic extended gradually and s. eddy,
as fast as we can Amcrica,lize the countries we
acquire and make their Inhabitants loyal Ame-
rican citizens when we get them. Faster than
that l would not desire to go. Ny opposition
to tie Clayton-Bulwer treaty, which pledged
the faith of this nation never to annex Central
America, or coloniZe it., or exercise dominion
over it, was not based OH the ground that de-
sired them to acquire the Country but mas
much as l saw that the time might come when
Nicaragua woul not be too far off to be en-.
braced within our Republic. being jest hal way
to California and on the main road there, was
unwilling to ledge the faith of this nation that
in all time we never would do that Which be-
licved our interest and our safety would compel
us to do. have no object n to this Gradual
and steady expansion as fast as we can Amer.
canizc the countries. ] believe the interests of
commerce, of civilization, every inter which
civilized nations hold dear, would lie benefited
by expansion brt still desire to see it done
regularly and lawfully, and arprelend that
these expeditions have tendency to check it.
To that extent | have sympathized with tie
reasons which the President has assigned in his
message for his OPP osition to them ; but de-
sire that his opposition shall tie conducted law
fully far am no more willing to allow lin
unliwfully to break them up than am to per-
nit them unlawfuly to fit them out. lam not
willing To send out naval officers with vague in.
structions and set them to tilibustering ali over
the hiah seas and in the ports of foreign corn
tries under the pretext of putting down fill
clustering. Let is hold the navy clearly with
in the law. Let the instructions that are given
to our officers be clear and specific land if they
do not obey the law cashier ihem Or, by other
punishment, reduce them to ob: dicncc 10 the
law.
But in this case il is "A very strange fact that
Capita III Chatard is degraded and brought home
for not arrestins Walker on the identical SPOT
where Com. Paulding did arrf st him. Padding
| and Chatari are thus placed in peculiar posi-
ton. Paulding arrests him, as we ttre told, in
| violation of law. Chatard is degraded for not
arrcsting him in violation of the law This
shows that the moment We depart from the
path of duty, as defined by law, we get into
difficulty every step we take. A the difficult
tics and cmbar assmeits connected with the