The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-06-03

.
clothes the President with power to
employ upon information of any depre-
dations committed upon our commerce
by the vessels or authorities of other
nations, sufficient force to ayenge the
insult and extort full satisfaction, with
out waiting the action of Congress or
resorting to the usual diplomatic means
of affecting reconciliation or procuring
an apology. At the first blush this
may appear proper and patriotic, but
candid reflection will convince any rea-
sonable man that it is not only an extra
ordinary innovation, but in reality
very dangerous power. 1t is virtually
clothing the President with war making
power, a power by the Constitution
specially reserved to the Congress as
the nearest possible approximation to
the whole people. We cannot believe
that it is in any degree contemplated
that this bill shall become law, and
if it is, that the people would for one
moment sanction it. Take an instance.
Suppose the bill to pass and one of our
vessels gets into trouble with the Cuban
authorities at Havana. The captain
reports to the U. S. Government his
side ofthe story. The President, under
this law, detaches fleet and demands
an immediate and unconditional apol-
ogy. 1t is not rendered to his wish
and the fleet lombard the city and
pounce upon the shipping of Spanish
subjects. War is inevitable, and the
result would probably be the conquest
of Cuba. Now if there is any intention
to make this bill law, is not here the
legitimate object of its creation and
passage? There can be no doubt of it,
and Mr.. Buchanan's record as displayed
in the Ostend Circular points to this
supposition with unerring certainty.
Have the people sufficient confidence
in this Administration to entrust thus
to its hands the means to accomplish
this darling scheme of the South.
STEPPED in the very dregs Of subservi-
ency to Southern interests; stultifed
upon the question of human freedom !;
clamorous for the extension of human
bondage; INSCRIPTIONS in its attempts
to rivet the chains of slavery upon the
entire nation; unsteady and treacher-
Gus in its whole policy and manage
ment lavish and reckless in its fnan-
cial economy as this administration has
already proven itself, the country may
well view with alarm and fear the pre-
sentatiOn of this preposterous and un-
constitutional scheme to enlarge the
powers Of President Buchanan. AS
well might the coronal and the scepter
be voted at once, and the purse and
the sword tied together with the rem
nants of broken and tattered consti-
tuition. We had supposed that the
coup de 'etat was confined to France
with its Napoleonic tactics, but surely
the "Little Giant" is painting to rival
the eccentricities of the third Emperor.
The great danger of all Free Govern
ments is from the consolidation and
Capitalization of its powers. Allow
this measure to pass and it will be the
sure precursor of others, not more, but
equally subversive of the rights of the
people, and destructive of the powers
of the coordinate branches of the Gov
ernment. The South and the Northern
Democracy are itching for the acquisi-
ton of Cuba; this attained, the next
step will be the re-opening of the slave
trade, already mooted and discussed
openly and in good earnest by southern
legislatures and conventions, and Free
dom, Humanity and White Labor will
be permanently disgraced and crippled.
A number of the bogus Democratic
papers are favering the passage of the
bill, for one reason or ahother-none
for the true one, of course-but we
trust there is still virtue enough in the
American people, even in the present
Congress, to frown down any and all
attempts to enlarge the powers of the
President, and especially to condemn
one of such great significance and i'm
portance-one which is fraught with
such dangerous consequences and prec
edents as this must inevitably become
if successful.
ELECTION DAY SETTLED.-The day
for voting upon the English Lane
Bride Swindle has been decided upor
by the Board of Commissioners. They
have fixed upon the first Monday il
August as the day for holding the cleo
ton. We have no fears as to the re
suit of this election. Late advices from
the Territory leave no doubt that thu
1,r;bo will ba ovorwh elp,inolv raiactaf