American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1859-03-03

NaneA cOuuthoue W tue BfdEtS OUT OF Wnht
value are conditions 10 power 10 make
war when hostilities have once bsgun?-
Who can prescribe the compliance with.
and the execution Of those conditions by
the Executive power?
sKNAfoR EBssEEDEK's REMARKS.
Mr.. Fsssenden.-MT. President, / think
We may as well look back a little, before
We proceed further in this business and
give the President the power be asks Of us.
It.WAs only at the last session that lie de-
sire1 Congress to place in his hands the
power to bring the great nation OF Paraguay
to terms; and very innocent looking res
olution was brought into this body by the
Committee on Foreign Relations, au,hori-
siDg the President to use force for the
purpose Of settling little difficulty we
were in, with the Republic Of Paraguay,
| u il is a republic. Well. sir. that measure
was opposed by some gentlemen on this
floor. 1t was sad at the time that il was
giving the President power to make war;
The answer which the honorable chair
man OF the Committee on Foreign Rela!
tiODs made was that il was only giving
the President power to commence hostili
ties. Without making any distinction be-
tween commencing hostilties and making
war, it was said further that il really a.
mounted to nothing; that all the Presilen,
desired was TO send single vessel 10 that
direction, and that probably there would
be no sort Of occasion to send one vessel,
for as soon as we passed one resolution
some bird would carry the news 10 Mr..
President Lopez and there would be an
end TO the difficulty; that we should hsve
no sort Of an occasion to go any further in
that business. A majority OF the Senate
listened 10 that delusve i;ea, and were
over persuaded TO pass that resoluIion
and il passed the House Of Representa-
lives. What has been the result? This
which was only matter on paper, only q
mere rmal affair that was to amount to
nothing, became at once the signal for
the great expedition; and we know now
the Iaet that, after that power was grant.
ed. on the strength Of these declarations
mace by the chairman Of the committee
and Others who advocated that movement,
an expedition has been sent out for the
purpose Of bringing Paraguay TO terms,
consisting Of some twenty vessels, believe
from Which we bave heard no account,
and Of which We really know nothing as
to what are It's ultimate intentions. -e
Sir. why has not the country heard
something Of this? Usually when we are
10 state Of tostilties with other people,
il gets into the newspapers; we know
something about IL. How happens it that
the country was SO wonderfully quiet iu
relation to all these matters, up TO the be.
ginning Of the session Of Cougress?-
There was no difficulty, unless the Senator
or ONE ody else brought it when we
came here. The country was quiet; we
heard none Of these difficulties, except
some little troubles with some OF our citi-
Gems In these republics; and yet the Presi.
dent urges upon us--what? Substantial
ly TO put into his hands the power to send
another expedition. and yet another and
another, and some OF larger character,
to Central and South America, in order
to do what he may see fit to direct to be
done. What is the argument? The ar.
gument isthAt We are al wong; that the
couDtry is wrong. that the Constitution is
wrong. that we are going on in on improp.
er manner: that other nations have tie
power TO make war at once: that that pow.
er is lodged in the hands Of the Executive;
that il is not so with us, and we are expe.
rienciDg difficulties. Why not proceed
at once to take initiatory steps TO have
changed e Constitution Of the United
States. Tbi' provision means something
or nothing, II means that the Executive
shall not have this power or that he shall.
Il says distinctly that the power shall be
lodged In Cougress-that Congress alone
shall have power to make war. What Is
this demand? That We shall divest our.
selves Of this power and put il IN the
hands Of the President, with regard TO
half dozen different Powers, ofthe earth
il you choose TO cali them powers. What
Is the answer? They are only small Pow.
ers. Suppose they are: does that mske
any difference in the principle? Is It not
precisely as much Of surrender Of our
power as It would be II we were to say
the PTeSiden, shall be invested with pow.
er 10 commence hostiitiss against all the
world? Whether the powers are large or
small, weak or strong. there is no differ
ence in the principle.
Now. sir, l do not choose, for one, to
wrest this power from Congress where ihe
Constitution has placed it, aud give it, 10
The President Of tho United States. 70
speak plainly, | have not that con6deuce
in the present President Of tho United
States, which would induce me TO do 80,
except under the most urgent necessity,
where no other course would answer. But
We ars repaired not only to do this, but to
do Il blindly. What facts have we? What
lacls did he communicate when he sent
his anhu'l message? A y? Nota all.-
hs told US be had unsettled difficulties. -
Everybody knew that before; but ihoy
wero Of a slight character. He comes now
with this message, and presents himself be-
fore Congress agSin; for no reason that l
can understand, urging the same thing up.
on US for tie second time. and going fur
ther; taking . new step-advising Con
grOss 10 take up bill on it's table. and
pass Il before the adjournment, because il,
is necessary that he should have this pow.
er. Are wo aparoel Of children? Have
we no juIgmel ats 10 be convinced - no
u,inda IN ha in(ormad9 Us that A. ...oI.