The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-01-20
SHALL WE HAVE A DICTATOR 4?

| sented a bill In the Senate, authorizing the
President of the United States, at his discre
ton, to declare war against Mexico, or any Of
the Central American States which, in his
judgment, may infringe upon the rights of
American citizens The South is anxious for
another slice of Mexican territory, and the
President would have not the slightest difficulty
in finding case in point to warrant an invasion
of any one or all our Southern neigbbOrs.
James X. Polk, it is true made war upon Mex
leo, without this specific authority called for
by the President, upon the assumption that
Mexico had invaded our territory. But we had
not imagined that the Slave party was 50 lost
to all sense of shame as deliberately to propose
TO confer upon the President the war-making
power, which the Constitution has carefully de-
volved OH Congress.
We are at q loss TO understand why Mr.
Mason should propose to restrict the President
in the exercise of his newly claimed prerogative
| to Mexico and the Central American States
| There is no reason at all honorable to the
prowess Of the nation why he should not have
a general power of declaring war. We often
have reason to complain that Great Britain de-
| tains and searches our commercial ships at sea !;
and why should not the President be authorized
to enforce summary redress by marching into
Canada Are British aggressions more tolera
BILE than Mexican? t
The truth is, that the Slave Oligarchy, and
the Administration, which is its creature, ever
ready for aggression upon our weak neigh
bors, dread nothing SO much as war with Eng
land and would be very far from giving any
Northern man, even one of their own selection
the discretion of making war upon that Power,
or upon any Of the great Powers of Europe.
But is not this bill of Mr.. Mason splendid
Illustration of the Virginia doctrines of strict
constitutional construction, and jealousy of the
Federal Government? What would Jefferson
and the Randolphs and Masons of other DAYS
have said to a similar proposition coming from
Alexander Hamilton? They would have read
in every line of it the fell purpose of overturn-
ing our Federal republican system, and of estab-
fishing in its place a consolidated despotsm,
and with good reason.
There never was more successful i'm
posture practiced upon any people than the
modern Virginia and Southern affectation of
scrupulOus reverence for the Constitution.
Every measure of national importance, by
which the North could be benefited, is I'M
tremendously denounced as unconstitutional
by class of politicians who have harped upon
the Constitution, until many unsuspecting peo-
pie have come to believe that they are really in
| earnest. Mr.. Mason has holy horror of a
Pacific railroad, because, he alleges, there is
no power in the Constitution to build it at the
public expense. He is opposed TO river and
harbor improvements on a similar ground and
yet, whatever will benefit the slave interest, al
though it were never dreamed of by the trainers
of the Constitution, he is ready to support or to
! propose. He proposed the Fugitive Slave BILL
1 which no clause of the Constitution warrants ;
he is ever ready to vote millions for the pur
chase of Mexican territory and hundreds of
millions for Cuba. All these enormities which
are designed to uphold and extend Slavery, he is
foremost in pressing upon Congress and the
country while his constitutional scruples gil
him with agony when measures of national util-
ity are proposed. The following is the bill refer
red to, accompanied by its preamble:
Mr.. Mason, from the Committee on Foreign
Relations, reported the following BILL authori
! zng the President Of the United States TO use
the public force of the United States in the
cases therein provided:
"Whereas the President of the United States.
in the discharge of the duty imposed on him by
! the Constitution, from time to time TO give to
! Congress information of the state of the Union,
! and recommend to their consideration such
no ba bo1l
dent, has informed Congress that, by reason of
! the distracted and revolutionary condition of
| Mexico of certain of the States of Central
| America, as well the property the lives and
| liberties OF American citizens, peaceablv and
! rlghtfully within their respective limits. are
subjected to lawless violence or otherwise placed
! i'll peril by those claiming to be in authority.
and for redress thereof negotiation and remon-
STRANGE, in the forms of diplomatic intercourse.
are attempted i'll vain; and it being manifest
! to Congress that such condition of tbin0s in
the States aforesaid will continue so long AS
| Government is found there in the unsettled and
irresponsible condition at present and at times
heretofore tolerated by their people; and it
| being the indispensable duty Of the Govern
ment of the United States to protect its citizens
! against lawless violence without the limits of
| the United States, wherever found on lawful
GRAND: Therefore,
"Be 1t enacted, DC. That whenever il shall be
made to appear to the President that any citi-
zen or citizens of the United States have been
| subjected, within the limits of any of the States
| aforesaid, and without commensurate offence
on their part, to any act Of force on the part of
those claiming to be in authority therein, af-
fecting the life or liberty of such citizens. and
the case in the opinion of the President de-
mands on his part the interpoSition hereinafter
provided, it shall be lawful for the President 10
use the land and naval forces of the United
States, or such part of them as he may deem
requisite, i'll such way rs in his Judgment NAV
be most effectual, by force. within the country
so offending, to give full and adequate relief
and protection to any citizen or citizens of the
United States SO injured or imperilled. and at
his discretion to obtain redress for any wrong
so done: Prorided, That the President shall
report TO Congress (if in session. forthwith. or
if in recess at its first meeting thereafter) what
ever may be done by him at any time in ex-
ecution of this act Ai,d pyopided, further,
That as soon as the object shall be obtained in
any case where the provisions of this act shall
be carried into execution, the land and naval
forces 50 used shall be withdrawn
"Mr. Mason gave notice that he would ask the
Senate at an early day to proceed to the con
sideration of the BILL" IF
ALL AT SEA AGAIN.-In another article we
quote an explicit declaration of the Richmond
Enquirer, that popular sovereignty is Demo
cratic doctrine which the Republicans wish to
steal from them, but which the Democracy will
not surrender. We quoted from the Enquirer
of the 18th Instant but TO our amazement we
find the following passages in long editorial