Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-12-17
Letter from the President.

Letter from the President.
The following letter from President Buch.
anan, in reply to Gov. Wise, regarding the at
tempt at rescue of Brown aud his associated
prisoners, will be read with Interest,"
WASHINGTON CIry, Nov %, 1859
Sir: | received on yesterday, your favor Of
the 10Th inst, stating that you have received
information from various quarters, on which
YOU rely, " that a conspiracy of Formidable
extent In means and numbers, is formed in
Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and other
States to rescue John Brown and his associates,
prisoners at Charlcstown, Virginia" The in
formation, you believe, is specific enough
to be liable" and YOU are convinced (" that
an attempt will be made to rescue the prison
cry, and, if that fails, then to seize citizens
of that State (Yirginia) as hostaycs and vic
tins in case of execution"
1ou do not communicate the facts on which
your convictions arc founded, in the absence
of which it would seem almost incredible that
any portion of the people of the States men
toned should be guilty of the atrociouS wick
edness, as well as folly, of attempting to res.
cue convicted traitors and murdcrers from the
pcnmty due to their crimes under the outra-
gcd laws of Virginia You express entire
confidence, in which heartily participate,
that the noble old Commonwealth is ubun-
dainty able and willing to carry her own laws
into execution. Had this been otherwise.
and had you, as the Governor of virginia
Ohc Legislature not now being is SESSION.
made application to me for the aid which the
Constitution and laws of the United States
would allow nc to afford, this should have
been cheerfully and cordially granted Still
barn ID ~ A.
ton that your information is we'll founded, il
is both my right and my duty to adopt--that
Is, to reinforce the guard already stationed at
IIarper's Ferry.
Ihls may become necessary, not only to
protect the public property clearly within fed
cral jurisdiction, but to prevent the insur-
gents from soizing the arms in the arsenal at
that place and using them against the troops
of Virginia Besides, it is possible that addi-
tional troops may be required to act as a posse
c0mit0tus, Oh the rcquisiton of the marshal
of the United States for the western district
of Virginia, to prevent the rescue of Stevens,
now in his scustody, charged with The crime of
high treason. L have therefore, as precuu-
tonary measure, directed the Secretary of
War to order two companies of artillery to
proceed Immediately from fortress Monroe to
narpcr's Ferry.
lou-also inform me that "placcs in Mary
land, Ohio and Pennsylvania have boen occu.
pied as dcpots and rendezvous by these dcs-
pcradocs, unobstructed by guards or otherwise
to Invade Virginia and you apprise me of
the facts in order thatI may take steps to
preserve peace between the States" | am
at loss to discover any provision in the Con-
stitution or laws of the United States which
would authorize me to take steps for this pur-
pose. 1t is, doubtless, the imperative duty
of the respective State governments to break
mp such dcpots, and to prevent their citizens
from making incurSions into Virginia to dis
turb its peace or prevent the execution of its
laws. If the Federal Executive however,
were to enter those States and perform this
duty for them, it would be manifest usurpa-
ton OF their rights. Were thus to act, it
would be palpable invasion of State sove-
regnty, aud us a precedent, might prove high.
ly dangerous.
My authority for calling out the militia and
employing the army and navy is derived ex-
clusivcly from the acts of Congress of the
2Sth February, 1795, and the 3rd of March,
1907, which, clearly, did not cnlbrace such a
case as is now presented. 1t will not be pre-,
tended that such incursions from ono State
into another would be an invasion of the Uni
ted States " from any foreign nation or Indian
tribe" under the act Of February, 1875, rem
dcring. it lawful for the President to employ
the federal forces to rcpcl such invasion"
In conclusion, beg to express the hope
that, whether the information you have re-.
ceived be founded in truth or not, the encr-
getic measures already adopted under your
direction will prove sufficient for any cmer-
gcncy that may occur.
Yours, respectfully,
JAMES BUCHANAN.
To His Exccllcncy Henry A. Wise,
Governor of Virginia, Richmond, Va.
1IoME.--It is a little word it has its own
interests, its own LAWS, its own difficulties and