The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-23
PRoTEcrIoN To AMERIcAN nTEREsTs IN cE

The message Of the President to Congress Of the
18th instant commends itself, in our Judgment, to
the hearty appreciation of his countrymen, and we
trust it win be sanctioned by Congress For years
complaints have been rife of unredressed ourages
committed by puny powers or lawless banditti
upon American citizens, The people of the Mexi-
can, Central American, and South American States
all know very well the peculiarites of our govern
ment, and that Congress is invested with the war
making power They know, too, the general ODE
dience paid to the constitution and laws by the in
habitants of this country; and having little regard
themselves to anything but force, they have been
embodened in crimes against our citizens by the
knowledge that prompt punishment and redress were
impossible. What, now does the President pro-
pose Simply to be empowered to protect Ameri-
can lives from assassination and American property
from plage; to insure a safe and peaceful transit
the lsthmus routes to give aid TO friendly but
feeble authorities in enforcing their own lave Tor
our protection from bandits; and to coerce If need
be, the hostile and perfdious int respect for Amer-
rights and citizenship AS it now u.s. when our gall
liant naval officers 'aoud stretch out hand to save
they find it Stacked by the law 1t lis true that one of
the noblest spirits in the Senate says that the Amer
can sailor who would not give the protection of an
armed vessel of the United States lying in the har
Dor to citizens crying aloud for it, without waiting
Tor the law or the constitution to enable him to do
it, would deserve to have the epaulets stripped
from his shoulders" But would it not be far
better to empower him by law to do what
he should do in emergency without law and
l FL ~.
against aw2 Great wrongs, public and private,
of small amount in free government when
compared with a disregard of law. Whoever by
sophistry or example encourages its infracton, or
even lessons respect for it, debauches the public
mind and commits crime In no case is the rule
''absta principiis more emphaticay applicable.
Can there be as much danger to our institution or to
national morality in having certain acts done in ODE
dience to law in forcing officers by the alter
native of public contempt and official disgrace to
transgress the law !? Or would it be less safe to
lodge the power by law in the hands of the highest
dignitary of the land, than to leave it be exercised
without law, in emergency real or supposed by
any subordinate officer?
The prenidont certainly does not ask to he clothed
with the warmaking power, which the constitution
reserves to Congress. In the exercise of the power
he has asked, it is possible, though not probable,
that he might be placed in hostile attitude to an
other government. But hostilities are not neces-
sary war; and the President very Justly says that if
the law his message suggests should be enacted,
''the knowledge that such law exists would of it.
self go far to prevent the outrages whichit is intend
ed to redress and to render the employment Of force
unnecessary"
Nor would the exercise of the power asked for by
the President be in conflict with the Clayton BuIwer
treaty, or any other treaty. It would be perver-
sion of terms to say that a momentary entrance of
American forces, it may be in and Of the local
thortes, upon foreign territory for the protection of
American lives and property was war, occupation,
or colonization. They would enter for tempo
rary purpose, entirely compatible with peace and
good will to the country, and would withdraw as
soon as that purpose should be accomplished.
What we have thus hastily said is more in the
nature of hints than studied argument The sub
ject is suggestive that volume might be written
upon it. But of thing we are sure, and that is
that a vast majority Of the people of the United
States would vote at once to place in the hands of
the President the right he asks of Congress to shelter
from wrong American citizens abroad by the shield
OF American power.
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