Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-02-04
POWER OF THE U. GOVERNMENT To
' PREVENT RESURRECTION.

PREVENT 1ESURRECTl0N.
The following positions were taken by Senator
Douglas in q recen, speech in the United States
Senate.
Mr.. Douglas said that on the 25th Of November
the Governor Of Virginia sent a communication to
the President Of the United States, apprisng him
ibat there plan on foot TO rescue John Brown
and notifying him, so that he might take steps to
preserve the peace between the States. The Preei-
dent replied that he was loss to fad any pro-
vision in the Constitution or the laws of the Uni
ted States to authorize him to take any steps for
such a purpose-that is, to preserve the peace of
the States within the Union. This announcement
produced q profound impression the public
mind especially in Slaveholdipg States He
should not stop to inquire whether it the mean
ing of the President to declare that the existing
laws conferred no authority to authorize Federal
interpositon to protect the States from invasion.-
lie wanted to ask the Judgment of the senate and
the House on the question whether it is not in the
power OF Congress, and the duty Of Congress- un-
der the Constitution, to enact all laws which are
necessary for the protection of each and every
State against invasion, either from foreign powers
or by any portion of the United States? The de-
nial of such power in the Federal Government
has induced the inquiry among conservative men
who are jyal to the Constitution, to what means
they have for protection against external violence
1t must be conceded that no community lie safe, no
State can enjoy peace, without security against
external violence. Every State and nation outside
this Republic are supposed to maintain armies and
navies for this precise purpose, and the only egi-
TINA te purpose for which they maintained in
time of peace The States Of this Union would
possess this power of protection, we're it no: for
the restraint imposed by the Federal Constitution.
When that Constitution made, the States in
their sovereignty gave to the Federal Government
the power to raise and support armies and navies
They voluntarily surrendered the means of protec'
tion, and consented to prohibition upon them.
selves to keep troops or vessels Of war in time o
peace. The question recurs whether the States o
this Union to remain in that bel pless condition
with their hands tied and stripped of the means o
repellng assaults without any guarantee from the
Federal Government protect them against VIC
ence. If the people of this country are to settle
down into the conviction, that there is no power in
the Federal Government, under the Constitution
TO protect them, they will demand that their cord
. be severed. and their weapons restored to ,ho
hands with which they may defend thems eves.--
This inquiry involves the perpetuity of the Union
The means of repelling assault and providing
against INVASION must exist a condition of safe
ty and existence Of the States. He hoped 10 be
able to demonstrate that there is no wrong in this
Union for which the Constitution does not provide
q remedy, and the Union does not fail to
furnish q remedy for any wrong which be per.
petraed within the Union, if the Federal Govern.
ment performs its whole duty. He thought il
clear that the power is conferred Congress- first
to provide for repeling invasion from foreign coun
tries; and, second, to protect each State of this
Union against invasion from any other State OF
Territory or place within the jurisdiction of the
United States. He wished to call attention to The
power conferred on Congress to protect all the
States and Territories, including every inch OF
ground within our limits, against foreign invasion
The eighth section, article frst Of the Constitution
provides that Congress shall have the power to
declare war and regulate the land and naval for
css of the country and to repel invasion; and Con-
gress shall have the power of using the whole
military force of the country for the purposes thus
specified under the Constitution. In the second
place, they shall suppress insurrection; but the
nsurrection there referred to was insurrection
against the United States, instruction agains,
the States being provided for in subsequent sec.
tion. The in vason spoken of was invasion of the
United States They had power to repel invasion,
no matter where the enemy should land, il any
where within the jurisdiction Of :he United States
The trainers of the Constitution then proceeded to
make guarantees for the protection of the several
States. The fourth section, fourth article of the
Constitution. says the United States shall guaran-
tee to all the several States of this Union repub-
lcan form Of government, and shall protect each
Of them against invasion, on application, by the
Legislature or the Executive, against d. mestic vo-
lence. Mr. Douglas would submit the question
whether it was not clear from the very language
of the Constitution that that clause was inserted
for the purpose of making it the duty Of the Fed
eral Government to protect each of the States from
invasion by any other State, Territory, place
within the Jurisdiction of the United States For
The duty of protection against foreign invasion
had already been provided for, and this clause
was O guarantee from the United States to each
State for the protection Of each State against any
other State. If any farther authority is needed
to show that this is the true construction of the
Constitution, it may be found in the old Federaist
the forty-third number of which was written by
Mr.. Madison. Mr. Madison was considering the
clause which makes it .he duty of tho United
States to protect each State from invasion, and be
said that protection against Invasion is due every
society from the parts composing it. The latitude
of expression here used seems to each State
certainly against open hostility and against ambi-
tous or vindictve enterprises of its powerful
neighbors. History of both ancient and modern
Confederacies proves this, and the weaker members
of the Union ought not to be insensibe to this
policy This was written after the Constitution
was made, and with view to secure it, ratifoa-
tion. Hence the people Of the States knew this