The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1860-02-16
PROGRESS OF CONGRATULATIONS.

Gov. WISE IN his correspondence with the
President Of the United States, demanded the
interposton Of the Federal Government, by mil.
itary force, 10 breuk up nlledged rendezvous in
Pennsylvania and Ohio, and prevent Oh invasion
| OF tho State of Virginia from these States.
The President of the United States answers:
You also inform me that = piuces in Mary.
lund. Ohio und Pennsylvania have been occu-
pied as depots and rendezvous by these despera-
does, unobsructed by guards otherwise, to
invade Virginia" and you apprise me of this
| fnct. that "may take steps to preserve peace
between the States"
am at loss to discover any provision
in the Constitution or Laws of the United States
which would authorize inc to take steps for this
purpose. 1t is, doubtless, the imperative duty
OF the respective Stute governments TO break up
such dcpots and to prevent their citizens from
making incursions into Virginia TO disturb
| 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, il would be manifest usurpution Of their
rights We're thus TO not, it would be pal
pabc invasion Of State sovereignty, and, a
precedent, might prove highly dangerous
My authority for calling out the militia or
| employing the army and navy is derived exclu.
sveiy from the Acts of Congress Of the 2sth Of
February, 1895. aud the Sd of March, 1907,
which clearly do not embrace such case rs is
now presented. 1t will not be pretended that
such incursons from one State into another
| would be IN invasion of the United Stutes
from any foreign nation or Indian tribc,' un-
der the Act OF February, 1895, rendering it
lawful for the President to employ the federal
| forces I" 10 repei such INVASION"
The positions taken by the President are SO
| clear and conclusive, that we supposed that there
would be nn end of this matter with his answer
But The Consolidutionsts, Democrats and Black
Republicans. will not let the opportunity pass
without m effort to extend the power Of the
Federal Government. A bill has been intro
duced into the Senate by Senator Bigler, Of
pennsylvania, and resolution by Senator Doug
las to empower the Federal Government TO call
out the militia OF any Of the States, and TO use
the Federal army, against citizens Of the States
whom 1T might suspect Of having m intention
| TO invade another State. This is clearly be.
yond the powers conferred by the Constitution Of
| the United States. The case Of one State invad.
ing another is not contemplated by the Const-
tuition of the United States. When the Force
i5iIl was passed by Congress. empowering the
President of the United States to use military
force against South Carolina, il was an uncol.
stitutional outrage >. but il had the pretext of
enforcing the laws Of the United Stntes. But
here, the laws of the United States are not in
question. Citizens of State arm (as they have
| a right to do) organize and move in Il Stnte 1t
| is n State affair, und il exclusively belongs to
| the State authorities TO defeat and suppress all
such organ lzntions looking t. the INVASION OF a
sister State. Tho eighth article Of the Consti-
| ton empowers Congress 6" TO provide for calling
forth the militin to execute the laws Of the Uni
ted States, suppress nsurrections and repel in
vnsions" BY turning TO Mr.. Madison's Debates
on the Constitution, page 146G, our renders will
| mud that rs this clause was reported to the Con
| vention 1t contained the word "foreign " before
'nrasion "-"repel foreign invasion" We
quote from the proceedings in the Convention
Article IL being taken up, the word foreign
was stricken out mem. co1 as supcrfluuus, being
| implied i'll the word INVASION" This clearly
shows that the power given by this clause in the
Constitution, to "repel INVASION" applies only to
| foreign invasion"
Tie 18th section Of the IVth Article uses the
word invasion in the same sense Ii provides
that "The United States shall guarantee to
every State in this Union republican form OF
| government, and shall protect each of them
| against 1ncaSion; and. on application of the
Legislature or the Executive (whcn the Leris,
lure cannot be cOnvenrd.i against domestic vio-
lence." Here the United States cannot inter.
iere to protect State against domestic violence
| unless called OH by the State authorities Blu,
The c'se 1t is proposed now to provide for is not
one OF domestic rioiemcr." 1t is not one OF
insmrrccii0n." Ii is not one OF foreign invasion
which will authorize the interposition of the
| Federal Government. 1t is Il case of the com
bina,ion "r assembly Of the citizens of one State
| 10 Invnde another, before anything is done.
| We sny that any law empowering the Federal
authority to interfere in such case By military
force, will be- utterly unconstitutional and It will
| be us dangerous rs it will he unconstitutional
1t will authorize the Federal Government to pl V
INTO all assemblies Of the people in State-tu
set mp system Of espionage. totally inconsistent
with the free exercise OF their rights-and upon
suspicion or rumor use the military Of the Uni
ted States against the people. or course we
| suppose every Consodationist in Washington
to vote for such measure. 1t marks the
progress of the Federal Government to q consol
idnted despoiism.
We are glad to have learned, through oul
able correspondent "Santee," that Mr.. Ches
nut and other Southern Senators intend t.
take q decided stuni against this unconst
tutionai, insdious and dangerous move Her
cnry.