Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-07-10

pressed and silcnced. The course taken
in Virginia was the most remarkable,
perhaps the most important. A conven"
tion, elected by the people of that State
to consider this very question OF disrupt
ing the Federal Union, was in session at
the capital of Virginia when Eort Sumter
fell TO thi. body the people had chosen
a large majority Of proiessed Union men.
Almost Immediately at the fall OF Fort
Sumter many members Of that majority
went over to the original disunion minor
ity, and with them adopted an ordinance
for withdrawing the State from the Union.
Whether this change was wrought by
their approval cf the assault upon sum
ter, or the great resentment at the Coy
ernment's resistance to that assault Is
not yet definitely kcown. Although they
submitted tue ordinance for ratification to
q vote of the people, to be taken on day
then somewhat more than mouth dis
tant, the Convention and the Legislature,
which was also in session ut the same
time and place with leading men OF the
State, not members Of either, Immediate
" commenced acting as if the State were
already out of the UnioL. They pushed
military preparations vigorously forward
all over the State; they seized the L. S.
Armory at Harper's Ferry and the Navy
Yard at GoSport, near Norfolk. They re-
ceived, perhaps invited, into their State
large bodies of troops, wish their warlike
appointments. from the so called seeded
States. They formally entered into n
treaty Of tempor ry alliance and ooopera-
ton with the so called Confederated States
and sent members to their Cangress at
Mon tgomcry, and finally they permitted
the insurrectionary government to be
transferred to their capital at Richmond.
The people of Virginia have thus allowed
this giant resurrection to make its nest
within her borders, and this Government
| has no choice left but to deal with it
where it finds il, and it has the less re
gret as the loyal citizens have in due form
claimed its protection. Those loyal cltl-
zens this Government is bound to protect
| rs being Virginia. AS in the Border
State. so called-in fact the middle States
there are those who favor an armed
neutrality, that is an armins of those states
| TO prevent the Union forces passing one
way or the disunion the other, over their
soil-this would be disunion completed.
! Figuratively speaking, it would be the
building up of an impossible wall along
the line of separation, and yet not quite
an impossible one, for, under the guze OF
neutrality, it would tic the hands of the
Union men, and freely pass supplies from
among them to the einsurrcctionists, which
is could not do as an open enemy. At a
stroke it would take all the troubles of
the hands of Secession except only what
proceeds from the external blockade. 1t
1t would do for the disunionists tha,
which Of all things they most desire -
feed them well and give them disunior
without q struggle of their own. 1t rec
ognizes no fidelity to the Constitution, M
obligation to maintain the Union, anC
while very many who have favored it arr
doubtless loyal, it is nevertheless very in
furious in effect. Recurring to the actor
of the government, it may he stated tina
: at first a call was made for $4,000 militia
and rapidly following this a proclamation
, was issued for closing the ports OF the in
. ,ne"n"sSs',rUy "UisjatSoh" ,gfaro dir wa
believed strictly legal
At this point Ike insurrectionists an
bounced their purpose to enter upon tn
E practice Of privateering. Other calls wcr
made for volunteers to serve three year
unless sooner discharged, and also 70
large additions to the regular army am
navy. These measures, whether strctl
legal or not, were vcntured upon unde
what appeared TO be popular demand
and public necessity, trusting then, n
now, that Congress would readily ratir,
them. IL is believed that nothing has beer
dohe beyond the constitutional competen
cy oi Congress. Soon after tle first call fo
militia 1t was considered duty to author
ize the commanding General in proper ca
ses, according to his discretion, to sus
pend the privilege Of the writ of habea
corpus, or in other words to arrest and de
tam without resort to the ordinary pro
cosses and forms of Law, such individuals
as he might deem dangerous to the pub
lic safety. This authority has purposel,
been exercised but very sparingly. New
ertheiess the Legality and propricty o
wnat has been done under it are question
ed, and the attention Of the country has
been called TO the proposition that on,
VINO IS sworn 10 take care that the laws
be faithfully executed, should not himself
violate them. OF course some considera.
ton was given to the questions Of power
and proprlety before this matter was acted
upon. The whole Of the laws which were
required to be faithfully executed were
beng resisted, and failing OF execution in
nearly one third of the States. Must they
be allowed to finally fail of execution,
even had it been perfectly clear that by
the use OF the means necessary to their
execution, some single iaw made in such
extreme tenderness ofthe citizens liberty
that practically it relieves more of the
guilty than OF the innocent, should to q
very limited extent be violated. To state
the question more directly: Are all the
laws but one TO so unexecuted ard the
Government itself 60 to pieces lest that
one be violated. Even in such a case
would not the official oath be broken il the
Government should be overthrown, when
it was believed that disregarding the sin.
gle law would tend to preserve it. But il
was not believed that this question was
presented-it was net believed that any
law was violated. The provision of the
Constitution, that the privilege of the writ
of habpas COrnua sbnll moi 10 .,,...z.. 4 - 4