Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-04-16
TIVE 1TRoC1ous usuRpArIoN AT WASHINGTON

wholly without warrant in the letter spirit OF the Con-
s,itu,on Il is exercising powers not given-usupeu
without ground Of rght-and which ought to be heiu m
valid and refused obedience.
This course is not notification. 1t is not the question
Of Law whose exposition is the province OF the su-
preme Court It is not Revolution. 1t is resistance TO
Revoluion
The President is now avowedly employing the Army
and Navy and Treasure of the United States to operate
forcibly within the limits, and on the SOIL and against
the people Of the Seeded States Where his authority
Il ia not the case Of an insTectioR State, where
when called on by its Executive, or Legislature the
President has lawful right to employ the Army OF
Navy, or call out the Militia, to suppress it. 1t is the re-
ss.aucs Of Se,e rcpsing Federal intervention and
aordug no shadow of right for the Presidents inter
terence by force as in the case provided for OF lnsn
recion'
Il is not Combination too powerful to be Impressed
BY the ordinary of judicial proceedings or the
power vested in the Marsha in the sense Of that only
law that can be strained into the tainics semoance o.
seeming to give authority to the President TO call on the
public force to suppress it. The question notWhethei
the word combination" may not be employed 10 lpor
anv sort or extent OF connection, but Is, what uoeS
mean here? Even if the context did not light US clearly
to the meaning Of it. the very importance oil the pro
vision and the dignity of the subject would make 1t IN
credible that distractions offered TO the laws by Stat
slould be described as distractions offered by "a com
6uatoa-s. less that it could import distractions by
confederacy Of Sates-but eague," alliance or com
bnaton of States must assured have been the term EN-
po7ed But the context leaves no room Tor DOUBT. Inc
combinations referred plainly such as 1t would o'
competent to deal with "by judicial proceedings an'
bv the "Upited States Marsass," if these could com
ms.d sdeouste power to enforce their auhority-bu'
surely no one viii contend that State in arms, still les
an armed Confederacy asserting its full and exclusive
sovereignty against the United ates, is case to be
dealt with bv the Federal Courts and Marshas and if il
be not lust as surely and by necessary eohst quen'e
"a not the case iusfyng resort TO force forts suppress
sion contemplated aud provided for BY law-the only
s law under which the President can even profess tC
h acting And iCmore proof were needed that resisting
>t,,s could never have been meant by combinations
, .,t the laws" +, is furnished by that other clause
Of the same law which authorizes the President to cal
OFT the militia Of 'such State" to suppress them-impor
ING rrqusstionaby, combinations Of individuals within
tie State and however powerful yet inferior in power
to ,be State, and arrayed in opposition to it, also
Even then, on the admission that State has no right
- ssced,b.t its resistance to the laws ard authority q
III, United States is wrongful and may be retrbuted by
f,rce-st neither secession, nor resistance by State
and stulss BIZ Confederation of States is the OF
insu-recton" or coordination" to suppress which the
President is authorized TO employ the public force.
A resort 20 force under such conditions, is but war
HCyl war still emitting the State or States, asserting
Sovereignty by the law Of nations, to all the rights Of
war against the United States, and other powers (Whea
.oa s65)-anj so, being 0u, cannot under the Con
sutou of the United States be rghtuly entered upon
Or waged, save BY the war-makng Power and that
D,ve- in our Government, is not the President: but
Congress.
But in this case, i. IS Public The States as sepa
rte NatoraHtes, entered into the engagements Of the
c7mp,c. of Union. With no ar5i,er provided to pass
on the keeping Of those engagements they m1st, Of ne
cssity, each Judge for ITSELF They judge subject, Of
course 10 their responsibilities to the other States, aud
e, the Federal Government The attempt by either to
exact these responsibilities by forcble means, against
armed resistance by org 4rzed S.ate-what is this
le or other. than Public War-and where does the
Prsida, find the power given him to declare, make,
VIZ?
If he views the seeded States as still IN the Union
w. the opposition to Federal authority in them is by
tn ~, as States intcrposrg State authority between
III fir people and any other claim Of authority them
AMI not the unlawful refusal obey the United States
laws. Of unauthorized persous. But the whole power OF
m, Federal Government 10 enforce the laws Is agsinst
individuals, or bodies Of individuals, banded under no
Law. bu, In Glance Of al law shown only by the
terms or the Constitution, and Of the laws carry it III
to extcutou-bu. shoHnin tie rejection by the Conven-
tiln that framed it, Of clause 20 give, expressly, this
p.er Of using force against SAFE TO the Federal Gov
eramen- Tie atenp. to compel them By force to oJs-
r- IS but war-1ud IF made By the President, without
authority Of Congress, is plain uslrpaton.
IF viewed as Foreign States what is the attempt to
m .ia,-a iog;eses within them but in like manner, war.
NAV be made cause Of war by tue other States
o- bv the General Govsrumcut-pos,ib,y By ehor-but
if by The latter, them sin it is the sole and exclusive
function to make u So of Congress- and its being enter
ed in bv the President is s,ill sheer usurpation.
Whether then viewed IN the Union, or ont Of the
Union the use Of the army and navy against the eced-
ed States is war-and as SUCH the atemp. so to use
them is to usurp power not given him by the Cons,i-
tton and ought, therefore, to be universally resisted
and rebuked.
When war shall have been declared by Congress
against the seeded States it viii be time enough to deal
with It as that case may demand Al present II is mere
ExEcurvs WAR-an outrage the mos. unqualified and
a,rocous ever attempted upon the CONSTITUTIONS usur.
patton the most grant aud tie worst possible to be in
agnel
How else it should be dealt with-ress.ed in all forms
and everywhere through the country as it ought to be-
aud hope will be, as the act of despot Of his own
msr, will, aud without authority of the Constitution and
lave, pungiug the country into civil war, know not
out see no reason why the Convention Of this State the
organ both Of speech and action of the people of vir-
GINA in whose very face this act has been flung should
not at once deuognce the usurpatOn-prOclaim all or
rs 10 act fo7cby against the seeded States that may
have ean1ed or shall emanate from the President as
the exercise Of power no; vested in him by the Con
tuition or hws-decare them, in its opinion Of no bind
in- effect whatever on any citizen soldier or State, of
the United States and such this State and her people
should not and viii not obey. And appeal TO all friends
of law Of peace aud Of good faith every where to ri.
against and crush this Black Republican Faction whose
ourages heretofore and usurpaon now, have broken,
and are still breaking to pieces long glorious and
prosperous Union and threaten, If not overthrow, to
devote the whole country to blood, desOlatOn and
ruin. k.
THE DUPLCITY OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
That the administration at Washington, in its pretend
ed pacific policy has practised deliberate deception, is
now too apparent for question. What the Washington