The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-08-31

to what will be the effect Of the passage Of
this joint resolution approving the action Of
the President:
| /" llere in Washington, in Kentucky, in Mis-
souri,, everywhere where tho authority of the
President extends, in his discretion he will feel
himself warranted by the action Of Congress upon
this resolution to SUI coordinate the civil to the mill
| tary power: to imprison citizens without warrant
Of law to suspend the writ of HABEAs CORPUS
to establish martial law to make seizures and
searches without warrant; to suppress the press
! to do all those acts which rest in the will and III
the authority of military commander. In my
judgment, sir, if we pass it, we are upon the owe
| of putting. so far can. in the hands of the
| President of the United States. the power of a
Dictator
| Then, in reply to the Senator from Oregon,
| [Mr. BAKER, he seems to have great appre-
hcnson of II radical change in our form OF
Government. The Senator goes on to say:
Tho pregnant question, Mr.. President, for us
| to decide is. whether the Constitution Is to be
respected III this struggle whether are to be
called upon to follow the flag over the ruins of the
Constitution! Without questioning the motives
| of any, believe that the whole tendency of the
| present proceedings is TO establish Government
without limitation of powers. and to change radi-
calIy our frame and character of Government"
Sir, most fully concur with the Senator
| that there is great efturt being made to
change the nature and character of our Gov
crnmcnt. | think that effort is being demon
strated and manifested most clearly every
| day; hui we differ us to the parties making
this great effort.
| The Senator alludes in his speech to a
conversation he had with some very inteli-
gent gentleman who formerly represented
our country abroad. 1t appears from that
conversation that foreigners were accustomed
u IN I
crnmcnt existed by consents now how is it
to exist 7" anG the reply was, {" we intend to
change it; we intend to adapt it to our con.
| dition; these old colonial geographical
| divisions and States will ultimately he rubbed
out, and we shall have a Government strong
and powerful enough" The Senator seemed
to have great apprehcnsions based on those
conversations. He read Il paragraph from a
| paper indicating that State lines were to be
| rubbed out. In addition to all this he goes
| on to state that the writ of nABEAs CORPUS
has been violated, and he says that since
the Government commenced, there has not
been case equal to the one which has
recently TRANSFERRED in Maryland. | shat
take up some of his points in their order, and
speak of them us think they deserve to be
spoken Of. The Senator says:
"Ihc civil authorities of the country are
established all over the land, The like never
happened in this country before, and would not be
tolerated in amy country in Europe which prciends
to the clements Of civilization and regulate |
liberty. George Washington carried the thirteen
colonies through the war of tho Revolution with
| out martial law. The President of the United
States cannot conduct the Goycrnm ent three
| months without rcsorting to it
The S. nator puts great stress on the point.
and speaks OF it in very emphatic language
that General Washington carried the coun-
try through the seven years Of the Rcvou-
ton without resorting to martial law during
all that period Of time. Now, how does the
matter stand When we come to examine
the history of the country, it would seem that
the Senator had not hunted up all the cases.
We can hnd some, and one in particular, not
very different from the case which has
recently occurred, and to which he alluded.
In lI17, the second year Of the war of the
Revolution, members of the Society of
Friends in Philadelphia were arrested on
suspicion Of being disaHectcd to the cause of
American freedom. a publication now
before Inc says:
" The persons crested to the number oftwenly -
were taken into custody. by
military force at their homes or usual placcs of
business: many of them could not obtain any
knowledge Of the cause OF their arrest or of any
one l" "h"h they were amehah!e and they could
10y "'lc " 'Nn'' themselves ot Inc Intervention
- The Executive Council of the State Of Penn
sylvania being formed Of residents Of the city and
county of Philaic!p ha had better knowledge
Of the Society of Friends AMI Of their individual!
lIci fron ,ho ,;s ~, 80 " ~, 5au,s 20 'en
ourht to have nrntectei HAM p ;nsto u ~ this
they causol these arrests Of their row ctiznns r.
be made with unrelrntinr severity ami frnm tho
| st to the 18th day Of september, III. the party
was taken into confinement in the Mason Lodge,
| i'll Philadelphia
ON the minutes of Congress of Bird Sept cmbcr
III, it appears that letter was reccivca by them
from George Bryan, Vice President OF the supreme
Executive Council dated ID September stating
that arrests had been made of persons iui,nica to
the American States and desiring the advice of
Congress particularly whether Augusta and Win
chester, in Virginia. would not be proper places at
which to secure prisoners. \ II
congress must nave been aware that 1t was
becoming case OF very UNJUST suffering for they
passed their resolution Of 9th September, l7l1 as
ioliows
80 That 1t be recommended to the Supreme
Executive Council OF tho state OF PcnnSylvana to
near what the said rcmonstrants can allege to
remove the suspicious of their being dsaffected or
dangerous to the United States
" But the supreme Executive Council on the
same day, referring to the above
RESOLVED. That the President do write to
CONGRESS to let them know that The Council has
NOT time TO ATTEND to thar busip in tbc nro.ent
ALARMING crisis and thnt th.v we're ogrccnbJv IN
the recomme udation of Coparnss ut III. moment
the resolve was brouobt into Council disnosn, of
everything for the dennrturn Of the nr;snnnrs
~ ~
If scn,en "I t @ th oa congress Oh inc ON