The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1861-07-18
erred to their Capital at Richmond.

lIb HcSt WltnlH neT DOTucTS, AHA I'll
government has no choice left, but [
deal with it where it finds it, and it
the less to be regretted, as the loyal ci
liens have, in due form, claimed its PR
lection. These loyal citizens the go,
trnment is bound to recognize an
protect as being in Virginia.
In the Border States, so-called, i
fact the Middle States, these are thos
who favor policy which they ca
armed ncutrality--that is, an arming Q
those States t. prevent the Union force
passing one way, or the Disunion til
other, over their soil. This would b
disunion completely, fgurativcly speak
ing. It would be the building of al
i.lpassaL!c wall along the line of sepa
ration, and yet not quite an impassahl'
one, for under the euisc Of nout,ili;v, !;
would tie the hands of the Union mei
and free pass supplies from among then
to the insulrectionists, which it coulG
not do rs an open enemy. Al a stroke
it would take all the trouble Off IL,
hands Of secession, only what proceed.
from the external blockade.
II would DO for the disnnionists that
which Of all things they most desire
feed them well and give them aisunion
without struggle Of their own. 1t re
cognizes no fidelity to the Constitution,
no obligation 70 maintain the Cnion.-
While very many who had favored it.
are doubtless loyal citizens. il is, never.
thcless, very injuiicious in effect. Re
curing to the action Of the Govern
ment, it may be stated that at first 4
call was made for IS 900 militia. and
rapidly following this, proclamation
was issued for closing the ports Of the
insurrect.onary districts, By proceedings
in them blockade.
So far all was believed 10 be strictly
legal. At this point the insurrectionists
announced their purpose Of entering up
on the practice Of nrivatcering. Other
calls were made for volunteers to serve
three years, unless sooner discharged,
and also large additions to the regular
army AMI navy. These measures,
whether strictly legal or not, were ven
tured upon what appeared 70 be the
popular demand 70. a public necessity,
trusting then as now, that Congress
would readily sanction them. II is be
lieved that nothing has been done be-
yond the constitutional competency Of
Congress.
Soon after the first call for militia, it
was considered duty to authorize 4
commanding General in proper cases.
according to his discretion, to suspend
the privilege of the habeas corpus, or
in other words, to arrest and detain.
without resort to ordinary process ard
forms Of law, such individuals as he
might deem dangerous to the public
safety. This authority has purposly
been exercised but very sparingly.
Nevertheless, the legality and propri-
ETY. of what has been done under it, are
questions and the attention Of country
has been called to the proposition that
one who is sworn to take care that the
laws be faithfully executed, should not
himself violate them. OF course some
consideration was given to the questions
Of the power and propriety, before the
matter was acted upon.
The whole Of the laws which were
required tolbe faithfully executed, were
being resisted, and failed Of execution
in nearly one third Of The States. Must
they be allowed to fail Of execution
even if it had been perfectly clear thai
by the use Of the meaps necessary tt
their execution, some single law, made
in such extreme tenderness of the citi
zcn's liberty, that, practically,it relieves
more Of the guilty than the innocent
should to very limited extent be vic
lated. To state the question more di
rectlv-are all the laws but one to g,
unexecuted, and the government itsel
to go to pieces, lest the one be violated
Even in such case would not the off
cial oath be broken, if the governmen
should be overthroWn, when it was be
lieved that disregarding the single Ia,
would tend to preserve it.
But it is not believed that this question
was1prcsented; it was not believed tina
any law was violated. The provisio
Of the Constitution is that the privileg
Of the writ Of habeas corpus shall no
be suspended, except in case of rebe