New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-06-16
ENFORCING TEE LAWS.

political struggle.
Current events are putting to severe test
those expressions of devotion to the supremacy of
the laws so layishly uttered during the Fresiden-
tial canvass. Federal law is set at defiance In
eleven of the Slayeholding States, and is passing
through a trying ordeal in three of the Others
In this exigency, the Free States of the Republic
have risen as unit, and with the aid of loyal
citizens in the South have assumed the task of
maintaining the Federal authority, and enforcing
its laws, in all parts of the Union
But rddt laws are thus to be enforced at the out
set of the present struggle looked as though no laws
would be cared for in the Southern States except
those for the collection of duties ON foreign IMPORTS
and that the chief object of the war would be to fit
out vast armada TO hover around the mouths of
the harbOrs of the nsurgcnt States and see that no
ships had ingress egress without paying CUSTOM
airy tribute to the Federal Treasury. clearer
comprehension of the stake for which We are con-
tending soon seized upon the great body of the peo-
pie, and speedily infused its spirit into the minds OF
those charged with the administration Of the Gov
eminent. All saw and felt that to restrict efforts
WI th' ihNo hA'iNit w 'i'N
ment of our revenue code in the waters OF the re-
voting States was scanning the crisis from very
low standpoint.
Even in the matter of the revenue itself, 1t
was worthy of small consideration. For the
whole sum collected in the Southern Custom
Houses might be diverted from the treasur! with
out being seriously missed For example, while
for ten or dozen years past the value of the
duty paying goods imported into the whole coun-
try has annually reached the sum of about three
hundred millions of dollars less than twenty mil
lions of this amount have entered the ports OF the
eleven States now in rebellion against the Gov
ernment. The single port Of Boston pays yearly
into the treasury double the duties of all these
eleven States. Charleston, the source and center
of this revolt, which, since the time OF
Calhoun, has been striving to establish large
direct trade with foreign countries, and which
aspires to be the chief entry-pOrt of the JEFF.
Davis Confederation, imports less goods than
Salem, of which probably the mass Of the rebels
in the Palmetto City never heard, and scarcely
more than our scholastic neighbor, New-Hayen,
which we presume never dreamed that it was a
/ great commercial emporium. In many single
/ year the city of New.York has paid into the
Federal Golfers fifteen and even twenty times as
much coin in the shape Of imposts, es all the
rebel States combined. Hence, rejecting men
saw that it was belittling the exigency to limit
this contest for the enforcement Of Federal law
to the code which authorized the collection Of
duties in the ports Of the insurgent States.
Laws lar more vitally affecting the interests of
the American people than this code are now in
abeyance below the Potomac and the Ohio.
Citizens OF the rebel States owe our Northern
and Western merchants, shippers, manufacturers,
mechanics, and farmers millions upon millions Of
dollars for goods sold and services performed.
Payment Tor this vast Indictment can be en-
forced only in the States where tho debtors re-
side. Suits must be brought judgments rem
dered, and executions issued there. For obvious
reasons, most of the creditors would prefer TO
bring their actions for the collection Of these
debts in the Federal Courts Being loyal TO the
National Government, they have right to de-
msnd that Il shall maintain an impartial tribunal
ia every State of tie Union, at whose bar they
can urge their suits to recover their just dues.
And, SO long as the Government imposes upon
them It's burdens it is bound TO confer upon
them ts beneiits-0ne of which is an upright
judiciary.
Beside furnishing the customary means for COLI
Iecting these millions due our people on ordinary
contracts of bargain and sale, citizens who con-
tribute to the literary treasures Of the country
by the publication Of books, and enlarge the
boundaries of science and art 10y useful inyen-
tons and discoveries, may well demand that the
Government shall open tribunals in the South
where they can sue for iDfringemcnts Of their
copyrights and letters patent. BY the United
States Constitution, such actions can be brought
only in Federal Courts. sitting in the districts
where the cause Of action arose. Snail our au-
thors and inventors whose genius has given us
name over the wide world, see their rights
derded and their property pirated by outlaws in
nearly half the States Of the Union, without re-
dress from Government in whose support they
are lavishing treasure and blood
Onr shpowners are daily losing noble vessels
md rich cargOes, which are captured and coniis-
Gated by the freebooters of the Gulf States
Many of the wrongs inflicted on our Northern
ard Western shipowners by these buccaneers can
only be redressed peaceably by Courts having
Admiralty Observation-Disclosures instituted by
Federal authority, acting through Judges ap-
pointed under the United States Constitution,
and whose jurisdiction in the premises is ex-
elusive. And, aside from these special grew
ances, shall not oil the laws beneficial to the
trade and commerce. Of people whose mercan