The Shreveport weekly news., 1861-08-19
Senator Breckinride in the Sen
ate Chamber.


could be done) the unconstitutional
cou1se of Abraham Lincoln, anterior
to the assembling Of Congress. being.
on the LIST met, before the Senate Of
the United States for discussion, Mr..
breckenridge distinguished himself
by a speech that was worth OF the
hest days of the now discovered Re
public:
He said the drama was beginning
to open, and the Senators who are
urging on the war are quarreIing
among themselves. The Senate had
ulready passed general confiscation
bill, and also n general emancipation
bill. The police commissioners Of
Baltimore were arrested without any
law and carried off to an unknown
place, aud the President refuses to
tell the House what they were arres-
ted for and what they were confined
for and what has been done with them.
Yet they call this liberty and law
The Senator from Illinois (Browning)
said he (Breckinridge) assaiied the
President with severity if not ma
lisnity. In the midst ofevents he
could rot cherish personal animosity
and for the President he never did.
On the contrary, he thought more
highly of him than he did of many
of his counsclors. He believed him
to be an honest man. tramplinS the
constitution under foot. for good mo-
tives from evil c"nnselors. But the
proceedings of Congress far eclipscd
anythin. the President had done.
and the Presidents acts sink into
nothingness before the absolute out
RACES on personal liberty penetrated
by Congress.
Gentlemen mistake when they talk
nbou, tn. Union. The Union is only
n means of preserving the primci-
pl.s of political liberty. The great
principles Of liberty existed long be
fore the Union was formed. They
may survive it. Let gentlemen take
care that they do no; sever all that
remains OF I'll. Federal Government
These eternal principles of liberty,
which lived long before the MON,
will live forever some where. Ihrv
must bc respected. They cannot
with i,npnnitv, be "ver'hr"wn, and
il You force the peopl. to the issue
between any form ofGovernmcnt and
these priceless principles Of liberty.
tha. form OF Government will 90
down. The people will tear i, asun-
der as the irrcprcs.ihl. forces of ma
turc rend asundrr all that opposes
them. The Senator from Vermont
declares that this conflict must lee
carried on under th. rules Oi war,
and admit that SON. thing must be
done directly contrary to the conSti-
tuition. | desire that the country
should know the fact that con-titu-
tional limitations are no Longer T" be
regarded; and he's the people once
get III" idc;, of Var, not Uuicr the
principles of the constitution, bat Il
contic, in which two great pcopl"
are against each other, for Whom til"
constitution is not, but for whom tn"
laws of war are. and | venture 20
sar that ih. brave words WI hear
now about suhiugation and conquest.
treason and traitors. will be glib y al
tered the next time the reprrrenta-
tives of the States meet under the
dome of the Capitol.
Then If the constitution is really
TO be- pu, aside, and the laws of war
are to govern, why not act upon it
practically | do no, hold that the
clause of the constitution VIII h au-
thorises Congress to declare war
applies to any internal difficulties
nor do | believe thar the constitution
of the United States ever contcnpla-
led the preservation Of the Union by
one halt OF the States warring on tiie
other half l,provides for putting
down inSurrection, but it does not
provide for tn" raising OF armies by
one-half of two political communities
OF this confcderacy for the purpose
OF subjugating the other half /,
this case OF WAY, why not trea, it like
war Practically it is treated 50
The prisoners ar. not hung as Con
tcderatcs. 1t is a war, but an un.
constitutional war. Why, then,
does the Administration refuse to send
or receive a flag Of truce, and all those
acts which might nj lcast ameliorare
the unhappy condition in which We
are placed 50 much, then, we know
We know that admitted violations OF
the constitution have been made, and
justified. and are, by legislation
proposed still further, To confer the
authority I" do acts not authorized
or warranted hv the constitution
We have it openly avowed that the
constitution, which is a bond at leus,
between those States that adhere to
it. is no longer to be regarded rs tha,
bond of Union. 1t is enough to tell
Inc that it has been violated by sece
dcd Stntes. II has not been viola.