New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-08-16
: 4 Yankee Editor in MS senses.

From among the numerous expressions Of hos
tlity to the unconstitutional acts Of the Lincoln
Congress- We notice the following protest from the
New Haven Comm Register:
4 STARTLIEG PRoPesTTToN.-So little regard has
been paid TO the Constitution and laws Of late by
the men chosento administer and sworn to support
them, that do not know that the country viii be
surprised at any new violation, no matter what it's
extent The President for the first time in history,
aVows that he has violated the GonstitutidR and
laws, and calls upon Congress to take from his
shoulders the odium Of his acts and, strange to
say, Congress appears to be quite willing to violate
the oaths Of its members, and do the Presidents
bidding.
Bat the most surprising feature Of the proceed
ings of the past few days in Congress Is the intro
duction by Mr. Loornis, Of this State, Of bill to
carry oat the recommendation of the Sc cretary of
the Treasury that the property of citizens sup
posed to be in rebellion against the Government
shall be seized and c0nfscated We say sup
posed, because the fact Of the guilt Of the accused
cannot be legally known until he has been regu-
larly tried and convicted in accord 4rce with the
forms Of law and the provisions of the Conatitu-
t!on' Bat by the proposition Of Mr. Loomis, Con-
gfess assumes the power of judge and jury, con-
uelnS "ishout hearing, and authorizes the punish
We cannot believe that an American Congress,
at tins sae day il prepared to 90 back 50 far into
he hlss9ry oi spotisrn to find means for uphold
| lhg cur lfee boyernment. II cannot do it without
F.! disregardiDg the fundamental princinIaa of onr
Constitution and several Of its express proysioug
/ The Constitution says: No bill of attainder or
ex-post facto law shall be pasaean But here it in
| proposed, to pass a bill of attainder and an ex-
| post facto law. The crime of treason is defined
| by the Constitution and its punishment has been
| fixed by Congress. The law provides Only for the
| inflction of death. To now add to the penalty,
| after the acts charged have been committed ii
| beyond the power OF Congress-exp Expressly forbid
/ den by the Constitution.
T. Congress Aas no power to pass bill Of at
! tatnder-decreeing the anilt aud Punishment OF
| Individuals without trial. To do so would be an
assumption of power of the most despotic character,
| the virtual overthrow Of the Constitution, and
oonmittal of the personal liberty of the citizen to
| the mercy of the reigning faction. Such power
is not possessed even by the Queen and Parliament
| of Great Britain. It's assumption there would
necessitate the overthrow of Magma Charta, as its
assumption here would overthrow the Constitution
We lave no disposition TO palliate the acts of
individuals at the South, or say aught to screen
them from the just operations Of law. But when
it is proposed, under cover OF sustaining the Gov
ernment'' and preserving the Constitution; to
change the character Of the one and destroy the
other, bound to enter our protest II, as is
proposed, the President is TO be given exclusive
control of the war power ahd the purse-is to be
allowed to suspend the habeas corpus at pleasure !;
if Congress can pass post fdcs laws and bills of
al -ainder-then our Goyernmenthas ceased to be a
Fcpublic. *rS