, 1861-02-25

iziug the President to call ort the militia
a1d accept the services Of volunteers to pre-
serve the peace, enforce the lawe, and sup
press rebellion against the Union. The bill is
arnendatory of the act Of lbs, passed at the
request Of George Washington, i vas shown
in the course Of the argument that without
the enactment OF some such law the Govern
ment would be unable to hold this Capital
against an asEanlt requiring more than three
or four thousand men to repel, rs that would
be the utmost number Of regular soldiers that
could possibly te concentrated here Tor the
protection Of the Capital, archives, and public
property. II Virginia should secede, and JEFF.
Davis should take it into his head to make
Washington bis Capital, the Government Ind
no legal means of providing sufficient force to
defend itself, either By calling on the military Of
adjoining States or for volunteers from all the
loyal States.
The old stereotJped CRY wns set up against
it, that it was measure Of Is coercion" 10 be
employed against the rebels. in which the
dougLfaces IT the North Joined their secession
rate harangues against 1t. The former ssid
that the act of 1795 authorized the President
to muster the militia or call out volunteers to
rGpcl invasion Of the United States. And all
the new Administration had to do was TO re-
gard the seeded States as foreign nation. In
such eyeut, President Lincoln could call out
the militia to defend the Capital against eiegs
by President Davis! This was certainly q
cooi suggestion, and ought to be made one Of
the compromises proposed By the old fossils
at Witlart'a.
Bocock further objected to the bill because
1t authorized the President to employ the mil
1tary power Of the c.nusry to suppress insuE-
rection against the United StateE, and he was
opposed TO eouferriug upon the President any
such power: Tie right OF tile people to rebel
6as higher than the power Of the Government
to suppress it! OF such stuf was his argu-
1,fI II
BY forty Hasjorty, and believe It will also pass
the Senate. Tne disunioaisfx, however, boast
that Old Buck will pocket it. It being now
within ten days of the expiration Of this Con-
gTess, he can strangle any bill by simply not
Signing 1t. But Secretary Holt and General
Scott, who are anxious to haTe the bill pass
boil neusee, think that Buchanan viii sign it
and leave to his successor lhe responsibility Of
empio5in iny its {'ow6rs for self defense or for
enforcing the laws in the insurgeut districts Of
tie Union.
Con.x's bill, empowering the President to
discontinue The mails In rehsll:ous States,
Which passed the House by go large. ma
1olity: is now being discussed in the Sauate.
It Eill doubtless pass in q few days, and the
President has sgniiied bis intention TO sign it.
II the maiIs were discontinued in the eight
Seeded s1ates-countipg Arkansns-it would
EaFe the Department four millions Of dollars
per annum, as it is costing the Federal
Treasury that large sum over and above the
receipts 10 furnish those Statea with their
postal facilities. Texas alone taxes the
Treasury over six hundred thousand dollars
per annum. The Post Office Department
would be self.sustainiug, il relieved Of tho task
Of providing mails for those disunion
srate1. Let them be discontinued. Let
JEFF Dayis's government enjoy the luxury
ot providing four or five millions year
to carry the letters and newspapers In
the st les which feel so horely distressed by
the oppressions aud tyranny Of the Federal
Government. This grievance Of paying four
millions q year fur them, should not be i11lict-
ed On that suffering, but patient and gentle
people, day longer than can possibly be
helped. When the fre-eaters pay rs cents Tor
letter Instead OF the onerous Federal tax Of 8
cents, they will realize the terribly Oppressive
character Of the Government which they have
so long endured. CHICAGO.