Shreveport daily news., 1861-08-01

ct respects ltS own AlllIdLlOllS. 1neSG
are few Of the reasons that will
control my vote against this resolu-
ton. I hope it will be voted upon
and if it should receive a majority
as / fear, it will be an invitation to
the President Of the United States,
in the absence Of all legislation, to dc
the like acts whether, in his opinion
it is in Kentucky, and Missouri, and
everywhere In his discretion he
will feel himself warranted in subor.
dinating the civil to the military pow
er, and to imprison citizens without
the warrant Of law, and to suspend
the writ Of habeas corpus, and estab-
lish martial law, to make searches
and suppress the press, and to do all
those acts which rest on the will and
authority Of Il military commander
In my judgment, if We pass this, we
are upon the eve of putting, so far as
we can, in the hands OF the President
of the United States the power Of q
dictator. With such a beginning as
this what are we to expect i'll the tu
ture? When We see men imprisoned
within hail Of the Capitol, withou,
warrant. and Congress in session, and
the courts paralyzed and Congress
not rising in q protest OF indignant
terms against it, we may be filed
with gloomy forebodings for the flu
ture. What may we expect except
line Of conduct in keeping with
what has been done? Is this con-
test to preserve the Union! If so,
then it should be waged in constitt,-
tional many. Is the doctrine to OBJ
tain that provinces are to be entirely
subordinate to the idea of political
,,uity! Shall the rallying cry be
the constitution and the Union, or
are We prepared to say that the con-
Stit,Ition is gone, but the Union sur
wives What sort of II Union would
lit be! Let this principle be announ-
ccd, and let us carry on this contest
with this s,.irit, winlSing at or ap-
proving the violations of this sacred
instrument, and the people will soon
begin to inquire what will become OF
our liberties at the end of the expert
ment?
The pregnant question for us to de-
eide is, whether the constitution is to
be respected in this struggle, or
whether we are called upon to follow
the flag over the ruins OF the consti-
tuition! | believe, without aues-
tiouing the motives Of any, the whole
tendency of the present proceeding
is to establish a Government without
limitations, and radically to change
our frame and character Of Govern-
ment. / was told, the other day, bv
4 diStin@uishe American, that many
Americans abroad, when asked about
the present condition of things here,
said, "We tholght your Federal Gov
eminent rested on consent. and how
do You propose to maintain it by
force p Often the answer would be,
. 1t was intended to rest on consent,
but it has failed. Ii is not strong
enough, and We intend to make it
strong enough, and to change the
character of the Government. and W,
Will give it all the strength We deem
essential, without regard to the pro
visions Of the constitution, which
was made some eighty years ago, and
has been found not tit tor the prcsen,
condition of attairs.'' [ think it is
well that the attention OF the coun,
Try should be called to the tendency
Of things. Iknow there are thought,
tui. conservative nrn-thouSands oi
men who love the constitution, scat.
tered through the adhoring States
who would never consent 70 max,
this contest with any purpose to inter.
fere with the personal rights OF po
litical communities. He then refer
red to q suggestion i'll Il northern pa
per, that a change in the character o.
hL INla l.At1 t1AII