The Placer herald., 1861-06-29
Have we a Dictator?

II also direct that the regular army OF
the United States be increased by the adj
dition of eight regiments OF infantry, one
regiment of cavalry, and one regiment of
artillery, making altogether maximum
aggregate increase of 22,7l4 officers and
enlisted men, the details of which increase
will also be made known through the De.
par,ment of War; and further direct the
enlistment, for not less than one nor more
than three years, of 5000 seanen, in AL
dition to the present force, for the naval
service of the United States"
Lincoln's Last Proclamation.
Congress mot the Presidency shall have
power to raise and support armies, but no
appropriation of money to that use shall be
for longer term than two years. To pro-
vide and maintain anavy," etc.
Constitution Of the United States.
The American people are submitting to
the edicts of an Au,ocrat, and have no longer
a Constitutional Government. Abraham
Lincoln has the same right to 'dirert that
the reru ar army of the United States he in
creased" as has Mr. John Thomas Tompkins,
or his French Majesty, Louis Napoleon, and
no more. If he can increase the army by
% 900 men, he may by % million. One of
the very worst features Of the present crisis
is. that the sen,imen; of the North sustalns
this unwarrantable transgression of the Con.
sti,ution. At any other time this act would
insure the immediate Impeachment of the
President. Thus, the Constitution, rebeled
against by the people of the South, and ig,
nored 10y the President, absolutely has no
existence We are living under the un-
limited and arbitrary will of a man whose
preiudices against a section of the country
are as dangerous as they are fanalicaI.
1t may be said that Congress- under the
power to provide for calling forth the mill
tia to execute the laws of the Union, sup
press instructions and repel invasions."
has by law authorized Tie President TO call
out the militia; but that law expressly re
slrjcts the President to employing the aid
of State militia, 'rganized and controlled 10y
State authority, aud commanded hv officers
appointed 10y the State, and only then in
the aid of the execution Of civil process, and
only until the end of the next following Con
grtss 1t is tri1ng to apply this power to
the present case where the civil authority Of
the Government absolutely has no existence,
and which involves actual war against States
which have withdrawn from the Union
The action of the President is equally un-
authorized and criminal, whether the con
tiict with the Southern States be wagng
OF war or "suppressing instruction" For
if it he war, it i, the province of Congress
alone to declare and authorize it--and if it
be suppressing rebellion, by what authority
does he employ the regular army, aud enlist
five year troops to put it down? These are
the machinery of war, not Il, the exercise of
civ! functions--an Abraham Lincoln, by
their employment, has ola ed the express
provisions of the Constitution, that Con
gress shall have power to declare war;" etc.
1t is this unconstitutional, this treason'
able usurpation of power, that we are com
on our allegiance, to support, or
we are "traitors to the Governments" 1t
is because we protest against this Illegal, this
unjust, this senseess, this most useless war,
that we are false to the duties OF American
citizens, and aileis and abeito"s of traitors.
Sierra Citizen.