Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-07-24
THE THIRTY SEVENTH CONGRESS
EXTRA - SSION.
WAsIIINGToN, July lG.
SENATE.

W ANHlN"ION, ohll W.
SENATE
The hour having arrived when the res
Olution endorsing all the act, of the Press
ldent was TO be made the special order.
/ Mr.. Breckenridge took the floor and
spoke as follows:
SPEECH or HON. JOHN e. BREcKiNRiDGE.
Mr.. President, if this were but an ordi-
nary occasion, ] should content myself
with vote, but am unwilling to allow
this resolution to pass Without EXPRESSING
my opinion and protesting against the
acts enumerated in the resolution.
The words UI the resolution admit that
the acts were rot done 10y Congress, nor
IN accordance with the constitution.
] should like to know, Mr.. President,
how the constitution invests Congress
with the power Of thus, rs II wishes, IN
Identifying the President.
If the Ere idcnt has violated the laws
! he has also violated tbs constitution, for
/ he Is sworn to see that those laws are cX-
ecued. TO declare that Congress 10y a
JOINT resolution. eau iudrmuii, Tie Prc,i-
( dent for any action hc has taken, is to
give the President precedent that he
may always follow. deny that Conglcss
can sse the constitution either as a means
of encroachmeut or olindemnihcauon
Mr. President, intend 20 speak only Of
those acts of the President enumerated in
IN ,he resolutions, and which denouncc
rs bold usurpatiouS, and ! am sorry to see
! hUrc, on the ilOOr oil the American Senate.
Senators who are willing to endorse those
acts. ! am OF the opinion that the Pres
iIdcnt should be rebukcd
! BY what authority has the President
established blockade Il the Southern
ports? viii any Senator here tell me?
Show me the clause which empowers the
President to do So. VIII any Senator
say that the constitution does?
The question came up at the last ses-
sion Of Congress, an the late Svralor
from Illinois Mr.. Dougla,) advanced an
argumont that was unanawcrublc, and sta.
Ted therein that shoud the President ut
tempt to do so he wopll be Liable to i'm
rcuchmcnt. Let any Senator show Inc
the clause or drducc from any clause
where the President is empowered more
than any other officer.
During all the past troub Is Of thi,
country Il blockade was no. instituted
no, not even dmng the troubles Of South
Carolina, IN 1882, and | trust the time
may yc! come when it will not be treason
to maintain the co. stItulion.
MI. Breckenridge referred at some
length TO The suspension Of the hrbsw cyr-
pms. He said VIC have been told about
State rights and individual rights, somc
OF wLich weIe mere shadows: the writ OF
l,yy.ry. = i'll. -.
wheTe-a real right-the r,yht of rights,
belonging to the high, the low. tho rich
and the poor alike, Yes, Mr.. President.
1t belongs to those to whom the President
chooses to designate as = plain p op,e.
II was sought after, fought for, obtained
and locked up in cur constitutions 1t j.
the chiel glory Of the British people. Il
need not say that Pariamerr alone can
Suspend it. We all know that a mcnalch
cannot thus invade this sacred right of ,
people, yet a trans Atlantic President
does 1t with impunity.
Such thing was never before known.
Mr. jefferson at one time thought he
would like to suspend the wit, but he
asked Congress aud it was denied to him,
and he did not attempt il. The constitu-
ton does not designate the Executive
more than any other officer when it speaks
Of the writ.
Here Mr.. Brecknridge quoted from
several other Chief Justices.
ue1 1iuded to the Merryman case, and
said that the newspapers had denounced
Judge Ianey. but never attempted to re-
flute his arguments, and these abuses OF
the press will yet reCoil on their
own heads. Here Mr. Breckin, idge
eulogized Judge fancy for his ability and
courage, and said he was he most illustr-
Gus American living or dead.
Addressing himself u the Senate, Mr..
Brecklrridge said in cool, yet defiant
manner: Gon propose to approve what
You are unable to defend rs being just
and constitutional.
Mr.. Breckinridge spoke of those who
were unjustly imprisoned, and cited par.
tlcularly the Washington jail. lie then
proceeded TO enumerate the acts against
which he protested as incorporated in the
resolution, affirming the law in connec-
ton with each quotation; among them
were the power TO declare war, to raise
and support armies, to provide and main.
tam the navy, drawing money from the
Treasury without due appropriations be,
ing made, infringements on the Lights Of
the people, on their property, on their
papers, on their right to bear arms.
He said that should the resolution pass
the country would stalk on giant strides
fast towards = military despotism. He
alluded to the freedom of the press, the
destruction ct the st. Louis State journal,
where he said an officer lad suppressed it
with four hundred soldiers as his war
rant.
lie stated that Washington had carried
thirteen colonies through tho Revolution
without suspcnding the h bcas corpus.