The daily Wabash express. (Terre-Haute, Ind.) 1857-1867, 1861-07-08

- - t77Sa aIht rHrlctt. a nc totfrt
aAen N Virginia. wa the most rem rkable.
erhaT~ she mo.t irr,rors as.s. A eeuyeuiion,
lected BY the State a. consider this sers
question Of disrupting the federal Union. vas
a session ~ the capital 90 Virginia AZ the 1
inc when Font Sumter len To this hody /
he people had chosen large majority OF /
'refesScd Union men Almost Immediately |
'iter the Tall OF Sumter. many members Of /
hat majority went over % tie original dis |
anon minority, end with them adopted an OF.
innnce Ton Withdrawing the State ffom the
lnion. Whether the change mas Wrought
~ iheir greas approval 81 the assault upon
sumter, OF the great resentment At the gov
resistance 60 that assault j. not
definitely known Although they Submitted
the ordinance Tor the ratification 10 vote of
the people. - be taken Ga a day somewhat
more than a month distant. the Convention
and the Legislature which was also IN ses-
sion at the same time and place. with leading
men OF the State. not members of either
body. commenced acuae As ii the State were
already OUT of the Union.
They pushed military preparations sigor-
ousiy forward all over the State they seized
the United States Armory NJ Harper's Ferry,
aud the Navy Wand AZ Gosport. near Nor
folk they feceised-perhaps iuyited-into
THEN State large bodies Of armed troops
With their war like appointments from the
called seeded States; they formally enter
ell into treaty of temporary alliance and CO
operation with the 80 called Confederate
States. and sent members TO their Congress
at Montgomery. and finally they permitted
the insnrrectionary government to be trans
ferred 10 their capital az Richmond The
people OF Virginia have thus allowed this
giant insurrection TO make is nest within her
borders, aud the government has no choice
left bat 10 deal with il where IL found it: and
il has the less regret as the loyal citizens
have IN due form claimed its protection
Those loyal citizens this government Is bound
To recognize and protect as being Nirginians.
In the border States social bat IN fact the
middle State-. there are those who favor n
policy which they call armed neutrality; that
/, an arming Of those States 20 prevent the
Union forces passing one way. or the die
union forces the other. over their soil. This
would bs disunion omyleted-fgurativel
speaking. Il would be the building of an i'm
passable wall along the line of separation
and yet not quite an iinpassable one. for, IN
der the guise Of neutrality il would tie the
hands OF the Union men. and freely pas.
supplies from among them 10 the insurrec
tionists. which n could not do - an open enc
nv. At stroke il would take all the trouble
on the hands of secession. except only mha
proceeds rom the external blockade. i
would do for the disunionsts tina; which of al
things shev most desire-feed them we'll an,
rive them disunion without struggle o
their own. Ii recognizes no fidelity to the
j Constitution. no Obligation 10 maintsin th,
Union. and while very man, who have favor
T ed il are doubtless LOYAL. il is nevertheless
/ iniurious-n effect embarrassing the actor
OF the government.
First a call was made for sey eaty five thousan,
militia. and rapidly following this pro
E clamation was issued closing the ports Q
] the insurrectiOnars 4 stricts. So far all wa
believed TO be sti'ctly legal. At this poin
the insurectionists announced their purpos
% enter upon the practice of privateering
other calls were made for volunteers 10 serv'
three wears unless sooner discharged, an,
also for large addition to the regular Arm
and Navy These measures whether stricti
legal or not we're ventured upon under wha
appeared TO he popular demand and pub
lie necessity. trusting that Congress
would readily ratify them. Ii is believes
that. nothing hss been done beyond tn
Constitution or the competency cf Con
gress. Soon after the first call for militi
II was considered duty 10 authorize To
commanding General. in proper cases, &C
cording - his discretion, 90 suspend tn
privilege of the wri; OF hobcas corpus, o
in other words 20 arrest and detaIn with
out resort 10 Inc ordinary process an
forms Of law. such individuals rs he nigh
deem dangerous 10 the public safety. Thi
authority has purpo-ely been exercises
but very sparingly: nevertheless, tn II
gality and propriety of what has bee
done under i sre questioned. and the nj
tention Of the country has been called I
the proposition, that one who Is sworn {
take care thai the laws bc faithfully exc
cuted. should not himself violate then.-
OF course some consideration was give
10 the questions II power and proprietN
before thi- matter was acted upon tn
whole Of the laws which were required t
be faithfully executed were being resisted
and falling Of the execution IN ncarl
ono-third of the States must they be a
loxei 10 fnailv fail II execution Eve
had Il been perfectly clear that by the us
81 the means necessary 10 their oxccutici
some single Jaw made IN such extrem
tenderness OF the citizens liberty tina
practically " relieved more of the guilt
than IL The innocent, should 10 n yer
limited extent be violated. TO state tn
QUESTION more directly. Are NIL tho laW
bat one - 20 unexecutcd? Even in sue
case would not tho official oath be hr'
kan If the government should be oyei
thrown. when II was believed that disrs
garding the single law would tend to pr
serve H. But il was not believed tbs
thi. question wa. presented--it va NJ
believed that any law was violated.
Tie provision 81 the Constitution that u
pris llege ~ the wrt Of habeas corpus shs
not be suspended. unless when. in cases
rebellion or INVASION, the public safety una
require H. IS equivalent 80 q provision III.
such privilege NAV be suspended When.
eases of rebellion or invasion. tho publ
safete doe require H. II was decided III
ee have a ossa II rebellion. and that n
public safety does require the qualified Su
pension OF the privilege Of the writ. whic
as Authorized 10 BE made Now i i il
sisted thai Congress. and not the Lxscuiiv'
+. vested wifh this power. but the tonsiitl
ton itself + silent ss % which or Who i
exereiss the r-s~sr. and a. the provision ".
plainly made feF = dangerous emergency.
csnf,oi De believed that the trainers Of n
ms rumenl intended that IN every case the daI
ger saou'1 f4n IT. course until Congre
should - tsifed together, tho very assen
bling 81 winch might be prevented. ~ VI
inieusied "a this Gaze b. the rebellion
+ more extended argument = nov offered.
IN ol.inion n seme length vii probably
presented b. the Attorney General. whesh'
there. stail Sc ans legislation upon the sul
Jet. sini 4 an. whai, i submitted entire
t. tfs better judgment q Congress. III
forf,earnrce of this Government I'D been
extraordinary snd 60 long continued -
lad sonne foreign nation g. -hsre thesf n
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