Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-07-22
NORTHERN CONGRE SS.
HOUSE VI REPRESENTATIVES
july 10. 1861

(Mg SALLASDIGAns sPzIcH coIcLUDHD)
Next after blockade sir, i'll the catalogue OF dar
ing executive usurpauons comes the proclamation Oh me
Sd oil Nay and the orders Of the War and Navy De-
partRen in pursuance Of ia proclamation and nsur-
patton which would have cost any English sovereign
his head at any time within the last two hundred years.
Sir the Constitution only confines 10 Congress the
tight declare war but expressly provides that Con.
gess mot the Presidency shall have power to rase and
support srmies" and to provide and maintain navy
In pursuance this authority Congress- years ago bad
Ied the number of officers and Of the regiments, OF The
different kinds Of service and also the number OF ships
officers Marines and sesmen which should compose the
Navy. Not only that but Congress has repeatedly,
within the last FIVE years. refused to increase the regG
lar Army. More than that STILL in February and March
last the Housr upon several test votes repeatedly and
e1pressy refused to authorize the President 10 accept
the service Of volunteers for the very purpose Of pro-
tec,irg the public property, enforcing the laws and
collecting the revenue. Aud yet the President Of bis
own mere will and authority, and in violation OF the
Contribution, has preceded 10 increase, and hes
increased the standing Army by twenty-five thou
sard men the Navy by eighteen thousand and
has called for ard accepted the services OF foi-
y regiments Of volunteers for three year. numbering Tor
two thousand men, and int king thus grand army or
military force raised by executive procla ion alone,
without sanction Of Congress- without warrant OF law
and in direct violation Of the Constitution and Of bis OATH
of olce of eightyfSe thousand soldiers enlisted Tor
three and five years. and already in the field And yet
he has thus raised 70 ratify his usurpatiops by law
er post Gco and thus make ourscvcs parties to our own
degradation, and lis inractcns OF the Constitution
Meauw bile however, The has taken good care not only
to enlist the men, organize the regiments aud must
Them into service but 10 provide in advance for horde
Of foorn WORKOUT and broken down politicians Of he
own party by appointing either by himself or through
the toyrrnors oi states mr. generals btgadier gen
erals coloncs lieutenant colonies, mjors captains
leutenauts adja'ants quartermzstera aud surgeons
siihOut any limit ~ TO numbers and without 20 much
as orce saying to Congrsss-"By your leave gentle
men"
Bcpnnirg with this wide breach of the Constitution,
his enormous usurDston Of the most dangerous Of all
pouers-the power OF the swordother miraculous and
assumptions easy; and after public liberty, private
right soon fell The privacy Of the telegraph wssinysd
ed in the search after treason and traitors although 1t
turns out sisuf,anty enough, that the only victim, go
far one Of the aIpoDtees ard especial pets OF the Ad
miuistra,ion The t,lgraLhc dispatches, preserved IN
der every pledge Of secrecy for the protection and safety
Of TIE telegraph companies, were seized and carried
away whou: search warrant, without probable cause
without OATH and without description Of the places to be
searched or Of the things be rezed and in plain viola
ton the right Of the psope to be secure In their houses
persons papers, and Effects against unreasonable search
% and se.zlres One step more sir will bring upon US
search and seizure Of the public nails and finally, in
the worst DAYS Of English opp son-as in the times Of
the Ru:ses and the Sydue.s OF English muiyrdom- Of
the drawers aud OF the private c;sn though
even then ysns had the grace 10 look 10 the forms Of
tie law aud the execution ldicis murder rot Mill
taty slaughter Bot Who shall say that the future THE
rius of America shall have the modesy OF bis Roman
pr in excavation Of whose character IL is writ
ten by tho great historian avsrti. eecmios, GsitQ see
| Terra speetdvit.
Sir the rights of property having been thus vsntonly
violated II needed butt little stretch OF usurfation to
invade the tapctity Of the person. and victim was not
lonr wanting private citizen OF Maryland, not sub
act N the rules and articles of war--no. 10 ars
ing in the laad or naval forces nor in the militia when
in artua seryiceis seized In hs house. 10 the dead
hour of light not by any civil officer or upon any civil
proeess but by aband soldiers ulder the verbal
orders Of military chief aud ruthssy torn from his
wife and his children and hurried 0 to fortress Of the
United Sa,es-snd that fortress, If In mockery, the
yery one over whose rempaIts bad hoaed that star.
spapsed banner inmorazed 10 song By the patriot psis-
on,r Hho,
| Byte dssp', early rghs,r
saw It's fods glesmrg amid the wreck Of battle, end in.
yoked the blessings Of heaven upon it, and prayed that
| il mieht long wave
"o'er the land q A,Jrss ,ad the hHne oftas b,avs"
And sir, when the highss Judicial oricer OF the land
tie Chief jusi,e Of the Supreme Court, upon shose
shoulders when the judicial ermine fell touched moth
ing not as spoiess as se the sged the venerable the
gentle and pure minded Tsney who but little while be-
fore had administered to the esdept the oath 70 pre-
serve the Constitution and to execute the hvs Issued
as by Law his sworn duty 10 is us the high prero
Rativs writ Of habsa. epssthat great writ OF right
that main bulvsrk Of personal liberty, commanding ths
body OF the accused be brought before that iustics
might be done By due ofsw, and wthops depia
or DELAY the gates Of the fortress lie turned 70
~srdr. and IN psiu s'ght Of the city where d.
closed against the oaissr Of the law. aud The IN
aver returned that he cAlosr IN command has. b.
the authority ef the President swpgwdsd the writ
lef Aessa serps Aad sAps y ", tAes 'he aesusei