The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1861-04-17

J than by standing on The question of com
promise or disunion; because, failing to ge
a compromise, a great many of the compro
mise MEN may become disunionists.
. Mr.. DOUGLAS. have no doubt the Sen
} ator has entertained the idle hope that, b,
; the bayonet and threats of using it, the,
f are going to reduce those States into obeli
encc.
, Mr.. CLARK. Allow me to correct tn,
Be natOr again. | have no such hope, no,
have | ever made any such declaration.
have no idea of reducing those States
Mr. DoUGLAs. Then understand he has
no expectation Of enforcing the laws in
) States lie has abandoned all purpose o.
enforcing the laws in them, suppose.
Mr.. CLARK. Not at all, if the Senator
will allow me. do not prosose to go on
with these Interruptions in his speech if they
are unpleasant to him. But l do be-
'leve that with conservative, judicious
Administration, the time is coming, and no,
tar distant, when the laws viii be obcved
by the whole of the States of the Union,
without the use Of the bayonet or anything
of the kind.
Mr.. DoucLAs. Still, Mr.. President, no.
body can deny the fact that seven States
have seeded. Seven States have expelled
the Federal authority from their limits. In
seven States you have no human being re-
cogn'zng your authority or willing to en-
force your laws.
Mr.. SIMMONS viii the Senator allow me
to ask him.
MIR. CLARK. One moment.
Mr.. DorGLAs. One at time, If you
please. [Laughtcr.l
Mr. CLARK. | want to inquire of the
Senator from Illinois if the Post Office De-
partlnent does not run it's mails in ever.
one Of those States vet?
Mr.. DOUGLAs. Mr.. President. I believe
the Post Office Department runs its mails
IN the seeded States by the leave and per-
mission OF those States; by their authority
ihey open your letters and you cannot
punish the man for opening them and you
do not try it. Knowing you could not, you
applied to Congress for authority on behalf
of the Post Master General, to suspend cal
rying the mails in certain cases, where they
could not be suspended without such au-
thority But here is the point: the Sena
tor from New Hampshire is opposed to
using military force to execute the laws in
those States; hence he does not propose to
enforce any laws in South Carolina, or any
OF the States which have seeded, so long
as the people are against it; but he does
intend to enforce them when the people
come back. think there will not be much
difference between him and me on that
po mt. He cannot enforce our laws in a
country not in our possession. We cannot
enforce our laws within State where we
have no judge to issue writ, no marshal
to serve it, no district attorney to prosecute
it, and no j ry that owes allegiance to this
Government to try the case.
! Mr.. CLARK. IL the Senator will allow me
once more to interrupt him, will ask him,
suppose Congress gives the President the
power to collect the revenue on shipboard ::
can it not be done? Could not the law be
enforced as to the revenues?
MIR. DOUGLAS. | suppose if Congress
should give power to the President to col
lect revenue on shipboard, he then would
havs the power to do it; that is, legally ::
hat am talking about the laws as they are
Now, We have got the admission that they
do not expect to collect any revenue on
>hipboard until the law is changed. A great
many persons thought otherwise when |
announced it the other day.
Mr.. CLARK. | desire the Senator not to
take the admission as including ANYBODY
else but me. simply put the question to
him about policy of which know moth
ing, and as a matter which occurred to my
own mind.
Mr.. DouGLAs. I only take the admission
as to the Senator himself; but, as the ad
mission was so clearly true, thought it was
no offense to gentlemen on that side Of the
| Chamhar to include them in If
Mr.. CLARK. 1t is not to me. Ask their
permission as to them.
Mr.. DOUGLAS. | suppose they will take
no offense at my attributing the truth to
them, inasmuch as they have told the coun
try they Were going to collect the revenue
the moment Mr.. Lincoln was inaugurated.
They were going to find out whether we
had Government or not; the collection of
the revenue was to be the test. The Pre-
sdent said he was going to collect the reye-
nue. to the extent of the powers contided to
him. Yes, they all said, Now, that means
that the revenue is going to be collected on
shipboard." rose, and told them, mo,
t,at is not what Mr.. Lincoln means. Mr..
Lincoln is lawyer; he knows that he can
not collect revenue, except in the cases and
places where the law permits him and Mr.
| Lincoln is not going to violate the law or his
oath" They said, on that side of the
Chamber, it is very impertinant for me to
pretend to interpret Mr.. Lncoln's policy,
when said he did not intend to perure
himself had done it, they said, unasked,
uninvitcd, and they did not recognize my
leadership at all but now the Senator from
New Hampshire is convinced that revenue
is not to he collected on shipboard until
Congress gives the power.
Mr.. CLARK. Mr. President, do not sup
pose the Senator means to be understood,
though do not know whether he does or
not, that anybody on this side of the Cham
Der, any Senator here, said that, immedi-
diately upon Mr.. Lincoln's Inauguration,
we were going to collect the revenue on
beard. Does the Senator mean to be un-
der>tood that anybody said it on this side
! Mr.. DouGLAs. Mr.. President, the state
ment has been made very generally. that
they were going to collect the revenue on
shipboard when Mr. Lincoln came into of:
| flee.
| Mr.. CLARK. Does the Senator mean that
Senator's here have made the statement?
! Mr.. DOUGLAS. | do not choose to 60
into controversy with individual Senators
Mr.. CLARK Very well, then, We will
understand you do not SO mean.
| Mr.. DorGLAs. My object was to mega
tive the pretense that they were going to
collect the revenue on shipboard without a
change of the law. They now say that
they only meant that they were going to do
it when the law should make it their duty
to do it. supposed they would and not
till then. Hence it does not depend on Mr.
Lincoln whether revenue is to be collected
on shipboard or not. 1t depends Oh Con-
gress, when the members shall be elected,
and they shall assemble and vote the mea
sure. Not till then can it be done.