Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1861-05-11
VOL. XII, ! NO. 40.

more than five millions of peoplc-and over
territory whose area exceeds half amillion of
square miles. He terms sovereign States
combinations too powerful to be suppressed
by the ordinary course Of judicial proceedings,
or by the powers vested in the marshals by
law" He calls for an army of seventy-ive
/, thousand men to act as a posse comitatus in
aid of the process of the courts Of justice in
States where no courts exists, whose mandates
and DEGREES are not cheorfuiy obeycd and re-
spectcd by willing people He ayows that
the first service to be assigned to the forces
called out, will be, not to execute the process
of the courts, but to capture forts and strong
holds situated within the admitted limits,of
and declares that this effort" is intended to
maintain the perpetuity of popular Govern
ment." He concludes by commanding q The
persons composing the combinations ,afore-.
said" to wit heGvc millionso Of these States,
"to retire peaccably to their respective abodcs
within twenty days"
Apparently contradictory as are the terms
of this singular document, one point wssf IN
mistakably evident. The President of the
United States called for an army of. seventy
live thousand men, whose first service was to
be to capture our forts. 1t was plain deola-
ration of war, which was not at liberty to
disregard, because of my knowledge that un-
der the Constitution Of the United States the
President was usurping power granted ex-
clusiyely to the Congress. He is the sole
organ of communication between that country
and foreign powers. The law of nations did
not permit me to question the authority of the
Executive Of foreign nation to declare war
against this Confcdcracy. Although might
have refraincd from taking active measures for
our defence, if the States Of the Union had !
all intimated the action of Virginia, North
Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and
Missouri, by denouncing the call for troops as
an unconstitutional usurpation of power to
which they refused to respond, Iwasn at
liberty to disregard the fact that many of tho
States. seemed quite content to submit to tho
dcnt of the United States, and were actively
engaged in levying troops to be used for the
purpose indicated in the proclamation.
Deprived of the aid of Congress at the mo-
mcnt, | was under the necessity of confning
my action to Call on the States for volunteers
for the common defence, in accordance, with
tho authority you had confded to me before
your adjournment. ! deemed it proper fur
thcr to issue proclamation inviting applica-
tions from persons disposed to aid our defence
in private armed vessels on the high seas, to
the end that preparations might be nude for
the immediate issue Of letters Gf ;narGse and
rcprisal, which you alone, under the Constitu-,
ton, have power to grant, entertain no
doubt you will concur witllme in the opinion
that in the absence ofa fleet Of. public vessels,
it will be en,inently expcdient to supply their
place by private armed vessels, SO happily
styled by tho publicists of the United States
the militia of the sea-" and so often and
justly relied on by them MS an efficient and
admirable instrument Of defensive warfare. i
earnestly recommend the Immediate passage
of law authorizing ME to accept the nunler-
GUS proposals already received.
| cannot close this review of the acts Of
tho Government of the United StatesJwithctt,
referring to proclamation issued by their
President under date of the 10Th inst, IN
which, after declaring that an insurrecti6ns
has broken, out in this .Confederacy against
the Government of the United States, he an
nouaccs a blockade of all the ports of these
States, and threatens 10 punish as pirates all
persons who; shall molest any vessel of the
| United States under letters of nlargue issied
! by this Government. Notwithstanding tue
authenticity of this proclamation, syoi,swiil
concur with me that it is lard to believe it
could have elnanatcd from, President of the
United Suites. It's announcements, of a mere
paper blockade is so manifcstly asyiolation Of,
the law of nations, that. 1t would seem incred-
ibe that it could have, been issued by author
ity-but conceding this to be the case SO faar
as the Executive is concerned, it will be dill;
cult to satisfy the people of these States tlat
their late confederatcs will sanction its declar.
ations, will determine to ignore the usascs Of
civilized nations, and will inapg1fato d war
| of determination ON tOth sides, by Treating y as