The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1861-08-30

an informed man, as 70 the persons Of
that convention that heard that deolsra.
ten Of Mr. Noble, purporting to be in end
Of the Constitution, uttered then and
there BY him 10 prove the demonstrations
atty ofthet act Of the President, is not Ito
be found as being part Of or having
the semblanco Of hobitation in the Con-
stitotion Of the United States, difecily'
by implication or by any possible means
Of construction. The only reference in
that instrument TO the writ Of habchs
corpus is found in section nine Of the first
article, which says "the privilege Of the
write Of habcas corpus shall not be sus
pended unless when, in case ofrobellion
or invasion, the public safety may require
IT," Now, that that clause means that
the writ shall ONLY be suspended by
act of Congress, is beyond the legal skill
or scumon Of Mr.. Noble o demonstrate.
II clearly provides that the writ may be
suspended, and il as clearly defines when
and the circumstances under which il
may be suspended, viz: "In case Of re-
bellion or INVASION" does It as clearly
define what power Of the government
shall perform the act! No, Sirl il is the
high personal liberty writ Of the people,
to be suspended only in times of "robcl-
lion or invasion" like the present, when
the laws are violated with a high hand
Is not one Of the highest charges Civ
en- the President by the Constitution, the
maintenance and execution of the laws
made under the Constitution If those
laws are violated, If the knife is in the
hand Of the traitorous assassin, ready
drawn at the heart strings of national
liberty, and the Constitution; If indeed
rebellion and invasion and rank and high
handed treason is stalking with lofly
strides upon the national capital, does the
constitution of our country require the
President to fold his hands for she period
OF thirty days until Congress can assem-
BILE, aud by their action give power to the
Executive to put forth the necessary ar
only means of the constitution to meet
the crisis and save the life of the nationl
No, sir; it docs no such thing. IL it did
it would be an unworthy offspring of its
wise and patriotic progenitors; and to-day
we should occupy before the world the
pitiable position of people deprived o
their liborty-without constitution, Law
or order.
do not claim the constitution is 3,
explicit on the subject of what branch o
the General Government shal, suspenC
the writ, or what branch was intende,
by the trainers Of that instrument to dc
so. / admit there is room for honest dif
ference of opinion in construction, anC
while there Is much difference of opinion
among legal minds of all parties, ven
ture the opinion that from the purposes
ahd objects TO be accomplished by the
suspension OF the writ, the clcarest rea.
sons and the best arguments can be nd
duced to show that the intention of the
trainers Of the Constitution was for Con.
gress to exercise the high prerogative o.
its suspension when In session, and wher
not in session, for the President to do the
same.
This question under the Constitution
is fit matter to be referred to the Su.
preme Court Of the United States-who,
under the Constitution, arc the arbiters
of all differences of opinion under that
instrument. Their decision would al
least be treated with respect. In the
mean time let all dcyoutly thank Go,
that we have Chief Magistrate VIII,
has met traitors and treason, rank ant
black as hell, with the suspension-un
der the Constitution and ip conformity
theretc-of the precious writ of hl,
beRs corpus, that meusurably thereby
we have to-day the liberties ant
government our fathers made for us
Let us go on unit in sentiment and pur
pose, and not only suspend writs but trai
tors also contribute the last dime Of tht
accumulation Ofthe last eighty years an,
give the last drop Of our blood before W,
suffer the destruction and humiliation O
that Government and Constitution which
Washington made for us, whe ther ussaiI
ed by foes without or traitors within.
In conclusion, let me say, have n,
objection to Mr, Noble or any one els,
saying he believes Mr.. Liacoln violated
the Constitution in suspending the writ
ofHabens Corpus by proclamation, it
the present crisis. / have no objection
to Mr.. Noble or others saying that JEFF
Davis is a good fellow, If they thinkso OIL
that he is a funny man and is only strik
ing at the government merely because he
wanted to. have no objection to Mr.
Noble or others saying there was no ne.
cessity for the suspension Of the writ
that peace and quietude roigns in all our
borders-that there is no "rebellion Of
invasion" now existing in the land these
are open questions. But, sir, / have my
sincere objections to Mr.. Noble, or others
occupying high Official positions in the
government Of the country, to publicly
orPrivatcly declare that the chief magis-
trute Of the nation violated the Constitu-
tion Of the Union which he is under oath
to support, sustain and defend, BY bic
proclamation suePending the writ Of hA-
beas corpus in the present awful crisis,