Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1861-07-11

definitely known Although they sobmit-
ted the ordinance for ratification to vote
of the people. to be taken somewhat moro
than month distant the Convention and
the Legislature, which was also In session
at the same time and place. with the lead
ing men Of the State, Immediately COM
nienccd action as If the State was already
out of the Uaiaa. They Pashed Military
preparations vigorously forward all over
the State. They seized the United States
armory at Harper's Ferry. and the Navy
Yard at Gosport near Norfolk. They re-
ceived. perhaps invited into their State
large bodies Of troops. with their warlike
appointments, from the SO called seeded
States. They formally entered into a
treaty with the SO called Confederate
States. and sent members to their Con-
gress at Montgomery, and finally they per-
mitted the insuriectionary government to
be transferred to the capital at Richmond.
The people Of Virginia have thus allowed
the giant insurrection to make its nest
within their borders. ami this government
has no choice bat to deal with it where it
finds IL. and it has the less to regret. as the
loyal citizens, have in due form, claimed
its protection. Those loyal citizens the
Government Is bound to recognize and
protect IS being in Virginia. In the Dor.
der States. so called. in fact the Middle
States. there are those who favor the poll
cy Of armed neutrality. that is. an arming
of those States to prevent the Union forces
passing one way. or the disunion the 9TH
CT. over their soil. This would be disun-
ION completely; figuratively speaking, it
would be the building Of an impossible
wall along the line of separation, aud yet
not quite an impossible one. for, under the
guise Of neutrality. it would tie the hands
Of the Union men and freely pass supplies
from among them to the insurrectionists.
which it could not do as an open enemy.
At q stroke it would take all the trouble
off the hands of secession except only what
proceeds from the external blockade. 1t
would do for the disunionist that which of
AL things they most desire. feed them well
and give them disunion without q strug
gle Of their own. 1t recognizes no. flcli-
fy to the Constitution. no obligation to
maintain the Union. While very many
who have favored it are doubtless loyal
citizens. il Is nevertheless very injurious in
effect.
Recurring to tbe action Of the Govern
inent it may be stated that call was male
for IS. 900 militia. and rapidly following
this proclamation was issued for closing
the ports Of the insurrectionaIy districts
by . blockade. So far all was believed to
be legal.
At this. point the insurrectionists an
.nonnccd their purpose Of entering upon the
practice Of privateering. Other calls were
made for volunteers to serve three years
unless sooaer discharged, and also large adj
,iitisns to the regular army and navy
These measures whether strictly legal or
not, were ventsrel upon what appeared to
be popular demand for public necessity.
trusting then. as now. that Congress would
ratify them. 1t is believed that nothing
has been done beyond the constitutional
competency of Congress. Soon after the
first call for militia, it was considered q du-
sty to authorize the commanding General.
IN proper cases, according to his discretion.
to suspend the privilege Of habous corpus.
or In other words to arrest and detain
without resort to ordinary process and
forms Of law such iudi;.iluals as he might
deem dangerous to the public safety The
authority has purposeiy been exercised bu.
very sparingly; nevertheless. the legality
and propriety of what has been done un-
der II are questions, and the attention oil
the country has becn called to the propo-
siton that one who has sworn to take care
that tie laws be faithfully executed should
not himself violate them. Of course some
consideration was given to the questions
of the power AMI propriety before this
matter was acted upon. Tho whole of the
laws which were required to be faithfully
executed. were being resisted and failing
Of execution in nearly one third of the
States. Must they be allowed to finally
fail of execution, even If it had been per-
fectly clear that by the use of the means
necessary to their execution some single
law made IN such extreme tenderness oil
the citinzen' liberty that practically it re-
lieves more ofthe guilty than the innocent
should. to limited extent. be violated
To state the question more directly. are al
the laws but one to go uAexecuted, the
Government itself to 60 to pieces les
that one be violated? Even in such 9
case would not the official oath be broker
IL the Government should be overthrow
when il was believed that disregarding tn,
single law would tend to preserve it, Blu
swss not believed this question was pre-
srnted. 1t was net believed that any lav
was violated. The provisions of the Con
stitution being that the privilege of tn
ha5eas corpus shall not be suspended ex
ccpt in cases Of rebellion or invasion tn
public safety does require it. it was decides
that we have case of rebellion. and tn
public safety does require qualified sus
pension Of the privilege of thel writ
which was authorized to be made. Nov
It is insisted that Congress. and not tn
Executive. is vested with this power. Bu
the Constitution itself is silent as to whicl
or who is to usurp the power. and as tn
provision was plainly made for . danger
Gus emergency. It cannot be believed tina
the trainers Of the instrument intend this
In every csse the danger should run II
course until Congress should be called to
sethes, the very assembling of whir
might be prevented. as was intended j
this case. by the rebellion. No moro eS
tended argument is now offered. as an 6
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