M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1862-12-18

nave Deen OF no more account Ihai
waste paper. The great writ Of free
dom still remains suspended, and the
victims of arbitrary arrest, in whose
favor such decisions have been render.
ed, have been ceased again, in the
presence of the judges, and returned
to the bastlles Of the government. |
repeat, let no one cherish the hope
that the Judiciary can save the Con-
stitution and the country. The Pres
ident, III the terms of his proclama-
ton, has pledged himself in advance
10 our four MILLIONS of enfrauchised
blacks, against all interference with
his purpose, from whatever quarter.
fhe revolutionists OF tho North, who
have driven him against his recorded
opinions 70 make the pledge, are now
its keepers, and they will compel it's
literal performance, unless the people
satisfy him that such is not their pur.
pose, and that they arc determined to
staed by the Constitution OF their faith
ers. Now ia The day and now is the
hour for this manifestation Of public
opinion. In sixty days longer this
fearful edict will cease to be executory
as it now is. 1t will become a fixed
and irrevocable lact, and the Consti.
tuition will pass away in the roar and
the whirlwind of revolution.
The attempt so frequently made to
justify their proclamation under what
ia sometimes called war power vest
ed in the President, involves an ab.
surdity 80 easily demonstrabie that |
am astonished to find men, even law
yers, who are deceived and deluded by
such pretense. All the argument
which has ever been made in defense
OF this absurdity, may be found con.
denSed in the remarks of an exceed
ingly Aippant person, q refer to for.
mGr Lieutenant Governor Of this State)
delivered on a recent occasion. Said
he:
"What was done9 Was it duty
to save slavery under such circum-
stances 2 Could we not take q rebel
slave as we'll as rebel horse 2 Were
we bound to protect them against a
slave insurrection 2 Whose fault
would it be if there was insurrectionl
This is the argument, and the whole
argument, in favor of that stupendous
and terrible war power, supposed to
be lurking somewhere in the Consti-
tuition, which is now to be used to
overthrow the Constitution. and inau,
gurate in its place q great political
and social revolution, the end where
of no man can see.
| Invite any one who has been de.
ceived by such trifiing and inconsid
crate logic, tu open the Constitution
and find the war power Of the Presi
dent of the United States. To Con.
gress is given the exclusive right of
declaring war. That clause certainly
confers on the President no authority
to do anything. The only power CIV.
en- to the President applicable to a
state OF warts found in these words {:
Tho President shell be Commander.
in chief of the Army and Navy Of the
United States, and the militia of the
several States when called into the
actual service OF the United States. "
Within the four corners Of the Con-
stitution not another line Or word eau
be found comforting war power upon
the President.
And now | ask, is il not amazing
that the intelligent mon in this coun.
try who suppose that in language so
plain and so siTple as this, those mys-
torious and awful powers of destruc-
ton can be found, which the Presi.
dent has invoked to overthrow the
whole constitutional compact, and
overthrow the political and social sys.
TEN Of eleven equal States OF this
Union. The President is Comman
dcr.in chief OF the Army and Navy,
and Of tho pilitia, when in the actual
service of the United States. There
is no man who can not, and who does
not understand this language. In the
grades of military service, the Presi
dent is appointed by the Constitution
to be the superior officer. 1t is sim
lply the creation in him of the highest
military rank. He may In person
take the command of the armies il
the field, or he may remain in Wash
|ingrou, leaving field duties to othel
Generals. lie is clothed simply ant
purely with the direction and contro
Of military operations, in conditinI
Of foreign or domestic war. Now, no
only the President, but any military
officer IN command, either Of an armi
Or any portion or detachment of al
army, is clothed with the power which
belongs to helligerent movements anC
operctions. He may seize public pro
perty Of the euemy within his line o