The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-07-06

striking The Tnitial blow in ihe glorious
war for Southern Independence" Il
would be a useless waste OF time 10 ar
ray the facts, now open to all inquiring
minds, which fix the responsibility Of the
Inauguration Of the war on the conspira-
tors in the Gulf Sia'cs.
But President Lincoln bad no power
under the Constitution aud laws 10 call
out the militia on the fall Of Fort Sumter.
his proclamation 10 that effect was
dangerous stride toward despotism, and
no freeman was worthy Of the name.
who would not resist the aggression and
den0unCe the usurpcr And on this inn
aginary and delusive rock the loyalty
Of thousands Of Union men was wrecked,
and the ruins may be seen still whirling
in the eddyings Of the rebellion Had
sthe charge been true in the sense
and TO the full extent maintained, it
came with an exceedingly bad grace
from men, who had conspired and betn
combined together for months pre-
vious 20 trample the Constitution under
their feet, and overthrow the Government
at therexpense Of civil war. What were
the facts and circumstances which called
forth this famous little document A
powerful conspiracy had been formed
against the Government extending its
poisonous branches into every Southern
State, and~a rebel Government had been
formed with authority from a rebel Com
gress to call into the field one hundred
thousand men. A considerable number
were already in arms under hostile
flag, unknown TO the Federal COnstitu-
ton, and hundreds more were ilocking
daily around il. Disloyal Secretaries in
the Cabinet Of Mr.. Buchanan had sent
the main body Of the regular army to re-
mote forts and stations; dispatched all
the vessels Of war, except few on mis-
sions TO distant coasts and seas and
transferred large quantities Of the public
arms and ammunition from the interior
and loyal States to tho forts and arsenals
in the Gulf States. The seeded States
had taken possession of most of these
forts and arsenals, with their stores had
plundered the mint at New Orleans, and
turned them over TO the service Of the
rebel Government The armed rebellion
had fired at the Star of the West, with
the National ensign waving from its
! mast head had bOmbarded and reduced
Fort Sumter; the Secretary of War for
the rebel Government had issued the
boastful and vindictiye threat, in a speech
TO an excited crowd, that the rebel flag
would soon wave over the National Capt.
| tol, and might in time wave over Faneuil
Hall, and the insane cry Of son 10 Wash
| ington" thrilled, like q stream of electric
| fire. through all the circles Of secession
| and disunion. What must Mr. Lincoln
do in view of the impending dangers
Must he ingloriously and dastardly fee
| from the White House, and give up the
Capital to the insurgents, with its ar
chives, its public buildings, its vast
stores of public property, and its cher
ished memories of our past history? No
man has ever presided over this great
country as Chief Magistrate, with the ex-
| ceptiun perhaps of Mr.. Buchanan, who
| would not have called the militia TO the
defence Of the Capital and the protection
of the public property, and threw himself
on the patriotism of the loyal people for
his vindication against any charge of
usurpation. Why the great right of self
defence, preservation, which lies at
the very foundation of individual securi-
ty, applies with equal, if not greater force,
to the safety and preservation Of Gov
ernments, and in the absence of any
other authority, this would have ex-
cused, if not justified, the conduct of
! Mr.. Lincoln. But the trainers of the
constitution would have poorly deserved
the gratitude Of posterity had they
created a Government and left it with
out the necessary powers to preserve its
/ existence against the open attacks of in
surrection or rebellion. The leaders
ought to have had the candor and fair
ness 10 tell the people that the C0nstitu-
ton vested i'm Congress the power TO
"provide for calling forth the Militia to
execute tho laws Of the Union, suppress
instructions and repel. invasions p that
Congress had passed an act in 1895,
clothing the Executive with authority
to call forth the militia in cases of in
snTection, rebellion or invasion and
that Mr. Lincoln's dangerous stride OF
power turned upon the proper construc-
ton of this Act, several eminent law
yers of secession sentiments in this
State, agreeing with Mr.. Lincolns views
of his powers under the Act, And so
the enormous usurpatiOn of the Execu-
tive dwindles into insignifcance when
compared with the great object Of pre-
serving the Government from overthrow
and destruction.
Let this matter be as IL may, the Pre-
sident has no right 20 invade the Rebel
States without their consent, and any
amount Of eloquent bombast was poured
forth in defence of the "sacrcd soil " OF
the South. President Washington might
call out the militia and send il into the
State Of Pennsylvania 10 suppress a
whiskey Instruction President jack
son might send the navy and army into
the harbOr at Charleston TO prevent the
fOrcible resistance Of a revenue law
President Fillmore might send armed
troops into the heart Of Boston "a
quell or dispense mob III
yindicatiou of the Fugitive Slave
Law f; but Mr.. Lincoln cannot
enter with an army on the sacred soil OF
the South TO crush stupendous rebellion
and preserve the Government from over
throw iorsooth, the rebel Presiden-
may, under a Constitution Of like wal
powers, invade the sacred soil Of Ken.
lucky and Missouri TO force those 10y
al States from the Union but Mr.. Lin
coin is a tyrant and usurping invader Il
he attempts 10 bold the States in th,
Union These important truths will b,
indelibly written on the public mind be-
fore the close Of this war, that the power
to suppress insurrection orrebollion car
ries with il necessarily the right 10 g,
with an army wherever il raises its hor'
rid head and that in peace on in ciyi
war, the National flag can rightfully
wave, side by side with loyal State flags