Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-01-14
VOL. 10 NO. 81.

neafu OF eUcn cases.
Mr.. Dixon-fhey otght to be d:scharg-
/ ed. then.
Mr.. Trumbull-thcy ought to be dis
/ charged. aud they ought 10 be arrested,
/ too! An innocent man onght to Se arrest
1 ed, put into prison, and. by and by, dis
/ chPrgedl Sir, that is not my idea of indi-
vidusl or constitutional liberty. am en-
/ gagged, and the people whom | represent
! are engaged. in maintenance Of the Cunsti
I tuition and the rights OF the citizens under
/ it We are fighting for the Government as
/ cur fathers made il. The Constitution is
/ broad enough to but down tins rebellion
/ without any violations Of it | do net APP
/ prehend that the present Executive Of the
United States will assume despatic powers
! lie is the last man to do it. ! know that
I his Hhoie heart Is engaged il endeavoring
to crush this rebellion, and know that he
would be the last man to Overturn the
! Constitution in doing it. But, sir, we may
/ not always have the same person at the
| head of our affairs. We may have man
! OF II very different character, anG what we
are doing to day will become a precedent
upon which he will act Suppose that,
when the troubles existed in Kansas a few
| years ago, the then President of the United
/ States had thought proper to arrest the
| Senator or MYSELF, and send him or me to
! prison without examination, without oppor,
! tunity to answer, because, in his opinion,
we were dangerous to the peace of the
country and the necessity justified it. What
| would the Senator have thought of such ac.
! ton?
| Sir, say there can be no such necessity
/ in the loyal portions OF the country, where
/ the courts operate; because, il the laws are
not sufficient in such localities to secure the
arrest Of parties who are engaged Against
| the Government, we certainly have the
! power to amend tho laws. Let the Senator
! from Connecticut cume forward with bill
authorizing the arrest of those men in his
State who are giving aid and comfort to
the enemy, If the laws are not sufficient
already and certainly l shall vote most
cheerfully with him tor the passage of such
! bill. Then we shall have the matter reg
ulated by law. and there will be no asSump
ton of unwarranted power.
The Senator says that some persons al
low themselves to be troubled with consti.
tutional scruples, and he does not and
that these arrests grow out Of the necessity
of the times. Sir, it is in just such times
as these that The greatest danger arises. 1t
is in Just such times as these that the fuun-
dations of tyranny and despGtistn gre laid;
it is not when people are wide awake to
their rights. If you will clothe despotism
with iron shoes, going forth TO tramIle
upon the rights of the people, and bearing
chains and letters to bind their limbs, NJ
people on earth would ever submit to his
sway. But, sir, the despot creeps upon the
! peo:le unawares 1t is under the plea Of
necessity under the preteuse that it is
| necessary he should assume unwarranted
powers for the purpose of preserving the
Government or the public peace; and then,
when the powers are assumed. and the
people are bound hand and foot, they have
not the ability to extricate themselves
from the tyranny that is imposed upon
them.
Now. sir, no harm, | apprehend, can
grow out Of an inquiry of this character,
because if the reply of the Secretary of
State should show that arrests have been
made, and that there is no law for them
aud that there is a necessity for exercising
a power of this kind, will it not be better,
ask my friend FROM Conn ectieut, for US
to PASS a law, and have these things done
under the law? Then, Why not let the in
quiry be made, 80 that we may know
whether there is a necessity for any such
law or not? Why undertake to Justify aud
|
patton, which | understand the Senator
, from Connecticut to do ? Sir. / will never
, commend it. Under particular clreum-
stances may have excused some acts for
doing which the warrant of law could not
PERTAINS, at the time he found Tut, sir
t will never commend the usurpatIrn IF pow-
er by any persons. | would avoid 1t on
, all occasions i would stand by the Con-
d s-i,u;jnn as we have 1t. | would a. more
: permit our own officers 10 violate 1t now
: I when Congress Is together, and can cloth,
, them with the necessary authority, than ]
, we were a. peace.
) [ hope, sir, that the resolution, which Is
: simtle resolution of inquiry. will be per
mIttei ,, pass and am s9rry it could no
\ have passed without opposition.
Here Mr.. TEuHBULL concluded, and Mr.
, BROWNING took the floor. When Mr. b
+ had concluded, Mr. TRUxBULE re, lied a.
! follows:
Mr. Trumbull-Mr. President. / regre
the necessity of saying anything furthe
with reference 10 this matter, which ha,
assumed very wide range for a mere res
olutiCn of inquiry, and certainly should
: not do go but for what has fallen from my
colleague at whose remarks feel some
what surprised. | know, sir, that it is
very common thing TO attempt to chang,
issues, especially in trials of causes il
court, and no one is more adept in caur
than my colleague. 1t is not an uncommon
thing, wher one has bad case to try 81
get up an issue that Is not involved in tbt
I case. Nav. my cOlleage certainly wOul,
l not upon reflection ask the Senate 10 vut,
against this res Tuition, because Mr.. Breck
Il L 1
w Juld that he a reason? L. that the higI
motive by which Senators Of the Uni:eC
States are governed? That is his FRS
= reason why this resolution should not pass
3 and his last one : for be made the appeal a
he sat down. If Mr.. Breckenridge wer
here be would vote fer the resolution
have known mer governed by prejudiccs 0
; that kind but | did not suppose that sucl
e an appeal as that woLH be made to th
Senate of the United States
2 My c. lleague further says that this is
:. bad time 10 offer such q resolution WHY
r sir, it is the only time when there woUl
o be eny Occasion for such an inquiry. 1t
r in jus. such times as these that this powe
!, is exercised. 1t is only On such occasion
e a. this, | know, that no would attempt t
It justify it. In time Of quiet and peace j
= the country, he would not agree that me
IL should be arrested without charge, withou
/ complaint, without opportunity to answer
= From necessity, If you ever make the in
l. -auiry. you must do it now.
d But he says this will demoralize an
IT weaken the Government. Let US see tn
n position of my colleague. He says that b
', has obtained from the Senator from Main
when he admits that he would arrest Gel
IT tain persons under circumstances which b
l. mentions, all that he wants; and then ii
lie arrest is constitutional. l. there an
le harm. sir. in inquiring Of the Secretary
10 State BY what Law he made arrests. whe
" my colleague says they are perfectly COR
stituiional?