The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-09-24
FROM the New York Tribune.

The FreSldent's Proclamation.
Again, at a moment of public peril,
the strong hand of the President
eteadies the helm. The Republic is
beset by conspirators plotting to weak
en- its armies. Fooled in attempts at
open violence, they have resorted to in
sidious efforts under cover of the forms
of Justice. Resistance to the Enroll
ment act comes through the courts.
The Habeas Corpus, which descended
to us as the shield of personal liberty,
is to-day, in the hands of traitors, the
two-edged sword of treachery and
craft pointed at the heart of the nation.
The President seizes it, and snspends
it over their heads. Courageously and
wisely he resolves that the liberty oil
the few, if need be, shall be sacrificed
for the moment, in order to preserve
the liberty of all for all time to come.
The Proclamation suspending the
ha6eas corpus is dated the 18th of this
present month, and is issued in pursu-
aDce of that provision of the Constitu
ton which, in-cases of rebellion or in
vasion, permits the writ TO be suspend
ed when the public safety requires it.
and in pursuance also to the act oil
Congress, approved March Sd, 1868
expressly empowering the President
with reference to the present rebellion
and during its continuance, TO put ir
force the constitutional safeguard. In
the opinion of the President, the pub
lie safety requires that in the cases
of persons held under the military ol
naval authority of the United States
or in their custody as prisoners of war
or as spies, or as soldiers drafted or en-
listed, or as deserters, or for offences
under the Enrolment act, the babeas
corpus should be suspended, and the
writ denied And the President, there
fore. suspends and denies the writ il
such cases throughout the United
States, and throughout the duration O
the rebellion, unless the proclamation
shall be sooner modified or revoked
Magistrates, attorneys and all othel
civil officers, as well as those in the mil
tary and naval service, are required Il
take distinct notice of this suspension
and give it full effect, and all citizen
are to govern themselves accordingly
No citizen of New York needs to b,
told how urgent was the necessity fo
some decisive action on the part of th'
Government at this moment. Mum
bers of enlisted and drafted men ant
of deserters have been daily discharged
by writs of habeas corpus from tn,
State Courts, and the project was pre-
scented that the Government woult
finally, by such means, be defraude(
of the service of thousands of men, il
this city alone, to which it was right
fully entitled. Elsewhere the sam,
process was going on. The decisiO,
of the Supreme Court Of the Unitet
States, denying the State Courts tn
right to interfere an such cases, acds def
antly disregdrded by these insubordi
nate tribunals, and TO such an exten
that in order TO assert the, dignity ant
defend the prero9atives of that Court
F as well as 10 secure the execution of
constitutional law essential TO the exis
tence of the Republic, the Presiden
found it necessary to interpose his con
stitutional Executive power. That h
has done it reluctantly none who know
his reverence for all forms Of law an,
all personal rights will doubt. But h
has deemed it indispensable to the pub
lie welfare, and the loyal North vii
rot merely acquiesce in his decision
but joyfully recognize in such an nc
one other evidence of his controllin,
purpose and unalterable resolve, at al
hazards, and at any cost, TO save thi
imperilled Republic.