Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1863-03-10
wiiful Violation of the Constitution.

The New York ssWorld' charges boldly and proves
conclusively that the Lincoln Congress, in the pas
sage of the bill empowering Lincoln to suspend the
writ of ha6eas corpus committed conscious perjury
that they immunity and aoslfuly violated the solemn
oath they had taken to support the Constitution of the
United States The s.World,' in speaking of the
character of the bill and the proceedings connected
with its passage, says:
It authorizes and ustes arbitrary ARE SITS at the
will of the Executive defiance of explicit provisions
of the Constitution forbiaing such arrests. 1t puts
mans liberty and pro, erty ont Of The protection
of tn fundamental law it annihila the power of
illegal violence it to Is the President and his ninions
that they may With impuuity perperate all these acts
Of de potism by hich the most odious rants in the
worst ages have earned the execration of mankind
Tnis may be deemed ST. ong language, but it is no
more tn n adequate to characterize infamous act
of combined perjury and despotism which we print
this morning and which challenges the attention and
must provoke the indignation OF every who is not
base enough to confess himself covering slave.
The proceedings in connection with the passage Of
the bill prove that every Senator who voted tor it
mitted conscious perjury that he knowingly and will
luy violated the solemn oath he had taken to sup
Iort the Constitution of the United States We ask
the deibe ate attention of the country to ae facts
will recite, and which appear on the record Mr..
Carlisle of Virginia, moved to amend the first section
of the bill by inserting after the phrase president OF
the United States, the words Gin the constitutional
authority an amendment which would give that Off
Ger immunity for all acts, arrests, and proceedings
which he has done ordered in the exercise of his au
thorty, but leaving him and his subordinates the
ul consequences penalties OF acts done in viola
ton of the Constitution The Republican, Senators
saw that the adoption Of this amendment would
der the bill nugatory, that this confession of alleg
ance the Constitution would render it OF no mo
effec. than SO much blanS paper, The amendment
accordingly rejected by eleven ayes against TWEEN
sy-nine nays, as follows a1s
Yeas Messrs Anthony. Bayard, Frowning Carl
sle Cowan, Harding, Powell SALISBURY, Turpee
Wall, aud Wilson of Mi souri-11
Aazs-MessrS. CuEndler Clark Collamer Dixon
Dooiittle, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Grimes, Hale
Harlan, Harris, henderson how I'd, King, Lane ol
Indiana Lane, If Kansas, Morrill,, Pomeroy Sherman
Sumner, Ten, Eyek Trumbun Wade, Wilkinson,
Wiley, Wilmot, and Wilson of Mass :chusetts-29
"By this stl and Drazen yotethe seoate OF the Uni
ted States declared their Intention to the Const
,unon, which they have sworn to support, and the
guarantees throws around the 1oe. ties OF the peu
pie, as Du.ii'y. The OF these twenty nine Sen
a,ors is damning and irdeliib1e record, not only
gainst themselves but ainst the President of the
Unred States Il in effect declares him quite guilty
of numerous, freq, ent and repeated violations OF thu
Constitution. 1t s plain confession that the sign
OF the bill is to shield that officer and his underilnas
from the legal consequences Of such violations. Ii
hat were not his object Mr.. Carliies amendment
would have readily aece ted, for the insertion
of that amendment could no way impair the effect
of the BILL In exemptiug the President and his sub
oroinates from, penalties for acts which were not yio-
lations oil the Constitution These Senators in effect
declare that he has violated the Consti. uton that
they consider VIOLATIONS of the Constitution merltori
Gus acts the part of officer Orn to protect and
defend it aud that they will stand between him and
all parties ordained b. State or Fedora, laws for wan.
ton and illegal trespasses on the rights of citizens