The Morgantown monitor. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1863-1864, 1863-06-06
PREAMBLE & RESOLUTIONS,
REPORTED By THE
Committee on Federal Relations,
ILLINOIS S E n A T E,
FEBRUARY 4th, 1868.
IN THE

stitutisn, but being created solely by
that instrument, it can only exist by
virtue thereof; and when the provl-
sions of that Constitution are suspen-
ded, either in time of war, or in
peace, whether by the North or the
South, it is alike disunion
And whereas the Federal Govern
ment can lawfully exercise 20 power
that is not conferred upon it by the
Federal Constitution, the exercise,
therefore, of other powers, not gran.
ted by that instrument, in time OF
war as well as in time of peace, is a
violation of the written will of the
American people, destructive Of their
plan of government, and OF their
common liberties:
And whereas the Constitution can
not be maintained nor the Union pre-
served, in opposition to public feel
ing, by the mere exercise of the CO.
ercive powers confded to the Gener-
al Government, and that, in case of
differences and conflicts between the
States and the Federal Government,
too powerful for adjustment by the
civil departments Of the Government,
but to the People, peacefully assem-
bled, by their representatives in Con-
ventien:
And whereas the allegiance of the
citizen is due alone to the Constltu-
ton and laws made in pursuance
thereof-not to any man, or officer,
or administration--and whatever
support is due to any officer of this
Government, is due, alone, by vir-
tue of the Constitution and the laws:
And whereas, also, the condition
of the whole Republic, but more es-
pecially the preservation of the lib
critics Of the people of Illinois, i'm
peratively demands that we, their
REPRESENTATIVES, should make known
to our fellow countrymen our dellb-
crate judgment and will:
We do, therefore, declare, that the
act Of the Federal Administration in
suspending the writ of hobeas corpus,
the arrest of citizens not subject to
military law, without warrant or au-
thority transporting them to dis
tant States-incarcerating them in
political prisons, without charge or
accusation-denying them the right
of trial by jury, witnesses in their
favor, or counsel for their defense
withholding from them all knowl-
edge of their accusers, and the cause
of their arrest-answering their Pc
titions for redress by repeated injury
and insult-prescribiug, in many ca
ses, as a condition of their release,
test oaths, arbitrary and illegal; in
the abridgment of freedom of speech,
and of the press, by imprisoning the
citizen for expressing his sentiments,
by suppressing newspapers by mill
tary force, and establishing o censor
ship over others, wholly incompatl-
BILE with freedom of thought and ex-
preston of opinion; and the estab-
iishment of system of espionage,
by a secret police, to invade the sa-
cred privacy of unsuspecting citizens;
declaring martial law over States not
in rebellion, aud where the courts
are open and uuobstructed for the
punis hment of crime; in declaring
the slaves of loyal, as we'll as disloy-
al citizens, in certain States and
parts Of States, free the attempted
enforcement of compensated emanci-
patton; the proposed taxation of the
iaboring white man to purchase the
freedom and secure the elevation Of
the negro; the transportation of ne
sroes into the State Of Illinois, in de-
iance of the repeatedly expressed
will of the people; the arrest and
Imprisonment of the representatives
of free and sovereign State,
are, each and all, arbitrary and un-
constitutonal-a usurpation of the
legislative functions, and a suspen-
sion of the judicial departments of
the State and Federal Governments
-subverting the Constitution-State
and Federal Invading the reserved
rights of the people, and the sove-
reignty of the States, consolidated
military despotism.
And We hereby solemnly declare
that ne American citizen can, with
out the crime of infdelity to his
ceuntry's Constitution, and the allie
glance which be bears to each, sane
ton such usurpations.
Believing that our silence will be
criminal, and may be construed into
consent, in deep reverence for eur
Constitution, which has been ruth
lessly violated, We do hereby enter
our most solemn protest against these
usurpations of power, and place the
same before the world, intending
thereby to warn our public servants
against further usurpations: There
fore,
Resolved by the Senate. the House
of Representatives concurrtng herein,
That the army was organized, conf
ding in the declaration of the Presl'
dent, in his inaugural address, to wit:
that he had DO purpose, directly OF
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