The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1863-01-01

the country has provided what shall be done
in these cases; che statutes of the United
States have provided what shall be done in
cases of unlawful arrests; the Constitution
has provided how you shall make seizures
and arrests; and if the Executive will vio-
late the Constitution and the laws that are
now on the statute book, have we any rea-
son to believe that he will respect and exc
cute laws passed by this Congress-? The de-
feet is not in the law; the law is ample to
relieve citizens wrongfully arrested if it
were executed. Have we reason to believe
that be will respect a law because it is pass
ed by this Congress, when he acts in viola
ton of the Constitution of his country and
the the laws on the statute book made in
pursuance thereof? I am wanting in faith
that the President will execute any law you
may pass on this subject. The Constitution
which he has sworn to support requires him
to see that the laws be faithfully executed,
which he has failed to do. Fl
The Senator from NJ Massachusetts, said that
the Departments were loaded down with
business, and that we ought not to trouble
them with such cases as this. Why, Mr..
President, if there is one thing more than
another that the representatives of free
people should be jealous about, and should
present persistently and untiringly on all
proper occasions to those in power, it is the
civil liberty of the citizen. One of the wise
men of Greece once said that that was the
best Governm ent where an injury offered to
the meanest aud poorest citizen was an in
suit TO the State. 1t was a wise MAXIM
But, sir, these insults and injuries are offered
not only to the poor and helpless, but they
have been offered to some of the most re-
spectacle and loyal citizens of the United
States. Men who are the peers of the Presi-
nd l,alN nnt u fhn nj
have been for months confined in prison,
where they have been cruelty languishing
for no assigned cause, with no charges made
agai nst them, and the prison doors opened,
/ and they let free without trial. The Seua-
tor calls that IN ercy. Mercy! to drag man
from his family without charge, in violation
of the Constitution of the country put him
in one of your Bastiles, and keep him there
on bread and water and pallet of straw for
months, and then to turn him out without
giving him trial, when he has all the time
/ protested his inn ocence and demanded tril!
Sir, if that is mercy want none of it.
My object, Mr.. President, is not to screen
! the guilty, but to protect the innocent. /
have been taught to believe, and 1 now be-
lieve, that there is no liberty, save in the
supremacy of the laws. The law must be
supreme if you have liberty. Men are too
weak and too frail even the wisest and best
of them, to be intrusted with absolute power.
The law is the barrier between the innocent
and those who would trample upon our
rights, and that should by all men be held
up as the shield to protect them in their lib
ertles, in their properties, and in their lives.
/ What will be the result, Mr.. President. il
you go on in this way, and allow the Cnlei
Magistrate of the nation, and his Cabinet
ministers, and men high in authority, to
violate Willingly, knowingly, the Constitu-
ton and laws of the country, and deprive
citizens of their liberty? What will be the
moral effect upon the community? The
President swearS to preserve, protect, and
defend the Constitution; he swears to see
that the laws are faithfully executed. If he.
the highest officer in the land, the Chiet
Magistrate of mighty people, if he who Is
as much bound by the Constitution and laws
as the humbest citizen, may violate them
! with impunity, what will be the moral eff
feet upon the community? They necessarily
will do the same; and with what cart, with
what right would one of th ese high officials
} seek to punish citizen for violating the
Constitution and laws of the country when
he is daily infracting them himself in the
most vital points? 1 tell you, Senators, i
will bring about moral egradation in the
country that will be most appalling and hui
initiating. You may talk about the patriot
ism of the President and of his Cabinet min
sters, and OF their honest convictions ofduty
but, sir, while they are daily violating th'
plain provisions of the Constitution and th
), laws, they cannot without cheek tha
G should blush for shame, ask those over whom
d for the time being they administer the law
Il to be faithful to them. They should lool
to these things. ...-..-.
: We are told that if we pass resolutions o
e this kind we shall be taxing these gentle
= men. They will never be taxed on a NOR
70 meritorious subject than this. 1t is sough
d to inouire why free American citizen ha
ie been unlawfully deprived of his liberty an
'e languishes in dungeon. We would d
D. well if we were to give our days and night
i to the correction of this evil until it be rem
Sc edied. In doing that we shall be most pa
lie trio tically discharging- our duty. Whi
ot boots it that by arms you maintain the terr
lie torial integrity of the Union if your Cons:
ce tuition is gone, your liberties cloven down
l. the mean time? Sir, we admire this grei
L Union because of the guarantees which !
y, glorious Constitution throws around us. u
Id not let us forget that Constitution in the da
of battle. There are two wars going out or
,is against the territorial integrity of the Unio
u and the other, which is most assiduou
n against the Constitution of the country;
re both of which wars l am opposed, for ha'
lat ever thought that we could only settle o
nv sectional difficulties and save this Union
he peaceful means.
an The Senator from Wisconsin yesterd
he stated to the Senate that in his judgm ent,
he all cases where the parties would take t
sb- oath, they were permitted to go free.
be Mr.. DooLITrLE. In all cases of arr
upon suspicion. -,
~ Mr.. POWELL. Well, sir. I suppose tt
Ia would embrace all. 1t would certainly 81
arv brace all that have heard ANYTHING aoo
-, I believe that from first to last uve thousa