Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-02-18
4 30 foE AaaalIlag the osn.tilasIoa

From the New York World.l
We pabiish in snother column the bill which
passed the Senate on Tuesday for annulling and
declaring veid the Constitution of the United
States tis the most high-handed, bare-faced
and iufh8ons sfront that has yet been offered to
the grest 1haTteT Of our liberties, even by the
false and psrjured party that now control the
government. Every senator who voted for this
detestsble bin is sworn TO support the Conssitu-
ton Of which it is an open and confessed repu.
distion. The bill, if it passes the house, (which
it will) and receives the signature Of the Presi
dent, (Which it will is nothing less than "a set
for the establishment of despo,ism in these
once free and happy United States, and taking
from the people the protection Of the Constitu-
tio1 i authorizes and justifes arbitrary ar
rests at the will of the executive in def enee OF
explicit provisions of the Constitution forbid
ding such arrests. 1t puts every msas liberty
and property out Of the protection of the fan
damental law; it annihlates the power Of the
State governments to protect their citizsns
against Illegal violence 1t tells the President
and his ninions that they may with imBuuity
perpetTAte al these acts Of despotism by which
the most odious tyT2nts in the worst sges have
earned the exeerst0n Of mankind. This may
bs deemed streng language, but It is no more
than adequate to eharacteTiza the infamous set
Of combined perjury and desposism which we
print this N irniDg, and which challenges the at
tsntion and must provoke the indignation of
every man who is not base enough to confess
himself a covering slave. The proceedings in
connection with the passage of this bill prove
that every senator who voted for It committed
conscious perjury; that be knowingly aud vii =
fully violated the solemn cath be had taken to
support The Constitution of the United States.
We ask tho deliberats attention Of the country
10 the facts we viii now recite, and which appear
on the record. Mt Carlise, OF Virginia, meved
TO amend the rst section OF the bill by inserting
after the phrase " President Of the United
States" the words IN the constitutional au-
tEaTstg,n an amendment which would give thst
officer immunity for all acts, arrests and proceed-
ings which be has done or ordered in the exer-
else OF his authority, bus leaving him and his
subordiuates to the fall Consequences and pen
alties of acts done in violation Of the Coustitu-
ten The Republican senators saw that the
adoption Of this amendment would render the
bill nugatory, that this confession Of allegiance
to the Constitution would render It of no more
effect than SO much blank paper The amend
ment was accordingly rejected by eleven ayes
against twenfy-nine nays, IS follows;
YEAs-Messrs. Anthony, Bayard, Browning,
Garlic Cowan, Harding, Powell Salisbury.
Tufpie Wall, and Wilson, of Missouri-lI
NAYs-Messrs, Chandler, Clark, Collsmer,
Grimes, Hale, Harlan, Harris, Henderson, Bow
aTd. King, Lane, of Indiana; Lsne. of Kansas
Morfill, Pomeroy, Sherman, Sumner, Ten Eyck,
Trurabull, Wade, Wilkinson, Wiley, Wilmot,
and Wilson, of Massaehusetis-29
By this stiH and brazen vote the senate Of
tie United States declared their determination to
treat the Constitution which they bave sworn TO
support, and the guarantees it throws around
the liberties Of the people, as nullity. The
vote Of these twenty mine senators is damning
and indelfble record not only against them
selves bat against the President Of the United
States. 1t IN effect declares him quite guilty Of
numerous. frequent and repeated violations Of
the Constitution. Il is plain confession that
the design Of the bin is to shield that officer and
his underiirgs from the legal consequences Of
sneh violations If that vera not his object Mr.
Caflils's amendment would have been readily
accepted, for tlie insertion Of that amendment
could in no way impair the effect Of the bill, in
exempting tho President snd7his subordinates
from penaities for sets which were not viola
tions of the Constitution. These senators in
effect declare that he has violated the Const'
tuition; that they consider violations Of the Con
ssiiution meTitorious scts on the part Of su oth.
Ger sworn to support and defend it; and thai
they viii stand between him and sll parties or
dained by State OF Federal laws for wantoH and
illegal trasspasses on the rights of citizens.
ii we proceed from this shameless confession