Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1863-03-12
The United states ConAtitntfon--thc s,o.,n- =
ias Doafruefaan "b hel Of


yet seen offered to the erty OF the Norborr 'a h
Il adds H leope
The bill If it passes the House. (which il Mill,
receives the signature OF the President (which add
is nothing less THAI an act for the essa6is5moo Vlij
deapotism ia these once free aud happy UnaIs Of
aid taking from the people the protection Of - Stale,
sti uion, Il authorizes and jastities arbr,rnV Uo
al the will of the Executive liz defiance Of ~ "r-s
visions OF the Constitution forbiddirg such 49, 5.
puts every mans liberty and property out If p
lection OF the fundamental law it anuih ,,ss s Pro-
or OF the State Governments to protect thai; VI pls
against illegal violence ; it tells the Preaiasn, NzHs
minons that they may with impunity pqrI., $50 h
these acts OF des9otsm by whicht the No ST S
in the worst ages have earned the execraton ,9'Na
kind This may be deemed strong lauruaoe ID %.
no more than adequate to characterz3 tie ins N h
of combined perjury and 6eapotsm which wa us o."
morning. and which challenges the atentio, :, 3' w.
provoke the Indignation OF every man who ,' nus
enough to confess himself covering save ~ 0'-
The proc, edings il connection with the NO..
this bill prove that every Senator who vol, o.
mitted conscious PERJURY, that he knoaipgc o., V.'
fully violated the solemn oah he had taken n ~ VIII
the Constitution OF The United Statcs WcsSt t.S,
| liberae attention Ct the country to the fact. WV
now recite and which appear on the record M. W.
lille, of Virginia, moved to amend The Gr,t ,-c,i -.
! the bill by inserting after the pbrase Preed.rt
United S tates,' the words 4" in the coDgtitn,i u,
thOriiy" an amendment which wGuId give ttgt &C..
immunity Tor al acts arrests, and proceed rcs Tr.,
has done ordered in the exercise ut his auigor,,
leaving him and his suFbordinates to .be fgn 49,. .
qaences and penalties of acts done in violation w "
Constitution. The Republican Senators saw that .
adoption OF this amendment would Ieud,r the nm %
tory that this confession OF allegiance 10 tha l
ton would render 1t Of no more effect than 81 ,.
blank paper. The amendment was accordiasty
Jected by eleven ayes against twcaty-niuc nays as
lows:
YEAs--Aessrs Anthony, Baydrd, Browning Co.,
Isle, CoWan, Harding, Powell, Salisbury. ipr..
Wall, and Wilson of Misso mill
l. NAYs-Nessrs. Chandler, CLARK, Collamcr. Dix.
Doottle Fesseuden 1 oot Foster, Grlmrs, Hale II-
Ian, Harris, uendarson, Howard, King, Lane Of /
diana, Lane OF Kansas, morrill,, Pomerov, Shcn,
Sumner, Ten Eyck, Irumbul, Wade, Wikfre,
| Wiley, Wimot, and Wilson OF Massachusetts,
BY this stiff and brazen vote the Scnat, OF III. In
ted States declared their determination to treas liz e.
sti!ution, which they have sworn to support and 49,.
guarantees 1t throws around The lbgrtits al tbe r-
as nulty. The vote OF these Twenty-Five ECpa,,.
is damnlng and indelbe record, not only ugai,,
Themselves, but against the President OF the Unit,
States. lie in effect declares him quite guilty Of gun
erous, frequent, and repeated violations Of the Conq,
tiot Ii Is a plain confession that the DIES ga us r,
bill is o shield that officer and his underngs from d.
legal consequences OF such violations. Ii thai wtrcuu
his oh ct Mir. Carlile's amendment would have r
readily accepted, tor the insertion of that amend aa
could 10 way lmpar the effect Of the BILL in Cx.wa
ing the President aud his subOrdnatcs from ptuAI4.
for acts which were not violations OF the CCnstiuu
These Senators in effect declare that he has violated
Constitution that they consida" violations Of the la
stitutiOn meritoriOus acts the part of an officer ~
TO support aud defend it and that they will stand hi.
tween him and all parties ordained by State or Fedga
laws for Fanton and illegal trespasse5 on the rigaa
citi Zrns.
Ii we presume from this shameless confession otnc
tons to examine the particular provisions OF thebN
sh3I ind that the structure hOrmOnIyug with Tine
EVerp part oft puts letters the feet o! liberty wa
1t sets tyranny on horseback. La every case Of prose
cuion for false imprisonment, it allows the defendant
appeal from court TO court but takes away the right
appeal from the plaintiff. If the sulfrer, from want
acts OF arbitrary power is defeated 10 the State
it denies hin al redress against he misfortune o pr
JUDGED court or packed jury, While it treats pgoca
lngs in State court against his pcr5ecu OFs null 1
OF 30 effect. 1t inhcts penalties on the piginua
fer daring 10 assert his rights aud bring suit ir
happens to b3 defeated, no matter whether justly
justly, he IS not only denied the right Of appeal wil
is granted 10 the defendant, but is compelled 10 rnr
double costs 1t not only thus Outrages TIC rights
the injured party be this inequality, which would b.
fcientIy m0nstrOus if the law allowed to take
arse but it interposes to anru the law on whlr
relies for his prot ction, and to Insure the inaict0a
those hea " penalties Tor bringing suit.
1t declares that the authority or ordlr of tie Prs.
dent shall be valid ard compete defence ia all sue
suits but If this not broad enough to cover ami
protect the numerous acts OF sp)tism which hlr"
been perpetrated IN violation of the Constitution
also declares that If there probable cause FIR o..
arrest, Imprisonment, other act complained Of" tb
also shall be a fall and complete defence to the ac7
and it shall be the duty Of the court trying the as
to instruct the july and that their finding must be
cordiDgiy" That is to say, the most malicious store
tod by mars personal or political enemies, no mot
whether true or not, to be full aad mpi-e q.
fence for arbitrary arrests and imprisonmeDs by y
deputy provost marshal even if he carrot make /. az.
pear that he had authority of tho President FIR uF
daring violation of the Constitution II there gvf
anything IN legislative history which de ervad to
characterized d" bill of denominations" it is 8:
VII ch to the disgrace Ct American legislation pint
this morning.
And the party which passes this infamous t
abomiDabe bill, deiyng the Constitution and aun1.n,
all State laws for protecting personal liberty ID.
same party that two three years ago was passing
called liberty bills in behalf OF the Northern Stale,
protect runaway negroes against the provision Of O.
Constitution which requires their surrender. So d-l
and sacred did they profess to hold individual liberty
that they would not allow it to be violated even
the person of escaped slave, and they set up Sa
legislation against Federal legislation for bis PR
lection. These sensitive philanthropsts and doughty
champions Of freedom then protested to be
shocked at the denial of the habeQS corpus to these
fugitive blacks, and made that a pretext for r.
ssting by mob violence, the execution of q Law
the United States Aud now we see these same chan
pions of personal liberty, tn &c same stckiers for N
ha6eas corpus, the same justfeTs Of State ressarN
to Federal power passing act when degraCes TIE
white citizens below condition which they then thong.
lntoerable for slaves black as the ace of spades
is for the citizens ofthe loyal States to determine wh
er they will submit to this overthrow of the Cons1