Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-07-02
PROPHETIC WARNING !
SPEECH OF HON. S. A. DOUGLAS,
Delivered in the U. s. Senate on the
18th of March, 1864.

Delivered in the U. s. Senate on the
18th of March, 1864.
The following extract is from the last
speech Mr.. Douglas made in the Senate
of the United States, and the closing Of
fetal act of his life. Thus far, his pro.
phetic warnings have proved true. Read
and ponder them fellow citizens.
We are told that the President is GO
ing to enforce the laws in the seceeded
States. How? By calling out the militia,
and using the army and navy. Those
terms are used os freeley and flippantly
as if we were military government
where martial law was the onl y rule of
action, and the will Of tho monarch was
the only law on the subject,
Sir, the President cannot use the army
or the navy for any purpose not author
lied by law. What is that ? If thore
be an insurrection in any State against
the laws and authorities thereof the Pres.
ident can use the military to put it down,
only when called upon by the State Leg
| islature. if it be in session, or if it can
not be convened, by tho Governor. He
cannot interfere except when requested.
If, on the contrary, the insurrection be
against the laws of the United S tates, in
stead of State, then the President can
use the military as posse comtatus in
aid of the Marshal in such cases as are SO
extreme that judicial authority and the
powers of the Marshal cannot put down
the obstruction. The military cannot be
used in any case whatever, except in aid
of civil process to assist the Marshal to
execute the writ. / shall not quote the
law on the subject, but if the gentlemen
will refer to tho acts of 1875 and 1903,
they will find that by the act of 1895 the
militia only could be called out to aid
in the enforcement of the laws when re-
sisted to such an extent that the Marshal
could not overcome the obstruction. By
the act of 1903, the President is author
lied to use the army and navy to aid in
enforcing the laws in all cases where it
was before lawful to use the militia
Hence the military power, no matter
whether naval or regulars, volunteers OF
militia, can be used only in aid of the civ.
il authorities.
Now, sir, how are you going to create
a case in one Of those seceeded States
where the President was authorized to
call out the military ? You must frs
procure a writ from the Judge, describing
the crime; you must place them in the
hands of the Marshal, and must meet
such distractions as render it impossible
for him to execute it; and then. and not
till then, can you call upon the military
Where is your Judge in tho seceeded
States e? Where is your Marshal? You
have no civil authoritits there, and the
President in his inaugural tells you he
does not intend to appoint any. He sale
he intended To nse tho mower coniided il
him, to hold and possess the forts and t.
collect the revenue. but hey yond that he di'
not intend to go. You are told, there
fore. in the inaugural, that he is going t
, appoint no Judge, no Marshal, no clvi
officers in the seeded States that can ex
ecute the law. and hence we are told tha
I, he does not intend to use the army, tn
! navy, or the militia, for any such pun
pose.
; Is it your purpose to rush this countr
= blindly into war at cost of $500 900,
. 600 per annum; to levy 5000, 100000 d
rect taxes upon the people, and then ca
upon them to pay it because you have in
" volved us in civil war? Sir, ] expect t
. stand by my country under all circun
: stances, and hence | will save her, if
can, from being plunged into civil war {
indefinite duration, that will require
y quarter of a million of men and exc
-" bitant taxation, levied on one halt tt
;, American people, to subdue the oth'
y half. Remember this extraordinaI
> amount of revenue, these extraordinai
= numbers Of men, are to be called for
=, eighteen States to fight fifteen; for it
. useless to disguise the fact, that whene'
=, er you mako the question one OF pea
:, ~ or war the slaveholding States will be
~ ~ unit, and will be fifteen against eightee
T. Are we prepared for civil war with all !
- horrors and calamities ?
=, repeat that it is time that the line
, policy was adopted, and that the count
=, knew it. In my opinion, we must choos
% % and that promptly. between one OF Il
- three lines of policy
J.. lst. The restoration and preservatit
It OF the Union, by such amendments to {
+. Constitution as will insure domestic ira
IS guilty; safety and equality of all t
States, and thus restore peace, unity al
in fraternity to the whole country.
,d Or, ID. A peaceful dissolution of
an Union, by recognizing the independen
v. of such States as refuse to remain in
n. Union without such constitutional amer
4. ments, and the establishment of i
a eral system of commercial and social
= tercourse with them by treaties of co
SO merce and amity;
or Or, Sd. War, with view Of sub
IN CATION and military occupation of thu
~ States which have seeded or may sece
cs from the Union.
/ repeat, that in my opinion, you m,
adopt and pursue ono of these lines of p
4 icy. The sooner you choose betwG
them and proclaim your choice to
~ country, the better for you, tho better
os us, tho better for every friend of libe
be and constitutional government throus
Le out the world. In my opinion, tho fl
,st proposition is the best, and the last
Mt worst.
al. | am in favor Of such amendments
y the Constitution as will tax, that qu
nd ton out of Congress and restore pc
A. ,bo oonntry That NAV he done