Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1863-04-22

! reileve these apprehensions it will re-
/ store confidence; 1t will cause reioic-
ing throughout the length and breadth of
the land If, on the contrary, the policy
be war, 1t Is due to to the people of the
/ United States that that fact should be
known, and that we be informed whittier
we are drifting, in order that we may see
! whether we are willing to be drawn into
war irregularly, without the sanction of
! Congress or the consent of the country.
I L believe that the answer to this reso-
luton will quiet the country, and re-
/ store good will and good feeling among the
people OF the differerent sections | re-
peat the conviction that Mr. Lincoln does
not mediate war. Certain | am that,
under the laws as they now exist, he can
not, consistent with his oath. do any act
that will produce collision between the Sc
ceded States and the Federal Government.
: In the first place he has no power, under
the existing laws, TO collect the revenue on
( shPboard, as is suggested by the partisan
press BY the laws of the land, the re-
venue must be collected at the ports of
entry, and in the custom houses des-
/ ignated by law, and cannot be collected
! anywhere else: except IN specific cases
provided in the law itself Bv refer
/ cnce to to the act of the 2nd of
( March, 1899, it will be seen that South
/ Carolina is divided in three collection dis
tricts; that three ports of entry. are es-
tablishcd: ore at Georgetown, one at
Charleston, and one at Beaufort; and
. 4 collector, surveyor, and naval officer,
are TO be appointed % to reside at Charles
ton" The custom house officers are re-
quired 10 reside at the ports of entry des-
ignated by law. SO it is with all the col
lection districts III all the other States.
. Another scction--section eiehteen--of
the law makes it unlawful 10 enter goods
or collect revenue elsewhere than the
"ports of entry :" designated III the law.
1t expressly prohibits the collection of
revenue Or the entry of goods at any
other place. Then a subsequent section
section cightv-fivc of the same law
makes one exception to this rule; and
that Is, in case vessel is prevented by
ice from approaching the pier or wharf at
the por; of entry, the captain, on applica-
ton 20 the collector. may receive a permit
to land the goods. and pay the duties at
any place in the district designated III the
permit The only case, then, where rev.
enue can lawfully be collected, or goods
lawfully uttered, at any other point than
the port of entry designated in the law, is
where the vessel is obstructed by ice from
approaching the wharf at such port
II has been suggested, and the people
of the country. North and South, have
been led tn believe. that II Is the purpose
Of this Administration, without authorl-
ty OF law, TO order revenue cutters dowT
to those Southern ports, and to collect
revenue on board of them. j wish tt
call the attention of the Senate and tho
country to the fact that the law torblds
the collection of revenue on shpboard o
anywhere else, except at Charleston, a
Savannah. at New Orleans. and at eacl
one of the ports designated in the law
The Prcsid,nt of the United States woul'
subject himself justly and lawfully to i'm
peacIment If he should attempt TO collec
the revenue on sIipboard, or in any othe
manner. or at any other place, than tha
authorized bv law The law in this re
spect stands now Just as II did whel
Gen. jackson, in 1882, called on Con
grcss for additional legislation to enabl
I him TO collect revenue ut the port @
Charleston. Then Gen. jackson had n
: mower to remove the custom-house froT
: the CITY of Charleston to shipboard in tn
harbor. He had no power 10 order th
collection of revenue anywhere else tha
= at the place designated by law. BE
cause OF the absence of legal authority t
;, do this. he called on Congress to pass
law which authorized him TO collect revs
nue. on the land or shipboard, anywhei
:, within the haTbor other than at the plat
designated at the port of entry. Congre
bs passed the law known to the country no
b as the "force BILL" The force bill w:
5e passed March ,, 1888 and the first an
fifth section which gave authority to CO
lect the revenue at any place in the ha
r bor.' .'and the power TO use military fore
ne expired at the end of the next session
he Congress by the express limitation OF Il
nd act. Hence the law stands now just
.e- II did before the force bill was passed
3. there is no more authority to collect rev
IL nue. on shipboard now than there was
its fore the passage of the act of 1888 u
he cannot. under law, collect the reven
if anywhere else, either on shipboard or
lat land. Then, what danger is there of a
Inc collision between this Government n
IF the seeded States upon the question