Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1863-02-25
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a BILL Foa ANNUx,A4xG THk coz.

= FAs&SA W s11 Sufk1u, Gb1k&s& 1t Is Ek
saost light handea, bare faced, and inf
NOUS affront thai has yet been offered /
the great Smarter oil our liberties, sse
ey The false aud pegiuEsd party that ne1
contTof the government, Every Senate
who voted for this aetestahle bills svor
~ snppaFt fhe Conssitatiea Of which ii i
~ apen and confessed repudiation. Tn
bill, IL Il passes the other house, (whioI
u win and receives the signature of th
President, (which it win,l i nothin,
less than an act for the establishments D
| . 4sspotisnl in shase once free and happ,
Dnited States, and taking from the pee
PIE the pFotection Of the Consultation.
itauthorfEss and justifes arbitrary az.
fgests at the will of the executive, In de.
haaee Of explicit provisions of the Con.
saaf Hsion fsrhidding sach arrests. 1t pass
ievery nssass liberty and property out oi
the protection Of the Fundamental Law
II annthiiatss the power Of the state
governments to protect their citizens
against illegal violence; it tells the pres
idens and his minions that they may with
sInpunity perpetrate all those acts of des-
potlsm by which the most odioas tyrants
In the worst ages have earned the execra-
Eion of mankind. This may be deemed
strong language, bat it is no more than
adequate to characterize the infamous
acts OF combined perjury and despotism,
which wse print this morning, and which
challenges the attention and must provoke
the indignation OF every man who is not
base enough TO eonfess him covering
Al
With the passage Of this bill prove that
every senator who voted for it committed
conscious perjury; that be knowingly and
walfally violated the solemn oath be had
taken TO support the Constitution of the
United States. We ask the deliberate at
tanuon of the country to the facts We will
now recite and which appear on the re-
cord. Mr. Carlisle, of Virginia, moved
to amend the first section of the bill By
inserting after the phrase President Of
the United States" the words sin fhs sx-
eTctse Of his constitutional authoritq,"
an amendment which would give that
officer immunity for all acts, arrests,
and proceedings which be has done or or
dered in the exercise Of his constitution
al authority, but leavingfhim and his sub
oTdlnates to the full consequences and
penalties OF acts done in violation of the
Constitution. The Republican senators
saw that the adoption Of this amandment
would reader the bill nugatory, that this
confession of allegiance to the Constitu-
uon render it Of no more effect than so
much blank paper. The amendmend-
menE WAS accordingly rejected by eleven
ayes against twenty mines noes as follows:
IEAs. -- Messrs, Anthony, Bayard,
Browning, Carlisle, Cowan, Harding,
Powell, salisbury, Turpie, Wall aad
Wilson of Missouri-lI
sArs.--Messrs. Chandler, CLARK, Col
lameg, Dixon, Dooiistle, Fessenden, Foot,
Foster,s Grimes, Hale, Harlan, Harris,
Henderson, Hicks, Howard, King, Lane,
Of Indiana; Lane, of Kansas Morrill,,
Pomeroy, Sherman, Sumner, Ten Eyck.
Trumbuli, Wade, Wilkinson, Wiley,
Wilmot, Of Massachusetts-29.
By this still and bFazen vote the Senate
of the united States declared THERE
determination to treat the Constitution
which they have sworn to support, and
the guarantees it throws around the lib
critics of the people as nulliy. The
vote Of these twenty nine senator's Is a
dam ming and indellible record, not only
against themselves, but against the Pres
ident Of the United States. Ii in effect
declares him guilty of numerous, fire.
queut, and repeated violations of the
Constitution. 1t is a plain confession
that the design Of the bill is to shield
that officer and his underlings from the
legal consequences of such violations
If that were not its object Mr.. Csrlisle's
amendment would have been readily ae-
cepted, for the insertion of that amend
lneRt could in no way impair the effect of
the bill ip exenpting the President and
his subordinates from penalties for acts
which were ROT violations of the Consti-
tuition.
IT We proceed from this shameless
confession Of intentions to examine the
particular provisions of the bill, we shall
lind that the structure harmonizes with
the plan. Every part of it puts fetters
on the feeG of liberty, while it sets tyrraany
on horseback. Ia every case of prosecu-
ti1u for false impri sonment, it allows
the defendant 10 appeal from court 20
court, but takes away the right of appeal
from the plaintiff. Ii the sufferer from
waoton acts Of arbitrary power is defeat.
cd in the state courts it denies him all
redress against the misfortune Of Il pre-
judieed court or q packed jury, while il
treats proceedings in a State court
against his prosecutor as null aud of no
effect. Il gveu indicts penalties on the
plaintiff for daring to assert his rights
ami bring a suit. Ii he happens to be
defeated, no matter whether Justly OF
unjustly, be is not only denied the right
of appeal, which Ia granted TO the defen-
daat, hut is compelled to pay doubleeosts.
Ii not only thus outrugcs the rights of
tn injured party by this Inequality which
would be sufficiently monssrous if the
law we're allowed TO take It's course, but
il iutsrposes 10 annal Che Law on which
he relics foF bits pTeseesiea, aaa te Issaa
the inAiesion Of these heavy penalties
for bringing a suit. 1t declares the au-
thority or order of the President shall be
u valid and complete defense in all such
saits; but as II tins, wsrc not broad
enough to cover and protect the numerous
acts Of despotism which have been per-
petrased ID violation of the Constitution,
il also declares that II 'fthere was prob.
able cause for arrest, imprisonment, or
other acf complained of, that also shall
be. full and complete defense 10 the
action, and il shall be the duty of the
court trying the act 70 instruct the jury,
ard their finding must be accordingly -
That is to say, the most malicious sso-
ries told By . mars personal or political
enemies, no matter whether true or not,
axeito betsfull and complete defense'' fez
arbitrary arrests and impEisonmenss By
eygry deputy provost aaarsAai, even if hs
cannes make u appear thai be- bad axi-
tharily Of tha Presidents fnT this aasine
| violation OF tho Constitution. Il theri
WIS sves anYahing in Legislative hissorl