Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-05-21

nov urging The Alien and Ssditon Acts invested the
President with prec sy powers Tin measure,
to be sure somewhat more limited snd cstairly In
spirit far less offensive and iusune)a the act sus
pending the writ of hdbeas corpus does Here arc the
Alien and Sedton Acts; let every honorable member
examine them for himself and determine whether Rave
msrepressned the historio facts upod which am now
relying. yrs t.--z
Well, sir, VIA. occurred upon the passage and the
attempted enforcement Of these sct,i Why the friends
OF Republican Institutions and the opponents Of con-
solicitation at once took the earm. Me-. Jefferson, the
Vice President Mr.. hsdson and their noble associates
eetefmned 70 make bold and manly effort TO rescue
Stat Rights and Siats Sovereignty from threatened
extermipaton; andthe result Was the adoption of the
celebrated Vrg mia and Kentucky Resout ons Of 1859
and the adoption and PRONUNCIATION of the Report Of
Mr.. Madison OF the subsequent year. The fifth of the
resolutions OF Virginia adopted the 2lst Of Dee.m-
ber l79S introduced by the celebrated John Taylor Of
Caroline, but known to have been originally drawn BY
Mr.. Madison himself, is in the following words:
RESOLVED, Thai the General Assembly doth psrticu
lary protest against the pspable and alarming irfsc
tions of the Constitution In tho two late oil the
Alien and Sediiion Acta passed q. the las. session of
Congress- the rst Of which exercises power nowcers
dtlegated to the Federal Government and which, by
unitrg legislative aud judicial powers to those ofsIscr-
tive, subverts the general principles of free governuen,
well the particular organization and poaitive prosi
sions Of the Federal Constitution; and the other Of
which acts exercises In like power not dele
gated by the Oonst tuton but, the contrary,
pre.sly and positively forbidden by of the amend
ments thereto; power which, more than any other,
ought TO produce universal ALARM because it is eveed
against that right Of freely examining public characters
and measures; and Of free communication among the
people thereon which has ever been Justly doenedthe
only ttfectusl guardian of every other right"
This noble resolution, Mr. Speaker contains all the
constitutional doctrine which it is my purpose to main
tain on This occasion. Il asserts in the strongest
Aert n 40 OF an
legislative and udcii powers to the Executive, is SUBJ
vesiye Of the general principles OF free government as
well as toe particular organization and positive pro-
visions OF the Federal Constitution. /. Furthermore
asserts tba. attempt the part OF Congress to in
fringe the right Of freely examining public characters
and measures, and Of free communication among the
people thereon, ought TO produce rniversa alarm,
which right Of free discussion and Of free communca-
ton among the people, is asserted ever to have been
justly deemed the only eectual guardian OF every other
right Now, sir allow me 10 rem nd you and the House
that these are tie very views expressed TO be sure in
less ccgent and classic language by the opponents of
the measure OF Habeas Corpus suspension, when that
unfortunate measure was undergoing hasty ana i'm
perfect consideration in this Hall We then boldly de-
nounced the attempt to blend legislative, Judicial aud
| executive powers as proposed by the~bli, aud de-
nounoed in the Strongest terms those clauses thereof
which were obviously intended to obstrucs the free dis
cusson OF certain acts of alleged official NAL admins
trStion, and TO prevent free communication among the
| charged openly in this body and not denied by any
one that the at intended to prevent ceraia assem-
blages Of the people in certain specified States and To-
calites then expected TO occur and In addition, to
free discussion by the public press Of the ccun-
try. assert aud no man mere will deny, that tn, &C.
leveled at large masses of the population in North
Carolina and elsewhere, who were uDjustly alleged to
be dsloysl and the right to coerce them into absolute
submission 10 the authority Of that special and limited
governmental agency which has for the time being
been located in the city Of Richmond, was boldly
claimed l urged then that we had no authority to
legislae in the manner proposed that such legislation
would do no good, but be productive of much evil;
that il tho condition Of affairs in North Carolina was
to require the suspension Of the writ Of Habeas
Corpus in that Sate aud certain Representatives here,
whom specially particularzed at the lime, would ask
for the suspension among their particular constu
ents should not myself hesitate to vote for IL tu,
that my constituents needed no such insulting curb,
and protested emphaticany against lbs application to
them and furthermore declared tina: the bill then
before ns, should it come law, would establish an
irresponsible dssp,tism in the city of Richmond, to
which high spirited people could long patiently sub
nit The impo tant fact was distinctly brought TO the
notice Of members here, that the enlightened and pa
trotic Governor of North Carolina vas solemny and
earnestly protesting in able and fervent letters ad
dressed TO gentlemen here which most Of US have reen
in behi OF bis time honored Commonwealth against
any srch Legislative action as that which after
wards adopted.
l warned this House that such proceeding on the
part of the Government would inevitably spirit
OF mauly resistance everywhere, bring unnecessary
oiium upon cur Government then in state Of inan-
tile eebeness, ano throw that Government into imme
date collision with the great Commonwealth OF Georgia
and ALABAMA, both of whom, it well known 10 u,
had legs ayey declared against The suppression of the
writ OF habeds corpus within their mits; AMI cit
far predict that neither Of These States would b
at all inclined to retrsce the steps which they had de-
liberately taken upon this subject Our arguments
dsreg Arded by the rampant majority then here led
by that Jehu like champion Of executive power wto
ooSined such peculiar distinc ion in this hall and be-
fore the country by his habual professions OF adorson
for ;eent President, the mag Lfcent dispenser
Of Official patronage and who has eace been rewarded
for his extraordinary loyalty by the appointment of
Bdgad er General in the Confederate army. Oar
monsirances treated with contempt. prsd;c-
tons Of popuiac discomfort laughed to Ecorn and now
sir the result is before read in hearing
OF honorable members Of the Virginia resolutions
Of '9S and it would be very easy to quote copiousy
from the sble debate which took place at that time in
tle Legislature of Virginia when these resolutions
before them, for the purpose Of showing that all the
leading republican statesman OF that day concur
red in entertaining of just such views OF constitutional
law &s | asserting. But viii rot weary the
House by reading from speeches with which have
right to presume all integ mt gentlemen here have al
ready made themselves familiar. will now present
very short extract from the report Of Er Madison Of
1892 written avonedly for the purpose Of sustaining
the resolutions of the previous year:
at is affirmed in the alien act that il untes leg
.latve judicial and executive powers in the hands Of
the President.
"rheale act declares that 1t shall be lawful for the
President to order all such aliens he shall judge
dangro to the peace and safety of The United safes
snail have reasonable grounds to suspect con-
oerned in any REASONABLE secret Vaccinations
the Government thereof, TO depart g..
'Oould power be vel given in Ierms less definite
less pmticu ar, and hrs preci-a? To be dangerous TO
tho public sdfcs to be suspected g secret nachinatiens
agllisJ tn Ger cal De mistaken
fot eg4l ,ui's dsdn 'a,. ThJ leave every
th ns 70 G P cades,. ts iwl no i.-
"5r II is not rgslsh.. =. wer OIL, hat is given
h Pres:dett He is to stand the l.co Of the ja
sal al O.. His 'pcii,a tn OILY evidence which
i t. eoav C ms order The oni. idgmens shisals 10