The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1864-04-20

such power in the hands of their President, they
would rc-cstabhsh slavery and the old Slave State
Governments in every rebel ltate, and thus bring
back many OF the traitors TO the vacant seats hcrc
OF course, sir we would all protest and as
would protest thcn, so protest now, against the
adoption ofany policy by the Executive OF Military
Departments ot the Government on this question
of reconstruction, until il shall first have had the
sanction OF Congress. Sir, want no precedent
established by this Administration, touching the
exercise Of doubtful constitutional power, which
would object to if adopted by an opposing admin
istrntiOu. Whatever power claim fOy an Exocu-
tive fmy own choice am willing to conccdc to
another who is not my choice.
Mr. Speaker, let us keep every Department OF
the Government strictly within its constitutional
limits and in the future we shall not be driven to
the disgraCeiul necessity ot apolug,ziug for,
pudiatiug our own acts, before can with any
show of propricty or fairness arraign those, WIN,
though following our precedcnts, are doing so for
different purposes.
MIR. Speaker, ira President may, because war
exists, civil or foreign, exercise any of the powers
conferred by the Constitution ON Congress, whcth-
er relating to the civil military aEum
istratiOn Of the Government an ambitious and
uuScrupulous President can find prctcNt enough
for prCcipitatug the nation into either foreign ar
civil war, as was done in the case Of Mexico, aud
with the Mnrmons. Then following such prccc-
dents as orS establishing by our silcncc, the EN
ccutive could assume 10 exercise almost every
function of the Government under the plea Of ne
ccssity, and the right conferred by the admitted
war powers uf the Government. Suppose the pro-
slavery States rights party of this country should
elect President, and majority ui this House,
this year, owing To causes such as have suggest
ed, (Which may Heaven lorbid), and they should
cenSprc, it is not at all unlikely they would Y
reinstatc the old order Of things, assume the Com
fcdcratc debt, re-cnslavo all porsens cmancipatcd
by the Presidents Proclamation or by Congress,
and restore all conhsCaed estates to their former
owners, would they long want pretcNt for CON
tininuing this war, or involving the country in an
other civil war; if thereby their President could
assume unlimited power, and with the army and
ten per cent of the voting population, without re-
gard to its loyalty, revive the old state Corstitu
tons, and obtain their recognition by the Executive
branch of Government, as the Constitutional Gov
crnments Of these States without the consent OF
! Congress-
| confess sir believe there are thousands OF
men in the North to-day, who stand ready at any
opportuuc moment to enter iuto inst such conspir
acy Ii gentlemen will recall what has trans
pircd in this country since the days of Tyler Cal
houn, and Texas annexation, especially during the
| Administrations Of Polk Pierce and Buchanan,
they will not find it difficult, in my Judgment to
reach the conclusion, that either ol these admins
trations, il in power in 1862 would cordially have
entered into Just such conspiracy as | have de-
| lincatcd. DO gentlemen say that this is inpossi-
Bile. | answer by repeating what have said be
fore to the people of my own, and indeed, of every
district in which have spoken, that | fear an at
tempt will be made, ifthe pro-slavcry party of this
! country eject u IGcSutnl Oh tllcH peCNINt lNltn
10 accomplish all | have depicted, and the Con-
fcdcratc rebel debt will be tue lever power, en-
ploycd for that unholy purpose. II they should
| succeed in an election, no man need predict what
| they will not attempt The country has not yc
| forgotten how the Texas annexation scheme was
brought through Congress, by the leaders of this
prO-slayery rebellion. They had but ten nil
lions of dollars in bonds to operate with, worth
! from fee to cents on the dollar; annexation
and assumption made them par. In this new po
financial scheme.
have thrco or four thousand millions of dollars ii
Confederate bonds, with which to eilcctuatc thcil
purposes. Sir, when remember what infamous
God-defyipg acts the American Congress- unlci
the lead ftho present pro-slavery rebels, has beer
guilty Of, in days that are past, shudder when
contemplate the terrible ordeal through which thC
nation, in its process Of regeneration, must pass
after the close of the war.
Mr.. Speaker, ! have already, in passing, referred
to the action of General Banks, in louisiana lac
me call the attention of the House and the country
to this unwarrantabc and inlefeaSible assump-
ton of civil authority in that State. In the ilrs
place, against the protest. and in defiance Of thu
well known wishes Of the only organization know
| to the country, recognized by the uncnndi-
tional Union men of Louisiana General Banks is
sues order for election ON the 22d of February
last Of State officers under the old State orgnnza
ton, and pro slavery Constitution. II the old pro
slavery Constitution and State Government of Lou
siina are to be thus established and recognized
in defiance Of the wishes Of the loyal men of tha
State, and without tho sanction of Congress, th
House ought to understand it. For myself, ente
my protest against any such assumption Of civi
authority by the military power. Let us look
little farther into the matter. After ordering al
election for State officers under the old Constitution
which, il acquieSced in by Congress, will legally
revive the old order of things in that State Genera
Banks issues another order directing that AN elec
ton shall be held for delegates to Convention
for the purpose Of amending the Constitution q
the State So that may conform to something i
is difficult to say what. The following in his orlc
upon the subject:
"In order that the organic law of the State may
bo made to conform to the will of the people, aud
harmonic with the spirit Of the age. Ns well as Il
maintain and preserve the ancient landmarks o
civil and religious liberty, election Of delegate
to a convention for the revision or the Constitution
will be held on the first Monday Of April. 1854"
Whence did General Banks derive authority t
issue such an order? Certainly not from Congress
nor from the laws of war, MS recognized by civil
izAd nations, nor from any rule or article of wa
known 10 our military code. If the power to issui
the order is not derived from either of these sources
then tho action of General Banks is u most wanto
aud dcfenSclcss assumption Of military power, a
" ell as an outrage upon the only organized body o
men known and admitted by all 10 be free stat
men. As military commander in the service {
the United States, he may govern conquered pee
pie by martal-law until Congress or the people, i
the exercise of loyal, popular sovereignty, recoe
lnize civil Government, subject % the COnstitutio
Of the United States wihout interference coercio
from him, by the military forceunder his command
But neither General nor the Commandments
can, by martial law, proclaim a Constitution to
the civil government Of any State. General Bank
however, declares in this extraordinary proclana
ton, that "he fRdmentiido Of LouisioIid is mdrtit
Idtr." II any gentleman can enlighten the House
the country about this matter, he will enta hinse
10 the lasting gratitude of all loyal men. viii an
gentleman tel. me how "martial-aw" can becom
the fundamental law Of any organized civil stat
Government known to the Constitution OF the Unite
States? hold that neither General banks, 10
any other general in command ct department, hn
authority To order an election for State officers
any of the rebel States, under any tundamcuti
law, whether il be martial law or civil law. Sti
less has he any show of power or excuse for order
ing an election of delegates to Constitutional Con
vention, if there is an existing fundamental law
the State.
If the State officers who have been elected b
General Banks orders assume the functions of civ
il Government, they will undoubtedly be recognize
as officers under the old State Constitution {
, Louisiana, whatever General Banks may say abot
martial law, as the fundamental law of the State
IL they are not officers Of the civil Government
, Louisiana, then the late election was farce, ic
martial law does not provide that the people, oyG
whom il is operating, Shall. themselves select th
/ officers to administer and exercise il.
undertake to say, that if these recently elceto
State officers are installed into Office and recognize
by Congress. such recognition will legally re-estal
| Ish the old State Constitution and Slave code
Louisiana. In addition To this, the State Cover
mcnt thus established and recognized by Congress
II may legally pflse 10 submit IN or rceugnii
the validity of any new State Constitute
I adopted by the convention ordered by Gem
raj Banks to be elected next April, aiisr u
+ State officers elected und,r the old Coast
= tuition are inaugurated and invested with Il
civil government of the State. Thcy undoubtcdl
will refuse to recognize the action ot that O'nyen