The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-01-15

tAis power rsside9 Net il ~ Cosstita-
ton |; nor il any Of the coordinate de-
partmsnts created By it nor IN the poo
pls, bat 4 n senbtss1. TAsse soosti-
taent slsasnte eompoee the Governnent,
the powers ofvhioh sre exercised throsgh
its oonstitutonally appointsl agents, the
Legislative. executive and Judicial depart
ments. Withoui thsss, ths powers de-
fined ID the Constitation could not be ap-
|propriasely exercised aud without them
il Is obvious We should have no govern
ment. Therefore, to strike at any Of
these, 10 to injsre the Government itself
to the full extent of the blow.
The President Of the United States,
for the time being, is the Supreme Exec
utive Of the Nation, the chosen agent Of
the people. the pilot who guides the
ship of State. The liberty Of speech, and
of the press. guaranteed by the Constitu-
ton, lie formidable only to the enemies Of
liberty, in its broader and more extended
sense. The right to freely discuss the
affairs of Government, and criticise the
acts Of its agents, is fundamental to lib
erty, and cannot safely be denied
To all this fully subscribe. But the
right claimed BY some, to oppose the exc
cution of the laws, and, by factious oppo-
sition, to thwart the President in the dis
charge of his high duties, at SO important
a jurcture, is subversive OF all liberty,
and right which belongs to treason
only.
Again, the War policy of the Govern
mens has been continuously denounced
as subversive Of the rights of the South,
and in violation of the Federal Constitu-
ton. 1t Is reasonable to presume that
these men have either forgotten, or never
known that Abraham Lincoln is not only
President Of the United States, charged
with the execution of civil power, but
also CommaDder-in- Chief of the Army
and Navy of the Union, and thereby
| clothed with the ,cor power of the Gov
eminent. In the exercise of his civil
functions. he is guided by the plain Ian
guage of the Constitution which defines
the limits of his power. and beyond this
he cannot go but in the discharge of
his duties az Commander in-chief in
time of war, he is governed only by the
laws Of war as recognized among civilized
nations, and such other restrictions as
Congress and the people may impose
Deriving his authority by appointment of
| the Constitution, he is thereby vested
with all the power which rightfully
belongs TO tho Commander-in. chief OF
aoy other army upon the face of the
globe. This extraordinary power, it
must be understood, is called into exsr-
else only from state Of war. and cannot
be exerted il time of peace.
| BY his oath Of Office. the President is
sworn ito the best of his ability. to pre-
serOs, protect and detsnd the Constitu-
tion," and in the discharge of this solemn
obligation he may rightfully exercise all
power inherent in the people whose
agent he is: and that be may do this,
they have made him Commander-in-ehi
of their army and navy, and the Consti-
tuition is the warrant of his appointment
| To bold, that when called upon to "pre-
serve, protec, and defend the Constitu-
tiou to the best OF his ability" be is re-
| stricted to the mere letter of his civil au
thori.y. is 10 deprive him Of the very
means of discharging that high duty, and
make the Constitution, thereby, the
weapon Of It's own destruction.
| The Constitution ia neither war
making nor wsr-prosecuting document.
Ii empowers Congress 10 declare. and the
! President TO prosecute war as The honor
of the nation and the exigsncies OF the
case may demand. undertakes neither
10 inform Congress when, or in what ease
war may be declared, nor the Presiden,
the manner Of carrying it on. Having
made them judges of the situation, il
leaves the details of war to their intelE-
gent patriotism and sound discretion.
Wherein has the Constitution been vio-
lated, and whose rights have been sub
verted by the Federal Government The
loyal States have no reason to complain,
and do not, for the people thereof having
said at the beginning tina. the rebellion
should be put down, become party to
the war; and after . long hearing and
full understanding Of the case, they have
returned a verdict, magnificent and over
whelmiDg in its proportions, that the Adj
ministration was not guilty of the charges
preferred against it. The people of the
ipsurgent States have no right to com.
plain for, having renonnced their ALE
glance TO the Constitution, levied war
against it, adopted Constitution and
government of their own, and claiming
recognition as a separate aud indepen-
dent sovereignty, they have assumed the
attitude of belligerents TO the Federal
Government. and thereby acknowledged
themselves entitled only to belliserent
rights. Every right, which. as citizens
of the United States they possessed under
the Constitution. has been voluntarily
abandoned and forfeited by the rebellion. |
These rights cannot and should not be re-
stored to them, until they shall lay down
their arms, submit to the jurisdiction OF |
the Federal Government and obtain par
don for their treason.
In every sense of the term they are en-
emies TO the Constitution, to onr republi-
can government. to liberty and humanity, |
having but single constitutional right
left, that of being dealt with according to