Shreveport news. [volume] (Shreveport [La.]) 1864-1865, 1865-04-11
according TO the discipline preseri-
bed by CONGRESS: -. r.-...s

according TO the discipline preseri-
bed by Congress: .r.--
A law is needed to prescribe not
only how and of what persons the
militia are to be organized, but to
provide the mode Of calling them ont.
If instances be required to show the
necessity for such a general law. it
is sufficient to mention that in one case,
I have been informed by the Governor
of a State, that the law does not per
NIT him to call out the militia from
one county for service in another.
So that single brigade of the enemy
could traverse the State, and devas-
tate each county in turn, without any
power on the part of the Executive
to use the military for effective de-
fence, while in another State the Ex-
ecutive refuses to allow the militia
to be employed in the service Of the
Confederate States, in the absence of
law for that purpose.
have heretofore, in a confidential
message to the two Houses, stated
the facts which induced me to con-
slider it necessary that the privilege
of the writ of habeas corpus should
be suspended. The conviction of the
necessity of this measure has become
deeper as the events of the struggle
have been developed. Congress has
not concurred with me in opinion.
1t is my duty to say that the time
has arrived when the suspension of
tue writ is not simply advisable and
expedient, but almost indispensable
to the successful conduct of the war.
On Congress must rest the RESPONSE
bility of declining to exercise pow
er conferred by the Constitution as q
means of public safety, to be used i'll
periods Of national peril resulting
from foreign invasion. IF our pres
ent circumstances were not such as
were contemplated when this power
was conferred, l confess myself ut Il
loss to imagine any contingency in
which this clause Of the Constitution
| will not remain dead letter.
With the prompt adoption Of t he
measures above recommended. and
the united and happy cooperation of
Congress and the people in the exc
cution of the laws and defense Of the
country, we may enter on the coming
campaign with cheerful confidence
in the result. And who can doubt
the continued existence Of that spirit
and for,itude of the people and Of
that constancy under reverses which
alone are needed to render our tri
umph secure1 What other resources
remain available but the undying,
unconqueral lie resolve to be free! 1t
has become certain beyond doubt
or question that we must continue
this struggle to a successful issue. o,
must make abject and unconditional
submission to such terms as it shall
please the conquerer to impose upon
us after our surrender. If possible
doubt could exist after the conference
between our commissioners and Mr.
Lincoln, as recently reported to you
it would be dispelled by recent oc
currence of which it is proper thai
you should be informed. Congress:
will remember that in the conference
above referred to, our commissioner:
were informed that the Government
Of the United States would not enter
into any agreement or treaty what
ever with the Confederate States
nor with any single State, and thu
only possible mode of obtaining peac'
was by laying down our arms. dis
banding our forces, and yielding un
conditional obedience to the laws 0
the United States, including thos
: passed for the confscation of GU
property and the constitutional a
! mendment for the abolition ofslavery
! 1t will be further remembered tina
Mr.. Lincoln declared that the onl.
: terms upon which hostilities coul,
cease, We're stated in his message Q
r December last, in which we were in
, formed, that in the event of our peni
tent submission, he would tempe
: justice with mercy, and that tn
> question whether we would be go,
i, erned as dependent territories, c
permitted to have a representation i
e their Congress, was one upon whic
5 he could promise nothing, but whic
r, would be decided by their Congress
l. after our submission had been accel
= ted. 1t has not, h owever, been hitl
v erto stated to you, that in the cour:
= of the conference at Fortress MOI
&c roe, a suggestion was made by one
y our commissioners, that the obJcctic
< entertained by Mr.. Lincoln, to trea
IL ing with the government Of the Co
II federacy, or with any separate Stat
t. by substituting for the usual mos
d of negotiating through commissio
s ers or other diplomatic agents, Il
n method sometimes employed, of
" military convention, to be entered /
IS to by the commanding Generals
st the armies eff the two beligerents.-
lie This he admitted was a pawer pc