The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-01-13

faction. He concealed nothing from them
Whilst still clinging TO the fading hope
that they might yet provide for a peace
full adjustment of our difficulties, and
strongly recommending this course, he
says: Even now the danger is upon us
In several of the States which have moi
yet seeded, the forts, arsenals, and mag.
aEines of the United States have been
seized This is by far the most seriou.
step which has been taken since the com.
mencement of the troubles.
The seizure of this property. from al
appearances, has been purely aggressive
and not i, in reslsIs,T any a.temp. to
coeree State e. bto remain in the
Union" II Sae vell-known
fact that our FrdaiT army was on the re-
mote frontiers, aud was scarcely suficien;
to guard the inhabitants against Indian
incursions. and consequently our forts
were without sufficient garrisons.
| Under these circumstances he appeals
TO Congress in the following language
But the dangerous and hostile attitude
of the States. toward each other ha.
already far transcribed aud cast in the
shade the ordinary executive duties
already provided for by law, and has
assumed such vast and alarming proper.
tions as To place the subject entirely
above aud beyond executive control. The
fact cannot be disguised that we are il
the midst of great revolution. In al
its various bearings, therefore, com
mend the question to Congress, as the
only human tribunal under Providence
1 possessing the power TO meet the existing
emergency. 10 them c.rciuSfrefg befongs
the po'eer to deciore trur or to authors,
the employment q ma6a,y force Ia aE
oaSes Contemplated jv the Constitution
and they alone possess the power to re
move grievances which might lead to
war. and to secure peace and union to this
distracted country. On them, and on
them alone, rests the responsibility.
| Congress might, had they thought
proper, have regarded the forcible seizure
of these forts and other property, inclui-
i ing that of the branch mint at New Or
leans. with all the treasure it contained
as the commencement of an aggressive
war. Beyond question the Cotton States
had now committed acts of open hostility
against the Federal Government. They
had always contensled that secession was
a peaceful constitutional remedy, and that
Congress had no poEer 10 make war
against a sovereign State for the purpose
Iof coercing her to remain in the Union.
They could no longer shelter themselves
under this plea They had hy their yio-
lent action entirely changed the position
| they lad assumed: and INSTEAD of peace
fully awaiting the decision of Congress
on The question of coercion they had
! themselves become the coercionists and
assailants. This question had, therefore,
passed away. No person has erer doubted
1hc right or the duty Of Congress 10 pass
FAIRS enabling tie President to defend he
Union against armed rebellion. Con-
gress, ho,eerer. still shra,,k from, the re
spoaslJi5fty Of pessiag any such facs.
This might have been eommcndable had
| it proceeded from sineere desire not to
interpose obstacles to compromise in
tended to prevent the effusion of fraternal
blood and restore the Union. Still. in
any event, the time had arrived when il
was their duty to make at the least con-
tingent provisions for the prosecution of
the war. should this be rendered inevita-
I Bile. This had become the more necessary
as Congress would soon expire, and the
new Congress could not be convened for
a considerable period after the old one
had ceased to exist, because large por-
ton of the representatives had not then
been elected. These reasons, however,
produced no effect.
The Presidents special message (Con.
Globe, p. 316) was referred, two days
after after its date (January 100, by the
House of Representatives to a special
committee, of which Mr. Howard, of
Michigan, was chairman. Nothing was
heard from this committee for the space
of twenty days. They then, on January
80, through Mr.. John II. Reynolds, Of
New York, one Of its members, reported
bill (Con. Globe, p. 645, bills of H. r.,
No. 69S) enabling the President to call
forth the militia or to accept the services
of volunteers for the purpose of protect
ing the forts, magazines, arsenals, and
other property Of the United States, and
to recover possession I" Of such of these
as g has been or may hereafter be unhw-
fully seized or taken possession of by any
combination of persons whatever" Had
this bill become law, it did have been
the duty of the President at once to raise
volunteer or militia force to recapture
the forts which had been already seized
If,,E - ~,
assume such responsibility. Mr. Rey-
notds accordingly acithdrew has 6i2i from
the consideration Of the House on the vcry
day 1t acds reported. On his own motion
it was recommitted, and thus killed as
soon as it saw the light. 1t was never
heard of more.
Then, after another pause of nineteen
days, and only fortnight before the close
of the session, the Committee on Military
Affairs, through Mr.. Stanton, of Ohio,
their chairman, on February IS, reported
another bill (Con Globe, p. 1,00l, bill
,003, Fl. r. on the subject, but of a
more limited character than that which
had been Withdrawn, It is remarkable
that it contains no provision touching the
recovery of the forts and other property
which had been already seized by the de-
inquent States. It did no more than
provide that the powers already possessed
! by the President, under the act of 1895,
to employ the militia in suppressing in
surrectiops against State Government
should be s extended to the case of In
surrections against the authority Of the
United States, with the additional au-
thority to accept the services Of such
volunteers as may offer their services fol
the purpose mentioned" Thus all hostile
action for the recovery of the forts already
lseized was excluded from the bill. It i.