The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1867-12-19

ernmept to be it's purpose. aud was so uu.
derstood by all those who gave their
blood and treasure 20 aid in its prosecu
tion. 1t cannot be that successful war.
waged for the preservation Of the Union.
had the legal effect OF. diSsolving il. The
victory ofthe nations arms was not the
Disgrace other policy the defeat of seces-
sion on the battle field was not the tri
umoh Of its lawless principles. Nor could
Congress, with or without the consent of
the Executive, do anything which would
have the effect, directly or indirectly, Of
separating the States from each other
10 dissolve the Union is to repeal the
constitution which holds it together, and
that is power which docs not belong to
any department Of this government, or to
all OF them united.
"This is so plain that il has been ac,
knowledged BY all branches Of the Federr
al Government. The Executive (my pre-.
deeesaor as well as myself and the heads
OF all the departments have uniformly
acted upon the principle tha, the Union
ia not only undissolved bu. indissoluble."
| 3. The description in the message of
the nature Of the military acts now ruling
the Southern States is most forcesble
"To demonstrate the uncons,i,utiona al
character Of those acts, need do no more
than refer to their general provisions. Il
must he seen at once that they are no.
authorized, To dictate what alterations
shall be made in the constitutions Of the
several States; to control the elections of
State Legislators and State officers, mem
bers Of Congress aud electors Of President
and V'ce-President, by arbitrarily declar
ing who shall vote and who shall be ex
cIuded from that privilege; to dissolve
State Legislatures or prevent them from
assembling; to dismiss Judges and other
civil fuuctiouaries Of the State, and ap
point Others without regard to State law I:
to organize and operate all The political
machinery Of the States {; to regulate the
whole administration OF their domestic
and local affairs according to the mere
will Of strange and irresponsible agents
sent among them for that purpose these
are powers not granted 10 the Federal
Government or to any one of its branches
Not being granted, We violate our trust / y
assuming them AZ pslp,biy as we would
by acting in the face Of positive inter,
dict; for the constitution torbids us to do
Whatever i, does not atilrmatively author
izs either by express words or by clear
Implication. II the authority we desire
to use does not come TO Us through the
constitution, we can exercise it only by
usurpation; and usarpation il the most
dangerous Of political crimes. BY that
crime the enemies of free government in
all ages have worked ou, their designs
against public liberty and private right.
II leads directly and Immediately to the
establishment OF absolute rule for un .
delegated power is always unlimited and
uDrestraiped. ....
"Ihe acts Of Congress in question are
not only Questionable for their assump-
ton Of ungranted power, but many of
their provisions are in conflict with the
direct prohibitions Of the constitutions
The constitution commands that a repub
lican form Of government shall be guar.
anteed to all the States; that no person
shall be deprived OF life, liberty, or pro;
perty without due process OF law, arrested
without a Judicial warrant, or punished,
without fair trial before an impartial
jury; that the privilege OF haJcas corpus
SHALL not be denied in time OF peace; and
that no bill OF attainder shall be passed, =,
even against single individual. Yet,
the system OF measures established by
these acts Of Congress docs totally sub.
vert and destroy tie form as well as the
substance OF republican goysmment iu the
ten States to which they apply. It bind.
them, hand aud foot, 81. aJss!s!. s!assry,
and subjects them to strange and b os.
tile power, more unlimited and more like.
ly to he abused than any other now
known among civilized men. II tramples
down all those nights ip whichthe essence
OF liberty consists, aud which free gov
ernment is always most careful to protect.
II denies the habeas eorpss and the trial
by jury. Personal freedom, property, and
life II sssailed by the passion, the preju.
dice, or the rspaci.y Of the ruler, have no
security whatever. 1t has the effect of q
bill OF sttainder. or bill Of pains and pen.
alties, not upon few individuals, but
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