Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-06-15
EDWIN M. STAN TO N ;
Reply Of Judge BEaok
10
SENATOR WILSON.


the article of Judge J. S. Black, in the
Galaxy for June:
TO the Honorable Henry Wilson, Sen
dtor from Massachusetts,.
In the February number of the
"Atlantic Monthly" appeared an arti-
Gle of yours entitled Edwin NJ. Stan
ton" 1t contains some statements
which are very wonderful, if true
and ifGlse, they ought to be corrected
ask you to review this production in
the light of certain facts which | now
shall take the liberty to mention.
Ny principal object is 10 satisfy
you that you have wholly misundcr-
stood the character Of Mr.. Stanton,
and grossly injured him by what you
supposed a panegyric. But before ]
begin that, suffer me to correct some
of your errors about other persons.
In your vituperative description Of
the Buchanan administration, you
a.!cgc that "the President and his
Attorney. General surrendered the
Governments right Of selfprescrva-
ton" aud pronounced against its
power TO coerce a seeding State"
You refer manfeslly to the opinion Of
the Attorney.Genc dated the goth
of November, 1860, defining the duties
and powers Of the President and TO
/ the public acts of the President which
show that be took the advice Of the
Law Department and squared his
conduct accordingly Upon this
ground mainly, if not entirely, you
denounce that administration as not
only weak and unpatriotic, but viii
fully wicked and reasonable. ! pro.
pose TO show that you have committed
a cardinal error, If not something
worse. The coarse way in which you
charge the dead as well as the living
with the highest crimes, would justify
a reply ia language much palmer
than | intend To use.
Your mode of thinking and speak.
ing on subjects of this kind are so
loose and inaccurate that ii is neccs.
sary to furnish you with an idea ol
certain elementary principles which
to most other men are too familiar
to talk about.
J. The GovTament Of the United
states is the Constitution and i0lrs.
2. The preservation Of the Govern
ment consists in maintaining th,
suprcmacy of tho Constitution aul
the laws.
3. For this purpose certain cocrcir
powers arc delegated to the Executive
which hc may use TO defend the law
when they are resisted.
4. But in this country, as in ever
: other, except where the Govcrnmen
is an absolute dcspotism, the authorit,
Of the Chief Magistrate is limited ant
his hands are tied up by the lcga
restrictions, TO prevent him from usinl
physical force against the life, libcrt,
5 and property Of bis fellow-citizeni
unless in certain prescribed ways am
on proper occasions
3. lie is bound by his inauguri
oath TO keep within those limits;
he breaks the laws, he destroys th
Government he cannot stab the Cor
;, stitution in the back because he
afraid that somebody else will strili
it in the face.
6. The Government of the Unite
y States, within its proper sphere, is
sorgcigR, as much as the States az
Z sovereign within their sphere.
acts Immediately upon the people an
r. claims thoir direct obedience to i
laws. As a State cannot make w,
2 upon a city, county, or town, an
put all its inhabitants TO the swor
. because some Of them have acted {
/. threatened TO act illegally, so Il
L. General Government is also restrainC
from exierminating the whole popul
ton of a State for the offences, actui
e, or intended, of some who live anon
O. them.
81 Z. The so.called ordinances Of soco
m sion in lS60'6l were the declaration
= Of certain persons who made the
y that they intended to disobcy the lay
Of the United States. Ii was the dui