The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-05-04

J COUNTY, IOWA IH
| property instead Or to the catching
and rendering up Of fagitivs slaves
Under its provisions, the United
States circuit courts could appoint u
many Commissioners a. they PLEASED
70 appoint in every county "a theil
respective districts, and these com
missi0nsrs could IN turn commissicr
as many mon O. they deemed neces
sary to execute their warrants
woald have all the powers Of the cir.
cult or district judges in tsrm time
or vacation /; could issue their war.
rants for the arrest of aisg citizen
and the warrant would b GOOD il
any portion Of the State could sum.
mon every man in tho county to as.
sist in serving their processes, and
II any refused TO obey their mandate,
could fine and imprison them for 90
doing; could include ia, that posse
eomssatas such portions Of the United
States forces, the army and navy oi
tho United States, - might be within
the territory over which they exer-
cisod Jurisdiction, and would possess
powers more than ample TO secure
peace, and the most perfect protcc.
tion to life, liberty and property in
every State ia tho Union and the
constitutional power Of Congress to
confer these powers cannot be doubt
cd, for has not e.party whose rcp-
resentativee:on this floor have 20 often
assured us Of their devotion to the
Constitution, stamped the seal of
approval upon all its provisions, en-
acted into law al its principles, and
enforced and maintained that law by
all the machinery of the Govern
ment /? And the Democratic party,
having enacted this law and sustain
ed its constitutionality before the
adoption Of tho amendments to the
Constitution which have certainly
conferred some new powers upon
Congress, cannot, l presume will not,
attempt TO question it's constitution.
ality now.
It was good Democratic constitu-
tional law to empower an unlimited
number ct comparatively irresponsi.
bic United States marshsls TO use the
army and navy Of the United States
to enforce United States laws when
those laws were in tho interest of the
Democratic party; and now, sir, we
witness the remarkable spectacle of
this party, which conferred such
powers upon these men with no ap
prehension Of injury to State govern
ments-with no fears as to any des-
truction OF our liberties-with no
doubts as to their entire constitution
ality-now boldly denying that this
Congress has any constitutional right
to give the President Of the United
States power to use the army and
navy, of which he is the constitu.
tional commander in-chief, in pro-
tecting American citizens from out
rage and death; the party who,
under the fugitive-slave law, march
cd United States soldiers over the
very spot whore the first martyr for
American liberties shed his blood
and the blood of G Christopher Attucks
was "a red as yours or mine, sir,
though his skin was black.
The party who sent their troops
over the spot which bis martyrdom
had consecrated to force back into
slavery one poor wretch who had
succeeded in flying to u land which
he supposed to be . land of liberty
the party that did this act dares to
tell tho American people that there
is no constitutional way to uac the
army or navy of the United States
in protecting American citizens from
outrage and death, unless the Gov
ernor and legislature of the State in
which these offences are committed
should call for assistance. Sir, /
have searched in vain for the call
made by the Governor or Legislature
of Massachusetts, for troops to assist
in the rendition of Anthony Burns.
Every gentleman on this floor knows
that the United States soldiers sent
to that State by the Democratic
party to assist their blood-hounds in
tearing from Massachusetts soil that
poor, trembling fugitive, were not
sent there At the request of that
State, but by virtue OF the law passed
by Democratic Congress, enforced
by Democratic administration, and
interpreted by Democratic Attor-
ney-Goneral, whose Interpretation
has been sustained by the courts !;
and | know tho American people
we'll enough to know that no legal
sophistry can make them believe
that it was constitutional to use tho
army and navy Of the United States
in returning fagitives to slavery, but
that no constitutional means can be
POUNDS to use these agencies for the
protection Of life, liberty, and prop
erty Ct free American citizens in
every State in this Union.