The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-08-31

IFfom the Kantas city journal Of Commerce,
| Auuaat l7th.1
A FLASH AND ! BEETLE SEIZURE.
In public affairs the difference be-
teen tho to day and yesterday Of .
man ID most remarkable sometimes.
Yesterday Carl Schurz was accrcdit-
cd with being . largc.minded, con-
scientious Astatesman--a little given
to metaphysical. iniceties, but at bot
tom q istatesmaus To-day he stands
before everybody as simply "a
intriguing, conspiring and adroit
politician. Tho place no once occu-
pied he can never regain, even in the
estimation Of those who may follow
him-for public reputation 10 akin to
that of woman-once breathed upon,
never 90 fair again. .s
We have the full text of his speech
at CLicago--it would make three
pages of this psper-and there is
only one sentence in it that he has
not said over and over agaih. He
says speaking Of the Presidents or
der to the American Commodore in
SANTANA Bay, to protect American in.
terests by protecting Baez during
then tendency Of negotiations:
~ cannot, I shall not indorse
violation Of the Constitution in it's
most vital part BY supporting, under
any circumstances, the candidacy
for reelection Of the President who
perpetratcd it."
There lie what he left st. Louis
and went 70 Chicago to say. We do
not wonder he preferred uttering it
to faces that had no share in placing
him where he could thus wound and
injure the Republican rarty. For
this is not q declaration against
Grant alone, but an abandonment of
the Republican party should he be
it's candidate. He has gone from US.
and added another to tie long list Of
those whose ambition has been too
great for their brains. H@t5s3.i'f
But the excuse given lie the funny
part of it, and beats the "Constitu-
tional Union" dodge Of war times
all to pieces. We have not had such
snblimated devotion 10 the Constitu-
tion since Buchanan could find in it
no authority to ooerce . State. San
Domingo annexation, civil service
reform, Ku-klux bill, al can be over
looked-but this awful violation of
the Constitution in an order to a
naval officer to protect American in
terssts in the Bay of SANTANA BY a
display of force, If necessary, is of
such terrible Importance &S To justify
the destruction Of the Republican
party. '''t
The Senator forgets that the Con-
stitution Of the United States recog-
nizes the law Of nations as part of It,
by providing for punishment OF Of
lenses against it, and that the con-
duct Of the navy is particularly and
almost exclusively regulated by in
ternational law. Tho recent bonn
bardment Of the Corean forts, by the
American squadron, is just as clear o
violation of the Constitution as the
orders to the squadron in SANTANA
Bay, because under the law IF nations
the President demanded, without
authority OF Congress, protection of
ehipwrecked Americans in that coun-
..y.
This pretext, therefore, of the Sem
ator for severing his connection with
the Republican party, and ignoring
bis high trust, is one to excite a
broad laugh from even tyros in
craftsmanship. The policy OF the
Presidents order is one thing, but its
constitionality is as clear as the sign
ing of bill:
There is not man. of.war aAoat
but has in her orders just as clear q
,;vi.t;~n vr tL~ Ovvst;sat;o., for they
are all instructed under certain con-
tingencies to use force.
The purpose Of the navy is to pro-
tect American interests outside the
limits Of the country, and the law Of
nations, which is made for that pur.
pose q part of the Constitution, gov
erns the proceeding.
The Constitution gives Congress
the power to " declare war;" and of
necessity the President cannot make
such q declaration. But attacks
upon American right on tho high
seas, or on foreign coasts, is Of the
nature of self-defense, which is the first
law Of nations as of nature, and the
President has not only authority
under tho Constitution to protect
those rights, but it is his sworn duty
to do 80.
1t has been left for our Missouri
Senator to make the remarkable dis
oovery that it is Q usurpation of the
power Of Congress to declare war;"
for the President to instruct the
navy to protect the rights and inter.
ests of the United States in foreign
seas, by force il necessary. The his
tory of the country is full of just such
examples.
We regret this declaration of Sen.
ator Schurz, as it proves one Of two
things-his superficial knowledge of
the Constitution, or his utter insin.
cerity as o man.
He has overshot the MARYLAND
all his admitted ability and dexterity
in argument can never restore the
lost lustre Of his name.
Because the United States had
interests in SANTANA Bay, which the
navy was instructed to protect from
destruction growing out Of threaten.
cd war between revolutionary fac
tions, therefore the President has in
flicted such mortal wound upon the
Constitution as to justify Senator
Schurz in case his party should ex.
press its confidence by making him q
candidate for reelection, in making
war upon the party who confidingly
trusted him with . scat I'm the Sen.
ate.
All tho protestations Of honesty
and public virtue, of devotion to Re
publicanisn and criticisms upon the
Democracy, which the Senator can
make, now or hereafter, can never
destroy the puolic verdict that be
has for personM reasons sought q
pretext tor a war on his friends and