Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-05-04

ton; could issue their warrants for
the arrest of any citizen, and the war
rants would be good in any portion /
of the State; could summon every
man in the county to assist in sewing |
their processes. and If any refused to
obey their mandate, could fine and |
imprison them for so doing could in
clude in that posse comitatuS such |
portion of tne United States forces, |
the army and navy of the United |
States, as might be within the terri |
tory over which they exercised juris- |
diction, and would possess powers
more than ample to secure peace, and
the most perfect protection to life, |
liberty and property in every State |
in the Union; and the constitutional |
power of Congress to confer these |
powers cannot be doubted, for has |
not the party whose representatives
on this floor have so often assured US
of their devotion to the Constitution,
stamped the seal of approval upon all
its provisions, enacted into law all its
principles, and enforced and main
tanned that law by all the machinery
of the Government And the Demo
cratic party, having enacted this law
and sustained its constitutionality be-
fore the adoption of the amendments
to the Constitution which have GER
tainly conferred some new powers
upon Congress, cannot, I presume will
not, attempt to question its constitu-
tionality now.
It was good Democratic constitu-
tionaI law to empower an unlimited
number of comparatively irrespensi-
bic United States marshals to use the
army and navy of the United States to
enforce United States laws when those
laws were in the interest of the Demo
cratic party; and now, sir, we witness
the remarkable spectacle of this party,
which conferred such powers upon
these men with no apprehension Of
injury to State governments-with
no fears as to any destruction of our
| liherties-with no doubts as to their
entire constitutionality-n boldly
denying that this Congress has any
constitutional right to give the Presi
dent of the United States power to
use the army and navy, of which he is
| the constitutional commander in
chief, in protecting American citizens
from outrage and death the
party under who the fugitive-slave
law, marched United States soldiers
over the very spot where the first
martyr for American liberty shed his
blood-and the blood of Christopher
Attucks was as red as yours or mine,
sir, though his skin was black.
The party who sent their troops
over the spot which his martyrdom
had consecrated to force back into
slavery one poor wretch who had
succeeded in flying to land which he
supposed to be land of liberty-the
party that did this act dares to tell the
American people that there is no con
stitutional way to use the army OF
navy of the United States in protec-
ting American citizens from outrage
and death, unless the Governor and
legislature of the State in which these
offences are committed should call fol
assistance. Sir, have searched in
vain for the call made by the Gov
ernor 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 theil
blood hounds in tearing from Massa
chusetts soil that poor, trembling fugi
tive, were not sent there at the reques
of that State, but by virtue of the Law
passed by Democratic Congress, en-
: forced by Democratic administration
and interpreted by a Democratic At
torney General, whose Interpretation
has been sustained by the courts; ano
l know the American people vel
enough to know that no legal sophis
try can make them believe that it wa
constitutional to use the army anc
navy of the United States in returning
, fugitives to slavery, but that no con
stltutional means can be found to us
these agencies for the protection o
life, liberty, and property of fre'
American citizens in every State il
this Union.
!