Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-11-06
Arbitrary Power Denounced.

The great Mass Meeting in Baltimore. last
Thursday night, adopted the following ringing
resolves:
"Rcsolrd. That we view with apprehension
and alarm the course and conduct Of the Pres
ilent of the United States in the alacrity
with which he has assumed an arbitrary au-
thority and the wantonncSS with which he has
exercised despotic power: that the reign OF
terror inauguratcd in South Carolina appeals
to all that is wise in craftsmanship, dutitul in
patriotism, humane in Christianity, and manly
in frcemcn, to condemn and dep lone; that his
invasion OF that State is as unwarrantcd by
necessity and as Uni Justified by facts as it is i'll
cxcusable in morals and unauthorized by the
Constitution; that his conduct is at variance
with the duties, trusts and obligations Of his
office, and is sustained by no constitutional pre-
cedent or public necessity that the lnanucru the
late proclalnatios, equally with its matter. d IS
plays reckless contempt Of public opinion, the
organic law and popular liberty: and we dep
rccate and dcnouncc the act as unworthy of Il
patriot and revolutionary in President
''R,~olrnl That the principles assaulted by the
outrage upon South Carolina Constitute the
yias, the lic-sprng OF republican institutions;
that wound inflicted upon them through the
most distant State or humblest Citizen Is a
leath-bIow at our whole political fabric and
that their prompt rcaSsertlon and vigorous
vindcation is the first grave and solemn duty OF
| the American people.
"Rrolrr4l, That the impunity Of past uSur-
nations has encouraged the arbitrary aSsump-
ton which has produced the present moment
Gus crisis: that popular patience has been per
verified and abused by pcrflious parti>an>, and
miscouStrued into submission that would
brook subsection and that, taking advantage
of such misplaced faith and confidence, they
have ventured upon the INDUSTRIOUS crime which
wounds the Republic in its most vital part, and
arms President with a despot's sword.
'RemIrnl, That the Constitution provides
that Congress alone shall have power to suS
pend the writ of hnJe'S c0,p"s, and then only
| in the presence of grave and serious national
emergency and by solemn and formal act; that
| Congress has no right or authority to delegate
such power and to invest the discretion Of II
President with its most important and solemn
function; that the assumption OF such power
by the President displaces and destroys the
| fundamental system of our Government. and:
in the language Of President Pierce, leaves 1t
republic in name, but monarchy in fact ::
and that Congress, having no right to coulter,
nor the President to receive. such power, the
recent prccipitatc and arbitrary exercise OF 1t
tends rather to show the dangerous greed Of an
ambitious mind than the Jealous patriotism Of
dutiful officer
'.Rc&oI,nl, That We perceive in the recent
conduct of the President manifestations Of that
weakness which yields readily to the tcmpta-
tons Of power, and symptoms of an ambition
| most dangerous in man entrusted with au-
thority. That as the wisdom Of our fathers
Strove to guard against the very conduct OF
which the President has been guilty, by erect
ing the safeguards Of late ovcrthrown, We de-
rraud their immediate and thorough rr>tora
ton. and arraigu their a>$ailaut at the bar OF
an outraged country
"R,solrol, That the blow which strikes
down nine counties Of South Carolina wounds
American liberty and dl>graccs and dcgradrS
American Intelligence, and that We appeal to
every patriotic citizen of the land, no matter
what his past political predictions may have
been, to unite with us in our solemn protest
and to make common cauSe with us IN our
efforts at the ballot box to restore the ConStlu-
ton-our only ark of Safcty-and the lnstltu-
tons what alone guarantee the blessings OF
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