Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1877-12-22

ever due; to execute She laws by enforc-
ing the judgments of the Federal courts |
and the legal orders ofall Federal officers, |
and to do this by military power wherev
er the civil authority is not strong enough
these are the coercive powers bestowed |
on the general government for its own
preservation, and these. instead of being
abandoned 10y the Buchanan Administra-
tlon, were most distinctly asserted.
What we did deny was, the right of the
United States to make war upon State
as q State, declare all the inhabitants
beyond the protection of law. and put
them all to the sword as public enemies,
| for theoretical heresics expressed by a
few of them in The form OF void ordinan-
ces. We thought as Washington, Madi
son and jackson thought and said OH
| similar occasions, that the force which
supported the law ought to be directed
| against the individuals who opposed it,
and not against innocent persons who
happened to live in the same State.
The United States, being (within cer-
tain limits) a sovereign government, to
which obedience was due directly from
the people, it took no notice of State lines,
and could not make war upon a State
any more than a State could make war
upon % county. The opposite doctrine,
which would interpose the State between
the people and the Federal government,
| was the doctrine of the secessi0nists,
which we rejected as unsound and heret-
ical.
If the executive had at that time open
ed an indiscrimirate and aggressive war
it would OF only have been lawlcss mur-
der, but it would, as every one now can
see, have ended in complete disaster, and
the cause of the Union must have utterly
perishcd.
The Executive function is confined by
the statute book as we'll as the constitu-
tion.. The Presi,len. could not, and he
said plainly that he would not, violate
his oath of office by usurping powers
which the law withheld from him. But
Congress could give him all that was
needed, 1t did not do so. On the 9th of
january he sent in {; special message de
scribing the dangers to which the Union
was exposed by the inactiOn of Congress,
and showing the inadequacy of his means
to control the rising revolution. Con-
. wrcss would not vote II man or a dollar
nor in any way strengthen the Executive
; ha"d.
That these views Of legal and cOnstitu-
| tiunal uty We're true and right is moi
open TO the slightest doubt. Except the
f Southern members who retired, all the
| Cabinet fully and heartily conculred il
them. Gen. Cass, Gen. Dix, Mr. Holt
3 Mr. Stanton, Mr.. Toucey and Mr.. King
. were as true to them as l was, and o
( course supported them with much create
, ability. We differed several times Will
5 0nH another and With the President OF
Il points of policy; but on the law we wer
: of one mind and one heart Our eNposi
ton of tt was not, to my knowledge
thought or said to be erroneous by an,
n member of that Congress. Our success
II ors. Of the Lincoln Administration, adol
: ted it in all it's length and breadth. L
: this day no lawyer of average ability }ia
II tyer fairly consi ,leretl it and then candid
v ly put il a dissent. 1t is. 80 manifest
J. corrcct-so simply just and riSht-tha
IS all men agree to it.
N Such being the true state of the cas-
Il as the record shows, you assail the But
= hanan Administration with filthy abus
and charge Mr.. Buchanan himself, NJ
N only with entertaining opinions total
9 different from those he actually held :,ll
j. r. of
&c darkest dye.
~ Apart from the palpablc falschoOd
H. these accusations, your attempt to crit
# else a man like Mr.. Buchanan is unpa
OF donably prcsumptuous. 1onr judgme
IT, upon his character or condnct, even
h. honestly expressed, is not worth II stra
,is Doubtless he had his share of i!npertt
air ctions: but how could you tell his fau1
q from his virtues9 You believe that t
los fraudulent alteration of election rctur
-lv is ."he exercise Of I: wise discretion
ed Won believe the Louisiana Returning Ia
mn TO he lust and constitutional: you |
IN licvc it right to quote judicial decIs
ice for principle which the case Goes Il
he contain how, then, can amy moral stal
DIV ard of yours be applied to Il statcsm
me whose life was upright, pure, and pat
th- otic? Your faith in, and affection +
ion the carpet-bag Enavcs make it Il ncccs
of ty of your nature to vilify Buchan'
who was in all things their opposi
His intellectual us we'll as his moral
rge periority puts you so widely apart tt
yer you can never know anything whttc'
ain about him. l do not wish to eXaggcr
his magnitude or your ittlencss; and
~, | ...L - .,.o,,ll tr,. fl,r nn cnnn n.