The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-08-16
confined to Southern men," and then proceeds

DIS iOiluNos
Avoiding the evil example of Judge Black, will
not lnpuie motives for his sanderous attack upon
ne, winch would have been more offensive II 10
had been less dencnstFabIy false: nor ask yyhv
when rewards are so laviSliiy poured upon those
VINO are accredited with efficiency III the war J,Don
the Southern States he presents himself before, the
pubic ~ the insIlssaOF Of the measures which he
IKE others should have anticipated would result
IN conflict OF arms, and offers in evidence of his
zeal the argument pressed upon the President fer
the employment of the army aud navy under the
poor pretext that 1t to aid the officers of the
Ohileu states III TIE execution OF the laws know
mig that no case existed could arise under exist
Ing circumstances, there being United states
officers In South Carolina by whom civil process
could De issued Thus insidiousIy and treaclieT-
oJsly did he offend against thu letter and the spirit
oil the United States Constitution he had sworn to
support. Not only did that ms. rument. as Presi-
dent Buchanan admitted, give no power to the
GenSrai Government to cosree State but this ne
gation OF power IT, coerce Is further enforced by
tue iiilltat'oh on the power TO protect State
against domestic violence, /. G., that the power
should be exercised on application of the Legsla-
ture, of the Executive when the Legislatures can
not he convened Nor is tins all; power was dele
gated Ia Congress to provide for calling forth tine
militia to execute the laws of the Union suppress
instructions and repel inyGsiOns.
To draw from these other grants Of the Con-
st1tuliOn or the debates Of the conventions zen
erai aud State. by which it was adopted power in
the executive department 70 employ the army and
navy ior<lbiy to enter State not on application
but against the protest Of its authorities or to per-
10 III duty for which the Constitution eunoyyered
the Congress to employ the militia seems ineon-
sistent with the workings of any honest mind
Not only was the Congress the depository of the
power. but the militia the force to be called
l0rth To al In the execution of the laws. Thus
did the founders of the Union manifest their dis
trust OF standing armies Instruments dangerous
10 nee government. Now, let it be remembered
that the Congress had not called forth the militia
that the Governor of South Carolina had not in
vOked the aid of the Federal Governments. that
no civil process had been resisted; there was no
lnsurrectian against the State and no prospect OF
an INVASION, except by such usurpatiOn as Judge
Black advocated.
President Buchanan had. in his message and in
his correspondence with Carolina officials, dis
tlnetiy discaiIued the power of the United States
10 coerce = State. and glad mt this late day
learn that 1t required much pressure bring him
to consent 20 those acts from which then thought
and now believe sprang the woes of civil war. To
learn what might and should have been DONE it
may be satisfactory TO refer TO the conduct of the
patriots and saSes who at early period aCninis-
law of which they were largely instrumental in
forming and may be supposed TO nave well under
stood.
VIRTUoUs TO THE LAST.
This hoary apologist for treason then goes on
to cite two cases OF insurrectiOu-one during
the term of Washington, and the other during
the administration of Adams-that were sup
pressed by the State militia simply on the
President requesting the governors to order
1T out and says:
Thus il will be seen that the two first Presidents
OF the united states, alike conspicuous for devotion
To the cause OF the Colonies and influential in the
formation OF the constitutional union of the States
looked To the militia the military force 10 be
employed to suppress instruction and overcome
armed resistance TO the execution of the laws and
with due regard to the sentiment of community in
dependence preferred first employ the militia OF
the state To which the offenders belonged and next
that OF the States most contiguous to the scene of
disturbance.
Ii Judge Black objects TO the examples cited as
lnappilcable to MS case, much the worse for his
case 1t proves that sustain il he had 10 dis
regard the limitations of the Constitution and so
Outrage the people of South Carolina and those of
the contiguous States that they could not be relied
upon to sustain the action OF the General Govern
ment, tiie Just powers OF which they had learned
were derived from the consent Of the governed,
and for that consent they turned to the compact of
union
When it shall no longer be popular to have in
stigated and aided in the prosecution of the war
against the Southern States; when the sober sec
ond Thought of the people shall have taken an ae-
count OF wasted treasure, of sacrificed lives of a
land saddened by the wall of the widow and the
orphan, and last, but not least, the subversiOn of
those sound principles of free government for
which the colonies fought the war of the Reyoiu-
ton, and 70 perpetuate which the Union was
formed, then when consent is the foundation and
fraternity tile cement of political structure the
desires OF President Buchanan towards peaceful
solution OF the Questions presented by South Caro-
lima may receive the Fewar due to the wisdom
anu patriotism of his conciIiatory policy To that
better day refer the Judgment which may be rem
dered upon tine opposite policy of his belicose ad-
WISER, whose military laurels gathered so far
from the tied to be unsaned by either the blood
or the smoke OF battle.