Year: 1861

Mr.. Clark. Does the Senator mean
that Senators here have made that state
ment2


Mr.. Douglas I do not choose 10 GO
into controversy with individual Senators.


Mr.. Clark. Very we'll, then; We will
understand you do not so mean.


Mr. Douglas. Ny object was to nega>
tive the rfetense that they we're going to
collect the revenue on shipboard without
a change of the law. They now say that
they only meant that they were going to
do it when the law should make it their
duty to do it. / suppose they would;
and not ill then. Hence it does not de-
pend on Mr.. Lincoln whether revenue is
to lie collected on shipboard or not. 1t
depends on Congress, when the members
shall be elected aud they shall assemble
and vote the measure. Not till then can
it be done.


Mr.. President, because | pointed out
the inability under the law 20 do what
they were pretending they were going to
do, | was rebuked. 1t turns out was
right; they are not going to do it at all.
It may he that Congress will assemble
mex: December, or sooner, and make it
the duty of Mr.. Lincoln to collect the rev.
enue on shipboard Ii Congress says so,
l suppose he will attempt it. 1t may be
tha, Congress will at the same time make
it his duty to blockade the ports. II Con-
gress so provides, and makes it his duty,
presume he will do it. 1t may be that
Congress will authorize him, and make it
his duty to use the military power to en-
force the laws. If Congress makes it his
duty, suppose he will make the effort.
Then it will become the policy of Con-
gress, and not Of the President and his
administration. Mr.. Lincoln did not
mean any of these things in his inaugural =
lie did not mean TO be understood as
saying that he was going to do that which
the law did not authorize him to do, and
which it forbade his doing without the
authority of Congress; and which Con-
gress might never authorize to be done.


] now take great pleasure IN giving the
assurance which the Senator from Wiscon-
sin so beseechingy inplored me TO give
just at the close of his speech. that, in
my opinion, this administration does not
intend to make war on the Southern
States certainly SO long as Congress with
holds the means to do it, think, there's
FORE that those States are entirely safe
and secure in their rights of person and
property under the Constitution and laws,
and that the Administration will not in
wade those rights, and do not intend to do
so Nor do | think they intend, when
Congress assemblies, to recommend a war
policy. If they follow the policy iudicat~
ed by the Senator from New Hampshire
there can be no war. for he thinks that The
laws should be enforced in The States
which have seeded so soon as they, by
the votes Of majority of their people,
shall determine to come back into the
Union. The inference is that he is not
going to enforce the laws until that hap>
pens and if they never come back he will
never enforce the laws. If they do come
back, then there will be no objection TO
enforcing the laws. SO | suppose we are
to understand that when gentlemen talk
so much about euf)rcing the laws, they
mean that if the Southern Confederacy
shall dissolve, and each of the States shall
resume its position in this Union under
the Constitution, and send Senators aud
Representatives here to bel p us pass laws,
then they will enforce them in those States
for the protection of the people. If that
is what is meant by the enforcement Of
the laws. l think there will not be much
controversy upon that subject. If they
are going to wait until that contingency
shall happen, no friend Of peace will com
plain of their line of policy But if they
are gong to use military force to execute
the laws in the States which have seeded
with the view Of coercing obedience to
this Government, that will lead directly TO
war, Why? We cannot enforce the laws
in country that is not in our possession.
We have been expelled from the posses
sion Of that country. The only possible
mode by which we can enforce our laws
there, is, if they will not come back vol
unfairly, to send an army and reduce them
to submission, and hold them by military
occupation until they shall be willing to
yield obedience, and thus enable us to en-.
force the lays on them. But since the
war policy has been so generally disavow-
ed by Senators on that side Of the CHAINS
Dei, dtu peace las DeeD declared 10 be The
policy of the Administration, it seems /
was not so far wrong when ipcarred the
dlspleasure of so many Senators on account
of my Interpretation Of the inaugural.
For 1t seems to be generally conceded now
that no revenue is TO be collected unless
Congress makes it the duty OF the Presi>
dent to blockade them no military force
is to be used unless Congress shall require
1t to be done, and provide the means and
that nothing is to be done that leads to
war. That is very good poicy--a much
wiser and better policy than had expect
ed or hoped for from Republican Admin
istration. ! do not know that should
have made as great efforts TO defeat them
if thought they would have acted with
as much wisdom and patriotism.
Mr.. Clark, You did not defeat them.


Mr.. Douglas. No, nor would l have
made as great efforts to defeat them.
Mr.. Clark. You did us no HARM


Laughter.


Mr.. Douglas. If | did not defeat you
it was not my fault. used my best eff.