Year: 1861




for additional po@ers,an that body enact
ed what has been familiarly known as the
"Force Bill" The act was in my opinion
violative of the Constitution but no at
tempt was ever made to exercise the
powers conferred by it, and it expired by
its own limitation, in 1875. The political
friends of the present Administrations well
knowing that there was no law on the
statute book under which the President
could use military force N the States from
which the Federal Judges, Marshals, and
other civil officers had been expelled, urg
ed Congress at its last session to enact
laws comforting on him such authority
The Journals of that body will show that
bills for the purpose were passed with the
utmost pertinacity, and also that they
were not enacted into laws


He nsurped the coveted powers which
Congress had refused to confer on him.
and whilst Commissioners from the Con-
federate States were at the seat of govern
ment urging peaceful settlement of all
questions in dispute and striving to avert
from the country the calamit;es of civil
war-whilest the people were being de-
luded by daily protestations from the
President of his firm purpose to preserve
the peace, and were in momentary ex-
pectatior of heating that Fort Sumter, ir
Charleston harbor, had been evacuated, a
secret expedition had been fitted out and
stealthily dispatched to commence the
war, by an attempt to throw reinforce~
ments into that fortification. To high
criminaiity in involving the country in
ing hopes and expectation to be dashed
at the moment OF fruition.


Having thus commenced the war, the
President, on pretence that the act of 1895
confers Oh hlm power to do so, issued a
Proclamation calling on the States to fur
nish seventy five thousand men for carry
ing it on, and the Secretary Of War off
cially informed me that Moth G; ro1ina
was expected to furnish two Regiments to
aid the North in suhjugating her sister
States-we might with propriety say Of
some of them her daughters-of the South.
promptly replied TO that functionary
that 'I regard levy of troops for the
purpose Of subjugating the States Of the
South as in violation Of the Constitution
anu usurpation Of power. | can be no
party to this wicked violation of the Laws
of the country, and to this war upon the
liberties of a free people. You can get
no troops from North Carolina"


The outburst of Indignation with which
the Proclamation of the President has
been received by all the citizens of the
State, ,onvinces me that did not mistake
the people whose Chiet Magistrate [ am.
The alacrity with which they have sprung
to aims, outstripping the slow forms OF
law and enabling me to assemble an army
from the plow and the workshop in less
time than it Las required to convene the
General Assembly, is proof that long
years Of peace and order have only made
more desa. to them their rights and liber-
ties and have not in the least impaired
their readiness and their ability to defend
them


Under the advice of the Council of
State have established at the seat OF
Government Camp OF Instruction, to
which / have ordered such troops as are
ready for service and arc not needed for
the protection of the seaboard,


A usnrper who had already seized the,
sword without authority of law and was
using it against his own coun.rymen, conld
not with safety to the State be allowed to
establish himself in the strongholds and
fortified places, within our limits. I,
therefore, in discharge or a plain obliga-
ton deyolving on me as Governor Of the
State, and in virtue of the powers vested
in me as Governor and Captain General
and Commander in Chief of the militia,
lost no time in taking possession, in the
name of the State, of the Forts, Arsenals
and other property of the Federal Govern
ment within the State, and they are now
held under my orders. by adequate garri-
sons. .Essssssaz ses4ss


u I will in due time lay before you state
ment OF the property thus taken into pos
session SO soon as reports can beprepared
by the proper departments.


Experience having brought to light rad
'ical defects In the laws for the organiza-
II @ ~ . -, ;I;tx,,s IL f,,kaas Of the Stsfe.sEsI