Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 3 (of 16)United States. Congress
History
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 3 (of 16)
United States. Congress
Law -- United States; United States -- Politics and government
their researches have discovered that by assuming premises, principles
may be established in the face of a uniform current of precedents.
There are, Mr. Chairman, two modes marked out in the constitution in
which the militia may be called into service. The first is a case where
from necessity the war attribute of sovereignty is left in the individual
States. It is the case of invasion or such imminent danger thereof as
will not admit of delay. The other mode is that of issuing orders from
the Executive of the General, to the officers of the State Governments.
This is the usual method by which the militia of the States are drawn
into the service of the United States. And it is of importance to observe
here, that the act of Congress which was intended to give effect to
the constitutional powers of the General Government to “call forth the
militia,” authorizes the President “to issue his orders for that purpose
to such officer or officers of the militia as he shall think proper.”
For, inasmuch as there can be no other difference in a military point of
view, and for military purposes, between the Governor of a State and the
next highest military officer, than the difference of rank, the one being
first, the other second, in command, it must follow that if the militia
are to resort for pay to the State Governments because their orders have
passed through the Governor, they must also resort to the same source in
case their orders should pass through the second or third in command; the
principles upon which the committee found their reasoning apply equally
to both cases. The soundness of conclusions drawn by the committee is,
therefore, not merely questionable, but to me it appears not difficult to
prove that the conclusions themselves are at war with the most obvious
principles of justice.
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