Washington, February 15, 1848.
Green Mtn
location: Observing the Progressive madness with considerably less amusement.
listening to: Grandchildren, the best reason for saving the future.
registered: 2004.04.03
posts: 2617
[view all posts]
[view all posts]
WOW
Washington, February 15, 1848.Dear William:Your letter of the 29th of January was received last night.
Being exclusively a constitutional argument, I wish to submit
some reflections upon it in the same spirit of kindness that I
know actuates you. Let me first state what I understand to be
your position. It is that if it shall become necessary to repel
invasion, the President may, without violation of the
Constitution, cross the line and invade the territory of another
country, and that whether such necessity exists in any given
case the President is the sole judge.. . . Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation
whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and
you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he
deems it necessary for such purpose, and you allow him to
make war at pleasure. Study to see if you can fix any limit to
his power in this respect, after having given him so much as
you propose. If to-day he should choose to say he thinks it
necessary to invade Canada to prevent the British from
invading us, how could you stop him? You may say to him, "I
see no probability of the British invading us; " but he will say
to you, "Be silent: I see it, if you don't."The provision of the Constitution giving the war-making
power to Congress was dictated, as I understand it, by the
following reasons: Kings had always been involving and
impoverishing their people in wars, pretending generally, if
not always, that the good of the people was the object. This
our convention understood to be the most oppressive of all
kingly oppressions, and they resolved to so frame the
Constitution that no one man should hold the power of
bringing this oppression upon us. But your view destroys the
whole matter, and places our President where kings have
always stood. Write soon again.Yours truly,A. Lincoln.[From Lincoln, Abraham; Nicolay, John G., ed.; Hay, John, ed.
[1848], 'Letter to William H. Herndon, February 15, 1848' in
'The Complete Works of Abraham Lincoln, v. 2' (New York:
Francis D. Tandy Company, 1894)]
–--
“Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions.” Wm O. Douglas
“Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions.” Wm O. Douglas
G
Green Mtn
(view)
WOW
Washington, February 15, 1848.Dear William:Your letter of the 29th of January was received last night.
Being exclusively a constitutional argument, I wish to submit
some reflections upon it in the same spirit of kindness that I
know actuates you. Let me first state what I understand to be
your position. It is that if it shall become necessary to repel
invasion, the President may, without violation of the
Constitution, cross the line and invade the territory of another
country, and that whether such necessity exists in any given
case the President is the sole judge.. . . Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation
whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and
you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he
deems it necessary for such purpose, and you allow him to
make war at pleasure. Study to see if you can fix any limit to
his power in this respect, after having given him so much as
you propose. If to-day he should choose to say he thinks it
necessary to invade Canada to prevent the British from
invading us, how could you stop him? You may say to him, "I
see no probability of the British invading us; " but he will say
to you, "Be silent: I see it, if you don't."The provision of the Constitution giving the war-making
power to Congress was dictated, as I understand it, by the
following reasons: Kings had always been involving and
impoverishing their people in wars, pretending generally, if
not always, that the good of the people was the object. This
our convention understood to be the most oppressive of all
kingly oppressions, and they resolved to so frame the
Constitution that no one man should hold the power of
bringing this oppression upon us. But your view destroys the
whole matter, and places our President where kings have
always stood. Write soon again.Yours truly,A. Lincoln.[From Lincoln, Abraham; Nicolay, John G., ed.; Hay, John, ed.
[1848], 'Letter to William H. Herndon, February 15, 1848' in
'The Complete Works of Abraham Lincoln, v. 2' (New York:
Francis D. Tandy Company, 1894)]
–--
“Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions.” Wm O. Douglas
“Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions.” Wm O. Douglas
