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The Litmus Test for American Conservatism (The paloeconservative view of Abe Lincoln.)
Chronicles Magazine ^ | January 2001 | Donald W. Livingston

Posted on 09/06/2003 9:14:08 AM PDT by quidnunc

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To: rustbucket
Again I ask, if Lincoln had the power to suspend habeas corpus in 1861, why did Congress feel they had to authorize him to do so in 1863?

I caution you on your wording. Congress did not authorize him to do so, but rather indemnified him for having done so.

The difference may be slight, but whenever I'm inexact in my phraseology (sp?), I'm made to pay for it later.

421 posted on 09/13/2003 6:37:44 PM PDT by Gianni
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To: WhiskeyPapa; GOPcapitalist
War was by no reasonable means a NECESSARY consequence of secession. - GOP

It was if free men were to show they could govern themselves. - WP

What an odd statement?!

Were free men not drafted into service such that few might prove their ability to rule others?

422 posted on 09/13/2003 7:14:37 PM PDT by Gianni
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To: rustbucket
Under the Permanent Constitution, however, the Supreme Court has not been established...

And was never established, in spite of the fact that the confederate constitution clearly required it.

Did Jefferson Davis overrule or ignore Confederate courts on habeas corpus cases?

His minions did.

423 posted on 09/13/2003 7:15:12 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: GOPcapitalist
That is false. Throughout the war cases that would have likely been material for a national supreme court went to the respective state supreme courts.

That is true. Because there was no appeal from those courts. There were potentially 13 versions of what was constitutional and what was not. No wait...there was only one source for what was constitutional...the man who said, "the true and only test is to enquire whether the law is intended to ancd calculated to carry out the object...If the answer be in the affirmative, the law is constitutional"...Jefferson Davis himself. So what did they need a supreme court for? They had him.

424 posted on 09/13/2003 7:18:22 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: lentulusgracchus; tpaine; All
Lets check the record shall we?

State & local governments are independant under our constitutional principles, not sovereign. They are bound to honor our individual rights, and to check & balance excessive federal powers. They have failed. ... Just as it is true that our central federal government is honor bound to to check & balance excessive state/local powers. They have failed. -tpaine 28

The concept of an 'all powerful state', one that can ignore our constitutions restrictions, has always been a product of the states rights movement in america. The socialistic politics of the early 1900's grew from that seed, -- and flowered in Roosevelts big government 'new deal'; which was bought to power by a coalition between leftist labor & states rightist political interests. -tpaine 59

What constitutional restrictions have the states righters ignored? -rb-

Lots, - but their support for the CA prohibitions on 'assault weapons' gets me the most. There are dozens of self described conservatives on FR who ~insist~ that CA has a 'right' to so 'regulate' guns. -- IE, -- that our BOR's do not apply to a state. Incredible. - In effect they are constitutional scofflaws, and are proud of it... -tpaine 135

You responded to 59 thusly:

Meditate on that statement until you figure out how totally wrongside-out it is, then get back to us. -LG 93

Then you tried to gang up on him behind his back

Troll alert PING.........The history-washing machine is on spin cycle again.... -LG 103

Then you make this comment as it regards 59

This is the objectionable, antihistorical statement. -LG 267

And finish up by writing a windy states rights synopsis in which you bring up Jim Crow laws, which support rather than rebut his statements.

Now, to quote a well known Freeper on this thread

-- he brought the goods. You can't just sweep it under the rug like that. Refute, or stipulate to what he's saying. Slothful induction will get you nowhere on this board.

425 posted on 09/13/2003 7:19:54 PM PDT by mac_truck (you can tell a neo-confederate, but you can't tell him much)
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To: lentulusgracchus; tpaine; All
Lets check the record shall we?

State & local governments are independant under our constitutional principles, not sovereign. They are bound to honor our individual rights, and to check & balance excessive federal powers. They have failed. ... Just as it is true that our central federal government is honor bound to to check & balance excessive state/local powers. They have failed. -tpaine 28

The concept of an 'all powerful state', one that can ignore our constitutions restrictions, has always been a product of the states rights movement in america. The socialistic politics of the early 1900's grew from that seed, -- and flowered in Roosevelts big government 'new deal'; which was bought to power by a coalition between leftist labor & states rightist political interests. -tpaine 59

What constitutional restrictions have the states righters ignored? -rb-

Lots, - but their support for the CA prohibitions on 'assault weapons' gets me the most. There are dozens of self described conservatives on FR who ~insist~ that CA has a 'right' to so 'regulate' guns. -- IE, -- that our BOR's do not apply to a state. Incredible. - In effect they are constitutional scofflaws, and are proud of it... -tpaine 135

You responded to 59 thusly:

Meditate on that statement until you figure out how totally wrongside-out it is, then get back to us. -LG 93

Then you tried to gang up on him behind his back

Troll alert PING.........The history-washing machine is on spin cycle again.... -LG 103

Then you make this comment as it regards 59

This is the objectionable, antihistorical statement. -LG 267

And finish up by writing a windy states rights synopsis in which you bring up Jim Crow laws, which support rather than rebut his statements.

Now, to quote a well known Freeper on this thread

-- he brought the goods. You can't just sweep it under the rug like that. Refute, or stipulate to what he's saying. Slothful induction will get you nowhere on this board.

426 posted on 09/13/2003 7:20:01 PM PDT by mac_truck (you can tell a neo-confederate, but you can't tell him much)
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To: rustbucket
Correct, but Lincoln didn't have that power. Again I ask, if Lincoln had the power to suspend habeas corpus in 1861, why did Congress feel they had to authorize him to do so in 1863?

I'm not sure. Absent a ruling by the Supreme Court there was no reason for them to do so. Lincoln may well have had the authority to suspend it.

427 posted on 09/13/2003 7:20:33 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: GOPcapitalist
They knew an invasion was coming and acted in preparation.

Sure. An invasion of Fort Sumter, Fort Pickens, and any other federal facility that caught Davis's fancy. There was no threat involved in Lincoln's inaugural address. He said that he would hold on to federal facilities, nothing more and nothing less. He promised that there would be no hostilities without the south being the aggressors. He was right.

428 posted on 09/13/2003 7:26:08 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: GOPcapitalist
Their communist politics have been exposed many times here.

Sure they have. Anyone who doesn't drink the confederat koolaid just has to be a Marxist. As you are fond of telling us.

429 posted on 09/13/2003 7:28:01 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: Gianni
Thanks.
430 posted on 09/13/2003 7:30:22 PM PDT by rustbucket
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To: nolu chan
I provide quotes (with links) of original source material.

You post thousands of cut and paste words in an attempt to support your opinion of facts. You demonstrate nothing but you loathing of Lincoln, and want us to believe you're an honest analyst. Nothing could be further from the truth.

431 posted on 09/13/2003 7:30:42 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: nolu chan
I don't think that I've ever quoted Foner. So does she label McPherson a Marxist as well or is that simply your analysis? Has she ever mentioned Saint Sir Jefferson of Davis? Just curious.
432 posted on 09/13/2003 7:35:38 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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Comment #433 Removed by Moderator

To: Gianni
I look up 'habeas corpus lincoln congress 1863 indemnify' on Google and I find this thread. We are all Google stars.

Here is part of the wording of the 1863 act:

"AN ACT relating to habeas corpus, and regulating judicial proceedings in certain cases. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, during the present rebellion, the President of the United States, whenever, in his judgment, the public safety may require it, is authorized to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in any case throughout the United States, or any part thereof."

434 posted on 09/13/2003 7:41:23 PM PDT by rustbucket
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To: mac_truck; lentulusgracchus; tpaine; All
Well, if everyone gets to jump in, I might as well:

Lots, - but their support for the CA prohibitions on 'assault weapons' gets me the most. There are dozens of self described conservatives on FR who ~insist~ that CA has a 'right' to so 'regulate' guns.

Seems as though you're lumping a large body of diverse political opinion and philosophy under the name of states' rights-ers.

My understanding of the phrase all powerful state in tpaine's original statement was a reference to the federal government. That is almost always the context in which that phrase is used. The organizational structure of our republic prevents it's use in reference to state government, as those opposed could just vote with their feet (oddly, this was tried once at the federal level - and as a result we all find ourselves here today)!

I was taken aback when later it was explained that all powerful state was not in reference to federal power. The notion of an all powerful government at the state level is not reasonable, as certain powers are delegated away from the states by our federal constitution.

-- IE, -- that our BOR's do not apply to a state. Incredible. - In effect they are constitutional scofflaws, and are proud of it... -tpaine 135

States' rights advocates are not alone in their opinion that the BOR applies limits only to federal power. There are many who believe this, and they are not totally unjustified - that is to say, I have not seen a convincing argument that the opposite is true. The BOR is, after all, amending a document ordained and established for the United States of America.

Much additional contrary evidence exists. To continue your example, 46 states (I believe that # is correct still) have explicit protection of the RKBA in their own state constititions. It is evident that such a clause could have been included in the original 13, had they been established and ratified prior to the appendage of the BOR to the constitution, but how to explain the others when there is an explicit constitutional clause forbidding them to act?

435 posted on 09/13/2003 7:59:20 PM PDT by Gianni
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To: rustbucket
Being a Google star has always been top priority for me. Now that I have put the check-mark down, it's time go win that bassmaster's classic (next on my 'to do' list).

NC posted the entire bill here. It contains several clauses, one of which authorizes the president to suspend the writ, two provide indemnity against prosecution for prior acts. I don't know whether or not that implies the congress knew they could not retroactively authorize his actions or not. Maybe it's just thier way of insuring all bases are covered to preempt judicial review.

436 posted on 09/13/2003 8:12:24 PM PDT by Gianni
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To: Gianni
Interestingly, the 1856 Bouvier Law Dictionary that nolu chan found (1856 Bouvier Law Dictionary) says the following:

16. The habeas corpus can be suspended only by authority of the legislature. The constitution of the United States provides, that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended unless when, in cases of invasion and rebellion, the public safety may require it. Whether this writ ought to be suspended depends on political considerations, of which the legislature, is to decide. 4 Cranch, 101. The proclamation of a military chief, declaring martial law, cannot, therefore, suspend the operation of the law. 1 Harr. Cond. Rep. Lo. 157, 159 3 Mart. Lo. R. 531.

437 posted on 09/13/2003 8:24:46 PM PDT by rustbucket
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To: Non-Sequitur
Sure they have. Anyone who doesn't drink the confederat koolaid just has to be a Marxist. As you are fond of telling us.

Do you deny the radical left wing politics of either McPherson or Foner? If so please make your case. Mine has already been made with ample evidence from each in the form of either an espousal of their marxist politics or their formal and extensive affiliation with a communist political party. If you dispute any of that please state why. If you do not then you should at least be honest enough to concede the facts of their politics.

438 posted on 09/13/2003 9:47:10 PM PDT by GOPcapitalist
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To: WhiskeyPapa
It was if free men were to show they could govern themselves.

Nonsense. America was by no means the first attempt at self government nor will it be the last. All of this "experiment in democracy" nonsense is a load of bull offered to dupes such as yourself by the vilest of knaves seeking personal gain off of their ability to decieve you. Nor would self government have collapsed and dissappeared from the world if it had split into two adhering countries rather than one.

The simple fact of the matter is that Lincoln's little war not only failed to ensure that men could govern themselves but in fact amply demonstrated the state usurping that very right from the governed! So if anything it hastened the so-called "experiment in democracy's" demise by violating its central tenet of consent.

"Notwithstanding all the proclamations we have made to mankind, within the last ninety years, that our government rests on consent, and that that was the rightful basis on which any government could rest, the late war has practically demonstrated that our government rests upon force --- as much so as any government that ever existed. The North has thus virtually said to the world: It was all very well to prate of consent, so long as the objects to be accomplished were to liberate ourselves from our connexion with England, and also to coax a scattered and jealous people into a great national union; but now that those purposes have been accomplished, and the power of the North has become consolidated, it is sufficient for us --- as for all governments --- simply to say: Our power is our right." - Lysander Spooner, 1867

439 posted on 09/13/2003 9:54:24 PM PDT by GOPcapitalist
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To: Non-Sequitur
That is true. Because there was no appeal from those courts.

They were the highest courts in their respective states and existed as they should have. The appeal process had already worked its course by the time that the case got to its given state's high court. To appeal it further would require the typical leftist tactic of losing a case then running off crying to big daddy federal government to make it all better by superseding the authority of the mean old states.

There were potentially 13 versions of what was constitutional and what was not.

And on a case by case basis in the respective states where the ruling was that is perfectly permissible. Or do you think that a ruling in Virginia should bind a person in Alabama? Cause if you do you might as well attempt to enforce Virginia's code of statutes in the borders of Alabama as well.

440 posted on 09/13/2003 9:59:32 PM PDT by GOPcapitalist
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