Speech of Senator S. A. Douglas, on the Invasion of States; And His Reply to Mr. Fessenden: Delivered in the Senate of the United States, January 23, 1860 (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Speech of Senator S. A. Douglas, on the Invasion of States; And His Reply to Mr. Fessenden: Delivered in the Senate of the United States, January 23, 1860

Then, sir, if it be made the imperative duty of the Federal Government, by the express provision of the Constitution, to protect each of the States against invasion or violence from the other States, or from combinations of desperadoes within their limits, it necessarily follows that it is the duty of Congress to pass all laws necessary and proper to render that guarantee effectual. While Con gress, in the early history of the Government, did provide legislation, which is supposed to be ample to protect the United States against invasion from foreign countries and the Indian tribes, they have failed, up to this time, to make any law for the protection of each of the States against invasion from within the limits of the Union. I am unable to account for this omission but I presume the reason is to be found in the fact that no Congress ever dreamed that such legislation would ever become necessary for the protection of one State of this Union against invasion and violence from her sister States. Who, until the Harper's Ferry outrage, ever conceived that American citizens could be so forgetful of their duties to themselves, to their country, to the Constitution, as to plan an invasion of another State, with the view of inciting servile insurrec tion, murder, treason, and every other crime that disgraces humanity? While, therefore, no blame can justly be attached to our predecessors in failing-to pro vide the legislation necessary to render this guarantee of the Constitution sifoe tual; still, since the experience of last year, we cannot stand justified in omit ting longer to perform this imperative duty.

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