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![handle is hein.slavery/sssadis0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
SPEECH
SENATOR S. A. DOUGLAS,
OIN
THE INVASION OF STATES;
AN D
HIS REPLY TO MR. FESSENDEN.
DELIVERED IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, JANUARY 28, 180(M
The hour having arrived for the consideration of the special order, the Senate
proceeded to consider the following resolution, submitted by Mr. DOUGLAS OB
the 16th instant:
Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to report a bill for the
protection of each State and Territory of the union against invasion by the authorities or
inhabitants of any other State or Territory; and for the suppression and punishment of
conspiracies or combinations in any State or Territory with intent to invade, assail, or
molest the government, inhabitants, property, or institutions of any other State or Ter-
Titory of the Union.
Mr. DOUGLAS. Mr. President, on the 25th of November last, the Governor
of Virginia addressed an official communication to the President of the United
States, in which he said:
*.i have information from various quarters, upon which I rely, that a conspiracy of
formidable extent, in means and numbers, is formed in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York,
and other States, to rescue John Brown and his associates, prisoners at Charlestown, Vir-
ginia. The information is specifice enough to be reliable. * *
Places in Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, have been occupied as depots and
rendezvous by these desperadoes, and unobstructed by guards or otherwise, to invade this
State, and we are kept in continual apprehension of outrage from fire and rapine. I ap-
pirse you of these facts in order that you may take steps to preserve peace between the
tStates.i
To this communication, the President of the United States, on the 28th of
November, returned a reply, from which I read the following sentence:
I am at a loss todiscover any provision in the Constitution or laws of the United States
which would authorize me to 'take steps' for this purpose. [Tha is, to preserve the
peace between the States.]
This announcement produced a profound impression upon the public mind and
especially in the slaveholding States. It was generally received and regarded
es an authoritative announcement that the Constitution of the United State,
Printed by Lemuel Tower.](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.slavery/sssadis0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)