Legislation Short, Yet Sweet
In only four pages, the Constitution of the United States both creates our government and gives us complete instructions for running it. Actually, many of our most important and sweeping laws have been enacted in amazingly short and simple documents. Here, we will look at the actual text of historic proclamations, acts, and executive orders that, considering what they do, are truly "short, yet sweet."
Date: 11/22/1998
Proclamation Calling Militia and Convening Congress
President
Abraham Lincoln - April 15th, 1861
[Full Text]
Every US President has been forced to deal with some tough situations. None have been tougher than the one Abraham Lincoln faced in April of 1861. The United States was falling apart. The governments and citizens of seven states had decided to reject the US Constitution and all laws passed by Congress.
"Whereas the laws of the United States have been for some time past, and now are opposed, and the execution thereof obstructed, in the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, by combinations too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings, or by the powers vested in the Marshals by law,..."
Seeing few options, President Lincoln calls up 75,000 troops to enforce the "Law of the Land" and to fight what will soon become the Civil War.
"Now therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, in virtue of the power in me vested by the Constitution, and the laws, have thought fit to call forth, and hereby do call forth, the militia of the several States of the Union, to the aggregate number of seventy-five thousand, in order to suppress said combinations, and to cause the laws to be duly executed."
The first thing Lincoln wants the militia to do is take back all US property already overtaken by the rebellious states.
"I deem it proper to say that the first service assigned to the forces hereby called forth will probably be to re-possess the forts, places, and property which have been seized from the Union;..."
Yet, at this early stage of the conflict, Lincoln hopes to preserve the United States in tact and with as little damage or loss of life as possible.
"... in every event, the utmost care will be observed, consistently with the objects aforesaid, to avoid any devastation, any destruction of, or interference with, property, or any disturbance of peaceful citizens in any part of the country."
And, in a final, hopeful act of reconciliation, Lincoln offers to delay military action for 20 days allowing citizens of the rebellious states to give up the forming revolt.
"And I hereby command the persons composing the combinations aforesaid to disperse, and retire peaceably to their respective abodes within twenty days from this date."
In just 438 words, President Lincoln had created the Union Army and fired the first legislative volley of the Civil War.
"Done at the city of Washington this fifteenth day of April in the year of our Lord One thousand, Eight hundred and Sixtyone, and of the Independence the United States the Eightyfifth.
Abraham Lincoln"
Research Source
This and all of the proclamations, acts, and executive orders presented in this series are from the incredible collection of Mr. LeRoy Donnelly. LeRoy's work has resulted in a compilation of executive level proclamations and executive orders dating from 1792 to the present.
