That soil was not ours; and Congress did not annex or attempt to annex it. But to return to your position: 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..

Question

The provision of the Constitution giving 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 resolve 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.
1. Provide a quote from the source that you think captures Lincoln’s views and explain.
2. What did Lincoln say about the president’s actions?

Answer 1

1. A quote that captures Lincoln’s views is: "Allow the president to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to make war at pleasure." This quote illustrates Lincoln's deep concern regarding the concentration of war-making power in the hands of a single individual, namely the president. He emphasizes that granting the president the authority to unilaterally decide on military action could lead to unchecked power, similar to that held by kings, which the framers of the Constitution sought to avoid. Lincoln advocates for a careful division of powers, wherein Congress retains the authority to declare war, thus protecting the people from potential tyrannical actions by a single leader.

2. Lincoln expressed strong reservations about the president's potential actions, particularly regarding unilateral military interventions. He cautioned that if the president could act on his own judgment to repel perceived invasions, it could lead to a situation where the president can initiate wars at will. He argued that such a concentration of power would erode the checks and balances established by the Constitution and restore a form of monarchical authority, which the founders consciously sought to prevent.