Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-05-16

| western division of the Arkansas militia, (Gen. Burrow.) An implied censure upon that officer had already been passed, and he saw no further need for it. Besides. he had already been superseded in command by Gen. Pierce, and he could do all that was desired by the ordinance until some general system in regard to the safety of the records of the courts in both divisions of the State could be devised and matured.
 Mr. Turner disclaimed that his ordinance was intended as q censure upon the official conduct of Gen. Burrow.
 Mr. Hanly thought no legislation upon the subject was necessary The whole command upon the western border had been transferred to Gen. Pierce, and Gen. Bur- row would be compelled to transfer the re- cords with his command
 The ordinance was then put upon its passage and adopted.
 Mir. Totten, of Arkansas, presented an or dinance in regard to military affairs, which was referred to the military committee.
 The president announced to the conven- tion that in consequence of their election as delegates to Montgomery, Messrs. Garland, Thomson, of Crawford, and Watkins. of Carroll, had resigned their seats on this floor. A new election was ordered in these counties.
 Mr. Murphy introduced resolution de- claring that the appointment of brigadier generals for the lst and 2d divisions was not intended to supercede the ma or gene rals of said divisions.
 After considerable discussion it was re- iected by ayes 9, noes 47.
 DIr. Smoote introduced a resolution re- quiring that committee be appointed to enquire into the propriety of securing the payment of .IssI rTo | a,teer States to ctizeeus of Arkansas. Mr. Totten of Prairie, introduced an ordinance providing for the suspension of the writ of hadeas corpus, so far as it ap plies to persons who have been sentenced to the pcnitentiary by order of the federal court, or who are detained as prisoners by order of that court, until such time as the convention may hereafter desigRate.- Adopted.
 Mr. Totten, of Prairie introduced the following preamble and resolutions:
 WHEREAS, The system of prvatccring and the
 
 granting of letters of marque and reprsal is egi- | innate mode of civilized warfare, recognized not | only by European governments and international | law but by the practice and th9 fundamental jaw both of the United States of America and the Con- | fedeaate States of America And rhereds, in l corlance with t, well established and univ ersaliy | recognized system of civilized war, the govern ment of the Confederate States of America has proceeded to the issuing of letters of marque and re.risal, and the fitting out ot prvateers az means of self-defence and of prosecuting success l fully the war which has been forced upon them by the government at Washington; And ,chereos, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States l in obedience to the suggestions of the commercial interests of the North, conve ed to him through | imposing meetings of the New ork chamber ot 1 commerce and other channels, has issued his pro clamation declaring that any person prvateering under the authority of letters of marque and prisal issued by President Davis '' shall be held amenable to the laws of the United States for the prevention and punishment of piracy" l Resolred, That we indorse and approve the ac ton of President Davis and the government at Montgomery in the premises, and that we will sus- tain it with the whole moral and physical power ot the soy ereign State of Arkansas, and that we recon mend to the government of the Confederate States that they retain the person of every alien enemy taken as prisoner and hold it personally respon- sibe to the people of the South. if President Lin coin shall execute his infamous threat to treat 
 Resolped, That we are free and independent na- ton and have not by conventional agreement treaty stipulation parted with any of the essential rights of nations, and that in conducting the war which has been forced upon us by the government at Washington, we are perfectly free to select whatever weapon mode of warfare is recognized by the law of nations, and that in that selection we believe it to be the best policy to choose that method which will most seriously damage and cripple the material interests of the enemy.
 Mir. Cypert moved their reference to the committee on military affairs. He did not intend any captious objection to the reso- lutions, but they presented subject de mandng the gravest and most serious at tention, and their reference would enable the convention to mature and express an opinion upon the subject which they em- braccd.
 Mir. Fishback opposed the resolutions Arkansas was new convert to the doc Urine of secession, and there was no reason why she should exemplfy the old adage in regard to new converts, by outstripping all competition in the enactment of extreme measures He was not prepared to indorse all that President Davis had done. Ar kansas is an integral part of the Confede. rate States, and is not as is asserted in the resolutions free and independent nation. He never would indorse the system of pri- watering. It was not recognized in mo- dern times and was abhorrent to his ideas of civilized warfare,
 Mr. Yell was prepared to vote for the resolutions. They announced what should be our true position Arkansas is free l l,n ment to the Confederate States had not de- stroyed her nationality.
 Mr. Totten, of Prairie, had hoped that these resolutions would not require refer ence. The proclamation of Mr. Lincoln proposed to treat privateers fitted out un- der the authority of the Confederate States as pirates and to hold them amcnabe to the law for the punishment of piracy This proposition of Lincoln is violation of ali the usages of civilized warfare, and he himself would put up no defence for it, except that he did not recognise the exist ence of the Confederate States, and denied their competency tc issue letters of marque and reprisal. The northern government is as fully committed to the doctrine of pri. watering as ours. The gentleman from Sebastian (Mr. Fishback) is historically incorrect, when he assumes that the system of privateering has been abrogated or IS unsanctioned by international law The whole question was recently discussed by both American and European publicis's . upon the application of the five continental powers to abrogate privateering. The dis cussion was conducted upon the part of the American government by northern states men, and that government declined 10 be- come party to any International agree ment which would result in the abrogation l r. ,ra, ol,,,;tfo bx, tho