Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-08-20
SECRET SESSIONS IN CONGRESS.

The fundamental principle of all free republican
governments is-that the people rule themselves
They rule themselves through their representatives.
The acts of the representative their acts because
he is amenabe to their CONTROL and carries out their
volitions Now, cut off the responsibility of the
representative to the people, let them know nothing
of his actngs ana doings as their representative,
and of what avail is the representative to the peo-
pie? They can neither control him, nor rule them
selves The representative becomes an irresponsi-
BILE ruler of the people; or what Is more probable,
the tool of the Executive, from whom oil patronage
flows to carry out his de>pOtic behestS. For the
people to rule themselves through their representa-
tives it IS clear they must know all his transactions,
and be able to support or to repudate them, and
to continue or to change their agent-the represen-
tative.
To bring this matter nearer home to our appre-
tensions, let US turn to the election which will
shortly take place for representatives, to the Con-
gress of the Confederate States. What do the peo
pie know of the actings and dongs of their repre-
sentatives in Congress- since the establishment of
the Confederate States government? Can they be
called to account for their stewardship, and be un
derstandihgly approved Of or rejected. They have
covered themselves with the mantle of secresy.-
They established rule amongst themselves. that
if any of their members should presume to commu-
nicate ANYTHING of his transactions to his conStit
uents, he should be expelled from Congress-thus,
at single blow, thrusting aside the people and
annhating all responsibility to them. The conse-
quence is the people, a: the approaching elections,
are utterly in the dark to the transactions of their
representatives, in struggle for their liberty, in
voving all that is dear to men, Take. for instance,
two cases, by way Of illustration: The Constitu-
ton of the Provisional government prescrlbcs as
follows: THE President shall, at stated times, re-
ceive for his services during the period Of the Pro-
al tipp nj 10
twenty-five thousand dollars per annum; and ne
shall not rsceine during that period any other emoI
un.ent from this Contederaey, OF any of the States
thereof" 1t is impossible to mistake these words
of the Constitution. Human language could rot
devise more distinct declaration that the President
should receive twenty five thousand dollars per
annum," as his enolsIment and nothing more. Yet
we turn to the acts of this Congress, after the
President was installed in office and We find the
following resolution: 1.-THE Congress Of the Ton
federate States Of America do resolve, that the COM
mit.tee to arrange for government buildings ne au-
thorized to lease Il Tu,nshei mansion tor the resi
dance of tho President Of tho Confederate States.'
Here is a resolution to add to the "emolmrnts Gf
the President furnished mansion, equal to seren
thousand dollnr-maklLg his emoluments thirty:
two thousand dollars, instead of twenty five thou
sand dollars. Do the people know how their rep
rescntatves voted this PLAN and palpsble viola
i
dent?
The other matter we would notice is the Presi-
dental vetos 1t is understood that President Davis
vetoed more bills Of the Provisional Congress- than
all the Presidents of the United States from George
Washington to Andrew Jackson included. Do the
people know anywhere how their representatives
voted-:frst, on these bills; and, second, on the
vetos upon them? Which of them supported this
outrageous abuse OF the veto power? What were
the measures which thus brought the Executive and
Legislative Departments of the government into
such repeated and angry collision, in the midst of
struggle for our liberties and independence, when
Cancellation and forbearance were so much required
Do the people know? Do they know what part
their representatives played IN these grave transac
tons? Did they vote for the bills, and then
stullify themselves, by upholding the vetoes of the
Executive upon them? Or did they oppose the
bills, and consistently uphold the vetos Of the Elk
ecutive? Who knows? The people are called up
on, in the approaching elections, to vote for thei'
representatives, in profound ignorance of thei1
course in all these matters-an ignorance forced
upon them by their representatives. themselves. Car
any other exempicat,ons be necessary to prove the
utter incompatlbty Of secret sessions in Cons
with the right of the people to rule themselves ??
ChurLe,ton Xe,curg