Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-05-28
From the Charleston MercurS.l
THE PROVISIONAL CONGRESS.

on the war. 1t was not even shat It DID not orgl-
nate measures Of itself to give efficiency to the war
This it did to certain extent But its great error
was, in its subserviency to Executive dictation.
. When the President vetoed it's measures to carry
on the war; it succumbed and, instead of overrul-
ing the Executive veto by the twothirds vote the
Constitution required, it supported the executive
veto, and stulti6ed itself and voted down its own
measures When the proceedings of this Congress
shall be published, we suspect it will lie that
measures passed with great unanimty by Congress,
after veto of the Executive were voted down, III
stead of being supported by twothrds Of its mem.
bers This habitual subserviency to the Executive
produced another great error. Instead of Congress
acting independently in the orignation of laws, as
the Constitution designed, it shaped its laws to suit
the Executive favor. 1t had the power by the Con-
stitution by overriding the Executive, to pass any
laws its Judgment dictated expedient necessa-
~ to carry on the war. When, to all but the eyes
of personal heated partizans, it was manifest that
the Executive could not or would not appreciate the
magnitude of the struggle before us, and would
neither recommend or support measures necessary
to meet them, it was the duty of Congress to act
independently of the Executive, and to have orgi-
mated and passed, despite his vetos, all the great
measures the exigencies of the Confederate States
required They could have bought navy, filled
the country with arms and munitions of war, and
passed regulations which might have saved our army
from that disgust and alienation towards the SER
vice which occasoned the necessity of the late Con-
scription Law. This was the duty of Congress;
and If it had been performed in open day, with I'M
closed doors, the President would have been COM
PEELED to make his administration efficient or he
would have been displaced from power. The peo-
pie of the Confederate States would have understood
the true condition Of their affairs and would have
been able to fasten the responsibility of the failures
to provide for their defence on those to whom it
rightfuly belonged But the fatal error Of conceal
ment and subservicncy committed and the
country has been carried bnd-folded into the most
enormous slaughter and devas tation. The motives
which governed Congress in pursuing this policy
we do not intend to question. They may have been
perfectly pure. A mistaken idea of harmony be-
tween the Executive and Legislative Departments
of the Government may have governed their course
Harmony in wise and efficient policy is wisdom
and patriotism but in a weak and inefficient policy,
may be silly and runous. Harmony which springs
from a concert in wise counscls-must be benef-
cial; but where it arises from mere subserviency
in Congress to the Executive w,ll--must be as un-
wise and dshonorable as it is unconstitutional
Congress was not created to be tool Of the Execu.
tive, to register his will; but to be an independent
element of power in the Government to protect and
promote the interests and liberties of the people.
The evil effects Of ab;cating its constitutional pow.
err in submitting to Executive dlcta,ion is seen in
the disasters and troubles which overshadow the
Confederate States TO ward off evils in the fu.
ture, We must understand those Of the past.
From the Montgomery Advertiser
SECRET SESSIONS OF CONGRESS AND
BLIND MAN-WORSHIP OF THE SOUTH.
ERN PEOPLE
Since our affairs have become so complicated by
the nefiiciency Of those who were unfortunately
vested with authority to conduct the war, it is no
unfrequent thing to hear the lamentations of the
country, for the want Of a great leader to upturn
the existing state of things, and take Us safely
through the revolution. 1t may be well to consider
why the prerequisites for man for the times have
not been complied with. In the first place, it may
be asserted as humating fact in our history that
the whole tendency has been to reprcss leading
merit, and give commanding positions to ,nediocrity.
If man exhibited those high traits Of ability,
age and energy which distinguished him as repre-
sentative of grea: republican movement he at
once became mark for the envy of tnil place.
hunters and the cry went through the land that he
was fire brand and factionist, attempting to I'M
dermine everything that was pure and good in So
ciety, to crafty his own ambition The people
honest coniiding and unsuspecting as they always
are-hearnS these representa- Dns from their neigh
borhood oracles, took counsel of their fears, and
to regard the foremost advocate of their cause
| as very dangerous man. Time rolled on, and
events indicated the principles Of our much abused
statesman, but true to the weakness Of human ma
tuTe tue pTc]uuCe 10 me man mad leStereQ until
| would take years to heal the wound.
In this lamentable condition did the revolution
fndu us. The illustration above made is only spec
| linen of large class Of men throughout the Con-
federacy, who comprehended the necessity for Sc
cesson far ahead of their compeers, and who were
therefore, the test persons to preside the des
TIMES OF the new government, which their superior
sagacity and will had conceived, but who forsooth,
were set aside rash and impracticable schemers,
| yrhi hers nSfa 0lod into bod
manned at Washington until actually driven away,
with tears in their eyes, by force of vrtuous South
ern sentiment. Thus it was, that not satisfied with
seeding from Washington, we must needs form a
government of those who have not yet rid them
selves of the stencil of its corruptions Our great
men, who had fought and won the battle Of Sc
cession against Northern aggression and Southern
submission, were thus in the hour of our triumph,
crushed and Inundated as martyrs to the liberties
of their own countrymen. And now, when it is
manifest that through the evil influences which our
people themselves have inaugurated, their strength
has been wasted and their patriotism misapplied,
they call aloud Tor leader to them from their
misfortuncs.
Would to God that some one would rise up, DOW.
erful enough to unite the whole energies of such a
people for the defence of their country against all
opposers; but who can be that man under the diff
culties which surround the position? Do you call
upon those whom you sacrificed at the formation OF
your government, because they had led you tri.
umphantly out of the old Unionp Is it likely that
they will voluntarily undergo another martyrdom
for your sake, when those to whom YOU have com.
mitted the keys have locked the door to popular
opinionr When your President sits with bis ears
closed to the advice Of the wise men of his country
and summarily disposes of every man as fool or
liar, who ventures to suggest doubt as to his pol
ICY! when your Congress sits with closed doors
and tells you that military necessity" requires
that you should know nothing of its proceedings
and, therefore, have no right to pass Judgment on
what it should or should not do2 When all this
and more has been done, denying you right to q
voice in your government. except through the whis
pers of your representatives are you gong to 81,
still and ask for . leader to remedy things3
We tell you, ow-citizens, the time has come
when the people must prove their rights to fret
government by demanding to have it represent theil
will. Confidence has weltnigh ruined you. A few
months agoa man was liable to the charge of trea
son who dared TO question the nallibtu nf ,ro,,