New Oregon plaindealer. (New Oregon, Iowa) 1859-1866, 1862-10-24
THE WRIT OF HAnEAs CORPUS.

=
~ ss Form the Rchm ond Examiner Sept. 90.
In the proceedings of the C,nfede-
rate House Of Representatives for the
Tthinstant, the newspaper report the
f fllc wirg q s, alton ofa member:
.sM.. Conrad. of Louisiana, was in
favor Of an early opportunity to discuss
the bill for authorizing suspension Of
The writ Of habeas corpas) If { on
gress shoald fail to pass such a ,aw: c;.-
camstancces night arise in which the
President might be compelled to sus
pend the aorI acithout aa'horityD
Hitherto, for two centuries past, it
has been reg rdel as a matter of grave
debate, whether habeas eoTpus ougl'
to be suspended under the most exi GENT
circumstances even w;tk the coas.lr
Of the people through their representa-
tives, In the immediate presence OF
, an Invader and under the influence of
the peculiar circumstance attending
our present war for opinion special au-
thority has been given the President
by the people to suspend the writ Of
'ho5cas corpus for good cause n spec
ial localities. But the ol ao}aae seems
to be verified, ''if you yield an inch
they will take an ell and the remark
Of this member Of the House forc.hly
reminds as Of the truth Of tne maxim,
eternal vigilance is the price Of liver
tv.'
Who this member is who thua ir-
forms the country that tie pres!dea.
will suspend hadeas corpas withaa.
leave of the people, We Il, not kn,.;
He is said to have been oncca Te eral
Secretary for short time ia E. govern
ment now foreign to this country.
lie must be a person having Et;lo Of
the blood Of the Anglo-Saxon race in
his veins, and strangely igaorans Of it's
political history from the days IF John
llompdcn down. What is the writ Of
ha5cas corpus ? It is simply q writ
| Ivy which u person who is arrested and
Iimprisoned by the hand of power may
learn what offence is charged against
him, and may be discharged, if funjustly
detained, by court of justice. It is
the embodiment and very life Of civil
liberty. lfpower may arrest aa.l ius-
tice may not li5cratc in case of inpo.
cence, there is no liberty, nor sha.!o,v
OF it. 1t is a questlon-a most grave
ques'ion-whcther authority 10 suspend
this writ should be given to the cxecu-
tive under any circumstances. That
has been a matter Of debate for two
centuries, and until the Lincoln govern
mcnt Gus The discussion short by arbi-
trary arrests aud reckless defances e
the ci:il power, the neg awe Of the
question seemed to preponderate. Tbs
suhservient Federal Congress granted
the power to suspend the writ, and the
| Confederate Congress, as usual. copied
faithfully the example of its prototype.
They authorized = suspension of the
wris-during a pcriJl now about to ex.
pirc.
Dangerous aud most unfortunate
concession. Il is now announced that
the writ will bo 81, pended ',Oithout
authority /! Whittier are we drifting?
Is there such thing as constitutional
liberty remaining to us Is our strur-
gle for civil liberty mockery ard
sham I! Is that "eternol vigilance nee.
essary to it's preservation no longer an
attribute Of the representatives of the
people Have the scntinels upon the
watch.towers oflberty gone over to
power, and become the instrument. Of
destroying what they were delegated to
guard g @gsv @.EG4 a-s41H ~
| zrygo9 80 -. lts n1
HACK SoLDlEas.-General Butler
has about seventeen hundred free ne.
grocs in New Orleans, organized into
q regiment, clothed in the United