Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-10-24
The Exemptlon Act.


emption act the owner of twenty slaves; who is in
the army is exempt from service. Weanswer that,
in opinion according to just construction of an
unjust provision, he is exempt 1t would be unjust
and cruel to compel the owner of twenty slaves who
is in the army, and who may have been there from
the beginning of the war; to remain, and at the same
time to exempt the owner of twenty slaves at home,
who has not perhaps, struck the first blow for his
country
While upon this subject we cannot forbear to en-
ter our earnest and indignant protest against that
feature in the law which divides our people into
classes ofslavehoder and nonslaveholder, ana which
exempts the former from service because he happens
to own certain species of property of certain val
ue This feature is unjust to both classes socaeC,
and was not desired by either. The war is waged,
not alone for negro property, but for Constitutional
liberty and in defence Of our homes 1t is CON-
mon cause, and it is much the duty of one class
to fight for it as another Political equality is the
cornerstone of our government; but what justice,
or what political equality there be in providing
that portion of our people shall be subject to
military duty, while another portion are exempt,
because they may happen to own certain species
of property? 1t is no sufficient answer to say,
that police regulations must be adopted and OBJ
served in order to keep the slaves in subsection
In the first place. the slaves have been remarkably
quiet and obedient since theywar commenced, with
the exception of those localities which have been
occupied or threatened by the enemy; and in the
second place. the Congress of the Confederate States
has no jurisdiction. slaves the question of
slavery, but it is the duty and the right of the
States themselves, and of tho Counties within the
States, to adopt and enforce. by their own power
and in their way, all needful police regulations
Under the war-making power, Mr. Lincoln attempts
to abolish slavery in the States; and under the
warmaking power, the Confederate Congress at
tempts to protect slavery in the States 1t was
universally received axiom in the South, fourteen
years ago, that the power to protect carried with it
the power to control or abolish and one of the
main reasons why the old government was broken
up was, that portion of the Northern people
threatened, through the Congress, to assume ju-
risdiction of slavery in the States.
Mr.. Lincoln made al effort recently, IN his eman-
cipaton proclamation to induce the non-savehodeTs
of the South to believe that the waged sole
ly on account of negroes and now, under a strange
infatuation, the Congress Of the South comes for
ward and, by an act discriminating between the
STAKEHOLDER and non-saveholder, gives color, if not
confirmation to this belief thus attempted to be pro-
duced by common enemy.
The Constitutions Of the States and of the Confed-
crate States expressly provide against privileged
classes among our people But, Gov. Brown, of
Georgia, nullfed part Of the first CONSUMPTION
law, and the result was privileged class was con-
sttued of the militia officers of the States and now
the Congress, disregardng the Constitution, the
rights and duties of the States, and the views and
feelings Of the people, not only assumes control Of
slavery in the States but creates another privileged
class out of owners o. certain species of property
Members of the Society of Friends, Dunkers, Naza-
renes and Mennonists, who are averse to war, and
who had agency in involving the country in
bloodshed are required to pay five hundred dollars
each into the treasury the price of their exemp-
ton; but the owner of twenty more slaves is al
lowed to remain at home, to speculate, perhaps,
upon the necessities of the army and the people,
and is not required to contribute one cent to the
treasury beyond his usual taxes.
But we have no disposition to argue the question
further Our only object is to enter our protest
against this feature in the law and having done so,
we shall not allude to it again unless compelled
do so IN reply 10 such structures this article may
call forth We are for right, justice, and the Con-
StitutiOn, happen what may; and we intend to
stand, at all hazards, by the people and by the
great principles of political equality.
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