Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-05-01

menus Oh WdI-Dy Lno OultSu OIatGS SVFCIH-
ment-by the Confederate government, by the British
government. Arms lying useless, simply held as prop
erty are liable to be taken for public like other prop
erty We do not know that there twenty thousand
guns lying useless in the State, but doubt there
a great many.
But the great difficulty to turn upon the use of
the word impress" Voluntary action of all kind is
much the Aost pleasant to feelings, but rether in
peace or war is any government carried on upon the
voluntary system. We must pay taxes. Wemust give
of our means why not of arms, where they are
equally necessary to the defense of liberties? The
authorities State or Confederate out and appeal
to the patriotism of the people to bring forward their
private arms to help in fitting out soldiers 10 fight for
the imperiled liberties of the country. What fol
lows is what every one might have anticipated The
patriotic the enthusiastic, those in the cause in
whose hands the retention of would be safe and
desirable are comparatively stripped, while the luke
warm the unpatriotic the dsaected tand unfortunate
" there are some such retain their arms, to the en-
dangerment of their patriotic neighbours against whom
they may be turned at any time when the advance of an
enemy decides the lukewarm wavering to join with
what appears to be the stronger side or gives to the
disafected chance to work out their treason. di-
rect levy by law, according to fixed rules is certainly
safer WISER just, and every way preferable to the
present pan of which all the benefits enure to the
patriotic while all the sacrifices made by the patri
otic Although it is evident that the resort to actual
mpressment was not at ALL very remotely contempa
ted by Mr. Ashe, we really do not see anything quite
bad in it as appears so conspicuousy to others
Mr. Ashe surely could not have dreamed of collecting
all the arms now the hands of private citizens of our
State The very idea would carry with it its own con-
demnation. Every family in the country especially in
the country Of the Eastern Counties ought to have at
least one gum Our social system indicates this fact too
plainly to admit of contradiction require proof 1t
would be wiser policy to give gun to each family that
has not one End cannot get it, than to take in any case
the last and only gun from any house. Some fair and
Just rule of exemption being adopted then most
tany think that the plan OF collecting guns by positive
rule of law is safer and better thar that of making ap
peaIs which tend by dsarming the most patriotic, to
cave them at disadvantage as compared with the least
patriotic. We have not seen MIR. Ashe since the ap-
pearance Of Governor ClaTks proclamation, and but
once for about minute since bis card publish
ed but we know from others that be had notion of
taking or even knowingly accepting the last gun be-
longing to any family and necessary for its defense
All beyond this one gun to family may generally be
considered as coming under the classification Of idle.
A very intelligent Bladen County correspondent, in
letter of the 18th nst already published in the Journal
over the signature of o. speaking OF this exemption Of
at least one gun says =
"Itmay be argued that if the exemption is made I
propose that the Presidents object would be frustrated
this think would by means be the case for know in
this immediate vicinity who has il his possession
peater and single pistol He spare several guns and
MANI men have two more, whilst there others, three
of whom know around me- have only one good double
gun each and heard two of those tell agent few
ago that those guns could not be bought easily
impressed; they are men large families property, flu
ence, and ldOUbted pGh lO, who have done and are
yet doing all they tor the good of our Southern Re-
public
To all this, no doubt, Mr. Ashe would fully agree
1t is to the unqualified of the word all in the
first sentence of Mr. Ashes advertisement that refer
with regret We feel confident that the words they
stand could not have expressed Mr. Ashes meaning
So far as the use of the word impress" goes dc
not see the sense of making such bugaboo of that
Things are impressed by nations at war; everyday, wher
the emergency calls for it. The Confederacy is at
the whole military and naval establishment of NORTH
Carolina has been turned over to the Confederate gov
ernment 1t is the Confederacy and not the State thai
is carrying on the Is it usurpation then. fol
the party charged with the carrying of the military
operations of the Conederacy to use the war power
3 mpressment for purposes? We simply ask tbs
. question.
e Our conclusions then are-First, that the language
of at least the first sentence of Mr. Ashes card is IN
Fortunate and it is equally unfortunate that Gov. CLARK
should have taken up by grave proclamation, while thu
usual channels OF intercourse open between Gov
Clark and Mr.. Ashe personally and between the STATE
and Confederate governments officially, and everything
might have been explained, modified and arrange
/ promptly and satisfactorily without any handle being
given for msconsruction or Misrepresentation, which
may do harm, and cannot do good. Of this viii
not apply, if Governor Clark did take other mean
before issuing his proclamation, of which we have no
heard Second that although impressment of anything
is unpleasant necessity STILL under proper regulation
defining what the law will consider ide able to
spared it is upon the whole safer and better than to de
pend upon the voluntary call heretofore depended upon
For this we have assigned reasons. Third, tina
among the to be taken good gun for each fam
3 lily ought not to be included Fourth that the Con
venton having turned everything to the Coneder
aey We do not wherein exists the great usurpatiol
. Of the warmaking and warcarrying-on power in ex
ercisng the resulting power of mpressing property fo
that purpose, including legally considered idle
? CHATHAM RAnRoAD-At a meeting of the Stock
holders of this road at Yarbroughs HOTEL Raleigh
the 10th inst, K. P Battle, Esq, was elected Pres
H.