Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-05-07
Mr.. Rayner's sedition Ordinance.


On Friday and Saturday evenings last the Con.
vention was engaged ii considering The following
ordnance introduced BY NJ Rayner:
a" Ordinance to define and psnisA Ssdition I
q 20 q ordained DO, That if any person in this
snsi attempt to convey intelligence to the en-
emles OF the Confederate States or shall aliciously
and advisedy endeavor to ncite the people to resist
the government Of this State or the Confederate
States or pursuade them to return to their connec
ton with the United States or maliciously and adj
vsedly terrify and discourage the people from en-
listing into the service of this State of the Con-
federate States or shall stir up incite tumuts,
disorders or Instructions in this State or dispose
the people to favor the enemy, every such person
being thereof legally convicted by the evidence of
two or more credible witnesses, or other sufficient
testimony, shall be adjudged guilty of high mis-
demeanor, and shall be fined and imprisoned at the
discretion Of the court and shall enter into recog-
nizance with good security in such sum as the court
may deem proper, to bAof the peace and good be-
havor toward all people in the State for three years
thereafter.
On Friday the Ordinance was advocated by Messrs.
Woodfn, Howard, Rayner, and Rufin, and opposed
by Messrs. Graham, Brown, Barnes, Speed, and
Thomas Of Carteret. On Saturday Messrs. Gilmer,
Badger, Brown, and Satterthwaite spoke in oppos-
ton to, and Messrs. Howard, Rayner, and Leak in
favor of the Ordinance ...#
On Saturday Mr. Rayner, with the view of rem
dering the Ordinance more acceptable, moved to
amend it by inserting after the words "resist the"
the words Execution of the laws of"-snd also to
substitute the word "allegiance" fer the word
connection"
No question has been discussed in the Convention
with more feeling and ability than this has BEEN
That glorious old patriot Bedford Brown signal
lied himself especially by his arguments against,
and his denunciat;on Of this despotic measure
The remarks of Gov Graham on Friday, in opposi-
ton to the measure, and those of other gentlemen
who agree with him in his views on the same day
and on Saturday, were alike cogent and conclusive.
We hope to be able to lay their remaks in full be-
fore our readers.
We expect to refer hereafter more at length to
this measure, which. whatever may have been the
object of those who supported it. would have result
ed if passed, in sowing broadcast throughout the
State the seeds of discord and bitter strife In the
first place, there is necessity for it. for our peo-
pie are as loyal any to the Southern cause; and
in the second place. as the reader will perceive by
| examining the Ordinance, it would have rendered
persons arrested and convicted liable TO double
punishment; for, most of the offences mentioned
being against the Confederate government the State
would have punished first and, having no right to
punish, the person thus convicted and punished,
would have been arrested tried, and punished again
| by the Confederate government. This was the con-
structon given to the Ordinance by Mr., Badger
Under this Ordinance, too, the victim would have
been entirely in the hands Of perhaps, partzan
Judge. "Shall be fined and imprisoned at the dis
erection Of the Court" Mr.. Gllmer showed the
enormity and the danger of this power. If the Or
dnance had passed, and persons had been convicted
under it, their estates might have been taken from
them by fine, and their bodies incarcerated for long
years in prison, to crafty the malice of partzans
and partizan Judges.
This measure will strike our people as the most
dangerous and inexpedient of all the dangerous and
inexpedient measures of the day. Congress has
passed no sedtion law-our sister Confederate States
have passed no sediton law and yet we, who have
done SO much for the common cause, have been
called upon to single ourselves out and brand our
selves as suspected and faithless people, and as
standing in need of fine and Imprisonment to hold
us up to the great conflict now going on. But, for
wan. of time and space, we forbear. We repeat, we
expect hereafter to discuss this measure at length
This Ordinance, on motion of Mr. Satterthwate,
was indefinitely postponed by vote of so to 81
but this was not test VOTE for several gentlemen
voted against postponing who would not have voted
for the Ordinance.