Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-02-19
HAVE. WE A REEoLrrInN y, VIZ me standard Gla

HAVE, WE. A REVOLUTION AMONG TSa
f.. That is. are we of the South as nation ,r
revolution, or are we engaged in fore,n VII
Let it not be thought that this is trivial VA
Il Is one OF the last Importance. If We arc =;
feYo'utlon, we must make up our minis to exnaos
and endure with as much equaRimitv as PeCt
certain disagtccable things which ouSh, nv p'SSlGe
tolerated otherwise. Revolution impIIes oN W oe
necessary approximation to anarchy, div,,rS. IAN
otsocIai order, a partial suspension or at hao.
imperfect execution of law. A certain amen, gu
irregularity and occasional violence and - Of
may-hRd in these circumstances Some svc,'.I Jaw
not Justification. What are then the factS rI: Il
snow US to De IN such condition? What co.I
tuition, or what branch or function of povornD S''
State or Confederate, has been overturned or S
pended, or is ina state of non-actioRP VIA, 40
gle condition or symptom of revolution eyist s ',I
becomes those who are in favor of susuendinr ~ II
interfering with the regular action of rovar1s Or
or OF experimenting its powers or procednraa ~
any extraordinary and revolutionary expedirn,S
any oits departments, Legislative, iuditiaI ~ " III
utlvei or OF allowing either Of these to interfere ;I
the operations of the Others in any unusual ~, VIM
constitutional Inanner-it belongs TO s,ch tn u''
these questions How is it that in many rec.nt 81
stances, assaults have been committed the Iiho.' az
ana rights OF the citizen infringed without -
OF law, and the disgrace OF Imprisonment in a com
mon Jail aud other indignlles inflicted witbo,t sS
of guilt, shadow of trial. or benefit Of p'OC
PuS? And these things are done in dav.TnLt s y'
IN places remote from the dangers of inyasSnr a"9
yet the people, who are generally Jealous Of tbar
rights, and SuSi iciOuS Of any invasion of rora"n.
liberty, see these outrageS repeated with ba r,oa.
complete unconcern. Do they forget that tb; ::
the quarter from which tyranny arises ,n ,i'S y,
dlrest forms of despotiSm And the nrrss ub;"S
is considered sort of palladium of public Iibar,r
mas II not IN recent and notorious instances opt ~
voice to the moi, and its influence to ab,t o,,r,no
ana violence, oy dehoHncing the officers of the ,o
"heh III Tue regular discharge of their sacred and
n'Sh outy Oh seeing the law faithfully executed and
the meauest citizen protected in his iust ri rbtS u
has even gone the length Of threatening and earn
selling popular resistance to the sentence Of H.
Court Is IL pretended that the law is dcfriant
ana must De supplemented IN this IRREGULAR and
dangerous manner. That would be lame evrnso
But they have not that Is it not eyidert tbot
II we are not IN revolution We shall soon be il
these things are allowed to 90 on unchecked Uf
course, as the enemy comes nearer TO Onr bordarS
matters will grow worse. And does it not bode IN
to US that the highest executive officer of the State
should lend his countenance to these mobocratic
tendencies, by stepping out of his proper sphere 10
arrest the due course OF Justice in such crcunStau
ceS as to favor the SubvgiSiun of all order and tho
total disruption OF society. by introducing an irrgu
lar, seitappointed and irresponsible tribunal into
the Judiciary system Of the State Does It not be-.
come pertinent to ask, with correspondent of the
Standard, in a recent instance of authorized op
rage, what rights. if any, have we lelt?' if law
can be nullfed subverted, and trampIed upon at
this rate Are not these things fraught with warn.
ing and danger? five let go our hold upon law,
and undermine or overthrow the great safeguards
nj -fr- =.
indeed For what end do we wage fierce war
and to what good purpose shall we triumph if We
are or shall become incapable Of enjoying or pre.
serving our liberties? And as if these things were
not enough, we see it proposed, advocated by the
press and at length put into fact, to establish and
organize system of GLANCE committees to super
sede all law and authority. In one of the most in
tegent and patriotic counties in the State, which
has near fifteen hundred in the field they have
appointed vigilance committee for every captains
beat Not that the people wished it or voted for it.
There is a surer shorter, and better way to Go
all these things in enlightened times. Thus We
have adopted in an exaggerated form the last des-
pcrate expedIent Of frontier and lnchoate societies
And thus We travel the old beaten track towards
anarchy and despotiSm, and seek the bottom Of the
political naelstroom. We are amazed at the apathy
and stupidity of the population beyond the POt0
mac in suffering the abrogation of habeaS r0rpg
and other dangerous and high handed usurpatiODS
and infFactions of the Constitution, and then
straightway follow in the same footsteps towards
perditon, deceiving ourselves with names. But
who are those that advocate such measures as these
testoaths, vigilance committees, and the like, 10
usurp the authority Of the Confederate as well as
State government and this where no pretence d
necessity is alleged? 1t is hardly necessary to s
mind any one that they are not those who have eli!
taste for the glory and the dangers Of the tenttt
field, But they will be reminded that such services I
these will rot be received, either by the govern
ment or by public opinion, in lieu of the Oh
viouS duty which calls to the camp and the batte
Why do not these patriots volunteer and so let Of
some of the high pressure of their outrageous zG
in legitimate and profitable way. That is mos
suspicious zeal which expends itself in suspectiE!
the patriotism of others, while it has no sword 70
the enemy. -'-... n. y.