Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-04-02
MARTIAL LAW
The Mssphf APPEAL has the following on mar.

e r.
"A considerable diversity of opinion prevails in
regard 70 martial law it's character, extent and
Observation-Disclosures. Many persons suppose hat mill;
tary law is martial law. This is an error. Tbo
former is code Of laws prescribed for the govern.
ment; of the army. 1t relates exclusively to per.
sons attached TO the military service and does not
IN It's operations, embrace those engaged in ordinary
civil employment 80 :
Martial law, on the contrary, embraces every De.
scrption Of persons within sle city OF district over
which 1t had been established 1t is not defined
anu ascertaned by enactmeHts and judicial decisions
as IN me case OF military law, but Springs from the
WI. ana judgment Of the oinu,anaant whose duty
" enforce it. Itsnpercedes the ordinary in.
Of cnurts such as judges juries and
shef'is 1t may even suspend for the time being
the great writ Of habeas corpus. In other words
martial law may be said to be no law at all. but
RATHER the ''al Of the military cominanaant.
Inc hlchnona Wing has the following on Martial
Law, as enforced IN Richmond.
There are two kinds of martin, law oro &C.
tablished by friend for the protection and saf,tv
OF the community the other by an enemy Cor ~
| noyance ard oppression. Lincoln Provost Mar.
shall would be an instance of this last Wo h,d
supposed that the first kind was that which hal
been inaugurated among us. But the extraordinary
| arrests of most respectable citizens by means of
plots and forgerics give cause to doubt. We have
every wish to uphold the authorities but it is I'M
possible that any just Can commend snch pro-
ceedings. We cannot, for the life Of us perceiy,
what possible public good expected to be sulSer
Ell by such system. We forbcar to say NOR, in
the earnest hope, that the Government for its own
sake, will take instant measures TO prevent the
repetition of acts which tend to defeat the very,
object the authorities desire. All good citizens are
anxious to sustain the Authorities but none esir.
to be afflicted with an intolerable tyranny 1t is
+ that against which they willing stake life and
fortune to repel the Northern Despotism."
| The Examiner abiding to the same thing saws:
"ln conclusion, on our own account venture
| to say word. The citizens of Richmond are dis
gusted with the 5arkeepers aud ergambie1s ,nainy
constituting the "detective" force, who are willing
to lie and forge to entrap respectable merchant
| and yet permit the faro banks to keep open and
dispense brandy and whiskey night and day
| The Wing makes the following pointed remarks
| on the freedom of the press"
| eve have been informed that Brigadier-Gene
Winder, commanding, &c, has expressed the de-
termination to suppress this journal if it does not
abandon its Vicious habit of uttering unpalataLe
truths. We rather incline to the opinion, if he has
made such speech that it was done in pet, or liz
| jcst-though the subject is too serious for levity,
and the proposition too monstrous to be serious
| We had not imagined Lincolns Provost Marshal
| bad come among us-for his advent is always sig
nalized by the suppression of free press, and the
| establishment of absolute despo.ism. This, We
! thought all of US in this latitude were firm and
united in fighting against to the bitter end. If We
are to cone under an arbitrary tyranny by own
authorities, thousands of arms now raised for indie
pendence and liberty would be instantly paralyzed.
I The ground of our offending we understand to
be, the complaints We have made of the inefciency
Of the Administration during the past nine months;
the consequence of which neticency is our present
unpreparedness to meet the enemy, and the invasion
of large portion of Virginia and the whole threat
ened. In what we have said we have only uttered
the feelings of nearly every outside Of the red
tape circle in the Confederacv from the Rio Granic
| to the Chesapeake. Everybody deplored the past
inaction, and every body could that if the same
policy were adhered to for another year. our ruin
| was inevitable. We believe the cutlery has produc-
cd some good-though not half as much as we de-
/ sired The Administration seems to be awake at
| last There indications of more system more
v;gor, and of better spirit every way than were
| previously visible. 1.-THE Administration shall WELD
wisely and effectively the resources of the country
for its defence and the confusion of the enemy, it
shall hear nothing but plaudts from US; but moth
ing short of the executed threats of military ty
ranny shall silence in the presence of continued
acknowledgement And when that threat shall be
executed, we think can assure Gen. Winder, he
will find few Southern men willing to fight for
cause, which, result the contest may, will ensure
their servitude."