The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1862-02-05
The Gappinp Law,


Congress has had another serious matter under con
sderaton-the removal of the seat Of government 70
Huntsville, or some other remote place in the south
Since these facts have become known almost nine out
Of every ten newspapers in The south have backed
their coors and came out against the existing proTi-
sional government The fate Of John Adams, during
bis presidency from 1895 TO &c. should have served a.
warning to our s4lfconstituted Solons.
"A BILL entitled AN Act to prevent information Of
the plans and operations Of the land and naval OF
Of Confederate States being conveyed TO the enemy"
SECTION I. The congress Of the Confederate States
Do enact That it shall not be lawful for any person to
publish or cause be published in any newspaper or
printed publication intended for circulation any ntor-
nation communication giving the NUMBER DISPOSE
ton, movements, destination, Of the land Or naval
forces OF the Confederate States; the description,
destination, cargo armament Of any vessel engaged
in the service Of employed in the transportation of
troops dispatches munitions OF war, Tor the Con-
tederae States the description OF any battery, Tor
tifcaton, engine Of war plan OF attack or defense
employed by said forces Of any signal badge, ban
ner, flag which may have been may be temporarily
employed adopted by the commanding officer OF any
post district or expedition Of the Confederate States,
unless the publication thereof Shall be first autho-
rIsed by the president congress- or tie secretary Of
the navy or the commanding officer Of such post dis
trict or expeditions Provided, however That nothing
herein contained snail prevent the uDHcat9h O Ihiol
nation extracted derived from newspapers Or other
4 publications in the enemys country, or Of battles
4 fought.
Sc. , !. shall not be lawful for any person to write
or communicate, for publication, to any newspaper or
printed publication as aforesaid the editor or
publisher thereof by letter. telegram, otherwise, n-
formation the publication Of which is declared unlaw-
! fu by the first section OF this act.
SEC. 3. Persons offending against the provisions OF
this act shall be deemed guilty Of Il high misdemeanor,
ls =. A.. IL .4- . ,4,,-,
Of the Confederate States ID the district where the Of
fence Shall have been committed and on conviction,
shall be fined in not than one thousand dol
lars aud may in the discretion Of the court trying the
same be imprisoned for period not exceeding twelve
months"
Should the above bin become law, the press will
submit it with great reluctance, and the days of in
ceraon, such as Matthew Lyon Suffered under presi-
dent John Adams will be revived; and venture the
assertion that such an ohm xous law would drive from
the army near Eve thousand brave and patriotic
bers of the press who not excelcd if equaled by
any other class Of mankind for intelligence and dar-
ing acts Of chivalry.
The Memphis Appeal, abiding to the above bill re-
marks: I'VE cannot give this despotc and uneonsttu-
tiouaI measure our appreciation, The ostensibe end
sought to be accompIshedby it is laudablc one but
IL llOuS uOEli VI GSullSlL lldG VIZ Gnu uSkI-
fes the means We believe that congress has no right
under the constitution to legsate this subject what
ever and should be kept strictly within the limits Of
its powers delegated by that instrument Let that
body once usurp this power and who say how much
further it may 60 upon the tyrans plea Of necessity
or the requirements Of the public safety
CENSORSHIP Or TIE PREss.-The Macon GOA TeIe-
graph remarks that, the Confederate congress is said
to have before piece Of very dangerous nonsense
in bill establishing censorship Of the press. Now
if the press have done, doing, are liable to do
any mischief to the Confederate cause, in their talk
about the army and its movements let the secretary Of
war address them circular, stating distinctly what
particulars should not be made the subject Of newspa
per alluson, and we cannot doubt that every press
would most cheerfuly and relgously comply with the
requests of the secretary. any did not it would be
time to discuss legal remedy. But to start censor
ship Of the press in the very teeth Of the constitution
is stretch Of unconstitutional tyranny which even the
Lincoln government has thus far dared to put in black
and white in the form of a statute. Such act would
strike heavy blow at the confidence of the people III
the government and the security Of popular rights and
would brand with the mark Of Cain every congressman
concerned III it. unless he were able up and
conceal his parricpancy under tue veil Of secrecy
which tie war affords congress al apology to USE but
not to abuse The press would be false to itsefand the
people did it acqae-oe quietly in such statute, with
out the most overwhelming reasons Of pu6ic necessity
shown for deliberate violation Of constitution not
yet year old
We extract the following from the Southern Union,
published at Griffin, Georgia
The eyidentendeucy Of the present course Of things
is towards monarchy, military despotism, to Be
brought about in the way have heretofore suggest
ed wehave no fears of any thing of the kind SO long
as The present generation lasts But in years from
now the control Of government affairs viii pass out
their hands into those of boys that between
the ages of eleven and twenty years Let them be
reared in ignorance and they will be incapable Of man
aging the government, in a republican form. Those
who now have property, and are able at present t
school their children and improve their minds they
crow up need not calculate too largely on their pre-
sent possessions. If the continues they willhavC
to support it-poor people cannot. The necessary
taxes upon property will embauass those who hold it
to such degree that they will have but few resources
left, a. general thing, to improve the minds Of the
children. But it is not the children Of the rich tina
will control the country. The masses OF our people
who control the ballot box are not Of that class lie
the masses be ignorant, and the educated few casno
control them There is no way to avoid the downfall
Of our country with its present form Of government bu
to end the war speedily if that cannot be done, lie
the people sustain the press to keep up regular
dow Of information among the masses.
Since the commencement Of the war, not twelve
months ago over half the newspapers in Georgia have
suspended entirely and those that continue have ha,
to cut down ia size in order bring expenses within
their income First destroy the liberty Of the press
then mount the impatient and paving charger, ride
over the people, and bawl aloud for monarchy
The Lagrange ga Patriot, speaking Of the mazzine
b says 1--WE thought shouldn't say nythins in re
ference to the dispatch announcing the Introduction ii
the Confederate congress of bill suppress the lib
erty Of the press but have concluded most
solemn protest as public journalist against any suct
a despotic procedure upon the part of government
At the present writing cannot bring ourseH to be
Iieye that we have come to such a crisis If we have
then We shall BE prepared expect anything, to
the enormtes committed BY the despodc govern
ment at Washington city upon the freedom of speect