Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-08-30
The DimcuIty OF Maintaining Free Gov
ernEmenIs.

From the Cha lesion Nercury.l
DespCtisms usually prevail in the governments
of the world. Free governments have ever been
exceptions, and have usually been Of briet dura-
ton. If ever there was free government which
promised durability il was the government Of the
United States. InbeTiring from their E0gish
ancestors the great principles and instrumental
ties OF free government, with a grand safety
valve against psnperism-in vast unoecupied
terri.ories--the expansion Of the people Of the
United States, and the extension and mliTte-
nInce Of free Institutions of government for gen
erstIons 70 come, have been deemed and admitted
destiny. Aud yet, at the very FIRST bold usurPa-
ZION, within a few months, the whole fabric Of
free government, Teared by the Constitution Of
the United States has tumbled into ruins Louis
XIV was not more desp0tic IN seiziug citizens by
letters de eachst and casting them into prison,
than President Lincoln. The writ Of haJsas
corpus and trial by jury are gone. The autocrst
OF al the kussias is not more Of a desp3t than
Abraham Lincoln. 1t is the result Of war. War
puts under the control of the Executive armed
instruments for his tyranny Au army is al
unmilgated despotism. Those accustomed to
It's rule-Cfh .ers aud s0lliers-have but two
principles Of condue.-authoity and obsdieuce.
Hence ell Standing armies have been deemed
dangerous 10 hbery-in the powers conferred
upon the few, and IN the P.ncipes taugh. the
many.
A practical desDotism has thus been es.sb
Hshed on tie other side Of the Potomac Is /,
notthe dictate Of the most manifest prudence,
for the peopls Of the Coufederste States % watch
uarfQgly tn1ir owns sgQysszR Hneht military
authority absOlDs prO3orti9nally more of th-ir
population than Of tbs United SsalsJ. Al males
from eighteen 10 thirty-fve years Old. are ia the
army and most probably ali from thi-ty-fge 70
forty five or ttyy VIII also Be called Into the m;l-
itsTy service Of the Confederate States By the
articles Of war, a soldier can say or do nothing
against the government There viii shortly
therefore, absolutely be n0peo pie who can speak
out In defense Of their boerti nor are they
likely to know what is going on or 90 vote a.
the elections for their representatives,, held far
awey from their camps. Ia this state Of things,
the temptations % d6sD1.ism from the army TO
the government, must be most obvious. The
govcrnment is without possibility TO the peo-
pie, because it hold them under is mi i.afy or
ganizaton in complete sufjset0n 20 It's will
This being the condition of Affairs the other
two great lnstrumentalities 10 maiutaiu free gov
eminent amongst us-frse and open debate aud
the liberty Of the pTess-becOue Of increased
value and importance. The former has besn
atteriy completely suppressed in the CJrg. ess
OF the Confederate States. Although the Con
stItuti0n, both Of the provisional and Of the
present Confederate government, requires that
each House Of Congress shall keep a Journal
OF its proceedings, and from time 10 time pub
hsh the same, excepting such parts as may in
their Judgment require secrecy, =" for whole seg-
sions of Congress, not parts Of It's journals,
but the lchCtc Of them have been kept secret
Secrecy Is clearly aha exception aud publicity
the general rsie Of the Constitution. Congress
has not simply reversed this rule, by making
publicity the exception, but it has annihiiated
It by having no publicity az ell NJ man can
d0Ub. that this course is not only Inconsistent
with the mandates Of the Consituti but Of
the first principles Of all represents i've free gov
ernmenis. IL Is, however, gratifying TO perceive
that, under the pressure of public opinion,
steps have been taken TO open the doors Of Con
gress.
The other instrumentality Of free government
the freedom Of the pTess-has not Oeen essen
sialy intdnged. a bill, however, was offered in
the Provisional Congress OF the COnteda-ats
States to authorize the President and the mill
;ary authorities to suppress it. The bill failed.
The Constitution expressly says " Congress
shall make no law G5rjdgiHg the freedom Of
speech or Of tie press" Yet there are very de-
cided indications in various quarters, with or
without law, on the part Of cur military aushori-
ties, to assume a censorship over the press aud
to a5Tidgs its freedom To show this, we pub
lisb to -dsy a correspondence between the editor
Of the Montgomery ddUsrtlssr and General
Slaughter, in behalf of General Bragg, to which
we invita- the atteation of our readers.
Nothing is easier, especially ia troubled times,
than unscrupulOusly to support the government.
To support It when 1t IS right, and to oppose it
when it is wrong, is an ungracious, and gener-
ally q most thaHkless and Improbable service,
although by no other course can free govern
ment be preserved. Jealousy snd watchiulness
are the essential attributes OF liberty-coufdsnce
and subseTvisncy are the attributes Of despoJism.
Even when the Constitution is trd-d with or
violated, there are those who viii call auv re-
mOnstrances or exposure of the government
" factien and any opposition " disOrgauizs-
ton" Slaves existed before masters.