Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-12-17
Despotic Acts.

We learn that on Sunday last Provost Mar
shall from Richmond, Va, of the name Of NcCub-
bins, arrested the Rev. R. j. Graves, about twelve
miles from Hillsborough, Orange County, in this
State and hurried him off to Richmond, either
through Raleigh on Monday evening, or by way Of
Danville.. We do not know what Mr.. Graves al
legged offence is but we learn he is the same gentle
man who wrote the account of the state Of opinion
and feeling in the North on the subject of the war;
which appeared first in the Richmond Enquirer, the
organ of the President, and which was copied into
this paper. Mr.. Graves was for time prisoner
at the North and it is said that while there be posi-
lively refused to take the OATH On his RETURN hav-
ing been regularly exchanged, he gave his views in
relation tothe war; derived from his association with
Northern people The account referred to was
furnished at the request of friend, and was in no
respect disloyal It contained simply the writer's
impression as to the state Of feeling in the North
and the determination of the people there to prose-
cute the war to the last extremity, with statement
of the means at their command for so doing; and
on the other hand his views as to the resources and
power of the South and his opinion that the South
would ultimately triumph, though the odds seemed
to be greatly against her.
We learn tina. Mr.. Graves is Presbyterian min
lister in good standing and that he is the pastor of
Bethlehem Church, near The Oaks, in Orange Coun-
ty. Immediately after his arrest, Mr.. William
Bingham, with or near whom he resides telegraph
ed the fact to Gov. Vance, but the dispatch did not
reach the Governor until late on Monday night
The Governor being obliged to leave for Whining
ton To To-
W. H. Harrison, the Mayor of Raleigh, requesting
him to attend at the Depot on Tuesday morn
ing and arrest and detain the parties until his
turn. The Mayor promptly attended, and proceed
ed some ten miles down the Castor Road so as to
examine the cars for McCubbins and his prisoner,
but he found they were not on board They must,
therefore, have passed through on Monday evening,
or gone by way of Danville.
This reaching out of the arm of Confederate pow
er from Richmond and arresting our citizens, with
out civil warrant and without regard to and in de-
fance Of the civil magistrate, is of the very
of despotism. 1t is gross and palpable violation
of the Constitution of the Confederate States of the
Constitution and Bill of Rights of this State, and of
the first principles of liberty 1t is unadulterated
Linconism 1t is just what the Kings of France
were in the habit of doing through their lettres de
caczet; it is what the Queen of Great Britain dare
not, or would not do with reference to one of her
humblest subjects If any Of our citizens are guilty
of treason let them be arrested and tried here at
home, by jury of their peers and not hurried off
by McCubbins, or some other Baltimore Plug
Ugly, with revolver at their breast to be lmmured
and tortured in the filth and vermn of Castle Thun-
dee. If Mr. Davis directed this arrest to be made,
under the circumstances which we have detailed,
then has Mr.. Davis played the tyrant, and hence
forth no citizen of the State is safe.
The following eloquent extract from the message
of Gov. Vance will show his opinion, and the opinion
of our people, of these military arrests. The Gov
ernor says:
"There are confined in Salisbury by the Confed-
crate authorities, number Of citizens OF North
Carolina arrested for alleged political offences
How long they arc to remain incarcerated, no one
can say but those who apprehended them. What
their guilt really consists in, do not know; but
this much it becomes both you and me to know, in
view of the oaths take upon entering into Office
that they were not arrested by lawful process and
as citizens of North Carolina they are entitled,
under the Constitution, to speedy trial by jury
of their peers and to be confronted with their accu
the President of the Confederate States, and when
his reply is received you will be informed thereof
Should there exist any grave State reasons why
they are denied trial. it is due, at least that we
should be informed of them. have not seen an
official copy of the act, but learn from the news.
papers that Congress has conferred upon the Presi
dent the power to suspend the writ of ha6eas corpus
in all cases of arrests made by Confederate auhor
ty. If this be once admitted, no man is safe from
the power of one individual. He could at pleasure
seize any citizen of the State with without excuse
throw him into prison, and permit him to languish
there without relief-a power that am unwilling
to see entrusted to any living man. To submit to
its exercise would, in my opinion, be establishing
precedent dangerous and pernlcious in the extreme
Among people so united and faithful to their cause
as ours, where disloyalty is the rare and solitary
exception to the general rule, can but little
good, but vast tide of infowing evil from these
inordnate stretches of military power which are fast
disgracing us equally with our Northern enemies
Afree Republic that must needs cast off its freedom
in every time of trouble, will soon cast it off for
ever. Freedom cannot be embraced to-day and
spurned tomorrow: steadfast and constant wor
ship can alone secure her countless blessings. Hel
chosen instruments-the Constitution and the laws
were made the sure convenant of her everlasting
residence among us our delight in times of peaet
and prosperity, and our guide and shield in the day
Of trouble and calamity. Now, if ever is the time
Wucu VIC oilOulu dUluc SulCtty ny t0clr SLern Qc
crees, and walk uprightly in the narrow path they
have marked out for our footsteps. We SHOULD
least of all forsake the helm and compass when the
vessel is driven by the tempest and clouds and dark
ness obscure the way"
This arrest of Mr. Graves was made in the face o.
these views of our Governor, and with full KIN owl
edge on the part of the President that Gov. Vanc,
had thus Indignantly protested against such treat
ment Of our citizens
Let the Richmond Enquirer reflect but for mo
ment on this high-handed act, and then read th
above extract from Gov. Vance's message, and h,
will see for himself the difference between Con,er
satiues and Destructiues.
We learn also that an agent of the Confederate
government has seized quantity Of iron belonging
to the Wilmington And Rutherford Railroad tn h.