Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-05-01
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as we have uniformly held and announced IN the
Standard The Richmond Enquirer, the Official
paper replied to this article in its issue of the 18th
of April, and we make the following extracts from
that reply. Speaking of the abuse of the power of
suspendng ha6eas corpus, the Enquirer says:
"Weil we do allege that President Davis would
not abuse the power-because he has not hitherto
abused it, and because he is just man and good
Confederate. We have nothing Isdo with the plea
of the Aboltonists. That Pis9is false, II you Ike;
Lincoln does abuse his power; and whether ne does
or not is nothing to US What we maintain is that
the plea. in our case and with our President, is
true plea not false one. Bnt 1--WE have no right
TO be out of prison. it seems, if give the Presi
dent power to lock US in Now We have right to
give that President that power, when we choose IT.
and continue it as long We shall judge It needful,
and withdraw it when we think proper. Such a
measure may be, and is said to be, necessary attr'
butte of the Executive IN crisis like the present. 10
enable us effectuay to bride traitors ana TO-
ries at home while we fight the invading hosts from
abroad. 1t is essential to the etfectualy carrying
on the war
But 4hy should we carry on the war at all, then,
says the Nercury-" Suppose the Confederate States
conquered by the United States will there be any
worse form of government over us? 1t is just to
avoid such government that We are fighting"
We thought otherwise. There was no suspension
of ha6eas corpus at the North when South Carolina
seeded, neither was there any danger of that. We
Thought we were fighting to resist the invasion of
a foreign enemy, and for that only. We thought
it was cut off forever all connection with alien
and despsed Of people and thereafter to govern
ourselves here as independent and sovereign Con-
federate nations
To attain this great end of our struggle, we do
avow that we would willingly vest in the President
(for and during the war; not the power Of suspend
ing the habeaS corpus only, but the pOpGrs Of LIFE
013 HsIJb 0ISo 5rjfb
One journal, indeed, had already suggested that
there might be question whether is better to live
under our own President, Mr.. Davis, or our enc
mics President, Mr.. Lincoln; but no man expected
to see this alternative weighed so impartiay in the
Charleston -UercWy. For our part We are not I'M
partial at all; We care not who knows tive prefer
President Davis"
70 which the Mercury, in its issue of the 2Ist
replied as follows:
"The Enquirer defends the bill now pending in
Congress, proposing to vest in the President the
power to suspend, whenever he peaseS, the writ Of
ha6eGS corpus first, on the ground that this has
been done before By another Congress-"
Here is most striking proof of the danger of sc.
crst sessions in Congress Our readers are aware OF
our repeated remonstrances against this policy, as
dangerous to the liberties Of the people. 1t takes
froE the people that responsibility of their repre-
sentatives to them which is essential to their self
protection and selfgoyernment, and al the same
from the Executive, dangerous to their fidelity
and independence. Here was law passed, making
the President of the Confederate States despot over
the personal liberty Of every man in the Confedera
cy-yet how many men in the Confederacy out of
Richmond were aware that such law was passed
Who proposed it-wh 20 supported it-who voted for
lido the people know? For ourselves, wefrankly
confess our absolute ignorance that any such law
had been either proposed paSSedin Congress; ard
we beg leave now to cast ourselves the good off,
ces of the Enquirer to lay before the country all
the legislative proceedings which took place in Con-
gress on the passage Of this abomnable and despotc
measure. Was it passed sub silentiO, were the
ayes and nays doGged? Let US have them
We deny that such power ought to be conferred
upon the President for day-for an hour. A
despot.sm is despotism; and coeval with its exist
snee is the overthrow of the liberties of the peo-
pie We say with Cato in the tragedy
"a dsy-an hour of virtuous liberty
Is worth whole eternity of bondage"
The liberties of people cannot be laid down and
be taken up again to suit temporary emergencies
II is delicate plant usually Tatered by blood and
tears and grows and fourishes only under the con-
tinual watchfuness and guardianship of the people
The voice Of an history through the vista Of ages
proclai1ns that once surrendered by people, it is
gone forever. DespotiSm knows this i; and there
fore, usually at first seeks authority only temper
arily. Virgil, in his Georges, recommends as the
first expedient to tame the bullock to the yoke to
put garland around his neck.
In the Revolution of l776 there were ten traitors
or tories to one now existing in threef ourths of
the Confederate States. In South Carolina, which
was nearly equally divided between the Wings and
Tories in the Revolution of 1776 We cannot learn
of single adherent to the Yankee cause. When
the town of Beaufort and the adjacent Islands fell
under their control, they acquired one drunken
IInkee a subject. Could our fathers fight
through seven years war, amidst ten tines greater
odds and divisions than those which now attend the
nin 70 NTif,a, L
o0rpuS act, apdshal submit to its being stricken
III Tn before our war is two years old? Is the
Equirer sure that its suspension is desired by the
Government from any reference to the enemies of
the Contederacy? If it was desired for any such
OBJECT why was it not used against them when the
power was conferred? We want no despotism in
the person Of President Dayisl
We beg our readers 20 turn back little with us
to the past. The war had not been six months in
operation before martial law was declared in Rich.
mond and Generals in command of our armies were
authorized to establish it over whole States The
iron heel Of military authority was put upon the
Contederacy, with the humiliation of all law and
civil authority. An appeal was made TO the LEGAL
tribunals of a State of the Confederacy, and The
PROCLAMATION OF the President establishing martial
law, was declared to be unconstitutional and void
Inc President did not attempt to enforce the Pro
clamation; and the House of Representatives in
congress mas just passed joint resolution declaring
that Martial law, in the sense of An arbitrary sus
pension OF all the laws and civil Jurisdiction can
not exist within the Confederate States nor in
Tense, only by virtue of legislative authority"
Here deSpotiSrn over persons was attempted to
De established. A despotism Ooer property was
likewise attempted to be enforced The Govern
,sIpent' during the whole of last summer, made nc
'snorts to 'eaothe the army by importations from
ABROAD nor you'd it make any adequate arrange
ssaents fteTdeesing the army The fall, when the
crops Of grain we're gathered, was the proper time
lOr buying AHG gathering together the food neces
ssry i9r us support In spite of warnings and
Responsiveness. she army was fed from hand II
mouth, until the'sEsvitable result of such system
the starvation of the army-came upon the coun
SFy' Aken the ezigeney was pleaded to Justify
'oesPotc authority. The Government seized the
the seizure. The .legas tribunals of State aeaiT