Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-01-23

over under the rule.
The House resumed the consideration of the rev.
enue BILL and continued its consideration until the
House adjourned to 10 o'clock, Thursday morning
IFrem the Salisbury Watchman.l
Suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act in Sails
bury and for ten miles around.
In the good year of our Lord 12l5-sik hundred
and forty.eight years ago, the sturdy barons of
England sword in hand, at Runnymede, wreste1
from King John the Great Charter of liberty, which,
among other things declared THAT no freeman
shall be taken or imprisoned but by the lawful
Judgment of his equals or by the law of the land"
For ages struggling millions had groaned beneath the
heel of despOtism; but light began to break, the
tyrants tread was stayed when the baronS asserted
their inalienable rights, and embodied them in a
charter which venerated by the lovers of personal
and civil liberty the very corner stone upon which
the magnificent temple of freedom is erected. For
four hundred and thirteen years this charter was
the watchword of liberty, but 'Power is always
stealing from the many to tire few" and il became
necessary to reenact and for;ify the rights of the
English citizen. In 1923 the parliament demanded
and received from Charles | that celebrated law
known as the Petition Of Rights, in which the King
bound himself never again to raise money without
the consent of the Houses, never again to imprson
any person. except in due course of law, and never
again to subject his people to the jurisdiction Of
courts martial BY IL Car. l., c. IL "f any per-
son be restrained of his liberty by order decree
of acy illegal court or by command Of the Kings
ma eSty in person, by warrant of the council
board, ne shall upon demand Of his counsel hare a
,orit of habeds corpus bring his body before the
court Of Kings bench common pleas who shall
determine whether the cause of his commitment be
just and therefore do to justice shall appertain
But Charles violated this right of habeas corpus,
and the memorable EngShmen brOugh: his head 10
the block.
The common law of England (Gor the magma
charter is embodied in that law does not permit
the sovereign to suspend the hHbeas corpus act.
This reserved to the representatives Of the people
alone, in parliament assembled. 1.-The parliament
only authorize the crown, by Suspending the
ha6eas corpus Act for a short ant limited time, TO
imprSOn suspected persons without giving any
reason for so doing; the Senate Of Rome
wont to have recourse TO a dictator, magistrate
of absolute authority, when they Judged the repuS
lie in any imminent danger. In like manner this
experiment ought only to be tried in Of ex-
trene emergency" With such caution spoke Chief
Justice Blackstone. lie regarded it as an "exper-
ment" and nculcated its exercise only in cases Of
Imminent danger" and then only "lor short and
limited time"
The Confederate Constitution says "the priv
ege Of the writ Of habeas corpus shall not be sus
pended unless when in Of rebellion invasion
the public safety may require it." President Davis
has suspended this writ in Salisbury and for ten
miles around the town because Congress has given
him the power to do at his discretion. We do
not hesitate to say that the President has abused
power which has been recklesSly conferred and
wantonly exercised dctatorial, tyrannca and often
sive authority over loyal and inoffenSive people
We fear that erH cOunsClLOrS haze got the ear of
the President Men who commend themselves to
those in power by acting as panderers and pImps,
and who keep out Of battle by impugning the 10y
atty of men of more patriotism than themselves.
God-lace men, whose occupation-like that Of
Othelo's-would be gone if there were no political
prisoners to guard
/ say the power to suspend the Act was reck-
essly conferred in proof Of this let turn to the
debates in the Senate Of the Confederate Congress.
On the LIST Of October, 1862 in the debate on Mar
tial Law Provost MarshallS, &C, Mr.. SemmcS, Of
Louisiana read from the Articles of War 10 show
that they were framed exclusively for the govern
ment of persons in the Army OF the Confederate
States either officers or privateS except IN the
cases Of persons not residents OF the Confederate
States, who may be found lurking about our fortfi
cations And he took the ground that no citizen Of
the Confederate States, not member of the land
forces or of the militia in actual service, sub
ject either to martial military law; and cannot
be tried before military tribunal Ii a citizen has
committed any offence he must be tried before
civil tribunal He desired 10 say publicly that the
law authorizing the President 10 suspend the writ
of ha6eaS corpus was upon supposed sudden emer-
gency, passed In hdste, without ever having been
referred to the Judiciary Committee" Thus it is,
that an individual right of freemen is trhed with
and tramped upon by Confederate Congress.
But we assert also that the President has abused
his power There might be some excuse for the
exercise of such power in the city of Richmond,
when in a state of sege. There might have been
some excuse for it when Gen. Jackson defended Now
Orleans against the English, although our fathers
caused even him to bow to the majesty of the law,
when he was fined for his contempt to judicial
thority. But pray what excuse can be given for
insulting the loyalty Of the people of Rowan, as Mr..
Davis has done We assert that the rebellion or
INVASION spoken Of in the Constitution does not exist
in Rowan-no not in North Carolina. But there
is military prison in SalIsbury-yes, and there
was BaSte in France, and it is said that 81, 600
Letres dc cachek issued during what is termed
the mild reign of Cardinal Feury. Shall we wit
ness these sealed letters the arbitrary orders, pr
yately issued by monarch for the Imprisonment
OF any person. without concernY 1t was to coun-
teract such tyranny that the Constitution given
by our fathers declares that "in all criminal prose
cutons The accused shall enjoy the right to aSpeeGly
and public trial-be informed Of the nature and
cause of the accusaton-be confronted with the
witnesses against him compulsory process for OBJ
. tanning witnesses in his favor. and have the assis
lance of counsel for his defence" Can a citizen of
the State, be he guilty ordnnocent obtain speedy
trial when denied trial at all Can he obtain the
assistance of counsel when debarred any communi-
cation with any person except the keepers of the
Baste? 1t does seem the peaceful locality OF Sails
bury is of all others, the place where the inmates
of q prison could be taken out and examined, tried,
witnessed for and against, aud if found. guilty re-
manded TO prison. but If found innocent Sot at