Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-05-06
Oh Stau6arS*.
The Richmond Enqhirer and Charleston mer.
cs,v-.Snund Views Of the Mercury.

rie Richmond Fnqhirer and Charleston Mer-
cnry..Sound Views OF the mercury
We published few weeks since, an article on the
.usnens;on of ha5sas corpus from the Mercury, en-
bodv;ns lust and sound views on that subject such
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
suspending ha6aas corpus, the Enquirer says:
"Well 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 to do with the plea
of the Aboltionists That plea false, if you IKE
Lincoln does abuse his power; and whether ne aoes
or not is nothing to U.s. what we MAINTAIN - :n ~
true ulea not false one. Bnt 1--WE have no right
to be out of prison." it seems if we give the Presl
dent power to lock US in. Now we have araght to
rive that President that power, when we choose 1t,
and continue it as long as We shall judge it needful,
and withdraw it when we think proper. Such
measure may be- and is said to be- necessary attrl-
butte of the Executive IN crisis like the present. 10
enable us more efectually to bride traitors and TO-
ries at home while we fight the invading hosts from
abroad 1t is essential to the effectually carrying
on the war.
But why should we carry on the war at all, then,
eays tho Mercury-"S Suppose the Confederate States
conquered by the United States, will there be any
worse form of government over usf 1t IS just TO
avoid such government that We are fghting."'
We thought otherwise. There was no suspension
of Aa5eas 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
foreign enemy, and for that onty.. We thought
it was to cut off forever all connection with an alien
a despised race of people, and thereafter to govern
ourselves here as independent and sovereign Con-
federate nations.
10 attain this great end Of our struggle, we do
avow that we would willingly vest in the President
(or and during the war; not the power of suspend
ing the ha6eas corpus only. but the powers Of lye
AMI death also, Nth summary drum-head justice.
One journal, indeed, had already suggested that
there might be question whether it 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 mpartaly in the
Charleston Mercury For our part, we are not i'm
pal tal at all we care not who knows tive prefer
President Davis"
To which the Mercury, in its issue Of the 2lst
replied as follows:
"The Enquirer defends the bill now pending in
Congress, proposing to vest in the President the
power to suspend, whenever he pleases the writ of
ha6sas corpus first, on the ground that this "has
been done before By another Congress-"
Here is most striking proof of the danger of &C.
cret sessions in Congress Our readers aware of
repeated remonstrances against this policy, as
dangerous to the liberties of the people, 1t takes
from the people that responsibility Of their repre-
sentatives to them, which is essential to their self
protection and selsgovernment and q. the same
time exposes their representatives to secret in6u
from the Executive dangerous to their fidelity
and independence. Here was law passed. making
the President of the Confederate States despoto
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 itzwho supported it-who voted for
lido the people know? For ourselves, we frankly
confess our absolute ignorance that any such law
had Teen either proposedo passed in Congress- and
We beg leave now to cast ourselves on the good off.
ces Of the Enquirer to lay before the country all
the legislative proceedings which took place in Con-
grsss on the passage Of this abomnable and despotic
measure. Was it passed SUB silentio, or were the
ayes and nays lodged? Let US have them!
We deny that such power ought to be conferred
upon the President for day-for an hour. A
despotsn is despotism and coeval with its exist
ence is the overthrow Of the liberties of the peo-
pie Ne say with Cato in the tragedy
"a day-au hour of-virtuous liberty
Is worth whole eternity of bondage"
The liberties Of a people cannot be laid down and
he taken up again to suit temporary emergencies. -
II is delicate plant usually watered by blood ard
tears and grows and fourishes only under the con-
tinual watchfulness and guardianship of the people
The vice of an history, through the vista Of ages,
Procians that once surrendered by people, it is
gone forever. Despotism knows this and, there
fore, usually at first seeks authority only temper
arily. Virgil, in his Georges, recommends as the
first expedlent to tame the bullock to the yoke, to
put garland around his neck.
In tie Revolution of l776 there were ten traitors
or forks to one now existing in three fourths of
the Confederate States In South. Carolina which
was nearly equally divided between the Wigs and
Tories in the Revolution of 1776, we cannot learn
Of "a single adherent to the Yankee cause. When
the town OF Beaufort and the adjacent Islands fell
under their control, they acquired one drunken
Yankee as subject Could our fathers ffpht
thronga seven years war; amidst ten times preaier
ODDS ana divisions than those which now attend the
confederate cause, without suspending the habsn.
corpus act, andsha we submit to its being stricken
down before our war is two years old2 Ia the
enquirer sure that its suspension is desired nv the
Government from any reference to fbe enemies ~
inc. Coniederacy? If it was. desired for anv snch
o")ec'' why was it not used against them when tho
power was conferred9 We want no despotism in
the person of President Davisl .' ~
we Deg our readers 70 turn back little with no
to the past The war had not been six months H n
operation before martial law was declared in Rich.
mond, and Generals in command Of orr or,;as
authorized to establish it over whole States T The
iron sel Of military authority was put upon the
Coi -aeracy with the humiliation Of all law and
eNh a1tnorlty. An appeal was made tn the ,sa.1
tribunals Of State Of the Cenfederacy and 's fba
rrocamaton Of the President establishing marti.I
Tbs pss declared to be unconstitutional and void
Inc PRESIDENT did not attempt to enforce the Pro
c!amstlon and the House of Representative TO ~
n th", passed joint resolution declaring
Of al is a in the sense s arbitrary
not exist within the Confederate States nop can
~ only ey virtue Of legislative authority t any
be sstaSshaed '1sr pson' was attempted to
Likewise attempted to be enforced rha was
rt' curing 4o the whole of last summer made no
sssd 70 De olosn theft the army by mporations from
sats for feeding shc armv The I'm, an Ihssa"ge