Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-04-14
From the Charleston hercury.l


Tbs p;oh-,ood E,o,tircr very properly denounces
the Government of the United States as despotts"
WeiI-vbat constitutes despotsm One thing,
and one thing alone-the suspension Of the foTtt "
hGbeas corpUs By the suspension OF the WRIT Presi
dent Lincoln arrest and cast into prison any ct
zen he pleases, aud there is no power by which the
citizen can be released but his arbitrary will This
power makes President Lincoln despot and his
government desporism. Yet, strange TO say, the
Enquirer supports the proposition that the Congress
of the Confederate States should pass exactiy such
measure over the people OF the Confederate states
President Davis to be empowered to suspend the
ha6eas corps act aud, like President Lincoln, TO
arrest and imprison whom he peases, in the Con
federate States without any ame1abty or restraint
from the Courts Of the land Does rot the Enqulrer
support the establishment of despotism ia the
Confederate States, exactly similar to that II osnoun
ces in the United Statesg
But the Enquirer alleges that President Davis
will not abusethe power if conferred upon him, by
a law making him deSpot This Is exactly the
plea of the abotion.ts of the United States, is max
ing Lincoln despot. 1t is ever the plea used IN
the establishment of all despOtSms. Admit The
statement, however, to be true-the goCeIHn'ehC -
seuerthee&s deSp1tiSn The right Of personal lib
erty is gone We have no right to be out Of prison
ic the President chooses shall be in it. Suppose
the Confederate States are conquered by the Unted
States, will there be any worse form o. government
over US Can there be any worse. in its Prlnci-
itaevitzbv results political ruin, slavery ana
death, that we are now fighting
But the Enquirer argues That there are districts
of diSaffected country where the suspension 81 the
writ of hGbeas corpus ought TO prevail Admit thiS
to be true for arguments sake-what then Shali
the writ be suspended throughout the Confederacy
where diSa(fsction does not prevail! TO give any
effect IS the argument let the suspension be lml
ted 6y Ter to the districts diSatectcd To 60 fur
Their is using the disafaction in 4 small part OF the
Confederacy to extend deSpot:Sm over the whole.
The Enquirer further says, in defence OF this mea
sure, that the power to impriSon, and to keep IN
prison. will only extend to State prISonCrs-ohly 10
prisoners incarcerate& by the Ersctirs Of the Con
tedfrate States! Why-it is only for the oeneAt
Of such prisoners that the writ of hL5saS corpvs is
buwark Of liberty. Who are those in whose be-
half Lincoln has dcicd and annued the writ OF hd-
/ Ecas corpus on the other side Of the Potomac =
| State prisoners, aud State prisoners only They
consist of those who have dared to speak or to write
in defence OF their constitutional rights against the
military despotSrn set up over them Those by
| thousands ill his dungeons and baStileS.
! But President Davis in the opinion Of the En-
! quirsr, can be safely entrusted with Such power
over cur persons and liberties. If President Davis
were second Washington, OF an angel upon earth,
! the degradation such surrender OF our rights lm-
plies, would still be abhorrent to every freeman-
Those are fit to be slaves who Voluntarily seek a
! master. If we are TO have deSpOtsm over us, let
it be the result of force. Let the country be con
quered, and all the freeIucn in the land be slain OF
driven into exile Then, and not until then, let a
! despot rule, with the arbitrary power of casting
whom he pleases into dungeons, and Of reigning
over US, LORD paramount by his will
Never, since the foundation of the world, have
any people, we believe. been more faithful TO the
great Of civil and political liberty tor which
they contending, or more strenuous in support
of the government they have established to achieve
it, than the people of the Confederate States. Ant
nov they are told that they must surrender thi'
glorious cause-not 10 victorious foes rendering
omnipotent Il monster OF viliany anu tyranny WHIT
rules in Washington-but to our own Executiv,
appointee in Richmond-our own P:esident-iT
loving trust-;n willing subserviency-in AFFECT
voluntary slavery,
/" Heaven stops the at it. and the moon wInks;
The bawdy wind, that kisses all it meris,
Is huShed Within the hollow mine Of earth,
And will not hear il"