The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1863-01-23

h,re thus ~ fsHti3o accealpiish Ny the s-il-
u tit lry.us o tn aeld. simply lssny
Ias-rs a. 80 l.lIiah fia ar7 sEapd vijosi, ne
solsu.siiui - s..s soain. There is noi nn inicl-
H-eut man Ia The world who has watched ihc pro-
sTess u this var who does not know that lhis
eoudscsilou scheme j. the only remaining hope
u saaainng tic credit ofthe LATED States gov
cgameni. sri TN hops Eust iprreasc oFiimnish
~ rssfi vl,Priion 10 her sucsesfcs rseveFscsin
, lhc bed.
Then, "a, view q this fact, y TAI L oui policy?
We Should II not already SO, become united. We
should lsy Down all fnrme5 Political differences
/ and work together. remembering that 40 that
came in NJ the eleventh. hour received the same
wages az they who had berne the beat and bur-
iLer Of the DAY. We SHOULD use our surplus
means and our Influence 10 clothe and support
cur armies aud 10 supply our hospitals. Our com
manders shouC sec that all our noveable prop
erty aud provisions upon the lines Of defence are
thrown back towards the interior, that they may
not fall into the hands Of the enemy. They
should not hazard doubtful eng gements, hut
rather retreat until their chances Of success be-
come probable, aud then they should fall upon
the enemy like an avalanche, determined 20 con-
quer or die. In this way We WIN worry aud con-
quer them by whipping and demoraizing their
mics, and by destroying their credit.
But il nay be assed il our Confederate currcn-
cy may not be subject TO like depreciation? |
answer, no. In the first place, the South owes no
debt abroad, 81 our Indebtedness is amoung our
selves. In the second place, our debt will but lit
tie, If any. exceed half the amount Of the debt Of
the North. And thirdly, the South has four
great staples: Tobacco, Rice Sugar and Cotton
neither Of which can 5e grogn in the North
Thee articles always have, and always will, com
mand in foreign markets fine price, and that
in gold. From the statistics Of 1860, it will be
seen that the exports u the United States
amounted to four hundred million dollars. OF
this amount two hundred and eighty millions
was from the south-Dearl- three iourths the
total amount. Thus, you see, we have the means
y ftdeem our issues, which can do without
cven feelfug burthened with the debt There
fore every bill issued upon the faith and credit
Of the confederacy is bound to 60 at par, aud be
who refuses TO take Confederate notes or bonds
as good, although he may not intend it, makes
direct thrust at our independence.
But, fcow-citizens, in passing through great
revolution like this, are there no abuses to guard
against? Should we not look with yigilant eye
to the signs of the times, least We should DRIFT in
to a military despotism? The great object Of hui
man government, If | understand it, is TO protect
its citizens in their personal and property rights
Then the protection aud enjoyment OF these rights
being the grand object for which government is
Instituted, so long as ttey are respected the gov
ernment should remain free from revolution. 1t
is only when the government fails to protect us
IN these rights that revolution becomes usiiiiable
We are then, at liberty, according to the Aecla
ration Of our fathers, TO throw off such govern
ment aud set up another Instead, that will most
likely oonduce to the ends proposed If it was
not to protect the South in the rights of proper
~ in slaves, there is not a man living that can
tell why the whole country is to day tented hcld
and what this great revolution is Tor Now, the
object Of revelation is, not 10 make bad worse,
but 10 mike things aettor. Then, should we so
fur.Tlrgct ourselves, US to leap over the lunda-
neotal principles of our government aud submit
20 military ufurpalion, suce one step is seucral-s
~ followed 10y another who can tell The place of
our nndina2 I. ! understand the genius of our
government il has fixed two arms TO our law, tee
ore is civil and the other is military aud the mil
itary law is subordinate to The civil, The civil
Law is made for all citizens or subjects, and is
ample in all times Of peaco-and Gould We get
along without war, military law would be uso
less. But as we have to prepare for war, mill
tary law becomes a necessity. Then, / under
stand that the civil law IS still the law for the
government Of all our citizens. while the military
law is for the government Of the army; and | can
call 10 mind nj present but one single case in &c
spcct 10 citizens in which the civil authority will
yield to military jurisdiction, aud that is in case
of spies.
Thea, if there was no such thing among us as
that which is called martial law, my mind would
be clear as to my duties and my liabilities. But
| must confess that | am here thrown into the
dark. ] remember when | was quite boy that
it was said that General jackson declared maTtials.
law in the city Of New Orleans--that the people
IN. 3 D. & ,t..t. -
bat after tie war was over, in order 70 yindcato
the.uS esy aud dignity of the civil las that The
juaieiG authorities fined the General one thou 1
sand dollars have held il rs granted ever
since tina! martial law was Illegal II any one
will convince ne tina; martial lGAH is legal today
viii acknowledge myself enli ghteued. Then, .
if il is not 10 what eX ont may il be carried out
before II becomes dangerous to the liberties OF
the people, In times gone by, before this reyo
luton, when committed an offence i'll thought |
it pretty bad case, first of all / took to my
heels, but should | perchance to be oyertaken by |
the sheriff, | was allowed to know the charges /
preferred against me, permitted 10 procure council [
aud Titne SEES, then if found guilty aud bound to |
court, in fault of bail, was committed to prison
in my own county where the offence was commit W
ted, to await trial according to the form Of law
and by jury Of my county. Under martial .
law a man may be committed to prison without .
even knowing what charges are preferred against
him, and who knows TO what prison or head
quarters be is to be sent, and to what sort of tri-
bunal his case is TO be referred and after all .
should his case turn out TO be a small affair, not
worthy Of bonds or punishment, who is to repair
the injury done to his health or character, and .
who is to pay back the money which he bad to
spend to the lawyers who strutted about TO fill
their pockets from such cases? Iprcsume no one
viii contend that the civil authorities have cog
nizance Of the causes of our soldiery who are of
in the Amy. Then, if they have not cognizance
of the causes Of citizens, why exempt the three
great departments Of government from the con-
scription, why exempt the legislative, the judi
ca and the executive officers, amounting in the
Confederate Government from seventy to one
hundred thousand men, if martial law has sup
planted the civil, and Is to predominant? | have
lad thepleasure to shake the hand Of President
Davis and to look him in the face, and ] ac-
with great satisfaction that have
nothing TO fear from that great and good man,
and have evidences to satisfy my mind that
he great statesman and pure hearted patriot
Stephens, our Vice President, will never abuse
The Liberties Of THIS Coulcdoracy. But who knows
n yhat time and in what military parsonage a
Cesar, Cromwcll,or may say aBonaparte, may
arise during this royOutioh2 In what condition
viii we be- found to meet m emergency of this
Kind? The country already under martial law
AXE from us then the right Of speech, and de-
.troy the freedom OF the press, and all that would
remain iorus to do would he to stand up, cross
our arms and have the scrvile chains of dcspo-
inns riyotcd upon US, Now, lellowcitizcns, il The
sulortics under tlis system Of martial law have
he right IL take one species Of our property, they
ave rr4rnbtediy tfr right to take any other
II they can take my hog hey can take my horse;
md Il they can take these, they can take my
,read and moat--in short, they can take my ali.
wdl never believe It until | see it in print that
be government of this Coniedcrncy will tolerate
his system Of mpressment without the existence ,
If great necessity, and then not without yaying
or hc article at its market value. What (. the
'hloct Of these officers in pressing the stock or