Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-04-01
Execution, of the co..c,,n. 1.,v.

We learn that the enrolling officers in this State
have not only been forcing into the ranks stsgedr
vers mail contractors and postmasters, but tt the
probability is they will attempt to take constabes,
justices of the peace, and militia officers.
10 force stage drivers, mail contractors, and post
masters into the army is 70 inlict serious blow
upon the postal service, by which the people will
be deprived to no small extent of newspapers and
OF the privilege of hearing from their friends p the
army; but these officers are in the service Of the
Confederate government and great as may be the
injury which will result from conscrptng thefn We
do not see that the State authorities have any pow
er to prevent it. But it is different as to constabes
justices of the peace and militia officers Constabes
and justices are the conservatofs of the peace. r.
is their duty to protect thswesk sssinst tbs sspns
the honest against the dishonest and1te see that
the law is observed. The militia officers remain
only as monuments Of the fact that we once had
militia organization The great body of the militia
has already been conscribed, and the Confederate
Constitution, which guarantees to fle States "a
well regulated militia" is in that RESPECT nulli6ed
and disregarded. To order the militia officers into
the ranks as conscrpts would be to sweep away the
iass VeSlge OF the militia system.
But these officers are not only useful and highly
important to society, but they are State officers
Without them, society would be disorganized, and
the State itself would be dependent the central
government for the maintenance Of ordinary police
regulations. Can the common government, which
is the creature Of the States do any act the result
of which will be to break up the governments of the
Ckoto, ~ - ~
administration of their domestic affairs, dependent
on that government?
But there is another and an important view of
this matter. 1t was thought that after exempting
all the officers above named the people of the State
would barely be able to raise supply of provisions
for the next year. If however, they should all be
cohscribed up to forty years Of age not less than
.e thousand aborers and producers in various ways
will have been forced from u.s. and that too at the
very time when they are pitching their crops. The
arrangements which they have made for crops will,
as general rule, come to nothing. Two or three
thousand more farms will lie comparatively idle,
yielding no increase for subsistence beyond what
may be necessary for those who may be left upon
them.
1t is probable that we have more magistrates and
militia officers than are necessary. There are many
OF them, it is true who ought to be in the war; but
it would be difficult to discriminate and say who
should and who should not 60; and if one Of them
is permitted to be conscrbed the principle is yield
ed as t, all.
1t seems to be the dissemination of the adssaniss
traton at Richmond to take the last man from North
Carolina. We should be better reconciled to this,
if We had reason to believe that the law enforced
with the same rlgor in other States.
We repeat, there is great principle involved in
this matter In the first place, our people are
titled to know, if such be the fact that the judicial
and executive Officers of the other States are in
cuded in the conscription; and in the second place.
to deprive the State of these officers is to that
tent to dissolve the State government and to render
the States dependent on the government at Rich
mond as the Counties are on them. We have reason
to believe that Gov. Vance has the subject under
consideration. We trust he will take his stand
firmly and finally in opposition to measure, the
result of which must be, not only to drain the State
Of thousands of fighting men in addition to those
already in the fcld without whose presence and
services society may be disorganized and our.crops
still more seriously diminished, but TO render the
States still subservient to their creature, the
cotpmon government. This is practical question
Of State rights and should be decided accordingly
The suggestion that we must ignore the rights of
the States and concentrate all power in the common
government until the revolution is accomplished is
alike unsouud and dangerous. The revolution COM
menced by separate State action and the States are
contending for individual as we'll as national ex.
istence If in the progress Of the revolution, they
should consent to part with their sovereignty and
to PROSTATE themselves at the feet of power crea.
ted by themselves, they will find themselves in the
end mere blanks in the SYSTEM and the great object
they had in view defeated. Power once conceded
or usurped is never regained without struggle. =
The House of Representatives at Richmond is still
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