Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-03-19

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vigilance. TIE purpose Of tba open enemy il
Fsssa and known; he sssks to overthrow i.
force; but tboss who would gradually ini1s
poison into the political system, whether design
edly OF nos, By which it is perverted from is
1 purposes but to encounter ultimate distinction
sgs shs ssPpers and miners against whom th
people should direct their energy and exert thei
jealousy, for It is by such foes thst their lbsTie
are nost frequentIy undermined.
When public agents abuse thsir authority
their scts should not be permitted to pass in 81
Ieuee and beeome settled as safe pgeeedentss 81
the voice Of 4ie people should be Immediately
raised against them, and the most speedy an,
svdlsble means should be employed either t.
check -or to remove the evil The balles-bo1 j
often too slow remedy the mischief Basy b,
perpetrated before ths remedy can be applied
Besides, the voice Of diseppTobation should Oh
tain equsl noloriety with the act cQmpiatned Of
In such e.sss, the koms guard Of the people, tae
pubic press, should sound the alarmi it should
use its power as a bride to curb unTuly
stae5s with" Il is the press which impart.
utility and vitality 10 the ballotbox; it is The
source Of Eight which enables the people to ex
ercise the liberty Of the elective franchise vel
and wisely hencs the liberty Of the press is
protected By the Constitution.
We hope it viii not ba deemed arrogant in us
to say tlAst VS. have heretofore honestly endeav-
ored to obey the dictates Of duty in raising q
warning voice against abuses Of sufhoritYi and
now more thsa ever DOVE feel that duty. press
ing on us. Evils. Of a dangerous character do
exist, and seem to be increasing to al alarming
extent on a forbesring people, and it is time
they should begin to apply the remidies as far
as may be in their power; they are now in The
incipisnt stage of despotsm. The history Of
these times will be wTistsa aod studied, and en-
estimate Of the eharaels of tie actors in his
great drama will be formed from the record OF
their deeds. II usurpations and infraetions Of
constitutional liberty are Co Be handed down to
future gsue1ad0ns, let them not carry along
with them the reproach that the PsoPls tsmaly
submitted to them; let them not 90 down with
out solemn remonshauces, bat LET them 60
branded with the dissPprobA.ion Of public SEN
dmeDt, which shall show that the BODY Of the
people ct least had just appreciation Of civil
liberty This is no less important to the pres
ent generation. The youag men who are so
gallantly fighting our battles are now receiving
their first lesson5-shey arc now being educated
in political liberty, and this is the time to fix IN
their minds The true theory Of the government
f5r which they are fighting, SO that they may be
the better prepared when It's administration shall
ds7olVe upon them.
In view Of what seems to be an imperative
duty at the present time, we propose TO devote
few articles, as cur leisure may permit, to the
many e1cesses OF abuses Of power, both civil
and military, which are being daily forced upon
oar attention We shall not cal in question
the motives of any one. bat errors are none the
kss pernicious because Of the absence Of vicious
motives. Nor shall we spare any fOr favor or
affection.
Having devoted some attention and inquiry
to the subject, end having alTeady alluded to it,
we shall begin with Nr. BARKsDAJE's bin to
authorize the President to suspend the writ Of
habaas corpus, This bin proposes to invest the
President with power TO suspend the writ at his
discretion. whenever he shall deem the emer-
gsney such as to require 1t. Mr. BARKsDALE
10 doubt thought this was a measure Of good
policy, and be no doubt also thought that Con-
gress had the power which he proposed to exe.
else. We, however, deny the good policy oi
4as slessuro, zad NEST emPbaticaliy deny thet
Congress has the power to elothe the President
with authority 10 suspend the writ Of habeas
corpus. We deny that Congress can employ
agents to decide on the e1pedisney of public
measures.
| Tt unaeeessaTy in this enlightened age tc
enlarge upon the history OF the value Of thii
writ Of freedom, without which tie ciaizen he's
no security sgaiast arbitrary Imprisonment, an(
wi.hout which no government can be said Il
1 farhis6 protection to RersoPsl liberty. We al
know that this writ is the only process BY whict
/ the citizen may be relieved fron uRiust and iile
Gal ffopusonneht ssila but for this wit inno
cent persons might be iRcsTcelsted for an indef
mite tims without evea well founsed suspicion
Of crime Aud we know, toe, that the susps1
sion Of shis writ places every good citizen q
ffhs mercy Of yindieiive, malicious enemies
offers an fndCeemeut % perjury and to false SC
cusa.lons. The passage Of such bill wOuldsb
bat another form Of announcing q desire t
make illegal arrests and 10 imprison at pleasure
for the hsbess corpus does nothing more thai
TssiisSse msn from unlsWful imprisonment
I does not scqlit them Of well founded chaTg
Of crime
a fow words viii suffice Is to the policy {
i such a law as thst proposed. An extreme mes
BuIes, whether they .enanste from civil or mil
tayy authority. are . repToach to our cause an
to The character OF or Psoplei they are stigm
on soldiers spd eieaens. They ere prodncin
pFeiadices among ourselves againsa 8be. gayarl
Hnentysend especially against It's administrator
: The remark is alresdy but too common that Vi
are living under . daspotisn. and between dsi
: potistns there is but little ehoics. And VIII
coaclasion viii the psopia Of the uaitsd State
and those Of foreign nations draw from tie pa
saQe Of snch alsw Most clearly they vi
concldds taat there is gFsas dssatistacti5l IN Il
{ ssuth-that sueng expedition exists 10 o.
esuse and to the further prosecution of the wa
Thatjs precisely The inference We draw frc
the passage sf similar law By the Unih
! States Congress Hence, i woald result in