Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-01-30
REMARKS OF MIR. GRAHAM,
OF ORANGE,

Governor with the accompanying uOCuHenGS =
Mr. Graham said, he desired to offer few re-
marks on that portion of the message which per-
tanned to the arrest abduction from the State ana
subsequent surrender on the demand ordered by
the Legislature, of K. j. Graves, of Orange County
Sir, said Mr. G., when had the honor to address
the Senate the adoption of the resolution direct
ing the demand to be made, REMARKED, that could
not believe proceeding so voatiVe of the rights OF
the citizen, SO contemptuous. of the dignity and
sovereign authority of the State the seizure and
deportation of Mr.. Graves, could have been sane
toned by the approval of the President or the head
of the War Department. Without reference to the
question Of guilt innocence, citizen of North
Carolina not subject to the articles of war, can be
deprived of his liberty-much less transported be-
yond her limits for accusation and trial in foreign
jurisdiction, without a warrant issued by her au-
thority, upon the affidavit of prosecutor who thus
renders himself liable for false malicious charge,
according to the old and manlyspirt of the common
law.
am gratifed to learn from the letter of the Sec
retary that my supposition was correct that neith
er the President nor himself had knowledge of the
proceeding in question, until he informed of the
confinement of Mr. Graves in a military prison in
Richmond. 1t is matter of still higher gratifca-
ton that the Secretary frankly admits the
nature of this arrest and imprisonment-say mis-
take was committed-returns the prisoner and dis
claims all intention to interfere with the rghtful i-
rsdiction of the State. Such sentiments -evince
becoming respect for State authority and an en-
ghteEed comprehension of the relations between the
Confederate government and the States are alike
credltaole to the head of the department and the
government which he represents and at the same
time justify the promptnesS and decision Of the Gen.
eral Assembly in requiring the wrong done to the
violated sovereignty of the State be corrected and
the citizen to be restored to the condition in which
ne was before the injury to him was perpetrated.
L regret that the communication of the Secretary
no DofM NJ
to North-Carolina, he was, by her Executive sent
before one of the Judges of the State for an exami
nation of his case which has not yet been disposed
Of and as it is to be the subject ofjudcia inquiry
every thing which tends to PREJUDICE him, or fore
stall public opinion in relation to his conduct is
unjust to him, and in circumstances where the law
can exercise control, is illegal The Secretary, in
paation or excuse of the conduct of the officers ma
king the arrest which confeSsedly admits of no
justification, has gone into a recital of what he is
advised is the evidence against the prisoner. Hav-
ing been retained by the congregation of Mr. Graves
as his counsel in the pending judicial investigation,
although refused TO occupy this relation, until his
person was returned to the rghtfu jurisdiction of
the courts of justice, have been somewhat reuc-
tant to speak of his here lest it might be sup
posed to be done with the bias of an advocate But
lee that 1t becomes some one, in this public place.
to correc: at once certain erroneous Impressions
which may be made by portions of this supposed
prejudice they may engender; and that it would be
criminal delinquency in the Senator representing
the district of which Mr.. Graves is resident and of
which his congregation among the most intelli-
gent and respectable Inhabitants if he failed to see
this duty performed. The course of a portion of
the public press also, in remarking upon this case
of which, believe has gone so far as to express
its regret that the Confederate authority yielded to
the just demand OF the Legislature, requiring his
return-renders this duty still more imperative
In the foreground of every narrative of the case,
including the statement of the Secretary Of Var
the authorship BY Mr. Graves Of an article PUBLISH
ed in the Richmond Enquirer early in November
last This is the head and front of his ofense; and
presume it may be taken for granted, that if this
publication had not been made Mr.. Graves would
not have been arrested. Now sir, how is he mOe
guilty in that regard, so far this article is con
ceIned, than the publishers of that paper friend
of mine, regular reader of the paper, informs me
that the publication was accompanied by editorial
comments complimentary or thankful to the author
for the communication. In libels whether reflect
ing on personal character, calculated to excite
sedtion, the publisher is guilty as the author;
and for the obvious reason that the seditious or if
you please reasonable matter, was harmless until
its diffusion by publication.
Why, then, were not the publishers of that paper
dealt with by arrest and imprisonment as Graves
was? | sHppose it was, that from personal &C
quaintance or inquiry, the military police officers
no disloyal intention in making the publication.
like charity towards the author, and Just re-
Spect for the civil rights of the Citizen might have
discovered that he was innocent as the publish
ers. If any pains had been taken to inquire into
the affair, and information had been sought from
respectable in North Carolina the evidence
would have turned out to be quito satisfactory
Sir, it happens, that third party has interviewed
in this business. Mr. William j. Bingham, gen.
tleman as eminent for truth, virtue, and jealous
patriotism, as for a scholarship which attracts to
him pupils from more than. half the States of the
Confederacy-n whose neighborhood society and
employment as pastor Mr.. Graves has resided for
the last three or four years; this gentleman, ma
tive of the State who, for more than the third of
century has kept up Seminary, which has been
to North Carolina and large part of the Southern
States what Elton or Westminster has been to Eng
land-the place where those framed for useful and
honorable emplOyHentS, received the first rudi-
ments of their education, has deemed it his duty,
an act of justice to Mr.. Graves to publish com
municaton in the Central Presbyterian, a newSpa-
per printed in Richmond which have read, ard
regret that have it now before me- to read to the
Senate, in which he states in substance, thai this
famous article in the Richmond ERQuirer had its
origin in this wise: From the conversation of Mr.
Graves after his return from the North, as to the
preparations being made by the enemy for the pro
ecution of the war, and the apparent determination
in that country to carry it on, Mr.. Bingham was
impressed with the opinion that the South was not
sufficiently aroused to a sense of its danger, and
prevailed on Mr.. Graves to prepare this article for
publication, in order to induce greater activity and
energy in preparations on part-that it was
accordingly written. Mr.. Bingham received it from
Mr.. Graves, committed it to the post Office, adj
dressed to the Richmond Enquirer, and paid the
postage; and in his own language, he stakes all
the responsibility for the arcle'' Aid take the
liberty to say, that any one who shall seriously
question the character of William j. Bingham for
truth patriotism, will forfeit his own, among
those who know both parties
Now, Sir, is it not calculated to excite us to
laughter, that an article prepared under such cir.
cumstances, and with such motives published with
out dsapprobation, but as L before said, am in
formed, with complimentary notice Of the author in
the Richmond Enquirer, supposed by many to be
the organ Of the administration, should be made
the ground of accusation of treason or espionage
and cause the author to be seized and hurried off to