Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-04-21
EVENING EDITION,
ATLANT a. GA
THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL al, 1864


n bs. lseislators are bat the agents Of the pee
,,s .n5 their acts are those of their eonstitu-
e1cies. The suthorisy to make laws belongs 20
sbs mas, snd for the sake of convenience alone
do tbsv delegate It to their servants The peo-
pls Affected BY the operation of such laws as
nav be enacted, are in point Of ises The law
v,,kars themselves, and every obligation Gre
sssd. burden imposed, or duty marked out, by
the representatives of the people, By Congress,
are In reality enly assumptions Of such obigs-
tious. burdens aad duties by The people them
selves. To hold an OpiRiOn differing from this
would be assuming thst BY the forms gene
through with in an election, the man elected Is
made the master Of those who delegated the
power TO act for them, instead Of the servant-a
csnciuEson no free people viii ever allow prae-
sicsliy 70 obtain
We can however, see that thus far N the
history Of the legislation Of the country,
departure FROM the general prineiPls announced
las grown up We Eliude to the practices CT
Congress holding secret sessions fer the purpose
of putting laws into form This secret ides IN
our Government originated in the constitutional
convention, the proceedings of which to this
dsy, are a. 4 sealed book to those interested IL
the result of the deliberations. There was pre-
esdent for this, il Is true, but that hss not and
VII not. remove the doubts IS to is proPEiety
or necessity that exist IN the minds Of many
Bat the prsetice which hss grown up, Of Con
zrsss thus eIoaking its seton until It's measures
be they frsught with good or evil, hss no
apology the veil Of secTssy so continually
hung I'd between the public and the pubic's
servants, is an unnecessary sPpendage. It may
have been urudsnt for the constitutional con
Tantion to 30 arrange that its deliberations might
Be undisturbed, but we can conceive no valid
excuse can be urged why the practice should be
psrpsfzassd, and the prseaution Of sscresy be-
kept over our congressional proceedings to this
dsy.
Secrecy N Congress may be defended as
proper. 90 tar Es considering reports and recon-
msndAfons from ths War or Navy Departments
are concerned. Plans Of conducting 3 cam.
Paign, OF for goTsEning our navy, or statements
as to movements in progress or preparations
beng msds, may have to be kspt hom the
kzOElsdge Of our own people, in order to keep
them from like publicity to the enemy, and
that lsgdlators should have full and perfsct
knowlsdgs Of al these plans, and know the
reasons that infaencs the ExscutiEs and his con
stitational advisors to recommend certain line
Of policy, viii be admitted. Congress may with
grssi propristy obtain al the information
necessary te secure intelligent action, with
closed dcoEs but beyond this there is no excuse
for seerssy-on the contrary every reason Why
the practice should net prevail
But little has thus far been said By the press
oa this subject, and up to the present time tie
evil we complain Of has been quietly scquiesced
in By the people. A few journals, however,
hsve from time to time protested urgently against
the practice, and in his late message Governor
BROwS very oppOrtunely denounced it. TIE
Congress which had Just adjourned, had sud
denly withdrawn the veil from series Of mess-
ures perfected into laws, al of which were Cf
the most impOrtsBt character. By the operation
Of the currency bill the business Of the country
was 70 be effected; By the tax law the people
wsre to be tithsd beyond precedent and what
WA more important BY the act suspe1di1g the
Wnt Of habeas corpus, their Liberties were hsz-
Arded. The denuneistioBs Of the executive of
the Stats were, therefore, made at an Opportune
moment, Just when sll this extraordinary legsls-
Aioa had been sprung upon the public, and when
70 make the objection WAS 70 ensure condemna
tisn- Had different rule obtained, and the
seion of Congress been public, ne one viii claim
that different legislation would not have IA
ken plEcs, at least 50 far As the habeas corpus
set Is concerned The condemnation il has met
with since its provisions were made public is full
wErFant for the assertion that had the people
been aware Of what was going on, storm of
remOnSzsnces would have gone up that would
have prevented the outrage, and that no member
would have dared to resist. Bat the opportuni-
y was not given, ssd as remarked the liberties
Of the citizen were jeOpardizsd without a note
Of warning to those affected By the stAu cham
Der and impudsns legislation.
The innovation N the Prsctce of Congress is
one that oar enemy has never yet deemed ne
cessATy why then should itpreyail in this gov.
eminent Federal Legislators have never dared
cloak their acts from their constituents why
should members Of the Confederate Congress ?
They have not deemed secrecy essential to sac-
csss; Is it necessary on our part They have
thus far treated their people with confidence, and
however uBj1stifable bas been some of their
legislation, their acts have been open, aEd sub
ject 10 TeEonstTsncs. With Us, eEe.y true man
wiz regret to acknowledge different course has
been pursued sHd without any reason being
advanced therefor. Oar people have not been
treated with confidence, as they desired, and il
ia fsh They have submitted thus far, not with
cut complaining, however; and unless the prac.
ice is discontinued members may expect q re-
nonIlTaDce at ths ballot box that viii deter n
tare Congresses from continuing the psIicy.
A new Congress, whose skirts are yet clear of |
this innovation, is to assemble on the % Of May
and, in common with every well-Wisher of the |
country, We enter cur protest against a eOntinu- |
ton Of the insidious policy of secret legislation
Give Us light IS to what is being done, ct al |
times. Congress is not 50 psIfect that It's enact
msnts may not, sometimes at least, be rendezed /
more acceptable to the public and beneficial to
ne country, provided there is opportunity given
ioI renoDatEaDce or suggestion during tho pro-
gress OF legislation. We speak earnestly when
We say We believe the people will not again 40
9aistly submit to being governed by 8 series of
such important laws As those passed secretly bv
the late Congress, unless they have an ouport1.
nifty Of being heard by petition or rsmonstrspcs
before their passage. We hope Congress win
heed the warning.
AND PR0DEGALIFY,
These rule among oar enemies, Sad 10 saeh
~ extent that they no longer attempt 70 conceal
The unnatural condition Of affairs. Corruption
amoaR oficislB il fredusnfly exBosed. and arods.