Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-10-04
From the Progress. ]
HAVE WE ANY CIVIL LAW IN
NORTH-CAROLINA?

NORTH-CAROLINA?
We had supposed that we yet had our
Bill of Rights, our Civil Code and Statutes,
and that even in these times of general
decentralization and usurpation they would
protect the weak and helpless non-com-
Blatant, the women and children and de-
crepid old age, from insult and outrage;
but it seems we have been laboring under
Il delusion. That ruler who makes war
upon the women and children, even of a
common enemy, is not only tyfant but
IL brute, but what are we to think of one
who makes war or allows others to make
war upon his own women and children
Over a year ago we urged the Governor,
in these columns, to turn out his whole
militia or as many as might be necessary
10 accomplish the work, and have all the
deserters in the State arrested and return
I'd to the army and we insisted that where
militia officers failed in the performance
nf their duty that they be reduced to the
ranks and conscrbed. Had our sugges-
lions been then followed we should have
had but little trouble with deserters they
could have been arrested and returned to
The field without taking regular troops
from the army to hunt them mp, and now
The State would have been nearly or quite
clear of them; but our advice was not
needed, nothing was done, and during the
whole Of the five months of the guberna-
torial canvass we heard of no efforts to
gather them in. We regretted this, for
we desired that ali men absent without
leave should be returned to duty, and
hence we hailed the recent action of the
Governor in calling ont the Home Guard
for that purpose; with qualification. Home
Guard and militia officers whose commits
sions protect them from service in the
field, should perform this duty cheerfully,
and when they refuse or fail to do it they
should be made to perform it.
We have heard, for several weeks past,
of the arrest and psnning of women and
children, by the Home Guard officers now
engaged in deserter-hunting, but treated
it with silence, not being disposed to say
anything which might seem to interfere
with the main work in hand-the arrest of
deserters but accounts of these outrages
on the weak and hel pless, now come to us
in such shape that we can no longer, con-
sistently with our duty as a public journ-
aist, keep silent. We published the law,
passed by the last Legislature, on this
subject, yesterday; and we insist that
wherever persons, male or female, have
been guilty Of harbOring, or aiding and
abetting deserters, they be arrested and
tried by the civil tribunals, and punished
if found guilty but in the name of human
ity and civilization we protest against the
wholesale arrest Of women and children
which is now going OH in various sections
of the State by armed forces, lnder orders
from tho Executive Department. There
is no law to authorize if, and it is an I'M
mitirated outrage. 1t may be said that
these persons are all lewd and depraved.
Admir- it, and yet it does not mitigate the
higIl-hanled outrage and thorough disre-
gard of civil law. But we arc assured
that many ofthe women TINS arrested and
kept for days and weeks under guard, are
persons of education, position and refine
ment-many of whose sons, husbands and
brothers are no doubt now keeping watch
in the trenches at Petersburg or elsewhere
We wonld not shield any guilty person
from such punishment as the law inficts
for the punishment of crime, but beyond
the law We would not go.
1t is said Gov Vance excuses himself
by saying his order has been misunder-
stood. Ii SO why does he not revoke it.,
or substitute another which may be I'M
derstood2 Why suffer these arrests to 90
on in disregard of all law? But will he
allow the order under which his officers
are operating to see the light, SO that the
people of the State and of the country
may Judge for themselves? If does not
authorize these arrests We will most cheer
fully do him the justice 10 publish it, if
furnished with a copy.
We have heard of delicate ladies in q
condition to render excitement and expo
sure very dangerous, being dragged from
their homes and kept under guard in the
Homo Guard camp for days and weeks !;
and others, we are assured, with sucking
babes have been treated in the same way
all the arrests being made because they
were suspected Of harboring, or aiding and
abctting doserters. No oath or aliirma-
ton; no civil process-only an armed
guard and the arrests made on suspicion,
by the order of Gov. Vance! Ills is a