Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-04-06

sdge of them, There were some of the last named
class in the county of Lincoln during my boybooa;
whether they remain, and keep up their peculiar
tenets, am not informed But the Quakers are
well known sect, numbering not less thanteE thou,
sand persons in the State-and it is equally well
known that they will not engage in war, and are
scrupulous against bearing arms
Our laws, from the Revolution downward to TINS
day. have respected their scruples and extended TO
them the charity and toleralon due to the sincerity
and humility of their profession This ordinance
wholly dsregards their peculiar belief and converts
every man of them into warrior or an exile
True, they are allowed to affirm, but the athrma'
ton is equivalent to the oath of the euda vassa to
bis lord, to "delend him with life and limb and ter
rene honor" 1t is, that they twill to the utaaoss
Of their posoer, support maintain and deJeno tue
independent government Of the Confederate states
Of America against the United States, or any other
power that by open force or otherwise may attempt
10 subrert the same" &c. If this does not include
military defence, 1t is difficult to find language that
would 1t is so we'll known that the ordinary oath
to the State implies defence with arms, that the
Quakers have ever refused to affirm in Its terms,
but have had special affirmation provided for
them as may be seen in the present Revised Code,
arr; in all former editions of our laws. This ordl.
nance, therefore, is nothing less than decree OF
Punishment to them. Sir, this humble denomlna-
UOn, WHO III LDe tuechueSS auu CtdAitJ "o'eiA Nv
distinguished their Divine Master yield precedence
to none, were the first white men who made per-
manent settlements within our orders. Scourged
and buffeted by Puritansp in New England, and
Prelacy in Virginia, they found no rest or religious
freedom, until they had put the great Dismal
Swamp between themselves and the nearest OF their
prosecutors. IE the dark forests of its Southern
bcrder they obtained a liberation from the savage
red man which had been denied them by their
Anglo American brethren. There they opened the
wilderness, reared their modest dwellings, and filled
the land with the monuments of civilization
There and upon the upper waters of the Cape Fear,
which they subsequently colonized, their posterity
has remained to this day-a quiet moral, industri
Gus, thrifty people, differing from in opinion on
the subject slavery, but attempting subversion
of the institution producing aoundantly by their
labor, paying punctualty and certainly their dues
to the government and supporting their own poor.
Sir, upon the expulsion from among us of such
people, the civilized world would cry, shame!
But, 1t may be said that this was not intended
eff So it but demonstrates that it is dangerous for
freemen to take hold of the weapons of despotism
and brandish them about, lest they do mischief
more than was designed. But there is certainly no
exception of Quakers in the ordinance though they
are excepted and specially provided for in the act
of Assembly, 1777, from which its main features
are copies, none in these amendments which the
CHAIRMAN SlSnUeu Ills Intention u mUfc, Luc
report of the committee declares ".hsre Gamble no
neutrals in the struggle" in which We engaged.
1t may not be religious test 10 Others but, Sir,
it is disturbance Of and interference with, the
religious sentiment and domestic repose Of the
country, not to justified unless called for by some
most urgent necessity. The veteran of the Court
house, who sees every breach of the peace and
misdemeanor and calculates on proving his attend
ance as part Of his income may regard oaths as
hut
citizen, whc except when called to the public duty
Of juror, or to prove his neighbours WILL has seldom
been sworn at ALL looks upon them in the language
of your public statute, as "being most solemn ap
| peas to Almighty God, as the omniscier,t witness
of truth and the just and omnipotent avenger Of
faisehood" and takes them not without feeling Of
ave. Beyond his daily prayer.
"That He who stills tie ravens canorous nest
And decks the lilly fair, in howery pride,
Wou in the way His wisdom sees the best,
For him. and for his little provide;"
| Beyond this, his morning and evening implora-
| ton, repeated perhaps with unwonted fervor and
emphasis, in these times of difficulty and scarcity
he takes not his Makers name. He is accustomed
| to vex His ear with no b]asphemous unnecessary,
unhallowed appeals When you invade the retire.
| ment of such man by domiciliary visitation, and
demand from him his oath, with threat of banish-
nent branlshcd over his head, he will feel as would
the pagan whose household Gods had been rudely
jostled from their seats. lie, as well as you, Mr..
President, has read those thrilling words in which
Chatham has engraven on our memories the domestic
rights of our fathers beyond the seas, that every
Englishmans house is his castle, though so rude
and humble that the rains and the winds of heaven
may beat upon, and may enter it, yet the king can.
not enter it." He will reflect that until now his
hosse has been equally sacred from the intrusion OF
government, and his conscience ulrufflad by imper.
tinent interrogation and he will instnctively in.
qure if these the first fruits of the new order
Of things, what may not oe expected in the sequel
And in spite of all the apologies and disclaimers
that your magistrates may be instructed to niak2,
he can sensbly arrive at no other conclusion than
that he was suspected Of disoyalty, and that the
visit was designed to drive him to perjury or exile
Or else that it was sense!ess proceeding, (which
ought to brig the government that made it into
contempt
But, Mr.. President, the enormlty of the PROPOSE
ton remains yet to be told 1t violates every safe
guard of personal freedom embodied in our bill o.
rights, most of which have been consecrated in the
history of English liberty from the time Of Magns
Charta itself The Northern government became .
despotsm by usurpation Pass this ordinance upor
the old plea Of tyrans, the necessity Of the times
and the Southern one, within the borders of North
Carolina will have become despotsm by legisla
ton. Whereas, our people are resolued to be inde
pendent and tree not only IN the end but in til,
means lhey are TesoIce3, not only to be treenaen
at the termination of the contest but Di not sur
render their liberties during its prcgress No,
will they be satisfied with the fimsy pretexts anc
excuses Tor the sacrifice Of sacred principle, tina
it can do no harm except to traitors. They intene
that traitors shall not be condemned except il
accordance with those great principles of right ant
justice, which are of universal application. Fo,
they know full well that it is upon the persons o
frien6less or odious men that despotism, whethe
of single tyrant or of mob, first lays its hands
and that vigilance is more necessary to the preser
walton of liberty in times CT public peril and revo
lutiou, than in peace.
Mr.. President, to say of this measure that it i
absurd srd calculated to bring rdicule our legis
lation ana that it is unnecessary, and will be Who'll
" Intellectual, if necessary, inasmuch as force
oath is wei understood to be no oath in the sigh
of man or lis Maker is but to characterize its NOR
obvious features. lam fully persuaded that abroad