Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1864-02-02
srsAvca SENTIMENTS,

STRANGE sasTEsEN
La our last issue, we noticed the fact
that the Richmond ENQUIRER" not on
ly advocated the policy of suspcnding
the writ OF .Habeas Corpus but denounc-
ed il as the criminals writ" It see ms
from an article published few days af-
fer, that the enquirer" is not only in
favor Of suspending the writ of Ha5eas
Corpus, but also of tearing up the
Constitution as waste paper" The fol-
lowing are extracts from an editorial ar
ticle in the enquirer" of January the
25th:
sin common with the people, we would sac
rif1ce every right of person and of property sub
NIT TO the Unrestricted use of any and every
power, that can contribute to the overthrow of
the enemy. The success of the cause is enbar
raised by the trammels Of Constitution design
ed and constructed for the development of a
people in times of peace, but which letters the
public arm in the present conflict life and DEATH
Nations, like athletes, must strip for the fight
The earnestness of the enemy, as well as their
resolution, is exsmplified in the manner in which
they broke the letters of their Constitutions
and rushed to the conflict with limbs free from
clogs of every kind. But in this conflict with a
giant, the Confederacy often finds its hands tied
by its own Constitution.
This tender regard for the constitution is very
much like Mr.. Pickwick in the Fleet-sson prin-
ciple." But it won't drive back the enemy.
and won't feed the army !; it aids bad men in har
boring deserters, and protect traitors who won't
plant, because the Confederate Government
don't pay as much as the speculator Speaking
Gny for ourselves, but firmly believing we rem.
resent the people, we boldly avow that we
would tear up the Constitution as waste paper.
rather than suffer it to impede the public de-
fence, or embarrass the Government in the con-
hict for independence.
In noticing the strange and STARTLING
sentiments expressed by the ssEnquirer,''
the Petersburg express" inquiries, .swho
would have thought three years, or two
years, or one year ago, that any respec-
table Southern journal would come out
and boldly propose to set aside the Con-
stitution qohsch tie President and egeru
officer OF tie g0vernmaemt has sozenauiu
ssoo17a to support because ssthe success
Of the cause is embarrassed by its tram
mels z" Who would have dreamed that
such q journal would have held up as
worthy Of imitation by our government
the example of the Yankee ADMINISTRATOR
in breaking the letters of their consitu
ton that they might rush to the conflict
with limbs free from clogs Of every
kind?" That it would ridicule ga tender
regard for the constitution" as Pick
wickian foolishness? And that, finally.
speaking for itself, with the belief that
in SO speaking it was representing the
Qeople, it would ''tear up the Const;-
tuition as waste paper rather than impede
the pubic defence, or embarrass the
government In th5 conflict for indepen-
denee! %
The Constitution, it seems, was in
tended only to dispense its benefits in
umes Of peace! This, to say the least
OF it, is strange idea. There is moth
ing in the instrument itself that by the
remotest & most arbitrary construction
can be Interpreted into such an inten
ton, and certainly there is everything
IN the circumstances under which It
was framed and adopted to indicate
that it was designed to operate as well
in times of war as in times of peace, for
the country was on the very brink of
war when it was framed and accepted.
as was well known at the time to its fra
mers. When the Permanent Govern
ment was organized, of which the Con
stitution IS the life and soul, the coun-
try was IN the very midst of q war,
which had already been waged on a
- --~--4'~ ro-to fo" than a Y ,,,---., ,
- >.,.------- ---oiltns,
sa s, vat nothing was then said OF thotI
abont its being designed only for i's a'.so-
FIJI Developments. The truth is, the
Constitution and the Government (not
the characterization of the G overnment)
are Synonymous things, if not terms,
because the last is organised upon the
platform of the first and derives from
It all It's vitality. There is not power
that it possesses that is not granted by
the Constitution. The whole orbit in
which it moves, and the movements
themselves, arc ordained and regulated
by the Constitution, and the moment
this connection between them ceases,
the government, such as it now is, dies.
We do not we cannot think that the
people of the Confederate States are
prepared rs yet to give themselves up
to the embraces OF absolutlsm. Ihey
can conquer the enemy without the
shadow of a necessity for resorting to
this prodigious sacrifice. They can
tribmphantly bear themselves through
the struggle, and preserve at the same
time the Constitution, which is the
charter of Their rights"