The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-01-26

! f'SEEDLESS ALARM.'-We commend the IoiioW-
! ing timely and appropriate article from the Fay
etteviile Observer, to the attention of those who
profess to think that there is danger of being
/ placed under military despotisln by our own
authorities. or injured by the passage of mprudent
laws by Congress The introduction into Congress
of some unnecessary propositions has, it is rne at
forded agitators some semblance of excuse, but
then it is equally true that said agitators would
have stirred up strife if such had ever
been mooted. The only danger we fear is. that the
agitators and the getters up of factious public
meetings may place u.s. fer time, under Lincoln
despotism, and destroy harlaony here at home. But
here is the article from the observer:
| Needless Alarms.-No little noise has been made;
| through the press and otherwise over some extreme
propositions made in Congress. prodigious deal
of apprehension to be felt lest they should be-
come laws and ruin the country: and all their an
tcipated evil has been laid at the door of the Ad-
ministration. 1t was the Administration that want
ed every body forced into the army: the Adminstra
ton that wanted the habeas corpus suspended; the
Administration that wanted Military Dictator. &C.
| &c. We not political friends of the Admins
| tratSn have had no communication direct indi-
rect, from any member of it, and therefore in no
way whatever bound to defend it except only
thereby assist in the successful prosecution of
! the great of independence, which sat-
| isfed the Administration has much at heart as
any can have. But it does seem to that it is
both needless to be alarmed about the passage of
extreme measures. and unjust to attribute to the
Administration every wild scheme that may be Of
fered in Congress-. When Mr. Brown of MISSISSIPPI
pi, for instance presented batch of these obnox
ious propositions, it forthwith proclaimed that
he the Presidents confidential friend and of
course guided by him. Now, according to our in
formation, the relations of Mr. Brown and the Presl
dent have not BEEN personally Or politically, friend
l1y If he were the Presidents ''moath piece"
has been persistenty asserted he would hardly have
voted, he did only last week, to pass bill over
the head of the Presidents veto. Then as to the
propositions themselves, of the most odious,
viz: that to place everybody in the army and give
the Secretary of War the arbitrary power to detail
such he might choose to remain at home, has al
ready received its quietus by being sent back to the
Military committee. AS to the suspension of the
habeas corpus, the first heard of such pro-
position that some members of Congress were
contemplating its Introduction. So far as we were
informed. the Administration had nothing to do with
it. We have since it stated in the papers that
the President is opposed to the suspension of the
writ.
1t is unfortunate that inconsiderate men in Con-
gress breach such wild schemes since, like
Foote'S speeches. they hurt cause at home and
abroad, giving the disaffected home pretexts for
camoring against the powers that be- and encour-
aging our yankee enemies with the notion that the
Confederacy is on its last legs. Let place little
generous confidence in Congress. which. though
much abused, and perhaps not fully up to the occa
sion-as who has been?-is unquestionably patriot
ic and has in opinion done well as could be
expected in the trying circumstances through which
the country has passed
HOME GUARD.-From an order which find
in the Wilmington Journal, suppose that the
Home Guard of some of the eastern counties has
been called out for 3 months service: The order
alluded to says:
The 10th Battalion of the Guard for Home De-
fence having been ordered into service for 3 months.
to repel invasion. they will assemble at the Court
House in Wilmington.'' sc.
If the schemes of those persons who are trying to
get up Convention in this State succeed, may
expect the Home Guard of all the counties to be
called out later for it is certain that such
schemes encourage the enemy to invade our State
and also encourages deserters and disaffeoted per-
to continue their opposition to the Government
Let those who want peace here at home disapprove
of this Convention scheme and the holding of fac
tious county meetings.
Some of the North Carolina papers lave long
been in the habit of publishing articles calculated to
destroy all confidence in the administration of
Government The consequence is, that to the ex-
of their influence they have depressed the spi
rt of their people. Dependency has awakened
fear-and fear suggests reconstruction any sort
of peace From army correspondent Of the
| Columbia Cdrolinian.
1t is too true that or two North Carolina pa
| pers-and only two-have been in the habit
of publishing articles calculated to destroy all con-
fidence in the administration of the Confederate
I Government; but South Carolina and Virginia have
papers in their midst which are pursuing the same
i'll timed and imprudent course, @and we hope the
Carolinians correspondent WILL next time, admins
ter rebuke to them. There is the Charleston Mer
curry and Richmond Examiner, papers that have
done and are doing an immense amount of harm to
the cause of the South by their indAcriminate and
unjustiable assaults the administration. We
believe the whole of them are actuated by malice
Their course will justify the belief that they
rule ruin.
The Pennsylvania Legislature-A dead Loch -
A letter from Harrisburg, Pa, says the Pennsyl
vana Senate is at dead lock- because of the alb
sence Of Senator White at the Libby Prison. He
was captured at Winchester. The letter says:
He has been retained ever since, though rebel
Maj. Jones, after giving his parole, went to Rich
| mond confident he could effect an exchange from
his personal and political influence in the South.
| He failed but came back and delivered himself up
to the authorities at Washington. Brigadier Gen.
Meredith, then Commissioner for Exchange of