The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1864-1864, 1864-02-12
THE CAMDEN JOURNAL
FRIDAY MORNING, FEB. II, 1864.


either with or without compensation, is measure So
repugnant to natural justice that it is rarely resorted
u ev,n BY despotic governments. If it be true as
some writers on the suffice. assert that governments
are instituted merely for the protection Of property,
all ,xsl only while they do protect it. then the
ex rcise Of the powsr Of mpres nent. for it
he called risIt) is act suci al in its nature. No
cunslilu ioal government would venture 10 exercise
such power except upon the great ST emergency,
and when could be clearly that the trespass
rpon private right Was Indispensable 70 the public
safely.
ln Ergund the right Of the crown to the ezer-
else oFts power asa part oits prerogaivc has never
been conceded Ivy lsle poole. and we, in Anerc,,
have been equally jealous. There is not. probably.
On The ac. ol the globe people more sen-itive on
this snhe than the people OF the confederate st les.
and it OF the strongest rOus of :hcr Devotion
the IN which they engaged that they have
horne so lons and patiently the exercise BY their
gOvernm mt. Of right which finds justification in
necess y, and no palation IN the manner Of its Ell
orccnGnt
cur own Constitution docs not confer, upon either
Con" the President. the r;gt to impress pri
prop rtv under certain ii clluSIances, under any
circumstances. It's .nsage is nc. even per isslvc.
1t SIMPLY says: private property sI.al not he tax
r pub IL l>r without just compensation" 1t reco2 n!ses
the = SsiIily that gr at emergencies may ise,
such would necesslac the in aSion If private right,
and therefore makes pro ision r in ielnmii,i ing the
injured party but il goes farther 1t does not give
the slightest hint to guide oue in iscert i ins what
cOmbilatio OF circumstances sa be deemed to
stitute an emergency sufficiently grave to Stiy the
taking Of pr vatc rupcrty for public II, in ravi
eating the ship of State storms encountered and
cttson Of pa Of the cargo is necessary to the pre-.
svrvatou OF the vessel and crew compensation shall he
mad! hy general average. That is tic whole pro-
vi.iun on the >uhjcct and yet for many months an
ilcon"cred and most oppressive sys EN- OF impress.
m nt, "dnus in ;l its features, dubly olills in the
manurof lis execution, and t-cby oIiOls in tic mum.
IT. less abuses aud frauds and corrnptoas which grow
mt rally u. ol il has been established in midst
Justified by no parlm unt pub c necessity other than
that ~ich scrGs have been specially created its
apology it has bee. endured with patience as ad-
nraLic us s ab ises have boon fl grant. And if ever
she cat case nf the producers Of the ConGedcracy
Us Mr.. Conmissary General 'rthrop" comes to be
tired before lhe bar OF History the world will stand
a.has; the record, We hcver think Of the subject
without having torciby recalled to mind the story
which Dr. Wolco; used to tell Of knavi>h landlord in
the suburbs OF London who used persuade his guests
(wen they happened t, be creduols TO en.rIst their
vauabei 10 his :.fekceping cas; they should he rob-
| bed in crGssin: Backlicat!I.
| Butwe did not intend. when VIC began this article.
10 say mich about impressment. W. only designed
to Introduce to tn. notice Of or readers the following
brief paragraph from the Richmond sponde;ce Of
the Iarlr>lou Mercury:
writer in the Wing proposes to obv.tc the mis-
chief and ihc misery o! imprcsSmrnts hy very sim
pie plan. viz: issuing proposals ir or army
supplies to tic lowest bidder. t. he prd for in
iSl lobacco. This Secis 10 me to be the long sought
Eureka. Lear informally that General Ire ivors
the plan
For our own part. We cordially approve tic plan,
and sincerely hope it will hc aloI,cd Tie comirac.
tors will probably make fortunes, but they
will have I.Iy ear:cl hem. AM the thanks Of the
people 10 boot.