Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-05-24
CONFEDERATE NGRES s
SECOND CONGRESS- FIRST SESSION.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
lpITERRxp PROOEEpINGs J

Mr.. GILMER, of N. O., said:
Mr. Speaker viii the gentleman permit me here to
interrupt hial 4? As familiar and well acquainted
With the sentiments OF the people Of North Carons
deny for them that they, by any acn on the psrt or
By any political opinions he'd by them, have given any
reason oceaen for the suspension OF tue writ
of Hdbsas Corpus As evidence conclusive Of the 10y
atty and faithtaess of the citizens Of y Sist 90 the
cause o. the Oonederaoy, boldly refer gentlemen TO
TIE register Of tbs sold which she has sent to our
gallant army aud the immese taxes in money and kind
which her people have and are most ebeersuiy con
Jribang TO the suppors of our Coniederacy and our
amy.
reference to these statistics which do not lo will
satisfy the citizens Of her other sster Southern States
of the unpadoRabe injustice 10 true and loyal State
by Nicked aud designing slanderers, whose duty and
fee rg it you'd to be to epel these unjust as
sauls ard to defend and protect her honor
Later in the discussion,
Mr. GATHER, Of North Carolina, said He did net
desire address tina House upon the merits o. the aT,
to suspend the writ OF HObeds Corpus, as he opinion
upon that CUES ion vas fully understood by the House
AID By his constituents. But collateral question had
o,en raised IN this debate il reference TO North Caro-
Ina, upon which he wishsd TO submit few rerarks
The impression had teen made in some parts of kis
State that the President at the last session, in speca
measge in secre; session, had called ire attention ci
Congress 20 the state OF public affairs in North Oarons,
aud had recommended ha. the Wit of Hd6SGS Corpus
be suspended 10 that Sa;e aud that Congress ia pur
suauee of such recommendation did pass the present
law in special reieTer 10 that State The inference
which may b. drav from tie remarks Of several gentle
men, who have debated this question at the present ses
son may give color and force to this
sion in that STATE and do the President very great in
/ justice.
Is Is rue that the President did call the attention of
Congress the general state of 'hs country and made
special References certain evidences OF d)yalty and
tre sooable designs, apparently entertained By some
persoas ia different parts o. the CoIfederaey and to the
dangers to be spPrehended from spies ncenciaries and
emlssaiies OF the Nor hern government in our DIST,
and to the difficulty of arresLicg those evils by the or
dirary processes OF Inv. In doing so be made
running common AIRY upon csrtlin facts aud ciroum-
stances which known 10 exist in maIy localities,
Whou. special references any ;e Safe the cit-
Gems of any State In particular. The memoers OF the
la Congress viii reoolecs that there was no ucjus die
inctOn drawn against the a Of North Carolina in
shat message and no special reference made to her c
zous fcTther than such inference might be legtmaey
drawn in applying eoIne OF the general facts and clr-
Guns auces eerted tie President, existing in
The Salts Of this Government. .-
The dsleg e0l OF North Carolina, IN the last Con-
gress we're divided in opinion upon the propriety OF
t1e p.esge OF the laT tuspegdcg TIE writ OF Habess
Corpus he (Gr Gatae't voted with majority OF his
d.agaion in ths negative, but be did aot lar then or
srce on the part OF his delegation, any complaint OF
the manner il which tbs President bad referred to the
state of pubic affairs in his Sste of sny osr spect
shown to her ctz2ns, in language or thought contain
ed ha5 message. He had supposed that her delegs-
ton upon this ioor then aud nov, had as much 5 ate
pride and we've Jealous OF her rights and her homer
aud as sentative any apparent insult or ind g1y Of
erel to her citizens the Representatives Of other
STATE in shis body Hs feels that his colleagues and
himself are fully csI able Of protecting GDd defending
the honor and reputation OF bis STATE, and the right
aud privileges of her ctz ne, without invoking the
sp. c;a assistance of gentlemen representing other
Statc in preserving her high character. Her historic
devotion to freedom aud civil liberty an the ctivalrcus
gallant deeds OF her brave upon every bloody
field rom Bethel 10 the present moment, nobly viDd,-
| cate her fair fame from al Tsprca n
Hs only object in Obtaining the alo', was 10 e1dsa-
yor to remove the fase impression in his own Stare
aud else Where that the President had asked for tie
suspension o. this EE on account OF the state OF things
ia Moth Carolina aud TO do the Pr sdent aud his OTn
Safe simple usice. He regretted that h. Presidents
message had not been made pubic It's Publication
would remove the erroneous impression made upoa the
public mind and vndcae the President from any false
| inierenCes which msy have been drasn.
Tdst message contains nothing which IL lot III
dou5tedy tue a,d nothing which tho President his
fFsLd, desiie to keep ealad from oEn people,
but il does coaaia acts and Circumstances and TeeF-
erCel which would 90 highly improper and mprudeut
TO reveal 20 h enemy, aud therefore Il has not boen
male public.
Tie eeSa.e on NJ RUs,EL's resolution to ro'er the
message of the President in relation tc the suspension
Of the writ Of Hab'as Corpus resumed Saturday
in the 1suse Of Representatives.
Kr. CONRAD, of Ia, having the floor, commenced
by getting that another than himself bad not unae
Nken 10 defend the action Ct The last Congress, 10
su,pendi the writ of HabeaS Corpus. He however,
has iaken, if not On auentsl, yet and
live part in the egeaiion CT lbs grave and important
subject; and be ielt called upon speak for hmsslf
and those w4o had co-opsrated with him. He yeid.d
TO 70 in he admiration Of the WTitit is the very
germ OF OWL lb5rty and 10 wondef that Engshmen
have trsoionsry veTeIaiol Tor it. Which 90 haVo in.
h'Iiter. We hW DO hereditary mona,chy CT legsa-
tusr, no lie House of Common such a. theirs was
pror to the Fsvytt on of 1850; but have az elc-
tive Pse.:d aud ngfess and thai gr,at bulRak of
civil liberty-s free and untramueled Press. Every
man wish US Is the equal Of every ott man. ID kro So
that he cannot be arrested without due OF Law
This ger.ous privilege woad have enjoyed had
Magma Oharta ami Hsbe1s Corpus bteD heard Of
Way then all this constituencies, at this particular tine,
upon this subject?
Do not gentlemen rem .mber that soon tfer the CON.
mencemsDt OF the Wae every part OF the country was
o!RmorouI for tisl laF. Congress actually be-
seged or O. Q subject. Some OF our GeaeTas misun-
dersauding their roxer, had taken the mat 0: in o
Their hands, aud properly reouke3; bus new
etheless afterwards, during the session Of 1862
passed law su4penciny the writ Of Habess Oorpu-.
And why there spies and traitors 10 our
mid.t. And what is martial law but complete 40 "a.
ton Of all CIV Law. Waere, thee, the Vice Pres-
dent with b 6 ecqlsnt words of warning! Where
then, wegs ths gentlemen who now 81
peculiarly Sensitive Of th' slightest sbrdgenent of
the Iigis aud Liberties of the dear people? They did
not complain becaufe Ii was military nect ssiiy. |
Now, the lag of '64 is rtary identical in language
wi the law of '62-thtn why all this opposition I,
what Two years before had been quietly aequesced in
Nc onr4d denied tha, as had been intm .ted the |
act pssNd for the benefit Of North Catolins Thsre
were and are still traitors in every State-mlny even
in his own dstrietto whom it was intended TO apply
Gentlemen argue that the Law Is unconstitutional |
upon the ground that the warrant OF under the
law ssued by the President and not by the Judiciary
Second that it is issued Wthou; oath or Affirmation
Whers do these gentlemen find that the Issuing of
sarrant or an order Of arrest is Judicial function.
Ii is celrly, said hr. O, N 'steFiAl No.biog was
rested b. members Of the Council. H9 inslsncei
among Others the case Of the olsbrsei Wi kes by or
der Of Lord Halifax This was DONE too, wtHe the
writ of haBeas eorDns was in fell force With ma ~