Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-11-24

The Negro Arming Question
The President Advised to Mime
hls. ewn Business.
DAVIS ATTEMPTING TO CRUSH THE 1NDE
PENDENCE OF THE PRESS.
Heretofore one editor, and the employees
that he shall declare on cath to be neces
sary for his work, for each paperin the Con
fsderacy established before May, 1852, have
been exempted FROM the rebel CONSUMPTION
JEFF. Davis now asks his Congress that edi
tors be subjected to detail that is, that he
may exempt what editors he pleases, and
send the others to the ranks. As naturs
consequence the Southern papers, especially
those which have invariably opposed Davis
policy, are very much exercised. The Rich
mond Enquirer of the 9th says:
The Constitution of the Confederate State,
extends to the press the 9gis of its pretec
tion, and, selecting it out from all other pro
fessions, gives it an honorable security
against even the Congress Of the Confeder-
acy Coupling it even with the free wor-
ship of Almighty God, the Constitution
connects it also with the right of the people
peaceably 20 assembly and to petition the
Government for redress Of grievances. =
Its place in the Constitution is between the
Vo1 Del and the For Rpuli, subordinate
to the one, superior to the other. This
could not have been mere accident; there
must have existed some reason for this pro,
lection and fer the immediate conjunction
with religion and popular petition.
Editors, as individuals, deserve no more
consideration from the Congress than "shoe.
makers, tanners, blacksmiths, printers, mil
lers, miners and telegraph operators" but
as the press without editors would be play
ing Hamlet with the part of Hamlet omit
ted, there 10 something due to the inteli.
gence of the people, which demands at the
hands of Congress that the press of the
country be not wholly prestrated at the foot
Of the Executive power, and forced to peti-
ton for existence, and tc receive it upon
such condition as the Executive, or his de-
failing subordinates, may choose to impose.
Exemptions by law gave an honorable pe-
sition to the press, secured its independ-
ence, and left no rod suspended over its
head, but such as the people raised by their
support or rejection. But an editor emerg-
ing from that cesspool of corruption, the
detail system, would be an object of offense
to the virtuous people of these States, and
the paper he edited cease to be the organ of
public opinion and become the miserable
conduit OF these to whose favor he owed his
exemption from the ranks.
No! for Gods sake put us in the army,
the trenches, anywhere; but save US from
the position of detailed editor.
Did the President, when he recommended
this degradation to the press of his country,
know that neither telegraph operators,
uerkmen in mines, engineers, shoemakers,
tanners, blacksmiths nor milers, were ex-
empt by law, ana that his recommendation
pointed only at professors, teachers, physi.
cians and the press Of the country?
For sixty years the Richmond Enquirer
has existed a newspaper, free, unbought,
unpurchsss BILE, and never shall it exist other
wise, with our consent. The support we
have heretofore given the President and the
cause has been conscientious and free. No
other support can we ever give. If the
Congress considers that the bone and mus
Gle Of the press are worth more than its
brains to the cause, send US all to the ranks
There we may do sume service to the coun-
try; but as detailed editors we may become
the tools, the mInions Of power, but we
should cease to be the agencies of express
sion for free people
The press is not class; il is an institu-
tion, as such recognized by enlightened opin
ION sll over the world, and guarded, as we
have shown, by the power of The Constitu
tion. Neither shoemaking, nor tanning
nor bscksmithing, nor millinery, nor any of
the g classes with which the President has
connected the press, have any constitutional
recognition. Religion and the press, and
popular Trinity are protected by the Consti-
tuition. When the President shall have sue
ceeded in striking the central essence from
his triune guard of public liberty. and de-
prived religion Of Its organs and popular
petition 0i' its voice, be will have added not
hundred men to the army, but darkness
will brood over the land, illuminated only
by the rush-lights of pensioned and pur-
chased papers edited by details.
The first step toward despotism will have
been taken when the press of the country
is put under the control of the Executive
details. The army will not receive one hum
dred recruits from this recommendation to
substitute detail for exemption Of the press,
but the world will soon learn what value to
set upon the voice of press whose conduc-
tors owe their exemption from service to
the favor of a detail.
Let it be remembered that unlimited and
unrestrained power corrupted even the
Psalmist Of Israel, and that, under the
universally recognized, paramount politi
cal duty of every member of society" to
serve in the army, Uriah, the Iiittitite. was
sacrificed to the guilty passions Of King
David, who sent him to the army with q
letter to the commander, saying: " Set ye
Urish in the forefront of the hottest battle,
and retire ye from him, that he may be
smitten and die "a fate easily visited or
an obnoxious editor under the detail system
Under the Virginia Bill of Rights the
freedom Of the press is guaranteed. Wedc
not believe that the State of Virginia will
quietly permit her press to be wholly de-
nyoyed. The pleasure vet left to the con
ductcrs of the press is the kind and cheer
full support given them by the people. They
have uncomplsiningly berne with all thu
embarrsssmep epts that have beset the press
and aided and sustained us in all eur diff
culties. We do not believe they will per
init this disgrace to be visited upon thu
press.
The Examiner also bitterly opposes th'