Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-06-15
Strong Goverument.

"Nr. Wigfall responded at some length. he
thanked God that he had introduced the 'Conscrip-
ton Act and that it had been passed. He belev.
cd that the measure had saved Richmond. he had
no doubt of its constitutonaity and at the proper
time would demonstrate it beyond cavii, or allow
the Senator to spit in his face and call him horse
He had been shocked By reading the recent speech
of the Vice President in regard to the suspension Of
the writ of habeas ooPus but was not surprised at
the views presented, rs he the V. belonged TO
. party that never did understand the Constitution
No sutor ETC. Such questions should be lett TO the
old States Rights men who understood them: Inc
inference to be drawn from such views as those TO
which he referred, was that our ancestors were m
continent asses, who only went to work to establish
. government which would last during an era OF
peace. Strong governments were the best Dur
ing the palmy days of Rome, when liberty was most
highly priced, they had strong government when
the public interests called for it. and no one ever
dreamed of such thing as the subverson Of liber'
ty. There is no danger in strong government
weak government leads to anarchy, aud anarchy
leads inevitably to despotism. 1t is as absolutely
necessary that . government should have power 10
protect its life it is for an individual to protect
his life Mr. W. continued to discuss the ha6eGs
corpus question"
Mr.. Wigfall is very dangerous public man. He
is evidently An enemy to free government Such men
as he is would not only fetter and bind down our
people, if they could with the chains Of imperial
power, but such is thei. vanity, arrogance, and in
tolerance that they would permit citizen even to
think unless in accordance with their views. There
are any number Of Wigfalls in this State. They
are the most dangerous pitfalls in our paths. Be-
ware of them. Give them the power and they
would reduce the people to the condition of serfs,
while they would flourish over them booted and
spurred, in the enjoyment Of all the off :es and hon
ors Of the country.
Mr.. Wghll sneers at Vice President Stephens
and says that questions of constitutional construc
ton should be left to the old States Rights men,
who understand them" Indeed! These "old
States Rights men" are the cotton State boilers a:
Charleston and Baltimore-the disunionists who
broke up the old government because they said the
rights of the States were not respected, and who
are now in favor Of stripping the States of all pow
er and making them dependent on the common gov
ernment Then the States were every thing-now
they nothing.
Mr.. Wigfall evidently thinks with Gov. Vance
that the Kings name is = tower Of strength"
We observe, as another proof of the contempt en-
teralned for the people by these o'd States Rights
men," that Mr.. Barksdale, Of Mississippi, in his
place in the House deliberately refused to obey the
unanimous request of the Legislature Of Mississippi
to vote to repeal the act suspendng habeas corpus
He voted against repeating, and then made speech
and attempted to show that he had private informa-
ton to the effect that the Legislature had not spok
en- for the State and that its wish ought not to be
regarded
We entertained serious fears, at the beginning of
this revolution, that power would gradually steal
from the many to the few until the rights of the
States and the Liberties of the people would be
swallowed up BY some great consolidated despotism.
In the Standard of December II, 1861, we warned
our readers on this subject in the following Ian
guage:
1--WE believe in the Democratic, as opposed to the
Oligarchic, the Arstocratic, aud the Monarchical
principle-that is, in the right of the people to
rule We not only hold this, but we believe the
people of these Confederate States are capable of
self government 1t by no means follows that be-
cause liberty has expired in the old United States,
that people not still possessed Of this great
birthright
But We warn the people to be on their guard
Every attack, whether open co7ert, on the right
of suffrage as 1t present exercised among us pro-
ceeds from the friends of strong government and
the enemies Of free institutions. Every faction
which assumes to rule, and which in ruling stiles
the popular will or refuses to consult that will aims
blow at free government Every attempt tn coerce
or force the opinions Of the people, or to rule them
TO the same shades or modes of thought, is, mat
ter how well intended blow at their right to think
for and govern themselves.
It was we'll said by Mr.. Graham, in his able and
eloquent speech in the Convention on Saturday. that
our people owed it to themselves, while achieving
liberty in this conflict with the old federal govern.
ment, at the same time to preserve the forms and
| the means of liberty. Many nation has sacrificed
the end to the means employed and thus lost liber.
ty, and lost it forever at the very moment when it
was within its grasp and many nation has substi-
tuted for liberty some idol not essentially enduring,
aad worshipped it to its own undoing. This is the
case with the Northern people. Maddened by IA
natcism, and disappointed in their Lust for domino
ton, they have substituted wicked and corrupt
Union for the liberty which WASHINGTON and his
compatriots won and established for them; and the
very means they have permitted to be employ ed 10
the vain effort to pcrpeuate this empty substitute
have already forged for their limbs the manacles Of
desposism. There is no resurrection for free gov.
eminent when EXPIRES as 1t has done at the NORTH
suffrage. .
! We warn the people to keep q strict eye. espe.
ealiy at this time, on every movement which seems
to tend to stroug government Ourgreat Southern
revelation, just necessary, and righteous as it is is
nevertheless to some extent an experiment. Its
success depends apon the patience and bravery Of
our soadiers-upon the endurance anc indomitabIe
energy Of our peoPle-upen q careful abstinence by
all ia authority from any unnecessary eoescoa,
whether physical or mental; and last but by no
means least upon the active punctual and inte.li-
gent exercise BY the people Of their right of suf
frage. If majsrity Of the people do not vote, the
experiment will fail, faction will control, and the
inevitable result will be, destruction not only 81
the forms but the substance of freedom, and the e.
adjustment Of government of the many at the
! expense Of thsfew."
| NEsLEcr OF GoVsREaENr PROPERTY The Coian.