Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-12-06

. Wlllllngt0 accept a detail for THIS purpose, rs
it would be an acknowledgements advance
that his press shall be the tool of the Presi'
dent, with its freedom abridged and its exls-.
tence dependent upon the Presidents will.
AS this law would give the President the
power to say how many editors he will toler-
ate, it would leave it to his discretion
what sort of editors he will have, and what
principles they shall advocate.
Thus the public press of the country
which, whatever may be its errors and
abuses, is, next to the Christian religion,
the greatest promoter of civilization, and
when left free and untrammclled is the
strongest bulwark of constitutional govern
ment and the most powerful advocate OF
civil and religious liberty, is to be prostra-
ted at the feet of the President, and pros
ttuted to the base end of overthrowing
constitutional liberty and establishing des-
potism. Where did liberty ever exist with
the freedom of the press abridged and Its
existence dependent upon the will OF a
single individual2
The President not only demands of Con-
gress the passage of a law giving him the
power in the future 70 muzzle the press
and prevent it from exposing the errors of
his administration or the corruption Of his
officials, but he demands that the State
governments be placed absolutely under
his control, and that it be left to his " dis
cretion" how many members and officers
may attend each session oi'the Legislature,
and what shall be the ages of the members,
and if he chooses what shall be their po-
litical sentiments. 1t is also to be left to
his discretion how many judges of the
Superior, Inferior, or other Courts, each
State may have, and what shall be their
ages. How many Sherriffs, Clerks, Tax
Collectors, Justices of the Peace, &C., he
will tolerate III each State. Each of these
classes of State officers is one of the other
numerous classes mentioned in the laws"
who he declares are to he distributed accord
ing to his discretion throughout the coun-
try in such proportions that only the eX-
act nHmber required are found in each To-
cality, those within conscript age to be re-
placed by colder men," less capable of ac-
tive field service, and in the selection of
those with whom they are to be replaced,
regard might be had to those who would
I've "less capable" of opposition to the
Presidents will.
But this, intolerable as it seems to be, is
not the worst feature in the demand. The
President asks that Congress place the
ministers of religion" under his absolute
control, with declaLation accompanying
the demand that they are not to be eX
cmpted as class. but only such OF them
as he in his "dscretiOn may deem
sufficient number to be detailed to contin-
ue to exercise their pursuit or profession,
THAT only the exact numbers required
may be found in ach'lCcality." There is
no installing the purpose, they are one of
the classes "mentioned in the laws" In
other words, they are class mentioned in
the exemption laws and are exempted as
class.
Give the President this power, and the
minister Of religion can no longer exercise
the high functions of his calling under the
commission he has received from Heaven,
without detail from the President. This
would give the President the pow er in his
discretion to determine not only how many
may be necessary, but to select the local
tiles where they will be tolerated, and to
- prescribe if he should think proper the
denomination to which they shall belong.
as absolutely under his control, as the
; freedom Of the press, and the government
of the States.
The provision, of the Constitution which
: declares that Congress shall have power to
raise and support armies must be constru-
! ed in connection with that other provision
that " Congress shall make no law respect
ing al establishment of religion or pro-
; hibting the free exercise thereof, or
; abrIdging the freedom of speech or of the
! press" Taking these two provisions to-
gether, do not see how any candid man
can say that Congress has power under
the preteXt Of raising and supporting
; armies, to place the free exercise of reli-
gion and the freedom of the press at the
discretion" of the President. Nor can
it be denied that the freedom of both are
dependent upon his will when the law
permits 10 one to publish a paper or to
preach the gospel without a detail from
him. What possible connection does the
preaching OF the gospel in the city of Mil
-, ledgeville or any other place have with
RAISING and supporting armies Ahd'why
is it necessary that the preacher of the
gospel should by act of Congress be muster
ed into the military service of the COnfed-
crete States and put under the control of
the President, to be detailed back in the
"discretion" of the President to preach ?
Is this the free exercise of religionG"
Is not the freedom of the press abridg-
ed, when:9 newspaper can only be pub
Iished with the consent OF the President,
and is not the independence and dignity
ofthe Legislator lost when he is compelled
to enter the legislative hall with detail in
his pocket, subjected to be ordered out of
it at any moment when it suits the interest
or caprice of the President? Is this State
Sovereignty, freedom of the peess, and