Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-06-01

utmost resources Of the country can afford With
this force he can suppress insurrection or insubor
nation should it be attempted. Who does the Ex-
ecutive fear then? Is it the army already under
command subiect to the rules and articles of war,
and far removed from the reach Of Aa5eds corpus or
shy Other civil process2 IA it the young in their
homage. the old in their dotage,s the women and
children? Is it the small class ofthe community
who are exempt by reason of positions in the SER
vice of the State government?
If neither of these who then caa be the object Of
so much anxious solicitude. Why is the admins
Eation with sword Of the nation in one hand and
and the power in the other still "hungering and
thirsting" for power? Let States Rights men an
swer, --z--z,- - 7.-.=
When was there ever before revolution upon SO
gigantic scale without internal disturbanceS Not
single conspiracy or rebellion, worth the name
has been attempted Scarcely show of opposi.
ton to the administration, in its oar policy, has
been exhibited from any quarter, The entire re-
sources Of the country both. IS to men and money
have been freely laid at the feet Of the Executive
What more can b. ask Of whom can he COM
plant But it may be said that this suspension of
the privileges of the writ of habeas corpus affects
only the disloya and guilty.. Even if it weresojthe
principle is the same Even bad men should be
tried and punished. Let it be remembered that at
tacks upon the liberties of the people are always
made upon the vile and worthless. When prece-
den. is once established, in the case Of bad men,
who like pioneers 60 before to smooth the way,
good men may tremble for their safety. Under
this suspension men to be punished not because
they are guilty, but because there is no means of
proving them SO. 1t regards the entirp population
Of the country fit to be placed under restraint
But who are the dsloyal and the guityp
If rumor be true in the opinion Of no inconidera-
bic number Of delegation in the late Congress,
that class includes majority of not less than thirty
thousand voters in the State. "The same thirty
Thousand that elected Gov. Vance" If these gen.
tlemen could, on a solemn occasion in the presence
of the President impeaeh such . majority Of their
constituents Of disloyalty and their "tongue not
cleave to the roofof their mouths "-if they could
thus with matrcid, stroke stab the reputation of
good old mother and their fright hand not forget
its cunning who could promise himself safety from
the espionage Of detectives" who have no sympa-
thy with our interests and no knowledge of our
people? Let us initiate the courage and practice
the virtue of our ancestors to whom we are indebt-
ed for so mny blessings, maxims and principles in
political economy. They were not ready to lay
their liberties at the foot Of the crown upon every
vain or imaginary alarm They knew full well
that liberty. was not like garment that could be
thrown of today and put on to-morrow. They
knew full well in the language Of Gov. Brown that
important rights yielded to those in power with
out rebuke or protest were never recovered by the
people without revolution"
This act of Congress urged by Executive recon-
mendation if intended for this State more especially
a. many belive, was crimnally grstuitous and UNI
necessary. TWAS in the very face as have shown
Of tho unwaverns support of the administration on
the part Of our people of all measures that have
even the semblance of patriotism, with the mantle
of charity thrown over Executive bunders, and con-
trary to the urgent and earnest appeals of Gov
Vance in all his official correspondence upon this
SUBJECT with the Executive and Legislative officers
of the government
How much wiser it would have been in the Pres
ident and in Congress to have been Influenced by
the patriotic suggestions of his advice than the de-
cAratons ofirresponsibe writers who are al
ways exuavagant and seldom truthful
The gentleman from Davidson, Mr. Beall, who
has spoken with so much familiarity with English
authorities alludes to the suspension of this writ
in that country at various times and quotes the books
to sustain his position. This he holds as prece-
dent for our Congress in their late extraordinary
and unconstitutional action Itw, doubtless strike
this House with great surprise that gentleman ap-
parently SO familiar with English law and English
Jurisprudence, should not have remembered that
there was marked difference between the preroga-
tives of the English parliament and the Confeder-
ate Congress. The power of the one is omnipotent
and limited by no soritten Constitution. They
could repeal habsas corpus itself if they chose but
they dare not do it. Such IS the spirit of liberty
in that country. Their posoer to do So however is
unquestiouable. Of the other, however the case is
quite different Our Congress is limited in its pow.
ers by written Constitution, by which all the
rights not expressly delegated are reserved to the
States. Can the gentleman from Davidson trace
parallel between the twoa The gentleman says the
resolutions reported by the committee are at fault
because they declare there have been infections
the ConsiitutiorSon the part of Congress and thai
the suspension act conters judicial authority on thu
President. We're to attempt to follow the gentle
man in his learned legal arguments, doubtless tn,
House of Commons would recognize the eight
wonder Of the world in attempt on the part
two Mymsn (who perhaps know something Of med
cines, but little of law to discuss constitutions
questions in the presence of constitutional lawyers
1t would be an act of supererogation on the part
any member Of this House to add to the weight o
argument against the constitutionaty Of this meas
ure with which the country is already IS familia
! as the schoolboy with bis hornbook. Upon thi
subject will turn the gentleman over to the ten
| der mercies Of Gov. Brown, Vice President Steph
ems and Gov. Vance in their recent able and con
yncing State papers.