Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-11-30

is plain that the subject of Wholesale con-
scription is to be revived at the present
session of Congress, by which not only the
services and persons OF the people of all
classes,obutS the conduct of their trades,
professions, pursuits and occupations ara
70 be placed under the sole and exclusive
control of the military power. II is as
sumed that the system of exemption by
Congress is unWise; that every man in the
Confederaey capable of military duty should
be enrolled, aud that the civil pursuits Of
life should be carried on by detailed men
fromithe army. Our pulpits must be filled
by detailed preachers, orr schools BY de-
tailed teachers, our plantations by detatl'
ed farmers, our workshops by detailed me-
chanics, aud our newspapers must be car
ried on by detailed editors and printers.
y 1t will be perceived at o glance thRtsu
4ipolicy strikes at the very root of civil
liberty, and places all powerlin the hands
of the military. Ifany minister ofthe Cos
pei should be so indiscreet as to embody
in any of his sermons doctrines distastefnI
10 the powers that be, or If any editor
should become too oHtspoken in the exer-
else of his constitutional rights in yindi-
cation Of the freedom of the press. a revo.
cation of their details would very soon si-
lence them; If the editor himself should
not be subject to military duty itwould be
an easy matter to stop his paper byrevOk-
ing the details of his employees.
We beseech our authorities at Richmond
not to be, too grasping in their demands for
power and dominion, and We warn our
Oongressmeninot to be too hastY In thus
surrendering the rights and liberties OF
their constituents into the hands OF the
military power. IT there De any who really
favor such q policy, they certainly have
not weighed we'll the consequences of it (;
for If such policy shall prove successful,
it will not require the ken of prophet TO
predict that in the event of McClellan's
election, the Chicago platform will very
soon muster a strong, If not predominant,
party in these Confederate States. Much
disafection has already been produced by
the extra.constitutioual legislation of Con-
gress and the harsh manner in which its
laws have been executed by military OFF,
cials, and We can assure the President and
his Secretary that they are bat playing into
the hands of Mr.. Boyce and his followers
by their continued grasping after despotic
power. The germs of dissension are al
ready too painfully visible, and we can but
deprecate the adoption of any policy like
this that can but hasten them into full
fruition. sac
Under the inhuman aud barbsrous man.
ner in which Lincoln has waged the war
upon US, the people have submitted without
mnrmur to much from their own govern
ment that would have met with resistance
under other circumstances; and they will
doubtless continue to bear up under what
ever burthens may be imposed upon them
in the event of the reelection of the Ape /;
but we almost tremble for the fate that
awaits divided South, if the unwise re-
concentrations of Mr.. Seldom shall become
q law upon the heels of McClellan's sue
cess. gl.
DAVIS ATTEMPT TO MuzsLE THE PaEss--A
CONVENTION OF REBRL EDITORS TO OPPOSE
THE UsURPATIoN PROPOSED. ans -l
From the Augusta Chronicle and ssutineT, Nov. 10.
We are glad to see that the press Of the
South is very generally speaking out
against tn Q unconstitutional proposition of
the President to abridge its freedom by
subjecting it to his own arbitrary control.
Even the press of the admipistration are
loud in their denuncf8tfOu of the EXecu-
tive. They are forced to admit that it
evinces an alarming disposition on the part
of the President to usurp despotic power,
in utter disregard of the, guarantees of the
They are startled and alarm.
ed by the exhibition of executive intoler-
ance and desire to crush thoEe journals
which have had the the independence to
crlticise his acts and policy. Much as they
have been disposed to yield the admins
tration an indiscriminate support, they are
not prepared to surrender the freedom Sc
cured to them by the constitution, and
hold their rights to exist at the beck and
nod of the President and his military sub
Ia
The Columbia Carolinian, which has
not been lukewarm supporter of the
President of late, gives utterance to an
emphatic protest again this, latestattempt
at executive usurpation.
The Cdrolininn has weakened the ef-
feot of its protest by its attempt to screen
the President from the responsibility Of
this unconstitutional recommendation. It'll
was never before suspected nor iutima.
ted that the President was not the author
of his own messages; or that any thing
found its way into them WEIGH was not
either originated or sanctioned by him.
He would scorn the suggestion that he is
or could be tool in the hands of others.
We heartily second the proposition of
the Constitutfonalist for cOYentionof the
press, to defend its freedom and rights
against this threatened assault of Execu.
tyranny. We very much fear that un-
less active measures be taken to prevent
it subserVient Congress, which has
heretofore manifested disposition to
register every edict of the Executive |
will, may in secret session strike, this
deadly blow at the freedom of the press,
80 insidiously recommended in the
Presidents message. rli
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