Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-01-15
rHEcONSTITUTION-sTATE RIGHTS.
RICHMOND WHIG.
FRIDAY MORNING, JAN. is, 1854,
The Habeas Corpus,


Il will not little surprise and ,rtle the people OF
the Confederate States 70 discover in the late proceed
iass of Congress that bill has boen reported from the
judiciary Committee Of the House by its chairman,
Mr. GArtrelb of Ga, and thAtt has passed its first and
second reading and il placed upon the calendar az
orzng the President in certain cases. to suspend the
writ Of&Gbsas corpus. natural inquiry viii arise as
70 the why and wherefore Of such proceeding. Al
though the Constitution provides for such action as
that proposed where in Of 1nvasiOn, the public
necessity may require it." yet there will be the most
earnest socuds felt at the proposal of such extra
ordinary measure at this time in Congress.
The President shall have power to suspend the pri
vege of the writ OF ha6eas corpus in any city, town,
or military district whenever bis judgment the pub
lilo safety may qure it. So reads the main clause Of the
bill Why specify "any city tow0," when the phrase
military district" embraces not only every city and
town, but the whole area Of the Confederacyg What
part of the Confederacy is there that is within
military distrcts It is more sweeping than the.
travasant bill of the Military Committee. 1t does not
except even the officers of the Confederate and
Safe Governments. The Vice President the Cover
nors OF States, members of Congress- Judges, Generals
il the f.ld as well as all other persons in public
vice. or in tie various pursuits of the domestic economy
of the country will at once be subjected to the abso
lu:e and irresp onsi6le will Of the Executive.
History points 70 no instance where such enormous
power has not been enormously abused. Who knows
how soon mill rvang in its operations the irrepres-
sible "prOmise to pay" machine of the Tressu De-
partment may set to issuing lsttrss de eGehsF Bls-
tiles may at once spring up all over land and be-
come Of State within whose cells
may languish the unfortunate victims of suspicion or
caprice.
The President shall proper officers to investi
gate the of oil persons arrested in order that
they may be discharged if Improperly detained" &c
1. will be asked Have the ordinary and constituted
tribunals OF justice throughout land failed in the
jus discharge of duty, perverted ths usf Why
percede them BY prOper Ulcers who may be but part
OF the very police rhieh will be authorized and com
handed TO make the arrestss
We feel assured that such arbitrary measure will
pass the present Congress- It has repea edy been pro-
posed in former sessions. In moment of great gen
eTal excitement, after rapid succession OF heavy re-
verses, Congress at former session passed, pre-
ciPtAtely, several important measures, the impoey
of which soon became apparent Among them
Was 'uo neaSuAe IL" PE"PO7euI "uSu a. Iue C'oee
Of the period of its operation it refused to re-
enact. I.Was found an unnecessary, Intellectual and
nest dangerous expedient There can be no reason
assigned for that will be satisfactory to the pub
lie or alay their reasonable jealousy Of ali encroach
Of Executive authority. Il is the inUrought de-
termination of people to be personally free Per-
sOnal liberty is part of the very life blood Of apeople
70 whom its blessings have been transmitted for many
generations. THE extension Of Executive authority
Guds no advocate in the list of champions of human
freedom. Their uniform and steady purpose has been
TO Limit it, Popular and representative night have
been at war with prerOgave It's contest has been fer
ages to rescue liberty from the grasp Of Executive
poMern