Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-12-20

and in England
Toe bill whieh passed the Senate of the United
States in 1907 suspends the privilege of the writ OF
ha6eGs corpus in the very words Of the Constitution,
but provides that the person accused shall only be
arrested by virtue Of q warrant" and only then
when he is " charged Oh OATH" with the commission
of some offence This indicates that the suspension
of the privileges of the writ did not interfere with
the guaranteed rights concerning the mode Of arrest
The various acts of parliament passed from 1879 to
1884, are equally conclusive 10 the justice OF the
distinction.
This writ is peculiar to England and America
U pom the continent its provisions unknown, I'M
less recently introduced. Now, suppose that instead
of suspending the privileges of the writ, when the
public safety required it, the Constitution Of the Con-
federae States had express declared that no person
should be entitled to 1t under any circumstsnces-m
other words suppose the writ itself had been abolish
ed. Under these circumstances it is clear that
arrested could not be released until he tried
and acquitted but is 1t not equally clear that his
rest must be made in accordance with those proVis-
ions Of the Constitutions which still remained, and
were entirely independent Of the writ?
Therefore, sir, when Congress under the guise Of
suspendng the privileges Of the writ, attempts to
deprive citizens of their liberty without due pro-
cess Of law, and suspend clause Of the Constitution
over which they have power, and which they have
sworn to preserve jnvioate, in the language of the
2d Resolution, such legislation is unconstitutional
anu SuONSlSlNe vi SNCIy Vi lOoltJs
Another Of the great rights secured in the COnsti
tuition, is the right to speedy and public trial, by
an impartial jury of the State and district wherein
the crime shall have been committed"
The remarks which have already submitted, show
that this right is also entirely Independent Of the
power OF suspension. And yet what have we seen,
witt in the last twelve months? Men have been az
rested upon warrants issued not only by the Pres-
dent but without any warrants at all, at the mere
Will of petty officer, prompted in many cases,
not by the desire to secure the public veal but by
private aI.imOSty, and they hive been ncsrcerated
for months without any d. finite charge being made
against them. They could obtain no speedy trial
because not being arrested under the warrant of any
Judicial tribunal, there tribunal before which
the writ was returnahe. Under the view taken by
Congress, no Judge could issue his writ and the cti
neglected and forgotten. pined in confinement
In land where liberty is declared to he brthright.
Mr.. Stephens, in his great speech before the georgia
Legislature, mentioned several cases which he denomi
mated as cases of shameful outrage" North Caro-
lima can show her list Of innocent who have thus
suffered, and the walls Of Castle Thunder have wit
| messed the sighs and suifsrngs Of many who were
better at heart, aud more devote to their county
than the lrfUrmers at whose instication they were
lncarccrated. How can expect that the smiles Of
benhcent providence will he vouchsafed to our
cause, when we, in the of freedom, perpetrate
the grossest tyranny? The responsibility of these
outrages rest IN part upon Us, and 1t is duty
Legislators, to do all in power, to shield every
citizen from wrong and oppression.
Now, Sir, what are the reasons given for the nc
cesSity Of this suspension?
LIST. " There is treason abroad in North Carolina"
This is the charge made by persons in high cfli:al
positions. 10 days that past the honor and in
tegrity of Nurth C,relina were unnpeached and I'M
improbable, and during the gigaptic that is
waglng the blood Of her Sons has ensanguned hun
dred battle fields and their achievements have COW
cred her with imperishable renown.
But yet the charge made that treason turks with
In her borders II there be single North Carinian
who has been guilty of treason to the Confederate
government let him be arrested and punished accord
ing to law. 1t he is traitor let him meet trail
tors doom. But this wide sweeping charge Of dis
loyalty against the fair fame of our noble and proud
old State, in the name of her people, pronounce
base and unmitigated SANDER.
Two months have scarcely elapsed since the Chief
Magistrate of Confeieracy, declared at Salisbury
that North Carolina had been slandered and again at
Gol'sboro, that her fair had been maligned by
her enemies. But now, persons in high official posi-
lions are again engaged this work of detraction and
pains NE to say that North CarOnians have been
found so devoid Of a of shame as to give their
| all TO the propagation of the SANDER.
would not detract particle from the just need
OF praise that is due sisters 10 the Confederacy
INT none OF them can present brighter record than
| North Carolina.
! Noble old Virginia has her Perpont and her Car
lyle, and has supplied the enemy with many thous-
and soldiers. The gallant but misguided South Car
| oltna, through enc Of her ablest and most distn-
gushed sons, has put forth to the world the broad
declaration that two governments cannot exist within
! the limits of the old Uniou without the establish
ment OF military despotiSm, and has argued to show
that submission and reconstruction were preferable
to this. He has received the endorsement Of at least
portion OF her soldiers in the field and the silent
approval OF two-t thirds of the counties which COM
| pose his district at home.
Georgia, through her Commissioner, since repudi-
ated has consulted face to face with Lincoln at Wash
lngtou, as to the terms upon which the contest may
| be terminated.
Alabama has been deserted by one of the chosen
Representatives of her people, who found refuge uu-
der the flag Of his Countrys foe
Louisiana has, IN part, returned to the Union, and
many OF her MIST distinguished hold civil COM
| missions under the government which recognizes AS
its flag the stars and the stripes and whose chiei
maxim OF public policy is the restoration of the Un-
| isn.
North Carolina has done none of these things, hut
| from the commencement has cxerted every nerve to
secure the independence of tho Southern Confedera-
| cy Her dead, lying upon the fields of their glory
bear silent evidence of her heroism and constancy.
why Is 1t, then, that she should be regarded with
such dlStTust aud suspicion? l will tell you Mr..
| Speaker
North Carolina left the old government from diff
ierent principle from that which actuated many of
the States of the Confederacy. Many Of them beheld
the destruction Of the Union with ny and eager
to embrace every opportunity to work its downfall
They hailed the election of Abraham Lincoln as the
suspicious period, and took advantage of that event
| Tor the purpose of precipitating this Revolution ;
| North Carolina loved the Union, and announced her
determination to stand by it long as her guaran-
teed rights were unmpaired. An ardent attachment
Tor Constitatiora liberty pervaGed her entire people,
And when Abraham Lincoln, forgetfu of our time
nonofed rights and liberties attempted to subyert the
sovereignty of State by coercion thereby trappins
under his foot that Constitution which had been &C.
mented by tho blood of our common ancestors. North
Clrona regarding that Constitution as the palladium
of her EINertias Ii in Ia.