Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-04-06

".~SsS~ " WY uOS pSGWib eu0
whose constitutional right aud duty it ia, to do IT.
We are witnessing with 100 much ind ference ~:
sumpt'ons OF power BY the Confederate government
which, in ordinary times, would arouse the whole
country to indignant rebuke and stern resistance.
History teaches US that submissonto to one sncroach-
ment upon constitutional liberty is always followed
BY another and We should not forget that impor.
tant rights yielded to those IN power without 70.
buke or protest. are never recovered by the people
without revolution.
# this act is acquiesced in, the President, the
Secretary Of War, and the commander of the Trans
Mississippi department, under the control of the
President, each has the power conferred by Con-
gress, to mprison whomsoever he chooses; and it
IS only necessary to alege that it is done on &C.
count of "treasonable efforts" or of "conspracies
to resist the lawful authority of the Confederate
States" or for "gving aid and comfort to the enc.
N.Y." or other Of the causes of arrest enumerated
IN the statute, and have subaltern to file his afi
davlt accordingly, after the arrest, if writ of Ea-
oeas corpus is sued out and no court dare inquire
into the cause of the imprisonment, The statute
makes the President and not the courts the Judge
OF the sutfciency of the cause for his own acts
Either OF you or any other citizen of Georgis, may
at any moment fMr. Vallandigham was in Ohio) be
dragged from your homes at midnight by armed
force, and imprisoned at the will of the President,
upon the pretext thatyou have been guilty Of some
offence of the character above named and no court
krowE to our judiciary can inquire into the wrong
or grant relief
When such bold strides towards military despo.
t'sm and absolute authority are taken by those in
whom We have con6ded, and who have been placed
in high Official position, to guard and protect con-
ssltutonal and personal liberty, it is the duty of
every patriotic citizen to sound the aIsrm, and of
the State Legislature to say in thunder tones to
those who assume to govern US by absolute power
that there is point beyond which freenen will not
permit encroachments to co.
The Legislatures of the respective States are
looked to as the guardians of the rights Of those
whom they REPRESENT and it is their duty to meet
such dangerous enactments upon the liberties of the
people promptly, and to express their unqualified
condemnation, and to instruct their Senators and
request their Representatives to repeal this most
monstrous act, or resign trust which, by permit
ting 1t to remain on the statute book, they abuse
to the injury of those who have honored them with
their confidence, in this trying period of our histo
~. esrnestly recommend that the Legislature of
this State take prompt action upon this subj :ct
and stamp the act with the seal of their indignant
rebuke
Can the President no longer trust the judiciary
with the exercise of the legitimate powers confer
rel upon it by the Constitution and lawsl- In what
instance have the grave and d.gnied Judges proved
dlsloyal or untrue to our cause? When have they
embarrassed the government by turning loose tra.
Tors, skuikers or spiesl Have they not IN every
instance. given the government the benefit of their
doubts 10 sustaining its action, though they nigh:
thereby seem to encroach upon the rights Of the
States aad for time deny substantial justice to
| the peoplef Then why this implied censure upon
| theml
What justification exists now for this most mon.
strous deed which did not exist during the first or
second year Of the war, unless it be feund>in the
fact that those in power have found the people
ready to submit to every encroachment rather than
make an issue with the government while We are
been embodened to take the step which is intended
to make the President absolute in his power of
arrest and imprisonment as the Car OF all the Rus.
siass What reception would the members of Con.
gress from the different States have met in 1861,
had they returned to their constituents and inform
ed them that they had suspended the A0beds corpus
and given the President the power to imprison the
people Of these States with no restraint upon his
sovereign will? Why is liberty less sacred now
th,n it was in 1861, And what will we have gained
when We have achieved our Independence of the
Northern States, if in effort to do so, We have
permitted our form of government to be subverted,
and have lost Constitutional liberty at homes
The hope of the country now rests in the new
Congress soon to assemble. They must maintain
our liberties against encroachment, and wipe this
aud such stains from the statute book, or the sun
Let the constituted authorities of each STAGE send
up to their representatives, when they emble in
Congress, an unqualified demand for prompt re-
dress; or a return of the commissions 2hch they
hold from their respective States.
[Gov. Brown here discusses at grea6 length "The
Cause of the War, How Cendacsed, and Who Re-
sponsiLle," in the course Of which the enemy ia
soandly scored for his vandalism, and the federals
are assured that if they continue the dupes Of Abra
ham Linccn ind the radical abotionists they will
be involved IN the end in one general ruin.
HOW PEACE SHOULD BE SOUGHT.
In view of these difficulties, it may be asked
WheJ. lad how is this war to terminated! I! 1t is i'm
possible to say when it may terminate, but it il
cay to say how it will end We do not seek tt
conqaer the Northern people, and if we are true t.
ourselves they can never conquer US. We do MOI
SEEK to take from them the right Of self govern
pAent or to govern them without their consent
| And they have not force enough to govern us With
| out our consent or to deprive US of the right Il
govern ourselves The blood of hundreds Of thou
sands may yet be split and the will not still b
terminated by force Of arms. Negotiation will &
nally terminate it The pen Of the statesmen. NOR
potent than the sword Of the warrior, must do whs
the latter has failed to do.
But may be ssked how negotiations are to com
menee when President Lincoln refuses to receiy
commissioners sent by u.s. and his Congress- resAve
to hear no proposition for psacs. I rerty nat i
my opinion, it is our duty to keep it slws s bsp,
the Northern people and the civilized wcfld thas ~
are ready to negotiate for peace whenever saa. pc
pie and governmentof the Northern 1ta>as are pr
pared to recognize the great fundar erssa psancipl
Of the Declaration of 1ndependeu "a ua,ntai,ed
our common ancsstry-ths rigb.s q a,k to se:fgo
ernment. and the sovereignty Il tho States. 10 d
Judgment, it is The duty: Of oaa gpsernusnt aft
glorious armies on the ass,a. 6eid 70 make = d
t'nct proposition to the Northern government
peace on these terms By doing this, if the prol
eoasn % = hs s.ss ~ ,h.5 hold sra sA;
anu ."e JUG xenA Of mankind If they refuse
1sse's rec ,hs tne commissioners who bear the prope
d"et o Of pT "a It IN tho newspapers, and let the
shsra; IuS. neir rulers be known to the people,
nav Arsssoaable ground to hope that the ii
;' " net be far distant when a returning sense
y <iec, and desire for self protection sgsinst
|! Iesism At home. will prompt the people OF
Mo.sI>.-> toh h,,rl E.C,n thoSo whO dl