, 1864-03-27

With the enemies Of their State. '
Recommend the enactment Of Inv pro-
viding for The conlscation of the properly of
all such persons; aud that I'LL such property
be sold, and tie proceeds Of The sale applied
to the payment Of damages done to loyal'clt-
iEeu6 ofthe Same section, whose property has
been destroyed By raids Of the enemy, or by
armcdsbands oftories.
am also informed that some disloyal per-
Eous in that section have deserted from our
armies, or, avoiding service, hare left their
families behind nnd gone oyer to the enemy,
end are .uoW under arms against us. am
happy to learn that the number of suchi per-
soQs is very small. recommend the con-
6ecatfon OF the property Of this class Of per
sons, also; and in case they have lett lam
that no part Of. the relief fund be allowed
them. but that they bo carried to the enemy's
lines md turned oyerto those In whose cause
their husbands now serve.
> also recommend the enactment of such
LAWS as shall forever di6franchlse and discit-.
ixenizc nj persons of both classes should they
attempt to return TO this State.
CRITICISM OF TIE CONFEDERATE. CURRENCY
LEGIsLATloN.
The Government Issues its Treasury note
for S10o, md binds ITSELF two years after
treaty Of peace, between the Confederate
States and the United States, to pay the bear
CT that sum md stfpn1atcs upon the face ofthe
note that 1t iR fnndable in Confederate States
stocks Of bonds, and receivable IN payment
Of all public dues, except export duties. The
Congress, while the war Is still progressing,
passes statute that this bill shall be funded
in about forty days, or one-thlrd of It shsll
be rcpudfatcd, and TINT tax Of ten per cent
month shall be. paid for it after that time
by. the holder, and 1t shall no longer be re..
is not 'fnnded by the 1st of January next, the
whole debt Is lcpudfated
Did the holder take the note with any such
e1pectatfons Was this the contract, and Is
this the way the Government is to keep Its
fifth? five get rid Of the old issues In this
faith in the redemption of the next issues?
Again, many OF the notes haye the express
promise on their faco that they' shall be fund
ed In eight per cent bonds. When? The
plain import is. and so understood by ali Mt
the time Of their Issue, that 1t may be done
Of the note for its payment With what
semblance Of good filth, then, does the Gov.
crnmcnt before that time compel the holder
to receive four per cent bond, or lose the
whole dcbts and what better is this than re-
pudiation? When was 1t eycr before at
tempted By any Government to compel tue
funding Of almost the entire paper currency
Of q country, amounting to seven or eight
hundred millions of dollars, in forty days ].
This Is certainly new chapter In lnancier-
ing A.. ,..-.,:,
parcd to pay 1t checrfnlly, at any reasonable
sacrifice; but repudiation and bad faith were
not expected, eud the authors Of 1t cannot be
held Guiltlcss
SECRET SESSIONS OF CONGRESS.
The Expiring Congress took the prec1utlon
to discuss this measure In secret session, so
that the individual net Of the representative
1,fr &a
could be annoyed during its consideration By
the murmurs Of public disapprobatlon being
echoed back 10 the Legislative Hall. And to
make ASSURANCE doubly sure. they fixed tue
day for the assembling Of their successors at
time too late to remedy the evil, or afford
adequate redress for the wrong.
These secret sessions Of Congress are be-
coming b1ightfng curse to the country.
They arc used as Convenient mode Of coy-
cring up from the people such acts or express
sions Of their Reprcse sentatives as will not
bear investigation in the light Of day. Al.
most every net Of usurpatton of power or oil
bad fifth. has been conceived, brought forth
and nnrtured, In secret session. II I mistake
not, The British Parliament never discussed q
single measure in Secret session during the
whole period Of the Crimean war. But, If II
Is necessary to discuss few important mill
ta1y measures, 6ucl as may relate to the
movement of armies, &c. In secret session.
tions pertaining to the currency, the writ o.
habeas corpus, and the like, SHOULD all be con
ducted in secret session.
FCRLOUGUs REFUSED.
On the eth OF February, when Issued
my proclamation, calling you into extra ses
sion. telegraphcd the Secretary of War
and asked that fur1oughs be granted. tc
members in military service, to attend ths
session; and received reply stating, that IL
had "been concluded not to grant fnrlonghs
to attend the session. that tsotficcrs SD stu
ated are entitled to resign, and may sc
e1cct.'
I regret this determination Of the Coufed
crate Goye1nnent. as it places our galla9'
officers, who have bean elected by the people
to represent them, and to whom, as veil .:
their predecessors similarly situated, fur
loughs were never before denied, In posi-
| ton where It cost them their commissions II
attempt to discharge their duties, as repre-
sentativcs Of the people.
4 oRowL AT TIE coSscR1PT1oS,
| Our Supreme Court has ruied that the Con
fedcrate Government has the power to rails,
armies by conscEiption, but 1t has not de
cided that It also has the power to enroll ths
| whole population Of the State who remai1
at home, 50 rs to place the whole people IN
der the military control Of the Confederat,
Government, md thereby take from the State
all command over their own citizens, to exc
cute their own laws, and place the fntesna
police regulations Of the States in the hand
OF the President tits one thing to ''rais
armies,'' and another, and quite diheren
thing, to put the whole population at hom
obtain military detail, upon such terms d
the Central Government may dictate, and Il
carry military ps5s in his pocket. while b
cnltiyetes his firm, or attends to his oihe
necessary ayocations at home.
Neither planter Ior IN orerseer engage
upon the farm, nor blacksmith making ag
riculturd implement, nor miller grindln
for the people at home. belongs to, or cor
stltutes any, part Of the armies Of the Confed
eracy, and there Is not the shndoT Of co1stl
trtioual power vested in the coufederat
Government for conscripting, and pnttin
these classes. and others engaged In hora
pursuits, under military rule, while they r.
main At home to discharge these duties ]
conscription wae constitutional, as = mean
Of raising armies By the Confederate Govern
mcnt, It could not be constitutional to cor
ecnoe those not actually needed. and not +
ne employed In tue army aud tho coDstitr
aional power to "1aiee armies'' conld neyc
carry with It the power in Congress to cor
scribe the whole people, who are not ncede
| Tor the armies, but are left at home becnus
more usetM there, und plnce them uuder NIL
ftary government, and compel them to e.
military details TO plow their fclds, sho
their fa1m hofses, or 70 to mill.
CONSUMPTION carried to this extent is th
essence Of military despotlsm; placing a
civil rights in q state Of subordinatton I
military power, and putting the personal frc,
dom Of each individual Ii civil life at ii,
will Of the chief Of tho military power.
II all between seventeen aud tifty ure t
be enrolled and placed in constant militar
service, We must conquer the enemy wh1l
we arc consuming the present crop Of prt
visions, OF we arc ruined; as 1t will be in
possible for the old men over fifty aud til
boys under seventeen, TO make supple
enough to feed our armies and people anot}
er ysar. think every practical man In th
Confedcr1cY who knows any thing about O.,
agricultural interests and resources vi
readily admit tLjs
Instead Of making constant new drafts ~