Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-10-05
From the Progress.
IFfOE1 the IfUEressI
HAVE WE ANY CIVIL LAW IN
NORTH-CAROLINA9

HAVE WE ANY CIVIL LAW In
NORTH-CAROLINA2
We had supposed that we yet had our
Bill of Rights, our Civil Code and Statutes,
and that even in these times of general
decentralization and usurpation they would
project the weak and hel pless non-com-
blatant, the women and children and de-
crcpid old age, from insult and outrage;
but it seems we have been laboring under
Il delusion. That ruler who makes war
upon the women and children, even of a
common enemy, is not onl y tyrant but
a brute, but what are we to think of one
who makes war or allows others to make
war upon his own women and children 2
Over year ago we urged the Governor,
in these columns, to turn ont his whole
militia or as many as might be necessary
to accomplish the work, and have all the
,leserters in the State arrested and retuln-
cd to the army and we insisted that where
militia officers failed in the performance
IF their duty that they be reduced to the
ranks and conscribed. Had our sugges-
tions been then followed we should have
had but little trouble with deserters they
could have been arrested and returned to
the field without taking regular troops
from the army to hunt them up, and now
the State would have been nearly or quite
clear of them; but our advice was not
needed, nothing was done, and during the
whole Of the five months of the guberna-
toral canvass we heard of no efforts to
gather them in. We regretted this, for
we desired that all men absent without
leave should be returned to duty, and
hence we hailed the recent action of the
Governor in calling out the Home Guard
for that purpose, with qualification. Home
Guard and militia officers whose commits
sions protect them from service in the
field, should perform this duty cheerfnlly,
and when they refuse or fail to do it they
should he made to pertorre it.
We have heard, for several weeks past,
OF the arrest and i0e71ning of women and
children, by the Home Guard officers now
engaged in desertor-huntpg, but treated
it with silence, not being disposed 10 say
anything which might seem to interfere
with the main work i'll hand tile arrest OF
descrters; but accounts of these outrages
on the weak and helpless, now come to us
in such shape that We can no longer, con-
sistently with our duty as public iourn
alist, keep silent. We published the law.
passed by the last Legislature, on this
subject, yesterday; and we Insist that
wherever persons, male or female, have
been guilty of llarboring, or aiding and
abetting deserters, they be arrested and
tried by the civil tribunals, aud punished
iffound gully; but in the name of human
ity and civilization we protest against the
wholesale arrest Of women and children
which is now going on in various sections
ofthe State by armed forces, .mder orders
from the Executive Department. There
is no law TO authorize it, and it is an I'm
,nitigated outrage. 1t may be said tha
these persons arc all lewd and depraved
Admit it, and yet it does not mitigate til,
high-han led outrage and thorough disre
gard Of civil law. But we are assured
that many ofthe women thus arrested ant
kept for Gays and weeks under guard. ar,
persons of education, position and refine
ment-many OF whose sons, husbands an.
brothers are no doubt now keepiny watcI
in the trenches at Petersburg or elsewhere
We would not shield any guilty perso,
lrOhi eHC'i puuiShuIcilt DIS inc INV ln0lct
tor the punishment Of crime, but beyon'
the law We wonId not go.
1t is said Gov. Vance excuses himse1
by saying his order has been Inisundel
stobd. II SO why does he not revoke i
or substitute another which may be un
derstood2 Why suffer these arrests to .
on in disregard of all lava But will h
allow the order under which his officer
are operating to see the light, so that til
people of tic State and of the countr
may Judge for themselves9 If it does no
authorize these arrests we will most cheer
tnlly do him tho justice TO publish it, j
furnished with copy.
We have heard Of delicate ladies in
condition to render excitement and expo
sure very dangerous, being dragged frol
their homes and kept under guard in tn
Home Guard camp for days and weeks
and others, we are assured, with snckin
babes have been treated in the same wa
all the arrests being made because the
were suspected Of harboring. or aiding an
abetting deserters. No oath or afirm'
ton; 10 civil process-only an arme
guard and the arrests made on suspicion
by the order Of Coy. Vance Ills is