Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-12-07

willing to accept a detailfo this purpose, as
it would be an acknowledgements advshce
that his press shall be the tool of the Presl'
dent, with its freedom abridged and its ex,s-
tence dependent upon the Rresidentswili.
As this law would give the President the
power to say how many editors he will toler.::
ate, it would leave it to his discretion
what sort of editors he will have, and what
principles they shall advocate
Thus the public press of the country,
which, whatever may be its errors ana
abuses, is, next to the Christian religion,
the greatest promoter of civilization, and
when left free and untrammelled is the
strongest bulwark of constitutional govern.
ment and the most powerful advocate of
civil and religious liberty, is to be prostra::
ted at the feet of the President, and pros
tituted to the base end OF oyerthrowng
constitutional liberty and establishing des-
potism Where did liberty ever exist with
the freedom of the press abridged and Its
existence dependent upon the will OF >
single individuals
The President not only demands of Con-
gress the passage Of law giving him the
power in the future to muzzle the press
and PREVENT it from exposing the errors OF
his administration or the corruption OF his
officials, but he demands that the State
governments be placed absolutely under
bis control, and that it be left to his eds
erection" how many members and Ht1icers
may attend each session of the Legislature,
and what shall be the ages Of the members,
and if he chooses what shall be their po-
litical sentiments. 1t is also to be left to
his discretion " how many Judges Of the
Superior, Inferior, or other Courts, each
State may have, and what shall be their
ages. How many Sherrifs, Clerks, Tax
Collectors, Justices OF the Peace, &C., he
will tolerate in each State. Each of these
classes of State officers is one Of the other
"numerous classes mentioned in,tne laws"
who he declares are to be distributed accord
ing to his discretion throughout the coun-
try in such proportions that only the ex-
act number required are found in each To-
cality, those within conscript age to be re-
placed by solder men," less capable Of ae-
| tive field service, and in the selection Of
t those with whom they are to be replaced
regard might be had to those who would
be "less capable" of opposition to the
Presidents will.
! Bnt this, intolerable as it seems to be, is
not the worst feature in the demand The
! President asks that Congress place the
"ministers Of religion" under his absolute
control, with declaIation accompanying
tho demand that they are not to be ex-
e1npteJ as a class, but only snch OF them
as he in his 'dscretion may deem a
sufficient number to he detailed to contiu-
ne to exercise their pursuit or profession,
! "that only the exact numbers required
may be found in each locality" There is
no installing the purpose, they are one OF
the classes mentioned in the laws" In
other words, they are class mentioned in
the exemption laws and are exempted as
class.
Give the President this power, and the
minister of religion can no longer exercise
the high functions of his calling under the
commission he has received from Heaven,
without detail from the President. This
would give the President the pow er in his
discretion to determine not on y how many
may be necessary, but to select the local
tiles where they will be tolerated, and t.
prescribe if he should think proper the
denomination to which they shall belong
This would place the freedom of religion
as absolutely under his control, as the
freedom of the press, and the government
of the States.
Tho provision of the Constitution which
declares that Congress shall have power tt
raise and support armies must be constru
ed in connection with that other provision
that - Congress shall make no law respect
ing al establishment OF religion or pre-
} hibiting the free exercise thereof, o
abridgiug the freedom OF speech or of til
press" Taking these two provisions to
gether, l do not see how any candid ma
can say that Congress has power unde
the pretext Of raising and supportin
armies, to place the free exercise of rel
, gion and the freedom of the press at tn
discretion" Of the President Nor ca
t it be denied that the freedom of both ar
) dependeat upon. his will when the la,
| permits no one to. publish paper Or t
preach the gospel without a detail frot
, him. What possible connection does tn
= preaching of the gospel in the city OF Mi
5 ledgeville or any other place have wit
raising and supporting, armies9 And wh
} is it necessary that the preacher of til
t gospel should by act Of Congress be music
3 ed into the military service of the Confet
: crete States and put under the control {
: the President, to he detailed back in til
J discretion" Of the President to preach
Is this the i" free exercise OF relgion?"
!. Is not the freedom Of the press abrids
3 ed, when newspaper can only be puI
: lished with the consent OF the Presiden
= and is mot the independence and dignit
: Of the Legislator lost when he is compelle
r to enter the legislative hall with detail
4 his pocket, subjected to be ordered out
= it at any moment when it suits the intere
: or caprice of the PRESIDENT Is this Sta