Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-04-01


The Governors Letter on Exemption.
tn puble,ton 0. lbs letter seems to render proper
taa tie action taken BY the Legislature On the sane
susset ssyud also be pai in possession Ct the puse
The Gcvesnor seems TO wholly ignore it. As il eAins
q "dlect" bis course, the grave consequences follows
eithe, taa, Zoe Leg stature has Invaded the Governors
olisial rigb.s, or that h tas violated theirs
TIE Governor in rs letter claims power to sxepP
or moi. a. his viii and pleasure. Wsence does he Go
rive sueh po~erg Not from the State Constiiu-
Ton .r iagsl These deny it to him. It can alone
b. then, as 70 would seem, from the Act Of Congress
Goa cr,ils Oh him tie power to certify. Shall it be
permitted % Governor o. virgiaia-shOuld the Gov.
srlor Of Virginia PeFmi: himself to be made the
Executive AGENT Of the Confederate Legislature. IN
disregard aad c3ntra7sntlop in many eaes, o! lawful
rsQu ycmeyt OF tie Sats Legisetare-a joint resoa-
tou havrg tao ull force aud effect o; law which his
ca,h O ohos binis him to sxecutes Has the Gov
ernor vel co,siiered he step, Has he consulted he
Constitutional legal adviser on grave step as one
TIA. puts lin flcc to lace with the Legislature of his
5 .,eg The L gslasuFe has asserted no right TO tx
em1- has asserted only right to declare / 3
opirou the rights Of tue S,ale-tO require The Gov
eraof 10 e.mmuaicae tta opinion TO tho Confederate
araoyaes.
Tasse Hsg, necs nay involve unpleasant Issues
P-lcapl ~ ae.iol Of both being submitted 10 the
ploic esctiy nay lead 10 the removal Of diculties-
% she prev4Iaoa OF an enseemly and unreasonable
co1lr,v,r57-by some such clear expression of the
plo,c alignment a5 may satisfy tie other OF
h-ss Departments Of the Government that it il in tie
wrong md 70 . eludid retrae.ion Of its eOurse. Al
Any "a q whether controversy come OF it, DO, wtieh
q prsssat rolid appsar inevitable, the DISCUSSION OF
.se questions involved could only tend toGaIds lie
, .5i.cr and more satisfactory settlement.
We give 30 Resolutions adopted BY both branches OF
Sc L-g..au-e, ard 2 syn0psis Of the Report Of he
joins Uoan.t.ee ahich accompanied them, and Viii h
81 ~ .le veg ken u the subject both in relAtio 70
&c .orfsjer1ls Goycrnmeut and 70 he Governor.
Alter bsos s.fcEeUe5 % the late Act Of Congress-,
he Report tets ols thA. Virginia when she resum
g.. possrs delegated 70 The Ulited States was, and
c,-a5ed hers Il be IN tue full possession aud exereis,
o sl tas i5h.s OF sovereignty which belong and sp
g,r,1ic to q free and Independent State When, by
ICES act &, union, cha entered into the OOnfederscr #
shaS's,aegn sa.es, aad, BY her adoption of the u
.'d,sa.o Coasi.u-oa, delegated 70 the Coaiedsrl e
Government the powers enumerated therein, she did
no. thereby reuuqlsh impair, in any degree, Les
c-sraCtr Of a complete aad sovereign ate, but 10
SUCH snd fer ;ae purpose Of sctualy maintain
IN; herself susd, communicated to ,h4 common
GJyeruHsu: ;hs powers t.erein delegAted'-that or
Goyerlin5ns sas then fully organized and the pO~srs
OF /. as bu.e4 between the Legislative, Executive
a1d Judicial departments, TIE officers OF which were
duy pgo,iied 60 by her Constitution and their
dltil5 either prescribed by it OF under il by The
Legslalu7e.
Il proceeds hen 20 shoE by citing numerous pre-
visions Of the Confederate Constitution, that tha.
ilslrumsnt Recognizes tie Sats Governments as "eJ-
ssntil pars Of the political system organized by
IL a. sc Couieierass Gov,rnmea, itself"
'sThus i. co-cllles, 'no. only By the lu- dameLt
p-nc PIE on wlich The COaf,d raey rests, of fedora
toa Independent sovereign States, tut also by the
whole selele a. vel by numerous provisions, and
tas c. press guaranes Of the Confederate Cons ion
tie integrity OF ,ae as governments, being republi-
e.l in form, mus. be held invoable, and all the eli
Gers thereof wa Oh are OF their essence and cOnstut,
theta SUCH peszess, By mere virtue Of their csce, en-
rs immunity i,om al liability military service to the
Government Of tie Confederate States, BY reason o.
any las " authority thereof"
Il poesels;
oSsoh being che rsla.io1s Of the two Governments
Il "a
amen > the 20 OIga1ize forces 90 during
the gar, passed by Congress the Itch February
lS64 declares AL white residents OF the Consece
rats Statea, b. tween the ages Of and hy
be- in ttO service Of the COnfedsa'e States dutiog
war; goes on, INDEED, TO provide, in substqu nj
clause tor re exemption OF the members and cheers
OF tie Sc ts Legislatures aud such other State oieers
The Governors Of thss respective States may ify
10 be necessary ior the proper administration Of q
S.4ts govern msnt but neither the actual poit
tid ex smplou, thus declared, changes afec any
a. the ias, a, the provision of the act st quot
a3.uaiy conscrbes every officer Of all the depart.
mems ui tue Saes between tie ages of seventeen
aad fifty. II tue view here taken of the right {
tie States under the Constitution aud compact (
union, be correct then such conserpton was legal
or iustihgble The officers appointed under the co
sututOas and laws of the es to carry on tie busi-
ness ii she ats Governments, Lot e0ssniu locally
liable transcription into the military service OF the
Ooal degate Government unless subjected thereto BY
the authority o tho State aud shoald have been "
esptej rom it altogether and no. first conscribed aud
thea exempted Accord ngly, VIC ind this limitation
OF the power 70 nscribe dstine ly Recognised in Q
eousor us acs passed BY Congress- previous 10 the
last, In re 6rsl OF them hat Of April Is, 1863 the
President othOr ID 20 place in the military
o. tbe Confederate ates all white who resi-
dauis hereof between the ages Of eighteen thirty
i've "rh0 not fgaHy eremPtsd from military ser
zee: !" aadthe iangusgs Is employed 10 the Of
Sapiembe- 1862 extending the eonsc-ipt age 70 per-
sous usder fOrty-hve years. Nov, whether this ian.
gusge had in view the exemption OF the officers Of the
Sta Gsyeru by OF their being SUCH or by
Wiz ne of tee LAWS which declared them exsmp, from
rhtsry service still th.y we've cneeded BY it TO be
niab.e to cOoserpion, AZ there SAs no occasion to
an inyeiaglro of the tue source OF their adj
mite privilege" l. shows BY ctAtious from all the
Szeapioa" ass Of Congress- that All ttheers Of The