Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-11-23
UNCONSTITUTIONAL MEASURES.

The President bas sworn to uphold the COnStitu.
tion yet he proposes in his message to violate it in
two points In the matter Of tSc emancipation of
slaves under certain conditions, he shows unmis
takeaole inclination to usurp a power which was
never granted 70 the general government AID
which, without the shadow Of doubt, belongs to
the States alone In the matter of the restriction
Of the press. he displayed an equally unmstakeable
inclination to perpetrate an act which is expressly
forbidden to the general government, and whleh
the States are solemn!y engaged by their own Con.
strutions not to commit. The passage in which
this last measure is discussed aud recommended, is
the suggestive Of dictatorial aspirations, be-.
cause it contains what looks very much like an in
territorial Misrepresentation CT the existing exemp-
ton law. In that passage as if with the design Of
producing false impression to the extent Of the
exemption law, physicians, editors and printers are
cias>ed with'workmen in lnlnes, tanners, milers,
shoemakers and mechanics generally, who the wri-
ter OF the message must have known are not ex.
empted, bnt detailed, and who consequently would
not he affected by the change which he suggests.
This arttul confusion Of professions with trades
could not have originated with Mr.. Davis; he is,
We u ust and believe, too honest to resort to
such subteftHge 10 gain any end whatever; we
are therefore, disposed to charge the attempted i'm
position to some power behind the throne. But be
the author of This part of the message who he may
there be no .!oub: that the association of the
u
Misrepresentation, whether intended or not, and
that 1t Is calculated to produce false impression as
TO the number who are now exempted from military
.uty 1t is therefore, necessary to state that this
proposition OF the President involves only the teach
er the physician, the clergyman and the represen-
iat'ves Of tho press; and there is. small ground
for believing that 1T made to involve all O: these
lor tire sole reason that there was possible ex-
- Q by ghich it could be made to irroys the req.
at fha GtOcp II fb. lott
that the Executive is aiming; it is for the purpose
If sl'ehc,ns those watchtul sentnals who re always
'ea7y to sound!he alarm when they stnel! tyranny
lii the tainted sale, that class exemptions, are at
this late date asserted to te indensi;,,e in theory
There must he no mere den!uciatio Of official in
justice, no more exposes Of cicial ,isinanasenent
or corruption, no more oubursts Of indignation
a--a nst oppress!on-in fine 10 more discussions of
Official policy except in the way of unqualified eu-
l'5y. We must all be base sycophanss ri1ex nsssn-
faores, or close every printing Office. Is This an
which the Congress CT the Confederate
: e., the law makers Of country, where burns
the last hope of conservative Repubcan,sm, viii
oeiyn to offer the press? We do not believe it
They know the va!ee of that press too WE'LL they
kno" that tie preservation "f liberty and to a
great extent, the maintenance CT :he spirit of the
nation in this contest depends upon the retention
of its privileges they krow moreover that if ever
the doctrine reconstruction should rear to hang
tily it. rcpulsivc head il is to the fiery tongue Of
the Southern press that We must look to consume
1t, else we may be necesstaed to drown the rcptil
in its own blood They know all this, and sco ming
to weigh the services of the journalists of the Con-
federacy as ainst the advantage of uting one, two
or three hundred men into the field, they will deal
this INDUSTRIOUS idea such blew as will deter its
author from ever repeating suggestion SC. insult
Ing 20 their wisdom, their patriotism and their de-
yOtlOD to the of trut If fhov do
thus, if they pass such law as the President dc.
sires, they vii! have the satisfaction OF having ad
ied company or SO the army, only to earn for
themselves place i'll history alongside of that one
which records the nearest of the NEST cringng |
Senate Of imperial Rome.-South Gurolinisn