Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-03-08

= - - $500. $50 yss. =
passes, while Federal spies procure or forge passes
and travel over our thoroughres at their pleasure
In many parts of the Confederae5, not M pos /
session of the enemy, the government has ceased 70
protect eitherfe or property, and lts own eosue1s
who have left the front without discipline OF CON
troll, often unite with others protesting to De ln
service and wearing the dress OF the sodef. pass
ing over the country in numerous bands, ROOFING
our citizens and destroying. their property.
While the old men and boys of this State, !eaV-
ine important homeinterests to suffer, nave oeen
obliged to take up arms to resist the eneRy, tnou=
sands of young able-bodied men Of this ana otner
States, between eighteen and forty.five years OF
age are protected by Confederate authority, on ae
count of their wealth or other influence, from ser
vice in the field, and under pretext of some nomi
nal employment for the government are allowed 70
remain ont of the reach Of DANGER and eevote most
of their time to their specuiations or other inol
vidual pursuits. -
Our financial affairs have been so unfortunately
administered that our currency IS worth very III
tie in the market and our public faith has oeeh SO
frequently and wilfuly violated, that 1t VIII %
with great difficulty that we can resinsp're our
people with confidence in the pledges of the gov.
ernment 1t is announced as the future policy OF
the financial department to issue no more treasury
notes, and to receive nothing else IL payment: o.
public dues till the quantity is reduced to healthy
circulation. This would be beneficial to the hold
ers of the notes. As The armies are to De sup
ported, however at cost of hundreds OF millions
of dollars per annum, the announcement leaves no
doubt that it is to be done in great measure by
Selling property and paying for it in certificates
or bonds which will not pass currency or in pay
ment of taxes. This would be little better than
4esazAd- rahhery. and if practiaed long by any
government will drive the people to revolution as
the only means left of throwing off intolerable
burdens .'.... =
By its effort to grasp absolute power. the policy
Of the Confederate administration is so repqgnant
to the feelings and spirit of free people, that it
has driven our men to despair to delinquency and.
desertion till the President has Informed thesoun-
try in his Macon Speech that wothirds OF those
who compose our armies are absent, most OF hem
without leave. If this be true, it shows lamnt:
able want of patriotism and courage on the PAT OF
the people, or an unwise and injudicious pohcyon
the part of the administration which imperils he
very existence of the .Confederacy, and calls pr
prompt and energetic action on the part Of te
people to compel change of policy, which, If
longer persisted in, must end IN utter ruin.
If a.planter who has one hundred faithful, trust
worthy hands upon his farm should employ al
overseer to manage it, and should visit it at crit
ical period Of the crop, and find that twothirdS ol
his hands are, and for considerable time have been
absent aud that the crop is being lost that ac1
of the overseer was ruinous to- his interest," and dis
miss him without hesitation. The, people Of this
Confederacy have employed an agent to conduct foE
them war for the dearest rights of freemen, and
have placed at his command, subject to the re-
straints thrown around him b. the constitutional
charter and the great principles of personal iiber
ty which lie at the foundation of free government
hundreds of thousands ofas gallant, self sacrificing
citizen soldiers as ever took up arms in righteous
H, hos cd x,hi oh hos
personal liberty ard the right Of citizen soldiers to
go into the field n organizations and under officers
of their own choice, who have their respect and
confidence. The result has been as agent tells
U.S. that two thirds Of these soldiers absent the
larger portion without leave, at time when their
absence endangers our existence as people. What
then is the duty Of he people Of these States? The
answer is plain. They should compel their agent
to change his policy which treats free citizen sol
ders fighting fer liberty as serfs, and to observe
the great principles for which took up arms, or
they should resume the military powers with which
they have clothed him, and place them in Other
hands where they will be used as we'll for the pro-
lection of the rights and liberties of the citizen as
/ for the achievement of the independence of the Con
federacy. Without this change of policy the ar
mics cannot be recruited to the necessary number
and both liberty and independence are lost 20
gether
This runous policy of the administration find:
no justification in the constitution of the country
From the organization of the government of tint
United States to the disruption of the Union, tn
uniform practice was to call upon the States whel
more troops than the regular army were needed, t
furnish them organized ready for service. Thi
they could readily do, as all the machinery of tn
State government could be brought to bear to brin
them out. Instead of enrolling officers of the cen
| trial government imported among them whom they
| know not and who We're not in sympathy will
then all the militia officers and civil officers of tn
counties, who their neighbors and friends an,
whom they are accustomed to respect and obey
could be charged with the duty of aiding in the or
ganization. Not only so. but they were permitte
| 10 be under officers of their own neighborLood
usually elected by them, and 10 so with their owl
| ReighbOrs and relatives their associates and com
rades in arms. This Eas not only the practical an
! successful mode, but it the constitutional one
+ That instrument declares that Congress shall hav
| power to provide for organizing, arming, and dis
ciplining thu militia and for, governing such par
of chem as may be. employed in the service of tn
Confederate States reserving to the States respet
lively the appointment of the officers, and the au
thorlty of training the militia according to the dis
cipline prescribed by Congress. -.
Pending the consideration of this paragraph i
| the Convention which formed the Constitution
the United States, Mr.. Madison moved to amend
| by inserting after the words, Preserving TO tn
States respectively the appointment of the officers,
the words "under the rank of general officers.
The amendment, if adopted, would have left tn
States to appoint all officers under the rank of GEL
eral andthe federal government-to appoint the Gel
erals. But jealous were the States of the powe
and patronage which this would have given to tn
federal executive that they rejected 1T by the yot
Of all the States except two; and reserved to tn
States the appointment ofal the officers TO con
nand the militia, when employed in the service
the Co4ederate States: the Constitution has solve
that doubt. 1t says:
"A we'll regulated militia being necessary to IL
security of free State, the right of the people
bear arms shall n2t be infringed." Hencei ispla
same, apply to the same persons, and are used
synonymous terms. 1t is clear, therefore, that Il
States have carefully reserved the. appointment
the officers to command their arms-bearing peopl
when employed in The service of the Confedera
States. - -: .--.
Al, bo, ~