The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-03-13

viii of two. Finally, the Constitution IF
the United States declares that ssthe privii-
eye of the writ Of fabcas corpus shall not be-
is6spended unless when, in casesof rebellion
or Invasion, the public safety may require
it y whereas this bill declares martial law,
(Which Of itself suspends this great writ in
time Of peace and authorizes the military to
make the arrest, and gives to the prisoner
only one privilege, and that is trial with
out unnecessary delay" He has no hope of
release from custody, except the hope, such
as it is, of release by acquittal before mill
tary commission Sd M aii.
The United States are bound to guaran-
ernment Can it be pretended that this OBJ
legation is not palpably broken if we carry
out measure like this, which wipes away
every yestige of republican governmental ten
States, and puts the life, liberty, and honor
of all the people in each of them under the
domination of a single person clothed with
unlimited authority2 afIs a :
The Parliament of England, exercising the
omnpotent power which it claimed, was &C
customed to pass bills of attainder; that is
to say, it would convict men of treason and
other crimes by legislative enactment The
person accused had hearing, sometimes
patient and fair one; but generally party
prejudice prevailed, instead of justice. 1t
often became necessary for Parliament to ac-
knowledge its error and reverse its own ac-
ton. The fathers of our country determin-
ed that no such thing should occur here
They withheld the power from Congress, and
thus forbade its exercise by that body; and
they provided in the Constitution that no
State should pass any bill of attainder. It
is, therefore, impossible for any person in
this country to be constitutionaliy convicted
or punished for any crime by a legislative
proceeding of any sort. Nevertheless, here
is bill of attainder against nine millions of
people at once. 1t is based upon an accuse
tion so vague as to be scarcely ineligible,
and found to be true upon no credible evil
dence. Not one of the nine millions was
heard in his own defence. The representa-
tives of the doomed parties were excluded
from participation in the trial. The conyic-
ton is to be followed by the most ignomin-
ious punishment ever inflicted on large mass
es of men. 1t DISTINGUISHES them by hun
dreds of thousands, and degrades them all
even those who are admitted to be guilt
less-from the rank of freemen to the con-
dition of slaves
The purpose and object of the bill-the
general intent which pervades it from be-
ginning to end-7is to change the entire
structure and character of the State govern
ments and to compel them by force to the
adoption of organic laws and regulations
which they are unwilling to accept if left to
themselves. The negroes have not asked for
the privilege of voting-the vast majority
of them have no idea what it means. This
bill not only thrusts it into their hands, but
compel them, as the whites, to use it in
particular way. If they do not form Con-
stitution with prescribed articles In it, and
afterwards elect Legislature which will act
upon certain measures in prescribed way,
neither black nor white can be relieved from
the slavery which the bill imposes upon
them. Without pausing here to consider the
policy or impolicy of Africanizing the South
.ern part of our territory, will simply ask
the attention of Congress to that manifest
well-known and universally acknowledged
rule of constitutional law, which declares
that the Federal Government has no juris-
diction, authority, or power to regulate such
subjects for any State. To force the right of
suffrage out of the hands of the white peo-
arbitrary violation of this principle.
This bill imposes martial law at once, and
its operations will begin so soon as the Gen
eral and his troops can be put in place. The
dread alternative between its harsh rule and
compliance with the terms of this measure
is not suspended, nor are the people afforded
any time for free deliberation. The bill says
to them, take martial law first, then deliber-
ate And when they have done all that this
measure requires them to do, other condi-
tions and contingencies, over which they
have no control, yet remain to be fulfilled
before they can be relieved from martial law.
Another Congress must 6stapproye the Con-
situations made in conformity with the will
of this Congress, and must declare these
States entitled to representation in both
Houses. The whole question thus remains
open and unsettled, and must again occupy
the attention of Congress, and in the mean
time the agitation which now prevails will
continue to disturb all portions of the
people. t 3d i F..
The bill also denies the legality of the gov
ernments of ten of the States which partici-
pated in the ratification of the amendment
to the Federal Constitution abolishing slave
ry forever within the Jurisdiction of the Uni
ted States, and practically excludes them
from the Union. If this assumption of the
bill be correct, their concurrence cannot be
considered as having been legally given, and
the important fact is made to appear that
| the consent of three-fourths of the States
| the requisite number-has not been consti
| tutiOnally obtained to the ratification of that
amendment, thus leaving the question OF
| slavery where it stood before the amend
ment was officially declared to have become
part of the Constitution.
That the measure proposed by this bill
| does violate the Constitution in the particu-
lars mentioned, and in many other ways
which l forbear to enumerate, is too clear to
admit of the least doubt. 1t only remains
to consider whether the injunctions of that
instrument ought to be obeyed or not. I
think they ought to be obeyed, for reasons
| which will proceed to give as briefly as
possible.
In the first place. it is the only system of
free government which we can hope to have
as nation. When it ceases to be the rule
of our conduct, we may perhaps take our
choice between complete anarchy CONSOLE
dated despotism, and total dissolution of
| the Union; but national liberty, regulated
ny law, Will nave passeu peyoHo ouI ieacn'
1t is the best frame of government the
world ever saw No other is, or can be so
well adapted to the genius, habits, or wants
of the American people. Combining the
strength of a great empire with the unspeaka-
Bile blessings Of local self-government- hav-
ing central power to defend the general in
rerests, and recognizing the authority of the
| States as the guardians of industrial rights,
J. n . =