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From the St. Louis (Mo.) Democrat.
Front the Red Hirer.
Stau” }
liver, £
64. )
The Traat MittiNippi Ctacralt.
A correspondent of- the Galveston News
furnishes the following sketches :
Lieutenant General E. Kirbv Smith is
well fitted for the high* and distinguished
position he occupies; calm, cool and de
liberate, far-seeing as a ccuiinander-iu-
cliiel, dashing and inpetitous in action, he
combines all the qualities most essentially ! ean f ^ Ifil , m ^ sev
necessary at tbe present juncture of affairs, hundred and ninety-.
As a commander in the field, we believe
Kirby Smith has no superior in the present
war, and in tbe event of a concentration of
oar forces, would to God he would place
himself at the head of the army, and as
sure as the sun rises and s«-.ts, victory is
ours.
Major General Richard Taylor. com
manding the army of Louisiana, is to Kirbv
Smith what Stonewall Jackson (his Droto
type) was to General Lee, bis right arm.
"VVe believe General Taylor to combine
more of tbe qualities and abilities of Gen
eral Jackson than any other living Gen
eral : bis determined resolution, his pru
dence, his vigilance, sleepless and tireless,
as so often exhibited, not only in bis cam
paigns with the great Jackson in Virginia,
but his glorious achievements as a com- j
mander of an independent army in Loui- ,. .
siana, arc well known to all. His retreat I P el et V° retrea ;.* „ ,, fJ1
from camp Bisland in April, iSG3, after! A heavy force of rebel* had been
holding at bay for three days the entire j Bent . to cat , off ° ur retreat. After the re-
army of Gen. Banks with less than one-! ce P t!OU of ‘his decidedly unpleasant news,
fourth of his numbers, his cutting through " e ^ ctl eated about fifteen miles aad anch-
Grover, who attempted to take him in his, ored , fo . r th f 0n the next mornirg
rear, his small force harrassed by double : boi A ted a white flag, and started for
duty, here his great ability was exhibited !> C T la “ d ^ c , ore ’ aad were topped twice by
more conspicuously as tbe dangers thick- , e Confederate forces under Gen. Liddell,
ened and multiplied around him. Placin- who ’ a,t f r some parleying, concluded to
that gallant old “Ney”ofhis army, Gen. ‘espect the flag, and allow us to pass on
Tom Green, in his rear to bring it up. he! un ®oksted, although they were in force
continued in fourteen davs his celebrated f nd b teen P ieces °* cannon. Ion inay
retreat as far as Natchitoches. Pursued f, e sure 'j P ' " er ® not 8or {‘y to see Graud
constantly by the overwhelming numbers j ' C01C and * 10 * lve gunboats that weie
of Banks, lie bad only to rely up«>n bis bold lp!p ‘ , , , . ,
front, bis masterly dispositions, and when . , 0 1 . , hoarded us, and having been
all other resources failed, held his ground in * :p J»ht, ueie of coui'se posted and
and fought them with an obstinacy which | *P read ?. ew * a,oon g the prisoners, who
even extorted the admiration of his enemy.
On Board Steamer “Polar S
Mouth of Black River, iu Red River
April 15, 1864
Our expedition has been a very eventful
one. On the 5th instant we left New Or
leans with fifty seven officers-aud three
five privates, (secesh
prisoners,) for exebauge, and reached Pert
Hudson next morning, and the mouth of
Red River by dark, and after arriving at
our present location,mouth of Black River,
we lay until the next morning, the 7th
inst., and on that day reached Alexandria,
where we put off our deck load of oars.—
On the evening of the Sth we anchored at
Grand Ecoie, and next morning started
again up the river until we overtook the
fleet, where we anchored for the night.—
On the 10th we broke our rudder, which
caused us to lose five hours time in repair
ing. On the day before we passed the
Alice Vivian, with her rudder broke also.
By three P. M. on the 10th we had again
overtaken the fleet, and at 4 PrM. were
met by the rather startling order to retreat,
as we were then sixty miles beyond Banks’
lines, lie Laving been defeated and cora-
wern all old acquaintances and friends,
and if seemed for a time that Pandemonium
was broken loose. Such a babel of ton
gues and such shouting and yelling I nev
er heard. Our poor guards’ faces were
greatly elongated, but we were unmolested
for the vest of tbe day, and anchored at
Grand Ecore for the night. The next day
Port Hudson, ere he pounced, with'the! 1 , we . nt ° v ® r . t0 se ®. ,he boys, who frankly
speed of tbe eagle, Upon his immense do- j admit * ed be , H) S "’hipped,and say they lost
pots at Brashear, overrun the LaFourcbe.l abowt five thousand killed, wounded and
and he onlv held up at tbe very gates of! P n *« ,crs - /wo Hundred wagons, several
the Crescent city. Had Vicksburg held j 10rsps ., and ‘ Hen ‘j*‘w° pieces of cannon
out oue week longer, nothing under Ilea- j 011 J , .
ven could have prevented bis capture and ; , n Satin day they recaptured ten pieces
' ot cannon and took fifteen hundred prison
ers, but did not, however, retake tbeir
During this fourteen days of almost con
tinuous fighting against such powerful odds
he came through without th.i loss of a
baggage wagon, of a color ora gun.
Watching warily his confident antago
nist lie only waited for him to cross the :
Mississippi and commence the sie^c of
occupation of that place.
Again, when Banks made his second
great attempt to penetrate into the interior,
the masterly dispositon of Taylor, carried
out by the gallant Green, ouce more drove
him back howling to his den. Taylor i>
beyond doubt the quickest in conception
and the most rapid in tbo Confederacy
since the loss of the glorious Jackson.
The State of Texas is peculiary fortu
nate in the appointment ofMaj. Gen. Ma-
gruder to command her army. Anything
that could be said in this article about Ma-
gruder would be superfluous. His cam
paigns in Virginia, and his able, adminis
tration of the affairs of his Department are
well known to all. No man is better fitted
as a commander. His dash, allied to Lis
fine military knowledge and education,
makes him a leader to be feared and re
spected.
Major Gen. Sterling Price, who now
commands the army of Arkansas, is one of
the very greatest of our citizen Generals.
He needs no eulogy from my pen. His deeds
They were obliged to leave tbeir
i
wagons.
wounded in charge of the surgeons and
fail back to Grand IJcarefbr supplies.
lustead of being disheartened, the boys
are iu excellent spirits, and determined to
put the matter through next time. A force
of five thousand was sent up to assist the
fleet, which reached Grand EcoTe riddled
with shot and shell, y'etnot materially in
jured. They bad to fight their way through
with a loss of several killed aud wounded ;
but Porter was with them, and backed by
iron clads, they fought tbeir way through
stubbornly step by step,and got in without
the loss of a boat.
Had the rebels been alive to tbe impor
tance of this prize, and sent a force large
enough to capture tbe fleet, or even to de
stroy it, Banks would have been in an aw
ful condition.
I. am informed that Col. Heath, of the
33d Missouri, had a chunk cut out. of his
bead by a ball, aud although severely, he
Information in Itfard t© Tithes.
Rjch.mo.vd. Va., April 30th, 186 .
Editors Strut Arm Confederacy:—In com
pliance with the wishes of some of our con
stituents, we have called oh tbe Commis
sioner of Taxes and obtained the enclosed
statement, which we send you for pub
lication, as the best means of giving the
information which so many desire.
It will doubtless be of service to many
persons in every part of the State, and we
hope that the newspapers generally .will
publish it.
Very respectfully,
. G. N. Lester,
H. P. Bull,
Warren Akin.
Office of Commissioner of Taxes, >
Richmond 30,1864 j •
Hons. Warren Akin, Geo. X. Lester, H. P.
Bell:
Gentlemen—In reply to your inquiry
relative to the penalty for the non pay
ment of tbe tax in kind, commonly -called
tbe Tithe Tax. 1 have the liouor to inform
you that the five-fold penalty for the non
payment of the tithe tax applies only to
the tithe tax of 1864, and not to that of
1S63. The penalty for the non-payment
of t^e tithe tax of 1S63 is tbe assessed val
ue thereof, with 50 per cent, added. The
tithe tax on bacon being payable in the
year, 1SG4, and the time for assessment
not having arrived before the 17th Febru
ary, 1864, the date of the amended Tax
Law, is subject to tbe five-fold penalty.
Very respectfully,
Thompson Allen,
. Commissioner of Taxes.
Regulations in Reference to Tithes, where
the Articles subject have been Receipted
i^rpm the United States.
From Northern dates of the 30tb
we take ttie following:
SimuUazimm Attack to be made in Geor
gia and Virginia.
Nashville Correspondence ot the Chicago Journal.
It is evident that the spring cam
paign is to begin within a fortnight—
pci Imps by the first of May. The ob
jects, evidently, to press the enemy
everywhere at the same time, to pre
vent him from concentrating all his
troops in Virginia, as he is evidently
attempting. I am fully' convinced
that, unless a demonstration is made
toward Atlanta within a very short
time, Northern Georgia will be evac
uated and the troops sent to reinforce
Lee.
[ Correspondence of the N. T. Tribune.]
The Military * Situation in Kentucky—
Farrest holds possession.
Columbus, Ky.. April 2L— : The sit
uation iu this district is not well un
derstood, but what little is known of
it is certainly humiliating. Forrest
holds complete and but weakly-dispu
ted possession of the region of coun
try north of the Marietta and Cincin
nati railroad, and between the Tennes
see and Mississippi rivers, excepting
the posts of Memphis, Columbus and
Paducah. At the same time, we are
constrained, for want* of men, to re
main on the defensive, only confident
of our ability to cope with the enemy
while on the inside of our earthworks.
True, Grierson is out north of Mem
phis, but to very little purpose. We
THE CONFEDERATE UNION,
( Corner of Hancock and Wilkinson streets.)
OPPOSITE THE COURT IIOI'ME.
BOffiHTOI, TISBET t C0„ Matt Printers.
Tuesday Morning, May 17, 1864.
Fiv«l>«llnr Rill*.
A« no one will take Confedera»e Fives of the old
isaife from us, we am compelled; in self defense,
to announce that wa will only receive them at a
discount of 331 3. 1
■— ♦ ■■■
The President’s Message will be
found on onr.first page. It is calm and
confident in tone and written in the usual
good style of Mr. Davis.
of daring and bis noble., generous heart, arc j IS dangerously wounded.
& - - - - I The captain of*the Benefit
the admiration, not only of the people, but
of every army wberohe has ever served.—
He is well able to cope with Ins adversary,
the Yankee General Steel.
Brig. Gen. Samuel B. Maxcy, command
ing the District of the Indian Territory, is
tbe outermost sentinel on the Northern
frontier of our Department. His is a task
of no ordinary kind ; it is his to impede
and contest any movement made against
the great granary of the Department—our
life’s blood. Gen Maxey is equal to the
emergency. A graduate of West Point,he
served w*ith distinction through tbe Mexi
can war. Resigning, be commenced the
practice of the law, and tbe present war
found him enjoying tbe benefit of a large
and lucrative practice in Texas. One of
tbe very first, he carried a regiment to the
aid of Gen. Sidney Johnston, at Bowling
Green. Soon after promoted to Brigadier
General, he was often entrusted with com
mands of tl^e most important character;
and, up to the present time, enjoys the per
fect confidence of his Commander-in-Chief.
He has been through the brunt of the war,
and is well chosen as a Chinese wall
against which the raids and incursions
of tho Kansas .Tayliawkers will beat in
vain.
I have only spoken of the leading Gene
rals—those who command independent
armies. Of the others, we have first “The
Hero of Valverde,” and of fifty other bat
tles, Gen. Tom Green ; we have the gal
lant and courageous Alfred Monton ; the
heroic Marmaduke ; that stern and never
yielding fighter St. John LidddN; the dash
ing, daring and ubiquitous Majors, of the
cavalry ; the brave and chivalrous Scur
ry.; the desperate and courageous Colo
nels, Rainey and Ashbel Smith, all of
whom have seen active service, and have
distinguished themselves on many bloody
and hard contested fields. Maj. Gen. John
G. Walker, who won his spurs so nobly in
Virginia, is another one j>f our main reli
ances.
was killed
on her way up.
A battle may bo expected any moment
between tho combined forces of Dick Tay
lor, Kirby Smith, Magruder and Price on
tho one side, and Banks and A. J. Smith on
tbe other.
Banks is being rapidly reinforced, and
will also be assisted by the gunboats.—
The rebels number their force at fifty
thousand. Ovr forces are confident of suc
cess.
Mr. Long.—“The New York “Daily
News’ thus flatteringly sketches the life
and character of this distinguished Repre
sentative from Ohio: ‘Mr. Long, of Ohio,
who has, by the action of his enemies, sud
denly fonnd himself famous as a Represen
tative from tbe second District of Ohio,
representing tbe country and city of Cin
cinnati, in which, we believe, he was born.
He is about forty years of age, florid com
plexion, quiet in hit manners, and exceed
ingly temperate in bis habits. For many
years, he was a member of the Ohio Legis
lature, where he won a high reputation.—
At the bar, be stands high ; as a gentleman
he has few equals. * Of the purest charac
ter, loved by his friends and respeeted by
all who know him, he is destined to make
A mark in history.”
A cry »f Patriotic Ad|«itl>.
The people must lend Mr. Chase a dollar or
two or he will break.
The New York Bank Note Reporter,
which is fully in tbe interests of Lincoln,
Chase, and so-fourth,says of Chase and his
efforts on the gold question :
He appeals afresh to the people in this
the most trying military and financial peri
od of the rebellion, to come forward with
heart and money. He is reducing tbe vol
ume of currency gradually, and will con
tinue to do so. If the stock and gold
gamblers shall again attempt the game they
played last week, be will bring tbe whole
power of tbe Government, and its whole
means, both here and abroad, to checkmate
them.
The Secretary of tbe Treasury relies
upon tbe people for tbe ways and means ;
upon tlie army for victories, andnpon Con
gress for adequate taxation. The people
will come to his help with every dollar
that can be appropriated. This is their
true interest; it is their true safety. The
armies will now do their part—there is no
alternativabut victory. Congress will do
its duty—it dare not falter.
To those capitalists who complain that
Mr. Chase ought to pay a higher rate of
interest, we say, pointedly, that a five per
eent, obligation against the American peo
ple is better than a bond at any higher
rate of interest. For why? Your money
righteously invested,.free from extortion,
generously invested for your country’s
cause, is, and will be though all time,valid
But grind your country—grind the Ameri
can people in their time of distress and
want—take Shylock’s bond—and it will
take more than the interest you get over five
per cent, to defend ( yout daimsagainst the
political tribunals that will adjudge your
bonds.
Well and wise would it be Jor you to
come ferward with that spirit that inspires
the people, and for once, for the emergen
cy, lay aside the spirit that governs the
usurer. Your property, your money, jpnr
all is at stake. You are in a miserable
minority at tbe ballot-boxes, Better either
come te the standard of equity and right,
or bag what gold yon can and leave this
hemisphere. '
or other Persons, for the use of the Army
of the Confederate States.
Officer of Commissioner of Taxes,
Richmond, April 25, 1864.
]. In cases where tbe produce subject
to tax in kind has been taken and receipt
ed for by any Quartermasteror Commissa
ry, serving with tbe field, tbe receipt may
be allowed by the Collector in settle
ment of the money value of tbe tax in
kind.
2. In cases where such produce of tbe
fanner has been taken and receipted for
by any person belonging to tbe army, not
a Quartermasteror Commissary, and proof
is made of the fact by the tax payer, and
such other person or persons as may have
knowledge of the facts and the character
of the tax-payer’ and witnesses for truth
and integrity established by evidence, if
tbe Collector is satisfied that ,the produce
has been received and used by the Con
federate States army, tbe receipt may in
like manner be allowed.
3. In cases where such produce lias been
taken by tbe Confederate States, and no
receipt given, upon proof by affidavit of
tbe producer, and such other person or
persons as may know tbe facts, with proof
establishing the character of the producer
aud witnesses for truth and integrity, the
amount so taken may in like manner be
allowed.
(Signed,) Thomas Allen,
Commissioner.
Approved:
(Signed,) C. G. Memminher.
Secretary of Treasury.
First Georgia Regulars.—This old and
well tried regiment marched through or.r
streets yesterday.
The men composing the regiment.thougb
bearing upon tbeir persons the evident
marks of a severe campaign iu Florida,
were nevertheless cheerful and bouy-
ant.
There are but few regiments in the army
that have seen much harder service during
this war than the First Georgia Regulars ;
and we can safely say none have surpass
ed them in point of discipline. Officered
by competent and efficient men, and for the
most part graduates of Military Academies,
they have been afforded every means of
perfecting themselves in the School of the
Soldier. Notwithstanding the recent acces
sion of conscripts, the Regiment is small,
which is caused, to a great extent, by the
late heavy details from tbe Regiment for
the Navy.
Their former gallant and brave com
mander, Col. Gill, we learn, is now on tbe
retired list and the Regiment is at present
commanded by Major Wayne.
f Sav. Republican 1 \th.
for by Quartermasters, Commissaries i have yet to learn that he has made
any offensive demonstration beyond
following in the track’ of the enemy,
not daring, from sheer paucity of num
bers, to venture within fighting dis
tance.
Forrest has probably as many as ten
thousand men north of the Marietta
and Cincinnati Railroad, all mounted;
while we, with comparatively a small
number of cavalry to watch his move
ments, arnfr with an extensive river
line to guard, are, from the force of
circumstances, compelled to remain in
garrison and patiently wait for the en
emy to develop his own intentions.
Thus it was that Forrest was able to
march upon Paducah without molesta
tion in either front or rear. Thus it
was that he was able to show a threat
ening front before Memphis, Colum
bus and Paducah, while at the same
time he attacked Fort Pillow with his
main army, aud captured and butcher
ed the garrison.
The lied River Expedition a Failure.
Washington Correspondence of the N. Y. Times.
A letter has been received in this
city from Admiral Porter, which pro
nounces the recent expedition up the
Red River a most disastrous failure.
More than thirty pieces of artillery, a
large quantity of small arms, several
hundred wagons, a first class gunboat,
and four thousand prisoners were ta
ken by the Confederates. In additioi?
to all these captures, we are now told
that the-paymaster’s safe, containing
oue million of greenbacks, fell into
the hands of the enemy. A writer at
New Orleans, an extract from whose
letter is published by the Boston Cour
ier, estimates the Federal loss at seven
thousand men, and adds, that General
Banks was forced to retreat sixty
miles.
Admiral Porter reports to the Navy
Department that the gunboats and
transports above Grand Ecore, in re
treating down the river, were constant
ly fired upon from the shore, and that
of the gunboats left at Grand Ecoie,
two were aground above the bar, and
were not likely to be gotten off* this
season, unless the river should rise.
Gen Wadsworth.—This Yankee offi
cer, who was killed'lasl week in Virginia,
is the famous Abolition leader of New
York, who ran for Governor aud was de
feated by Seymour, a year or two ago.—
He was the great Genesee farmer, and one
of the wealthiest meti of the North. In
bis politics, he has long been a dyed-in-
the-wool Black Republican, and be bas
proved his faith by his works in giving up
bis life to free other people’s negroes, and
exchanging his * broad and fertile
acres in New York for a few square
feet of red clay in the bosom of Virginia. *
■ i ■ ——— —■»- ■
Brig. Gen. John M. Jones.—The
death of this gallant soldier upon the en
sanguined battlefield of Wilderness Ta
vern, in Virginia, is a public calamity.—
At the breaking out of the war, be was an
officer in the United States infantry regi
ment, having graduated at West Point in
tbe year 1842. Upon tho secession of his
native State. Virginia, he resigned his
commission in the United Stages service
and entered the service in Virginia. He
first served as Adjutant General under
Magruder, on the Peninsula, and was sub-
snquently assigned to duty with Ewell’s
Division, as Inspector General, with the
rank of Colonel. Iu that capacity lie serv
ed through the Jackson Valley campaign,
and also in tbe battles around Richmond.
He was created a Brigadier General about
a year ag-o, and has since op to the time
of his glorious but untimely death, com
manded a brigade in Early’s Division.—
Gen. Jones was about 44 years of age, of
uand^Hne person and fine address, and a
soldier of gallant bearing and unquestion
ed courage He was universally loved
and respected in the army of Virginia, and
among officers of all grades none stood fir
mer or performed more valiant service
than tbe brave soldier whose name heads
this notice.
Gen. Stafford.—This gallant Briga
dier, who fell on the first day of the great
battle in Virginia while leading his com
mand with conspicuous valor, was a native
of Louisiana. He was a member of one
of the most honored families of the State,
and was a sugar planter on Bayou Bceuf,
in the Parish of Rapides. Before the war
he was a member of the Legislature, bnt
upon the commencement of hostilities he
raised a company and tendered it to the
Confederate Gov ernment. From Captajn
be was promoted Colonel,, and then Brig
adier.
He was one of tbe best officers in the
army of Gen. Lee. He leaves a mother,
and a wife who is said to be one of the
loveliest of women.
[ Confederate.
Points in Virginia.—Looking at the
map, we find the late battle-field in Vir
ginia in Spottsylvauia county, forty-five
miles north of northwest of Richmond, and
sixty miles south ofsouthwest of Wash
ington. Gen. Grant is, therefore, fifteen
miles nearer Richmond than Gen. Lee is
of Washington. The Richmond. Fred
rick sburg and Potomac Railroad- rang
through the eastern end of that country.—
The renowned city of Fredricksburg is
in the northeastern end of the county on
the Rappahannock river. The battle
was fought fifteen miles from that city
Chesterfield is that county immediate
ly across the.river from Richmond. .Ches
ter Courthouse is about thirteen miles
from Richmond, on a direct line. Peters
burg is thirty miles still farther South,
and is about half that distance from City
Point where the enemy recently landed.
Fort Drewry is on the James, a few miles
from Richmond, and is the main work
guarding the water approaches to the
city.— Confed.
“Kindness has resistless charms,
AH things else but meekly move;
Fiercest anger it disarms.
And clips tbe wings of flying levs
Gov. Brown’s alleged mistake about
the suspension of the Habeas Cor
pus in England.
We notice that several of Governor
Brown’s assailants have been attempt
ing to create the impression that he
has made a great mistake about the
suspension of the writ of habeas corpus
in England. They assume that the
Governor stated in his message, that
the writ has not been suspended in
England since 1GS9 ; and then refer
to a number of instances in which the
British -Parliament have suspended the
writ since that time, and crow over
what they claim to be a great histor
ical error of the Governor. As these
assaults have been made by some per
sons who ought to know, and do know,
that they are doing injustice with in
tent to deceive, we propose to Expose
their misrepresentations.
By reference to the message, it will
be seen that Governor Brown has no
where stated, that the writ has not
been suspended in Great Britian since
16S9, nor has he stated, that no act of
Parliament has been passed, author
izing its suspension.
He was referring to tho Court of
Star Chamber and its illegal arrests,
and to the “odious practice of order
ing political arrests, or issuing letters
dc cachet by royal prerogative in oth
er words, to arrests made by the King
or under his orders, and not by the Judi-
ciary, in which cases the King, in ef
fect, suspendeded the writ of habeas cor
pus as his courts whose Judges were
dependent upon his will for their po
sitions, (as the President’s court of
“proper officers” under the late act
of Congress are dependent upon Iris
will) held that the writ of habeas cor
pus could not’be granted for the relief
of a person imprisoned under the
King’s order. Thus the King ordered
the arrest at his will, and suspended
the habeas corpus at Iris pleasure, just
as the President can do under the late
act - of Congress. The President can
order the arrest, and when the writ is
sued out, if he chooses, he can order
his subaltern to file an affidavit that the
prisoner is held under the order of the
President, and that suspends the writ;
or if he chooses, he can direct that no
such return be made, and peYmft the
court to enterfain the case and grant
relief under the writ. The act of
Congress therefore does not suspend
the writ, but only authorizes the Pres
ident to suspend- it at his pleasure-—
just as the King of England could do
during the arbitrary reigns prior to
1641, when the act which Governor
Brown appends to his message was
passed, which abolished the Star
Chamber and made illegal all “war
rants and directions of Council-board,'
and all “commitments, restraints and
imprisonments of any person or per
sons made, commanded or awarded by
the King's majesty, his heirs or successors
in their oum person, or by the lords and
others of the privy council, and every
•oe of them,” and declared that every
person should be entitled to the bene
fits of the writ of habeas corpus who
should after that time, be committed,
restrained of his liberty, or suffer im
prisonment “by command or warant of
the King's Majesty, his heirs or suc
cessors."
The act of settlement in 1689, vir
tually re-affirmed the same doctrine,
and left the writ of habeas corpus to
run against the King's uarrant as well
as against any other illegal arrest.
After referring to these things, and
showingrthat the late act of Congress, in
effect, places in the hands of tber Presi
dent the sftme absolute power possess
ed by the English King prior to 1641,
in making arrests and suspending the
habeas corpus, in case of such arrest,
the Governor says: “lam aware of
no instance in which thetBritish King
(not, the British Parliamentj has order
ed the arrest of any person in civil
life in any other manner than by judi
cial warrant issued by the established
courts of the realm, and in which he
(not Parliament) has suspended or
attempted to suspend the privilege of
the writ of habeas corpus sinee the bill
of rights and act of settlement in
16S9.” .
It is no answer to this, and convicts
nobody of a mistake to say, that Par
liament lias since that time suspended
the writ.
To show that the Governor did not
mean to say that the writ had not
been suspended by Parliament since
16S9, it is only necessary to quote
\yhat he added to the sentence last
quoted. He says: “TO attempt this in
1SG4, would cost the present reigning
Queen no less price than her Crown.’’
No man of sense or fairness can
charge, that the Governor intended to
say that it would cost the Queen htr
Crown, for Parliament to suspend the
writ. But what he did say, iu effect,
was that it would cost her no less
price than her crown if she should do
it herself, and arrest persons upon her
own warrant, and refuse to permit the
courts to grant relief by writ of habeas
corpus against such illegal arrests made
by her as her predecessors did prior
to 1689.
The act of Congress authorizes the
President to make arrests at his pleas
ure without oath or affirmation in plain
violation of the Constitution, and at
his pleasure to suspend the writ when
relief is asked against such illegal ar
rests.
• But the chief*use which those who
cite tbe instances of the suspension of
the writ by the British Parliament
have for it, is to prove that Parliament
may suspend it, and authorize arrests
made by the crown ; arid they argue
from this, that Congress may do the
same. The reply to this is, that there
is no analogy between the two. The
British* Nation has no written Consti
tution. Parliament is omnipotent
above all law and all constitutions,
and can enact and repeal any law it
thinks proper, at pleasure. Congress
has no such power, as we have a writ
ten Constitution which is higher than
Congress, and which Congress has no
power to repeal, and no right to dis
regard or violate. That Constitution
declares that “no warrants shall issue
but upon probable cause supporteu by
oath or affirmation; and that in all
criminal prosecutions, the accused shall
enjoy the right of a speedy and public
trial by an impartial jury of the State
or district where the crime shall have
been committed.” It does not say a
trial by such court of “proper offi
cers” as the'President may appoint.
Therefore, Congress has no power
to authorize the President, at his dis
cretion, to arrest any citizen he pleases
without oath or affirmation, and to car
ry him at his pleasure to the prisons
of another State, and deny him the
privilege of the writ of habeas corpus,
or of a speedy trial by an impartial
iury of the State or district where the
crime is alleged to have been commit
ted.
— ■—
Ibf Fire Dollar Notes*
Speculators have succeeded in deprecia
ting tbe Five dollar Confederate Treasury,
notes, of tho old issue, one third of thet
value on the face. Those notes will be
taken at par for Taxes in J one, and can
be funded, at par, in 4 per cent Bonds un
til the 1st of Jelly. Why, then, should
anybody sell bis Five dollar notes to Br 0 ^
kers and Speculators at a discount/ They
are good as the new issue to pay taxes
with, and can be funded, at par, in 4 per
cent Bonds. We already hoar of partis
offering to bnv the Fives at 15 and 20 per
cent, discount. It seems to us that '-f
man who would part with his Fivedom-'
bills, before the let of July, at a discount,
ought to be “cut for the simples.”
The Central Rail Road has done more,
perhaps, than all other influences combin
ed to discredit the old Fives. Some tea
days, or two weeks ago, they advertise
that they would not receive the l - ive ‘to
lar old notes, except at a discount o on
third. Very soon after this announce:i»? n
was made by the officers of tbe
Rail Road, the Fives were refused w ‘ '*
place. We understand this same *
Road has lately paid off its hire for n
groes in the Five dollar notes. ®
emptied its shelves of the Fives, “ n0
closes its vaults against them.
Is there no law to reach this flag™ /
rage on the currency of the County
Can Grand Juries do nothing 0
tneh proceedings?