Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-08-03
Mob Shirt.

announced, edltorially, tue outbreak OF MODS IN
various parts of t,e country: The righteous in
dignation of the people at the treason oil the
Northern presses which have been for months
stimulating the SHAREHOLDERS to rebel against the
Union, was very strongly manifested in various
parts Of the country yesterday" and proceeded
to advise the people, with reference to neyspa-
pers which that sheet desired TO suppress, TO
cease to buy them, and cease TO advertise in them
On the 18th of April, the Tribune exulted over
a demonstration against the journal OF Commerce,
and melted the mob to further violence. saying.
1--WE may rejoice that the spirit of patriotism
has opened the eyes Of the people to the char
acter of such lapers as the Journal of Com
merce."
We recall these facts for the purpose of draw
ing from them a lesson most important to be
learned at the present hour. At all times. and on
all occasions, we have sternly and unequivocally
condemned every display of popular fury mani
tested outside of the pale of the laws No other
course than this can be right. and this course we
shall pursue. whether mobs attack conservatives
or radicals. whether they aim to destroy our
presses or the presses of CTR radical cotempora-
Fies.
Couhsels such as we have given surely did not
educate the mob Of New York to deeds of VIC
lence. But will our n~eighbor carefully review
the above extracts, and many of a similar char
uLtCi WhtCn mtknb w llOul Ic OOl0luuSy
and say whether his conscience is equally cleari
Let us take counsel together on this subject,
conservatives aud radicals, and consider the line
of duty, and follow il. Wherein did the crowd
of half drunken men, rowdies, and vagabonds,
whose righteous Indignation" pleased the Tri-
bune two years ago, differ from the crowd who
burned and robbed houses last weekf In no par
%ticular, except that the first mob was a small
affair and the last a terrible affair. The spirit
was the same. Now, reflect on the spread of
that spirit. We have carefully preserved the
newspaper accounts of the righteous indigna-
ton" demonstrations in the country since that
time, and their number is They have
destroyed public and private property; they have
murdered ~ciuizens, have outraged others, aud this
in nearly every loyal State of the Union. All
this has been in consequence of the teachings OF
those who regarded these mobs as only 1.-THE
people" acting under the Esprit of patriotism, -
and their fendish mslignity only as righteous
indignation" The mob spirit had been sedu-
lousy fostered and encouraged by radical men
and newspapers. IL seemed at one tine as il
they expected to be able to inaugurate the scenes
of the French revolution here. The doctrine that
laws were not to bind the will of n Tree people
engaged in a great war was constantly promul-
gated and maintained. 1t is but little more than
a year ago that the Tribune told the citizens OF
Fulton county to suppress u newspaper there
without waiting to apply to the authorities.
Now, will any sane man tell US that all this
fer two years has had no effect on the minds OF
the peopleI 1t is nonsense for the radical papers
to be saying now that the mob is not a mob OF
the people, when they called mobs which they
approved, "the people, One is no less and no
more the people than the other. All are alike
demonstrations Of popular passions. badly taught
wickedly inclined, and all alike demand the out.
cnnEnn onn1o nnufsA, Ac 4Io 80 .:.:--.
Let the Tribune and all journals of a like elias:
calmly and seriously reflect on this subject, anC
they must acknowledge the force of our observa
tons, they must learn the lesson Of these terri
BILE events. 1t will not do to loose the winds; nc
man can guide them.
How ungenerous, nay, now criminal. would il
be regarded I'm US to day, to ~"rejoice that the eyei
of the people are opened to the character of sucl
papers as the Tribune" Ungenerous, becaus,
the courtesies of the profession would be violated
criminal, because it would imply on our part
joy in an attack upon our neighbor, which W,
condem as 2 wicked outrage But what was tn,
character of such rejoicing in our contemporary,
two years ago? Is not the question one whicl
demands an answer for the sake of tbe future?
If considerations of public morality and public
order do not prevail on this subject, selfish con
siderations must be appealed to. No one know
where a mob may turn its violence; no one cal
tell where the next moi may direct its fury. II
who encourages il 10 day may be its victim to
morrow. The fearful history Of the Frencl
revolution contains ample illustration of thi
truth.
We beseech all men of inhuence-in the edi
torial chairs of the country, in public or in privat
life, TO think soberly and seriously on this ques
ton of the origin Of the mob spirit in our coun
try. Consider the fact that the mob is made O
men, and that men have eyes and ears and brains
to read, to hear and to think. Remember tina
every approval, unrebuked, of mot violence, b
a public man, instils into more or less minds
disregard for law. Remember that every tim
the people are told the false story that laws ar
suspended by war, they learn some notions o
lawleSsness.
Why, for a year and more, the idea has bee
believed by large numbers of the people that th
old saying, "infer arma silent Leges," means lii
orally that Gin time of war lawsrought to ne 81
lens or suspended " and they believe il becaus
Senators and orators and newspapers tell ther
so; whereas il only means the assertion Of
melancholy truth. that in war times there are nj
ways violations of law, none the less violation:
none the less to be condemned because war eS
lists.
The mob ought not TO be forgotten, as a trihin
incident of war times. 1t appeals to the citizen
Of this great country with thunderous vote,
Stand by your laws always ard everywhere. W
are n free people-not free to judge Of wis
measure of obedience we will render TO law, nc
free to determine whether we will or will nc
obey, but free because we make our own law,
and making them agree to obey them An
whenever a man or a newspaper teaches tina
popular sentiment, expressed by a mob, is emit
tied to public approval, or worthy of anythiD
but condign punishment, we care not whether
Is expressed against Abolitionist or Democra
that man is a revolutionist, or a traitor .
the principles on which our Government rest,
We must support law This is the doctrine W
have steadfastly maintained. and we have bee
called traitors for maintaining il. Our sympa
thies are with every man that is wronged bv
mob. or by lawless violence Of any kind. w
have expressed these sympathies for Democrat
papers, and we feel the same sympathy for tn
radical papers which have suffered from equal
lawless violence IN. Y. Jour. of Com
r