The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-06-18

THE PRESIDENTS REVOCA-
TON OF GEN. BURNSIDE'S
ORDER.
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| IAxCard from Hon. 4. N. Arnold.
To MY FELLOW CITIZENS: s:--
During the excitement growing out Of
the Order Of Gen. Burnside, sappressing
the Chicago Times, I was urged to ask the
president to revoke the order. ! refused to
do this, because, not having read that paper
for several weeks previously, i did not
know how far the paper had gone, nor pre-
cisely upon what grounds the order had
been issued. did, however, request the
President to give his careful consideration
to petition, asking that the Order be res
cinded or suspended 1t was not in my
power then, to express any intelligent opin-
ION as to whether the order should or
should not be abrogated, and never have
expressed any opinion to the President on
that point, one way or the other. But that
which I asked the President to do, have
endeavored to do myself. have given it a
careful consideration, and have come to the
conclusion that the President has done right
in revoking the Order, and as in this opin-
ion I differ from some Of my friends, de-
sire to express the reasons why I approve
Of this act of the President. ~-'''
fyou will pause and reflect little, I
think | can satisfy you that you have been
doing the President and others great injus-
tice. 1t was Burke. think, who said that
the shield against calumny was character
sympathize with you in your natural in.
dignation at the existence Of paper among
us Of the character of the Times. Your
condemnation Of me regret, but I appeal
to your sober second thought. Strike if you
please, but hear me first. Is there man
in Chicago. who would have had more per-
sonal reason to rejoice in the suppression of
the Times than I2 If so, I know not who
he is. No ether man received from it so
much personal abuse, ami that of the most
bitter and malignant character. believe
its tendencies are dangerous to our coun-
try's cause yet believing that it has con.
stitutional right to ADJUST me and the gov
ernment, subject to punishment by the laws
| of kha II spG kho Il ;~hl
in revoking the order for it's military sup.
preston. Had listened to personal resent
ment or indignation, should certainly have
urged the President not to interfere with
Burnside's order. Even those who differ
with me will perhaps give me credit for hor
esty Of purpose. feel entirely confident
that when the passion and excitement Of
the day have passed, you will approve o.
my conduct as heartily as some of you now
condemn it. asu
Why do approve the order of the Presi
dent? Because in my judgment the order
Of Gen. Burnside was unwarranted by the
law and the Constitution. IF that order had
been sustained by the President, it would
have made an issne before the people, upon
which the friends of the Administration, MOI
being in the right, could not have succeed.
ed. The sagacity and good sense of the
President have saved you from political
disaster. 8aa
i Ny friends, we have common purpose:
to crush this hellish rebellion; but is it not
possible that you are wrong in the means.
when one of them is the suppression of free
dom Of the press by military power' When
you sec the President, the Judges Of the
United States Courts, men, all Of them, Of
your own party--men whose patriotism,
loyalty and inte gritty no man will question
--when you see them all, although hating
the Times as they hate treason itself, yet
all declaring that this military arrest is
wrong, is it possible that you are in error,
and that these thoughtful, true men, acting
under their responsibilities to the Constitu-
ton and their oath is it not just possible
that they may be right, after all9 g
]. do not propose to argue the constitution
al question. 1t is too clear for argument -
No intelligent man can deny that such an
order violates The Constitution. Intelligent
and candid men, who justify the order, de-
fend it, not as constitutional, but as nec-
essity, resulting from the dangerous condi-
ton Of the country.
| It is simply an exercise of powerin direct
conflict with every guarantee of the Con-
stitution and of the Magma Charta. To
those who excuse or justify this order on
the ground of necessity to save the life of
the nation, let me beg their attention mo-
ment, whit attempt to show that no such
necessity exists, and that an adequate rem
edy exists, without restoring to so danger
ousa precedent The American people
are not ready to acknowledge our Constitu-
ton failure, nor are they ready to see
military dictator established. There is no
difficulty in pun,shing treason, and sup
pressing sedition, without overturning the
Constitution. Where war or insurrection
exists in fact, any General in command may
arrest and punish dangerous character, and
suppress treasonable and seditious publica-
tons. This was done BY General jackson
at New Orleans, and defended on the ground
Of necessity, BY Judge Douglas, a
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