Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-25
up preston of n Democratic News
paper in indiana.

The Columbia City whitley county. Indiana,)
News, comes to US dressed in mourning. and con-
tanning the following announcement:
Fellow DEMocRATs: We are commanded by
the Military Commander of the Department of
Indiana. Gen. Hascall. to bow down before the
shrine of arbitrary power and become his truck
Ing instrument, or discontinue the publication OF
this journal. The Constitution of the United
States, once the palladium of our civil liberty,
no longer affords rs protection from the en-
croachments of despotic power We are no
longer permitted to exercise the freedom of de
bate, or the right to investigate the conduct of
our public servants, except To praise their kuave
nv and incompetency to administer the Govern
meut successfully. They hold the freedom OF
debate incompatible with the exercise of arbitrary
power. and hence they have determined to sup
press all those fearless and ut'pOken newspapers
which have criticised their short cOmings. that
they NAV go unhindered in their mad and wild
career. We have fallen a victim to their enmityl
We are admonished to change our Outsp0ken
course for one subjected to absolute power, or
suffer the penalty of the capricious inquisitor,
meaning our decapitation. Here is the order:
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF INDIANA.l
DEPARTMENT OF THE ONO.
INDIANAPOLIS, May 8, 1853.
EprroR OF COLUMBIA CRY NEws-Sir: A copy
of your paper of May 5 has been handed me, and
nv attention called to your comments on General
Order No 3 from these Headquarters. You can
now take your choice: publish an article taking
back your threats of resistance TO that order and
your comments designed to destroy its usefulness,
and hereafter publish a loyal paper. or you can
discontinue the publication OF your paper until
further orders. ANY violation Of this order will
receive prompt attention.
MILo S. HAscALL.
G Brig. Gen. Vol. Com'd'g Dist.
No specific charges are made Of any violation
of the Constitution Of the United States, nor any
law of Congress made in pursu ince thereof. The
ofense consists in commenting upon General Or.
der No. 9, in which he alleges, untruthfully, that
We employ /" threats OF resistance y 70 the afore
said order. We have always counseled obedience
to the Constitution, the laws enacted in accord
ance thereto, and all lawful authority entrusted
With their administration Our have
been w%ilfuliy misrepresehted. Jealous of our
constitutional rights, holding ourselves RESPONSE
bic for every abuse. we commented thereon in
the spirit of one having the good and welfare of
our country at heart. We denied. we admit, the
Generals authority to shackle the freedom of de
bate, but to sustain the correctness OF our posi-
ton, as invulnerable as the rock Of Gibralter IL
self. we quoted a section from the Constitution 10
substaDtiafe our premises in the matter. Mr..
Justlce BLACKSTONE mas remarkeu 'tnat the loefty
Of the press, properly understood. Il essential to
the nature OF a free State" To forbid this high
prerogative is to strike down the freedom Of that
great lever of public opinion-a free aud untram
meled press-the terror of tyrants and the pro-
tector Of the peoples rights.
The suppression Of this journal is threatened,
unless we retract our omment on General Order
No 3, and allow ourselves TO be dictated by mil
litary power. Mr. Chief Justice Story. 10 his
great work on the Constitution. says that Ito
subject the press to the restrictive power of n H.
censor" precisely the functions that Gen. Has.
call now exerces with the flourish Of a tyrsnt. sis
to subject all freedom Of sentiment to the preju-