Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-18
suppression of Democratic News
manor in,

News. come, 70 ~ dressed in mourning. aud con-
tanning the following announcement:
FELLOW DEMOCRATS: We are commanded bv
the Military Commander Of the Department OF
Indiana Gen Hsscall To bow down before the
shrine OF arbitrary power and become bis truck
Ing iRstrumfn II. discontinue the publication %
this journal. The Constitution OF the United
States. once the palladium Of our civil liberty.
no longer affords us protection from the en-
croachments Of desnotic rower We are no
longer permitted 10 exercise the freeiom of lie
bate. or the right to investigate the conduct Of
our public servants, except 10 praise their kuave
~ and incpmpetency 70 administer the Govern
ment successfully They hold the freedom of
debate incompatible with the exercise of arbitrary
power. and hence they have Determined C. sup
press all those fearless and out poken ewspapers
which have criticised their short comings. that
they may 90 unhindered in their mad aud Wild
career. We have f,llen 4 victim to their enmityl
We are admonished to change our outspoken
course for one subjected To absolute power, or
suffer the penalty of the caprcious ipquisit0r,
meaning our decapitation. Here il the order.
HEADQUARTERS DIsrRIor OF INDIANA
DEPARTMENT or THE OaIo.
INDIANAPOLIS. My :. 1863
EprToR OF COLUMBIA Cry NEws-Sr: A copy
OF YOUR paper OF May has been handed me- and
nv attention called to your comments on General
Order No from these Headquarters You can
take Your choice: publish article t,king
back your threats of resistance TO that order and
your comments designed to destroy It's usefulness,
and hereafter publish loyal paper. you can
discontinue the publication of your paper until
further orders ANY violation of this order will
receive prompt attention.
MiLo s HAscALL.
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 nude in pursuance thereof. The
ofense consists in commenting upon General Or
der No 9. i'm which he alleges, untrut'fully, that
employ " threats OF resistance 10 the atore
said order We have always counseled obedience
to the Constitution, the laws enacted in accord
ance thereto. ami NIL lawful authority entrusted
with their administration Our comments have
been wilfully misrepreSehtel Jealous of our
constitutional rights, holding ourselves response
BILE for every abuse. we commented thereon in
the spirit OF one having the good and welfare OF
our country 1t heart We denied we admit, the
Generals authority 10 shHcke the freedom OF de
bate, but 10 sustain the correctness OF our posi-
ton rs invulnerable a. the rock of Gibralter it
self, we quoted section from the Constitution 10
substantiate our premises in the matter Mr..
Justice Blackstone has remarked that the liberty
of the press, properly understood. is essential 10
the nature of free State" To forbid this high
prerogatve is 10 strike down the freedom of that
great lever of public OpnOn--a free AID untram
meled preSs-the terror OF tyrants and the pro-
tector of the peoples rights.
The suppression OF this Journal is threatened,
unless retract our comments on General Order
No g. and allow ourselves to be dictated by mil
itarv power Mr. Chief Justice Story in his
great work on the Constitution. SAYS that Ito
subject the press TO the restrictive power of IL
censor" precisely the functions that Gen Has
call now exerces with the flourish OF tyrant. Is
TO subject all freedom of sentiment 10 the preju
dices of one man. aud 10 make him the arbitrary
ana infallible Judge of all coutroverted points
From jealousy of our rghts, and not from any
factious opposition To the Generals duty, which
we in no WAY impugn. We criticised the Order in
question We showed no defiance to resist It's
enforcement as the General assumes and only
pronounced il an unwarranted stretch OF consti
tutional power. productive of no good and much
mischief.
To crticise the measures and acts of our public
servants Is privilege that cannot be denied and
so long "a these criticisms are conducted with an
eve for the public welfare none hut tyrant will
attempt to muzzle the press. We care not how
pure Gen Hascalls motives may be, and hOwev
er honest his intentions to discharge his duty i'm
partially without respect to party look upon
the assumption of such stretching powers with
alarm. Man Is not nfillible History furnishes
more than one example, where too much pow
er intruSted in one man, pure and good rulers he
fore they were invested with unlimited power
became the most despotic rulers on record. |
Gen Hascall Is no exception TO this rule, and nj !
ready his smacks strong with Ike symp-
tom. and he has evidently forgotten that the peo
pie have rights as we'll as he We admonsh |
Gen. Hascall in return for his magnanmtv to
wards Us. to return to the land marks OF the Con-
stitntiOn, or he may, like many usurper be
plagued with the precedehts he now establishes.
''Tyrants seldom die
OF dry death: il waieth Mt their gate
Dressed in the color of their robes of state"
What! suppress this journal for criticsing an
order of Gen. Hascal. not in a spirit to Cause
any violent resistanc, to it, but to convince its /
author of the impolicy of the measure and. it
possible make him rerrace his steps. l. il for
this reason that the suppression of this journal is
threatened? Ii he be higher than the CunStitu |
ton, the supreme law of the land, then he can !
enact such laws rs he, in his superior wisdom. !
may ceem proper but if he. like our own self. |
owes obedience to the Constitution alone. and 1
that that instrument is as sacred and dear To him
it is Us. then he is than tyrant ex- /
ercise such unwarranted authority. The C0nsti. /
tuition OF the United States expressly iorbids the
abriJeement of the freedom OF open debate. and
it we have fallen into the error OF wandering in |
the track of the Revolutionary patriots. instead
of treaiing in the track of Gen. Hasca, we will /
certainly be excused for that on account OF old
fogviSm. " have such everence for that in
strument that we cannot for moment lay it /
aside. much less 20 in the trail at strange gods
We claim that we are publishing a loyai paper |
Whit constitutes loyalty! II it he in favor of
the CONSTITUTIONS. ~ transmitted To then We
are loyal: but H. on the contrary. loyalty con
SistS in d~re-ard Of that instrument. We are not
loyal We honor and respect thai nuhle chart OF
liberty. IL is guide in ever, thing, and we
know no higher authority than it. Are We dis
loyal for Il att Then th. trainers thereof were
disl0yal Who will charge them With dlSoyalty!
Where Is that man? Why. then charge all
who adhear To their teachings with disioyaltyr
We don't publish anything but loyal paper, and
if Gen Ha>cail don't see it in the light. he
is simply too wilfuliy blind to distinguish loyalty
from dis'oyaty
We have already extended our remarks further
than we originally intended to We have moth
ing TO retract Our comments were made with
20 the public welfare We await the or
der OF Gen. II ,Scall with pleasure. The Wicked
alone Zee lrotn the wrath OF an offended Deity.
Conscious OF our innocence from any crime
against the Government. We remain the Generals
humble servant with the most profound regards,
and ask his impartial Judgment IN onT case
ADJUSTMENTS.
N lrrRkD sAups>U un,GN auARu