Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-01-22

ng to those cast within the county those cast BY the
soldiers from the county and a in the field; ypow
Chm Republican STAB Centrai Committee.
Des Moines, Jan. 10. 1864. . A
Editorial Responsibility.
The following was received by mail yester-
day: -'
MrDpLRroN, Tenn, Dec 9th, 1868.
We, the undersigned officers Of the Both Regiment
Iowa Volunteer Infantry respectfully request the edi
tor Of the Mu.oatine JOURNAL to insert the following
Resolved. That condemn the course pursued by
the editor of the Muscatine JOURNAL, in publishing in
tisemsnt," an articlo signed by Mary Adams.
Re'ored That we dsnounce said article as false and
Rssolved, That We consider 1t the duty of the public
to defend the reputation Of who have borne
tho prvatons OF tho camp, and who have their
i've; ~ defense o. .nsf than to %
WIN Keller, Lieutenant Colonel, Geo Burmsis-
Capt Co A Geo Spencer, Capt Co Il; VIM CLARK,
lst Lieut. Go D; W Evans Chaplain; H Dixon, Capt
Go Q; McKelvy, Capt Go X, I Evans, 1st Lieut.
Co X: r Dayton, Adjutant; Mayer, 1st Lieut. and
A Insp Cen; W Dugen, LIST Lieut. and "A ON,
Johns, Major: Shane, ID Lieut. Go: G; WIN WI. g
F. Henry Hoover, ID Lieut. &c d. Isaac Sloan 1st Lieut.
Co A; NJ Cobb. Surgeon; Witherill, LIST Lieut. Co
H; Critx, LIST Lieut. Co G; Stewart, Capt Co B.
We have already defined our position on
the question HUE involved, but will add some.
thing more.
In private letter accompanying the above,
the question is asked why we did not explain
the advertisement at the time and refute its
charges. In reply we will state that we con-
sidered it unnecessary, if not unwise, from
the fact that no regiment was mentioned and
noname given in connection with the charges.
The advertisement was too ebscurely worded
to be understood except by a few who were
acquainted with the circumstances referred to,
and those few need not be told the charges were
false and malicious. We published several
months previously refutation Of these
charges from high official source, and ex-
pressed at the time our qualification at the
complete vindication of the officer against
whom they were brought. 1t was not neces.
sary to refer to it again, especially when his
name was not used. We have always enter
tanned for him the highest esteem, and did
all we could to obtain for him the position he
row holds and which we believe he honors
A cotemporary, in speaking of the respon.
sibility Of editors, truly remarks that "the
opinions of the paper will be found express
ed in the editorial columns. The paper is
committed to the support of this man or that
measure, only IN its editorials which express
in direct language the views of the manage
ment. These only speak with authority for
the paper. This is the rule in all we'll regu-
lated journals. With this explanation, the
intelligent reader can plainly perceive the
dividing line of editorial responsibility for
what appears in the crowded columns of a
daily newspaper"
But in saying this we do not wish to be
understood as desiring to relieve ourself from
any responsibility or condemnation justly
due US in this matter. We know that we
occupy responsible position as public
journalists, and have long since given up the
idea of pleasing everybody. Our judgment
u'oy OO ia 0AAOi, Uut OuE uOtiFeS nave ever
been honest and fair. We make no distinc-
ton between rich and poor, affluent or igno-
bic. Our columns are not opened to one class
and closed to another, nor shall they be made
the vehicle of SANDER and abuse. While an
editor is not expected to endorse everything
that appears in his paper, it is his duty to
exclude everything which he knows to be
false and injurious. We find it necessary to
enforce this rule almost every day, and are
not so "ready to publish anything for mon
ey" as some of our enemies say we are. If
we err, we prefer to err on the side of the
weak; then our motives will not be so readi-
ly misunderstood. We shall be found ready
at all times to defend the reputation of those
who are fighting our country's battles, when
unjustly assaed. Of this our friends need
scarcely be assured. Those who, like the
of the Courier, seize upon this
circumstance to injure US and the Union
cause, show the desperate condition of their
own. They catch at straws in the vain
hope of swimming once more into power
They are welcome to all the political capital
they can make out of the affair.