Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-10-20
SERIOUS THOUGHTS FOR SERIOUS TIMES.

as the Chicago Tribune in its support Of the Ad.
ministration.
As was natural under such circumstances, the
heated partisans Of the Administration arrayed
themselves on the side Of the Federal commander.
They did not stop to ask whether his act was right
constitutional, or proper. It was enough for them
to know that he aimed to strike down an opposi-
tion print which had provoked their hostility.
The political adherents Of the paper thus assail-
ed manifested stern disposition to defend the free
dom of the press violated in its attempted suppress
sion, and q bloody riot was believed to be immi-
nent in the streets Of Chicago. While matters
were at this stage Mr.. Senator Trumbull sought to
calm the troubled elements, not by persuading the
people to acquiesce in the illegal proceedings Of
Gen. Burnside, but by persuading the people that
such proceedings were wrong, and that as such
they should be disoountenanced by all good citi-
zens To this effect he spoke as follows:
"The times grave meioriiy Of ihs people Of our
State taking ground against The Adminisrationand
our mistakes that they may be CORRECTED IN the future. The
have not adhered to David Crooketts motto
: Be sure you right and then 60 ahead
"The great charge the charge that has damaged the
Administration above all Others that jauor Of
s exercise of arbitrary we are opposed to the
freedom Of speech and opinion to the freedom Of the press,
favor of curtailng personal liberty and 10 favor Of
despotism. Now we should not allow these things We
have been the advocate of free speech for the last forty
years. and should not allow the party which during that
whole time has advocated the gag to usurp our place
ave are fighting for the restoration Of the Union and
the preservation Of the Constitution and all the liberties
guarantees to every citizen. And It makes me feel bad
when hear honest friend, brmmng full of patriot
sm say he does for the Constuson and does not
want to have it forced into his way thrust in his face
until the war 10 over"
It is common for Administration prints to allege
that there is widespread and deep-seated spirit Of
disaHection to the Government prevalent among
large portion of the people in Indiana and Illinois.
1t is intimated that this spirit has sought to en-
body itself in organizations which look to armed
resistance against the Administration, and the Ad
ministration has lent its countenance to this init
nation by forbidding the importation and purchase
Of arms in these States.
If there was any foundation for these represen-
tatons, in the generality ascribed to them, it would
be the gravest possible impeachment of the Ad-
ministration, as serving to show that it had, by
its abuses Of arbitrary power, soured the minds
Of large portion Of the people that they are
ready to adopt the most desperate measures for the
prevention of such abuses. No one supposes that
in Loyal States like Indiana and Illinois there need
be any ground Of appeal to spirit of disaffeoton
and revolt, save such ground is furnished by the
arbitrary acts which Senator Trumbull denounced
and deplored And hence, precisely in proportion
to the degree Of credit which may be given to al
legged oonspiracies" in the Northwest, should be
the condemnation of those acts which give to such
oonspiraoies their pretext and origin.
We are very sure that, with exceptions too in
considerable to deserve enumeration, il has been
the great predominant wish of the people in the
Northwest, equally with the people in other quar-
ters of the Loyal States, cordially to sustain the
Administration in the present crisis But that
the Administration las done much, very much, to
irritate the eensibilities of the people in these
States, as in many others, will be denied by none
among its most determined partsans. +" The great
charge, the charge that has damaged the Admins
tration above all Others" says Mr.. Trumbull, "is
power" This charge would not /" damage" the
Administration if it was false charge. 1t is only
the truth Of the charge which makes it damaging
to the party thus arraigned by Republican SEN
ator Of the United States.
Within the last few days we have seen Major
General Of the United States strike down an Oppo-
sition print in the city Of Baltimore under the
pretext Of fear that his own soldiers would riot
ously destroy the Office in which it was printed, un
less he saved them the opportunity Of doing so by
ordering the suppression Of the paper. Does any
body suppose that his act is any more defensible
than the putative disposition he ascribes to his
soldiery? And does not every body believe that
the pretext for the suppression was utterly fivo-
lous and groundless
What, then, is the duty of candid and loyal men,
without distinction Of party, in such case 7 To
be mute or to protest against the outrage Plain
ly the latter. And yet how many Administration
journals have ventured to express disapprobation
Of the proceeding So far as we are aware, only
two All the others pass it over in silence. None,
we are glad to say, has been bold enough to defend
| 1t or even to apologize for it.
In like manner, the country within the last few
days has been apprized that Mr.. Lincoln's Mill
tary Governor in Tennessee has prescribed test
oath as condition precedent Of voting in that
State, which is designed to bar the polls to all save
those who will vote for Mr.. Lincoln and himself.
How many Administration prints have exposed
L = r N r