The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-06-03
THE PROCLAMATION HOAX.
Suppression of Newspapers.

SAiC VVWUUt " COWWScyCc "a 1uOuuoy, tES
2Sd inst, being the first numbers of these
journals issued since the morning when the
hoax was perpetrated upon them, and
which resulted in their temporary suppress.
sion by the military power.
The World contains long letter ad.
dressed to the President, signed by MAN.
TON MARBLE, the editor, 1t is vigorous
protest against the action of the govern
ment regarding his journal, but we have
no room for extracts.
The Journal Of Commerce, under the
head "Historical Notes. briefly recites
the history of the suspension of that jour
nal, the arrest of its editors, and of How.
ARD, the forger. The conclusion of the
article is eloquent, indeed. We quote:
What had we done to be thus delivered
over to ruin?
We call to witness the respectable news
paper press from Atlantic to Pacific, when
we say it was impossible, by any degree of
caution, to prevent such an occurrence.
There is not q newspaper editor in America
who, had he been in our Office, would not
applaud the course pursued by our FORE
man, and free him from all blame. Nor
can any living man, by any degree of care
or ingenuity, make himself or his business
safe against fraud. Show us the man that
dare boast of such immunity.
Mark this. We have within three years
done more than fifty thousand dollars
worth of gratuitous advertising for this
Administration, who have sent US orders
innumerable to hunt up officers, to an
nounce drafts, to proclaim this or that,
every order coming to us in almost fac
simsile of this forged dispatch, and with no
verifcation whatever. There is scarcely o
night in the year that the War Department
does not send us, on manifold paper, now
in this and now in that handwriting, at one,
two, three or four O'Clock, some such
proclamation or order. If we should re-
fuse to publish one of these we should be-
denounced as copperheads. If we de-
manded veri6cation or pay we should be
hooted at as traitors. Nay, more, We were
ourselves arrested, and our paper was sup
pressed, on a supposed order from Wash
ington, written out by telegraphic ope-
rator, which Gen. Dix took on trust, be-
cause he had seen others that resembled it
which were true!
We have no defence of ourselves to
make. We had done no wrong. We were
victims of fraud, and the President, in q
moment of evil judgment, resolved to pun
ish onr misfortune, and hurled on us the
mandate of strong power, destroying
our property, and inficting not alonea vast
pecuniary damage, but a greater personal
wrong and injury. We have asked no par
don from him. The clenched hand Of man
that strikes with passionate blow on the
rock is bruised, and cannot for long time
recover the self.inficted injury. The arm
of authority when it Yields the sword to
anger against the spotless steel of inno-
cence wastes the vigor of its sinews and
turns the edge of the weapon. The voice
of denunciation Numbered ever so loudly
against the pure dies feebly on the wind,
and its tones become forever powerless.
It is not that we have been harmed so
much as he who has so fiercely struck at
us. We are grieved for him. He has
Withdrawn his grasp, and we are again free.
And now for the private wrong done us,
we find it in our hearts to forgive him. 1t
was, perhaps, an error of petulance or a
mistake of poor Judgment. Let it pass for
awhile. till he and we can think it over in
calmer times.
The public wrong which involves such
mighty interests-the Constitution, the
sacred authority of law, the liberty of the
press, the freedom of the citizen from I'm.
Just search and seizure of bis person or
property, the freedom from arrest, except
on warrants duly authorized, the right to
be confronted by accusers. to trial by jury
this great wrong we have no power to
pardon. Two thousand years ago the
Romans enacted the law Of Publius Por-
thus Laeca, which authorized an appeal to
the Roman people. In the time of Paul
that had been sadly changed to an appeal
to Caesar, for Caesar had grasped the power
of the people. We4possess the law in its
original purity, and by that appeal must
the whole act be judged.
We thank our friends for their hearty
support. We thank many, very many
gentlemen of the Republican party for
their outspoken expression of opinion.
We leave to their own shame the con-
temptible catalogue of men who stopped
their papers, excepting out Of that list
and honoring those who on Sunday came
boldly to us and said "we stopped because
we thought you were wrong, we renew
because we knew you were wronged." :.
But what, Americans, what is to De salt
of our country and her prospects under Tn
guidance of those who can be 80 errlng, 9
foolish, so weakp Does it shake our faltl
in the future2 Does it open to US an.
new view of doubt or despair? In n
wise. Patience, patience! On the las
day that we issued our paper we spoke Il
earnest tones, beseeching our country
men to be patient and faithful. Faithfu
to the old cause, the old Union, the Oh
Constitution. These men that lead u
in the mad course of radicalism are bu
the men Of a day. They will vanish froI
our sight ere long. Their deeds will fol
low them into oblivion or shame; an
then, by the peaceful recurrence Of gu
national election we shall be placed IN tn
position to save the grand old fabric G
free institutions. t.,..-.,.,, ~. e. 90
From the distant battle-felds the thun
der of cannon reaches on; ears tonight
"