The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-10-28
MILITARY DESPOTISAI.
A Practical Illustration.


| the present Presidential canvass. It would
| be my duty to apologize in advance were 1
even to hint that you would consider that as
| any evidence of disloyalty or as affOrding the
| slightest grounds for the suppression of the
paper
The reason assigned for the military order
complained of you cannot fail also to agree
with me in thinking to be wholly insufficient,
| since the officer issuing it had under his COM
mand two or three thousand armed soldiers, a
| force abundantly adequate to protect the office
of the newspaper and its editor from the yio-
lence OF a mob, had there been any indication
| at the time that such violence would be used.
am made the organ of bringing this matter
to your attention. because of my being one of
the Senators of the State, and bound by that
| relation to do what | can to protect her citi-
zens against outrage.
| An early reply to the request of the editor,
sent through me, is respectfully solicited, and,
not doubling that it will be a favorable one.
| have the honor to remain.
| Your Obedient servant
REVERDY JOHNSON.
BALTIMORE, Oct. 10, 1864.
| GENTLEMEN: In order to take such steps as
l may deem necessary to obtain redress for the
wrong done you in the suppression of your pa.
| per, should like to have in writing all that
occurred at the interview you had with Major
| zen. Wallace on the day your paper was sup
pressed. VIII YOU Oblige me by giving it to
| me: Very respectfully.
| REVERDY JOHNSON.
MesSrs. BosLEY 4 BREWER.
| BALTIMORE, Oct. 10, 1864.
10 lion. Rererdg Jo6ason:
| DEAR SIR: In compliance with your request
to give you, in writing, an account of what
| TRANSFERRED at my interview with Maj General
| Wallace, on the day OF the suppression of the
Erening Post, Sept. so, proceed briefly to re-
hearse the most important points of the con-
| versatlon between US, at which my partner
| Mr.. Bosley, was also present
Being seated, the general, pointing to our
bullotin-board, which he had conveyed to his
headquarters, asked if | saw anything wrong
! upon it. [ answered in the negative. He then
| called my attention To the line" Adninistra-
ton officers engaged in the riot, asking i'll did
| not consider that rs tending to incte TO riot.
said did not; that it was q legitimate piece
| OF news, at which no one had a right to take
offence. He then stated that it had only been
| through the Issuance OF most stringent orders
by him that our Office had not been mobbed
long ago; that the soldiers had intimated de-
| sign to do so. to prevent which he had taken
| his present action. [ thanked the general for
any Kindness he may have heretofore extended,
| but assured him that | thought it perfectly
gratutOus; that we felt fully capable of taking
l
riot that had received, or Of the existence at
all of such design or spirit. was from himself.
| and il his soldiers were kept in proper disci-
| pine we had no cause of alarm from civilians,
He then asked, why it was that the Sun did
not publish such news. ANSWERED :'Firstly.
| because they had not yet received it, but that
! doubtless it would appear in their next morn
| ng's issue; Or. secondly, because the Sun was
| not a political paper, and from fear of offence
| to the cOmmandart might shrink from doing
so.' He then said that the SIN acos a Demo,
| cratic paper This l contradicted, asserting
| what is well known to every one. that the Su,.
| has always refrained from entering the politi-
cal contest, maintaining strictly neutral or in
| dependent status. He denied my assertion,
which firmly but respectfully reasserted. To
support his statement he said that the editor of
| the Sun was before him that morning who had
| admitted that the Sun was Democratic paper.
still doubted the truth of his assertion, and
took the pains to inquire of the editor of the
! San (atter this interview whether such was
! oorrect. His reply was that he had said no
such thing that the order for my appearance
before the general had been sent by mistake to
tee SIN office, that he informed Gen. Wallace
: O. the mistake, but that no such question had
ever been asked him by the general.
l informed Gen. Wallace of the fact that
every paper in New York had published the
! article for which was summoned to answer,;
| and l asked him, if he was in command there
would he suppress them: He said he would
not. l asked why? He replied that New
York was not so liable to Indictment to riot as
Baltimore was-virtual!y admitting the supe-
| rlor quality and discipline OF the troops under
| Gen. Dix to his own. | also reminded him
| that there had been no symptoms of riot in
| Baltimore since April, 1861, but that there had
| been riot of fearful proportions in New York
| within much more recent date.
called Gen. Wallace's attention to the fact
that, in making the publication complained of.
had complied with every requirement of mil
itary law as established by his predecessors in
command of this department. viz: That if an
article is published, rejecting in any way upon
the Administration or its officers. the versions
of the Republican as well as Democratic Jour
nails should be given. This had done, giving
the report of the Cincinnati Gazette as well as
that of the Enquirer. To this he made no
reply.
After a conversation between Mr. Bosley and
Gen. Wallace, not bearing directly upon the is.
sue presented, Gen. Wallace turned to me and
asked what meant by a sentence in my edito-
rial of Wednesday, September %, upon the as
sembling of the State Democratic Convention
to nominate an electoral ticket. The sentence
read: Tomorrow lifts Maryland from her
past degradation and places her on an equality
with her sister States" / told him that the
context would explain that that it had par
ticular reference to the party who have ruled
this State during the past three years, and who
framed the new Constitution. 10 this. with an
insulting leer, the General replied that he sswas
not to be fooled by such lame excuse" Gov
erned more by excitement than discretion. I
told him that deceived no man; that he could
put his own construction upon those words.
and gave him to understand that 1 permitted
no man with impunity to reflect upon my in
tentions or impugn my veracity. He then
said, Excuse me for the expression; it was
the only one could command under the cir
cumstances." Mr.. Bosley here interposed
The General did not call attention to the edito-
rial as q cause for suppression, and alleged
criminality only by implication.
| Starting to leave, the General informed me
that he had already sent an order suppressing
the further issue Of the paper. I told him 1
had received no such order. He then said that
! it had been sent to the Office, and that it was
| irrevOcable.
This is brief, plain summary of our inter-
view with the General commanding this depart.
ment. l was directed by written order from
him to appear at his headquarters, whittier 1
repaired Immediately on its receipt, but before
my arrival, before any explanation of the case
was made, or before any assurance of the alb