The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-05-24
The Recent suppressions and Arrests.

The Recent suppressions aud Arrcsts.
The recent suppression oil public journals in
| this city and the arrests OF editors and others
| are o species of prophetic facts in the history
OF our government. They foreshadow the ad.
vent into our history OF questions whose deci-
| Sion has rent many great State to fragments,
and Of elements that have always been danger
Gus to tie liberties OF the people.
The rebellion has already effected great
changes in our condition, and is daily working
others. 1t is revolutonizng our social and
political fabric with revolution like those
through which so many nations have passed
from liberty to despotsm. We had in the first
year OF the war arbitrary arrests and other in
vasons Of private rights, and there was less
expression of the popular oisapproval Of such
matters than there would naturally have been,
because tiey appeared to the people to be ne
cessary. So great was tie national devotion to
the cause Of the country that we preferred to
submit to an invasion of private rights
rather than that the country should
suffer through the assertion and mainte-
nance OF those rights. Yet disapproyal
was expressed clearly enough to show that
such things were submitted 10 only for so good
reason. 1t was thought Il q. the government
had seen the Improperly 0 such measures,
and that they would trouble the country no
more. But the recent acts snow that there is
still dangerous tendency to encroachments
Upon personal rights-to acts that are moon
sistent with our existence as u free people.
They show that this poisonous error has fast
hold OF our national lie, that it is in the veins,
ard Is, If not cast out violently, to become
part OF Us.
At the South they wen to Capitalization OF
all power at n single step, and u military des-
potism has been supreme over the rights and
Ives OF the Southern people for three years.
And If tie South should gain its independence
that iron rule would continue, and grow more
aud more UNDESIRABLE every year, us SUCH q
rule always does, until il would end in the
total overthrow OF all government and the re
lapse of the people into n semi-civ;lizcd state
OF degradation worse than the condtio of any
barbarous tribe. In the South we see. so far,
tue most rapid possible descent in the scale
from freedom downward. But il was to be
hoped Tat the very d,lercnt character OF our
people would have made our liberties more
secure and saved us from making even the
first step in that bad direction in which the
southern States have already gone so far 1t
was hoped that the greater intelligence aud
more ready seli-asserton Of tie Mort Iern PEG.
pie would have so guarded all personal rights
the rights OF s.eech, aud, above all, the freedom
Of the press-tbat no government would have
dared to touch any one Of the points that the
people guarded with such Jealous care. But, as
the late arrests show, that hope has proved
deusive one.
Yet whether this revolution shall effect such
decided changes in The North as have been
effected at the South, OF whether II shall even
be as successful against our liberties as 1t has
been IN France or was 10 Rome, will still de-
pehd entirely upon the inteIlig ence Of the peo-
pie. And we must say, from what we have
hitherto seen, that that will be bnt a fran de-
pendence. Mr.. Lincoln, 10 IL quito probable,
will be renominated for ire Presidency, and II
10 10 elected the whole question ~ 10 whether
or not these dangerous encroachments Of the
central power are TO continue and incrcsss
will be settled BY that one fact Will the pso-
ME ~ he daaxsr Of sntzustug power axaia 70