The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-05-04
PLAIN AS A PIKE STAFF.

sFAAkN AS ~
The organ of the malignants, when 1t can
find a moments respite from the sleepy stu-
cles of.Hood" and ''Fairplay" on whisky
teens with editorials and COMMUNICATIONS
from "two daggers," "three stars" tpreoaoiy
one of them is the member OF the republican
town committee, who cheated the soioier
wife out of her county orders) eye" Ear
ct id omne genus, parading an extract from
the Argus, of Dec. 2, 1862, giving our opin'
ion of what might possibly, in certain con-
tineency, become necessary. There is not
person living, with half thimble fuli Oh
brains, who will deny that that contingency
might possibly arise-that it was poss' oSe Tor
il TO arise. But the contingency having,
fortunately for our country, never occurred
there was no necessity for action. That Is
Is plain as q pike staff. and we are wnoiy
unable to perceive what the malignant squad
expect to make out of the item. The an'mus
which governs the squad is, however, we'll
known and appreciated. Truth, Justice,
fairness or honesty are words not foundin
their dictionary.
We only suggested what might possibly
become necessary for the people to doito save
their liberties-not what was necessary then,
but what might, in q certain contingency,
become necessary contingency which the
people of many governments in the history
of the world have thought necessary; what
they thought necessary in CromwelPs time !;
in the case of Louis PHILIPPE; in the case OF
the American Colonies in l776, and numer-
GUS cases in the history of the world. But If
we are ceusurable for only suggesting what
might possibly, at some future day. become
necessary, what shall be said of the political
friend of the administration, the New York
Times, which, short time previously, said
.sYe simply remark that the president runs no
small risk of being superseded an has ONCE II ne
undertakes to thwart the clear and manifest de-
termination Of the people to maintain the authori
~ OF the government of the United States, and 10
protect its honor. We are in the midst OF a revo-
luton, and in such emergencies the people are
rery apt to find some REPRESENTATIVE LEADER, u
the forms of IaU do not give them one'
And again, said ths.same paper:
Gan imbecile administration has given indisputa-
BILE proof OF its incapacity TO conduct great war
Even its own friends are constrained TO confess
its impotence, and msditating ats displacement
by EXTRA CONSTITUTIONAL AND REVOLUTIONARY
METHODS, tending to hopeless divisions IN the
north, and general anarchy. -
Let the reader notice that the New York
Times says the friends of the administration
were THEN MEDITATING THE ANNIHILATIoN OF
Mr.. LINcoLN's ADMINISTRATION BY REvoLU-
rIoNARY MErHoEs. The New York Times did
not even suggest the idea, as we did, OF call
ling ON the administration to observe and
respect the constitution and carry on the
government according to its requirements
It did not suggest, as we did, that the al
ministration would have to do something
worse than it had done TO make action neces-
sary on the part of the people. But 1t said
they were then, at that moment, naedttatIng
the forc,bls (perhaps by assassination, des'
truction of Mr.. Lincoln and his administra-
ton.
But we have something even worse than
the New York Times incendiary appeal to
assassins and mobiles, in the case of one of
the military friends of the republican party.
At little later stage of the war than the
incendiary and assassin appeal of the New
1Ork tunes, anu WQllo MI. was
suspected of willingness to compromise the
national difficulties, the Ohio State JourncI,
of Columbus, the central organ of the repub-
licau party in that state, prominently pub
lished letter from a correspondent il which
occurred the following paragraph:
ssI like the spirit of the major in command ofthe
6Oth Ohio. When in his presence the question
was presumptuously asked, "Shail eventually
have &c compromise he turned with whitening
look and said, 81 entered this campaign with over
800 men to-day / can muster 1872, and tell you
that if the president hints even at compromise
THERE ARE ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY
TWO ASSASSINS IN MY COMMAND READY
TO MARCH, solitary and alone, TO THE WHITE
HOUSE, We irish friends at home had this
spirit-'ts the spirit OF the federal army, who
bear the burden"
With these extracts for the contemplation
of the ''daggers," the stars" the ''eyes"
and "ears," we leave the subject for to day.
ANDREW JOHNSON.