The mountain Democrat., 1865-12-16
hdlteraa..lI. ae.,nerals... =, !. J

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II is fact not generally kHpwn, Of Il
known, one utterly ignored, that The
press Of Charleston, South OaF0lins, is
at this moment under more rigid censor.
ship and military discipline, than Me-
pOleon the Great or the Car Of Russis
ever dared to exercise in the most des-
pOtic hours Of their reign. Not an edito-
rial 10 permitted to be pubIlsbed with-
out 6Fst undergoing the criticism Or TS~
vision Of one or two seN constituted lite
FateuVs in shouldePstraps, who, from
their perch on some eon6scated velvet
cushion, thus seek to dictate or divert or
TepFess the public sentiment. It is,
We believe, the only instance in the South
IN which such . violation Of one Of the
most sacred rights guaranteed BY the
Constitution Is now attempted and yet
it is but one Of ten thousand instances
OfOppression which the people Of Chafles-
ton have suffered ct the hands Of men
who have stolen the livery Of soldiers to
serve the devil in.
1t does not seem to be enough thak
some Of these "offcers," IL We may be-
pardOned for so designating them, should
have committed their stupendOus larcsu.
les Of silver spoons and plate /; not enough
that they should have taking possession
Of private mansions, and freighted home.
wArd.bOund ships with the conHscated"
furniture, to whose elegance their greedy
eyes we're oil unaccustomed /; not eOOOgh
that they should impress the horses and
carriages Of citizens, aud drive with bta-
zen faced strumpets through the streets
disgracing alike their rank and their
cause; not enough that they should steal
even the bells Of the city and mutilate
Its churches for trophies Of victory they
never won not enough in short that they
should heap ignominy on . brave, CHI
vAlric and thoroughly submissive people,
and with:cOwardly vengeance odd IN every
possible manner TO their weight of woe.
They do more. These military Ratraps
would control their very hearts, and re-
press their every honest utterance. Fres
speech is not one Of the. liberties Of .
Christian editor, unless it be to besmear
some half developed fool with the vulgar
slime in which be has been wont to wal
low, and u the credit Of journalism. We
are glad it has not been so employed.
The President, the Government and the
press Of the North, talk Of conciliation,
but what conciliatiOn is there in grinding
the heel Of the Oppressor on q fallen foe.
The citizens Of South Carolina, like those
Of every other State in the South, accept
the issues established by the war, and,
whether cheerfully or not, will honestly
abide by them. There is no further dis
position among them to rebel. Their IN.
terests are united with those Of the Union.
But they have questions to discuss, Ia
which is involved their welfare as State.
New thoughts, new relations, new hopes,
new associations have sprung up, and are
lpeEMeating the masses. These want an
Outlet; that outlet is the press, and that
press oughtto be untrammeled by milf.
tary interference or control. tits through
the journals Of the South that tbs mind
of the South is to be educated, but NOS
until men dare to utter their opinions in
frankness and truth can we hope to learn
how far the regeneration process has pro.
creased, and how thoroughly public sen.
timent In that section is prepared to CO.
operate With the vox populi Of theNoPth
The press Of the country owes il to
itself to write down this monstrous usur.
patton Of military power; and President
johnson, II true to himself IS the repre-.
sentative Of the national law, will at once
give such orders as shall teach officers 10
and around Charleston that there is Q
mightier power in the land than that
which they just now use and abuse with
impudent licence. IN. Y. News.