The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-03-14
VOL. II.

4 - Inc IetteF ~ deu0th TOp6 70 d0S
ernor Fletcher in reference to tho dutis
Of the citizens Of Missouri, is timely. an'
Tits suggestions would, il adopted aad acs
ed upon, relieve Missouri Of the difieul
ties under which che now labors an,
woald give her that stable civil admin
ssration SO imperatively necessary 70 be
future prosperity.
I Military administration is abnormal
necessary in times of public danger ol
commotion to prevent anarchy or success
ful revolution always but undesirable and
dangerous to liberty. A free govern
ment must be essentially government Of
law. and the popular will which .e
govern must bo legitimatoly expressed,
legitimately exercised, and without fac.
tious opposition, submitted to.
Military administration has been the
ally of freedom and the safe guard Of th1
people Of Missouri since the rebellion
broke ont. With her officials in the inter.
ests of Treason, the numerous friends oil
secession throughout the State, cnthusi-
astic. defiant and aggressive, early made
the thester Of offensive military operations
on the part Of the rebels, with the para.
lysis of slavery upon her, the strong
arm of the military saved her from be-
coming the prey Of her enemies and gave
TO the lives and property Of her people a
security. the civil authorities were pow :
erless to render. Under this prolonged
supremacy Of martial law, the wonder
is, as Gen. Pope remarks, not that there
have been instances of fmal-adminis!rAtio
not that this arbitrary power so widely
distributed and vesting 10 SO many differ.
ent officers, has been occasionally lily and
oppressively used, but that the instances
have not been more frequent and the acts
of injustice more flagrant.
The few instances of mal.administation
which have come to Gen. Pope's knowl-
edge aud..are by him recited, show the
evils of military administration, and how
far frequently it will overleap its legiti-
mate boundary Of powers. Such are the
examples given Of Provost Marsha Is seiz-
ing and selling property, themselves being
Judges of law and fact, and Of interference
in the mere civil and social relations and
contracts of parties.
Salus populi supreme lee. While
treason, armed and rampant, de6ed law
scorned justice, trampled under foot pub
lie duties and private right, and with re-.
volver and bayones established reign d
terror in Missouri, then public safety
became the paramount Law and martipl
law became the necessary corrective aud
preventive Of popular ills. Until our sis
ter State had loyal officials and territory
cleaned of rebel soldiery, the array D!
Provost Marshals was indispensable for
her safety. Now, with loyal executive
end State administration, with an over.
whelming Union and radical majority,
with slavery abolished BY the action 81
her citizens, with the forces of hei
invaders expelled from ber soil and
hopelessly disorsapized. tits time for Mi.
souri, to put into effective operation the
machinery Of the civil administration 10
punish criminals By law, free herself By
her own action from guerrillas and terror.
lists, and by efficient self government 10
permit the transfer elsewhere of the troops
now needlessly kept in that State.
We quote the concluding paragraphs Of
this considerate and statesma ulike letter
of Gen. Pope:
"If Missouri, >, without an armed enemy
within her borders, with a loyal State
executive and civil officers, with 40 enor-
nous msjority Of loyal citizens, aud with
all the aid the General Government il
now giving her, cannot resume her civil
! functions and execute her laws in other
words, conduct her local administration
what can be hoped for the States further
South, which do not possess the same ad
vantagcs?
The example Of Missouri, then, is Of
the last Importance in re-establishing the
| Union.
II she fails even to attempt to admins.
Ter her State Government, With large
force OF United States troops to aid her,
it would seem almost hopeless to make the
experiment elewhere. Missouri success
full, and the problem of re-establishinp
civil government in tho States farthsl
South. 10 far advanced towards ISOLATION
Only earnestness and reselntion are re-
quired. Can these qualities Be- wanting
in the people Of Missouri? Your State
Convea,ion has smancipated The negsoss
great work well and bravely done. Can.
not the people Of Missouri now enamel
yste thsmselves? Can they notfsec them
selEes from the necessity Of nartial law
Can they not Yesume the performsncA d