The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-04-24
WHY Is TT

bier are quite foni of quoting what We saia
in Deoember 1862, in regard TO the necessary
of insisting that the government OF the ohi''
ed States should be administered. under anu
within the constitution-not over, ~, Iney
are entirely welcome to ell the capital they
can make against us or for themselves, IN
that matter. They have garbled and misreP,
resented MS in regard to the article seVerai
times, but have, at last, succeeded In qoo''nS
us correctly. We are quite at loss, however
10 perceiys that we said anything verse OF
the administration than their loyal" leaders
have done. We spoke of its imbicility. The
New York Times, in the summer of 1867,
said:
can imbecile administration has given indisPut-
,h,e nroot of its inability to conduct great war
Even 1rs OWN FRIENDS are constrained 10 CONFESS
ito inn potence, and are meditdting ats DIsPLAcE-
mErr by extra constitutional ana REVOLUTIONARY
rasthods.''
The Times was then and is now the lead
ing sloyap newspaper in the United States.
Have we said anything worse than the above
i'loyaI" quotation Was not that article In
the "loyaP" New York Times, inviting the
dagger of the assassin 2"
We spoke of the corruptions of the admins
tration. The Albany NY. Erening Journal,
about the same time, then and now loyal"
leading organ of the administration. said:
"Adyenturers have found the war a source of pri.
vats gain Moral desperadoes have focked about
the National Capital and lain IN wait for prey
The scum of the land has gathared about the sour
ces of power and prFILED THEM by its reek and
offensive odor."
The Washington correspondent of the Chi
cago Tribune, ''loyap paper, said, about the
same time:
s"The tone ofmorality is considerably lowerhe ere
than it ever has been before. This il admitted on
all hands, and can be proved, or rather needs no
proof. for the air is full of PUBLIC and private
QUILT. The frauds and attempted frauds IN the
treasury, in one channel and another come so last
and from such unexpected quarters that one Is
bewildered in contemplating them. Yet NOBODY
has been brought to Justice and nobody seems to
think it possible that anybody can be brought to
justice.''
Mr.. Dawes, of Massachusetts,. a 'loyaP
member of congress, said:
aThe larcenies practiced under this administra-
ton during the first year of its existence have ex
ceeded the entire expenditures OF James buchan-
ans notoriously profigate and corrupt as II
was.''
And John P. Hale, of New Hampshire, a
"Ioyal"United States senator ,and.now minis
ter to Spain, said, about the same time:
81 declard upon my responsibility as senator,
that the liberties of this country are In greater
danger to -day from the cOrruPti0ns and pr0fHgdcy
practiced in the purious Departments of thh Cor
ernment than they FROM THE ENEMY IN THE
OPEN FIELD
Compared with the utterances of these
leading loyal" men and newspapers our ex-
prsssions were tame indeed. But, in them,
it is ell right and in us all wrong We con-
fess we do not see it in that light.
It may also seem very smart in the
three starred scribblers, and very appropri-
ate to the tines. to quote our opinion OF Jeft
Davis before the par commenced and attempt
to make the public believe that we have held
the same opinion since the war began-but
we fail 70 see the point. If we have not ex-
pressd our adherence of treason or our utter
detestation of JEFF Davis, since he turned trail
tor, in as strong language as anybody else,
it is because we did not know how to put the
words together.
Benedict Arnold and Aaron Burr were
once patriots. But we do not suppose any
decent man would claim that virtue for them
after they became traitors to their country.
The three starred scribbler is informed that
we never charged cowardce upon Gov. Bis
SELL" Dare this anoymousI BLACKBOARD, or his
organ for him, publish the article from the
New York Times to be found in our article of
February 27, 1861, in regard to the Bissell-
Davis affair? We doubt if he or his organ
will have the fairness to do it, for it would
entirely upset their theories.
The three starred man is informed that the
Chicago Journal also published JEFF. Davis
inaugural and so did all the leading repub-
lican papers in the north. Was it more
reasonable for US than for them to do it 2
Does the three starred man suppose any
newspaper approves and endorses all the
news documents it publishes? He has poor
knowledge of the duties of public journal
list, if he does.
said as bad things OF the administration as
its own friends have? We spoke of its imbe-
cility. The New York Times said it was
ian imbecile administration" We spoke Of
its corruptions, and said they must be
checked. Its own friends admitted as cor
ruptions and said our liberties were in more
danger from the corruptions of ITS opn ad
ministration THAN FROM THE ENEMY IN THE
OPEN FIELD We said that the officers of the
government should be required to administer
ii under the constitution, or give place to
those who would. The New York Times did