Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-05-16
Photograph OF the Administration
Press

We subjoin an editorial from The Nashville
Union, which is an admirable photograph of the
administration press generally. There are very
few of them that have any independence what.
ever To men in authority they are fawning and
truculent in the extreme In their recent as
saults on General Sherman they were animated
by a belief that they were thereby addressing
themselves to the favor of President johnson
When he not in position to dispense pat
ronage, they bad hurled at him the most dsmag
inc abuse: but now that he holds in his hands
the immense patronage of the government. they
are on the alert to ascertain his slightest wish
and whoever they consider he desires written
down, with eagerness they undertake to write
down. In this way they seek to win the regard
of the president At this sort of work they are
adopts For four years, with untirng fidelity,
they have INDUCED 10 the yiIliication of the dem
ocratic party and its members. They are skilled
in the work of detraction For the accuracy
with which The Union has photographed them it
is entitled to thanks Here is The Union s
article:
Not yet two months ago, nearly all of the
newspapers of the north were bitter in their de-
nunciations Of the present occupant of the pres-
Dental chair They held him upto the public
gaze as man who had brought disgrace upon
himself and upon the country; and called upon
him to expate his ofense BY abdcating the high
position to which the people had called him and
retire to the shades of obscurity. They did not
stop to inquire into the truth aud justice of the
charges made against Mr.. Johnson; but assum-
ing that they were true, assaulted him with
coarseness and brutality drscreditable to the en-
lightened age in which live He stood I'M
moved in the torrent of calumny that was rained
upon him All the comment he made upon it
was the quiet remark-"I will outliye these
ISLANDERS" Little did he then dream how soon
the voice of the slanderer would be attuned to
notes of eulOgy. The powerless vice president
on the 10Th of April became president-the dis
penser of vast patronage. But one turn of the
kaleidoscope, and how wonderful the change
The dark clouds of the 4th OF March are lifted
disclosing landscape bright, beautiful and in
viting. Nothing more lovely ever thrilled the
heart OF the poet or painter, under the soft skies
of Italy. The unworthy, greatly abused vice
president becomes miracle of craftsmanship
and heroism, and the people are called upon TO
love and revere him.
The experience of Gen. Sherman has been the
same, only. in this csse. the order of events is
reversed. His brilliant generalship, the mighty
and crushing blows he dealt the rebellion. won
him the highest need of admiration Wher-
ever civilization extends he was regarded and
spoken Of as one OF the foremost military chiefs in
the world, patriot true and tried. The press
almost exhausted language IN extolllng him.
But. in an hour when the divine attribute of for
giveness overswayed his mind, he made a mistake
aud altogether harmless as itproved. The press
condemned it. in terms of detractioa aud denim
ciation some of them even casting imputations
upon bis LOYALTY Firesde heroes questioning
the patriotism of Gen. Sherman, a man who, to
gether with bis conrad eand friend Grant. had
plucked the nation from the slough of despair.
and opened to it the path of peace, overgrown
with lsurels and radiant with glorious renownl
Oh shame, where is thy blush.
The var is about closed, aud Sherman NAV
not have another opportunity to win battle over
the public enemy. But he will live down the
ISLANDERS or the press. and all other assailants
Truth is omnipotent and public justice certain +"
We have set forth these instances of the alter
nate truculency aud subserviency OF the pres. 10
condemn them, and TO express the hope that In
future the knights OF the grey goose quill" will
in their dealings with our public men,
TO be fair and just A change of this character
is necessary TO the elevation of the standard of
newspaper reputation.