The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-04-20
Politics I'm Illinois.

The course of Messrs. Trumbull and
Yates, in the United States senate, of
Messrs. Moulton, Wentworth, Fsrnsworth,
Washburne, Ingersoll, Cook, Bromwell, Gull
lum, Baker, and others in the house, of Gov
ernor Oslesby and the members of the state
administration, and Of the republican press
OF Illinois, indicates that the most thorough
or earnest" radicalism is the watohword OF
the leaders of the party now arrayed against
the restoration of the Union. Time was when
the republican spokesman telt greatly aggriev.
ed 1t any extreme purposes were charged up.
on their organization. They professed to hold
in adherence the sentiments expressed by
the Garrisons. Phillipsss, Tiltons and other
abolition orators, and stimatized as base SLAM
dsrsrs all who accused them of sympathizing
with the views of these mischief M ak ers' and
wild theorists" When the war broke out,
and long afterwards, they invited their for.
mer political opponents to GO operate with
them, declaring that they had ''sunk the par
tisan in the patriot" and bad no other pur-
pose than to preserve the integrity of the
country, north and south, and to maintain the
authority of the government. We predicted
they would prove false alike to their profes
sions and pledges, and have not, therefore
been disappointed.
Illinois has been regarded as a conservative
state. We believe q large majority of the
people are conservative. Yet the men who
have been elevated to Office there have follow
ed, with soms hesitation, it is true, but with
essential fidelity, the lead of the most fanat.
zeal and ultra of the radicals. The record OF
Mr.. Trumbull is the theme of praise on the
lips of the extreme men of the Sumner school
and we cannot wonder that meeting exclu-
sively of negroes in Chicago, two or three ev-
enings ago, voted to procure for him a sub
stantial recognition of his services. He was
once considered moderate in politics but has
been drawn on until he vies with the most
advanced" of his party. With him this is
not the result OF partisan passion. Trumbull
is cold, calculating man, utterly selfish, and
a stranger to impulse. He is jealous only in
looking out for number one." He has no
personal popularity, and, indeed, possesses
none of the traits that secure friendly attach
ment. He thought it necessary, therefore,
seeing the manifest tendencies of his party
to 60 in advance of the machine, rather than
be run over by it, and has been acting upon
this decision for some time. BY his talents
for plausible argument, and his position as
chairman of the judiciary committee of the
senate, he has managed to keep himself pref
ty prominently before the country aud we re-
gard him as one of the most dangerous legis-
lators in congress. Mr.. Yates is, perhaps, less
d-blooded than his colleague, but, actin z
more from enthusiasm, Is less guarded, and
appears even more radical, If possible, than
Mr., Trumbull. In the lower house, the re-
publican representatives from Illinois, tho
making little mark in that body, and scarcely
undertaking to guide its action first acquieso-
ing in and then asserting to the ultra policy
of Stevens and the New England destructives,
have placed themselves in complete hostility
to the president. opposing the restoration of
the Union and fayoring the whole batch OF
measures for negro suffrage and social equal
lty.
The republican newspapers of Illinois. next
to the radical organs of Missouri, are the Bit
teress in the country in making war upon
President johnson and his measures of peace
and unity. The Chicago Tribune has de-
manded the impeachment of our patriotic
chief magistrate. 1t is constantly assaliing
those conservative epubiicans, like Cowan
and Doolittie, who sustain him. 1t is the ad
vocate of the most fendish revenge upon the
people of the south, who were dragged into
rebellion BY the original secessionists, and of
every device to humiliate them before the
country and the world. In most OF this work,
the Tribune has an adjunct in the Chicago
Republican, edited by man of whom 1t is sut-
fcient to say that be possesses the perfect
commence OF Edwin M. SsRnbUU, III WnUSc
Office he was once assistant secretary. The
Springfield Journal, the organ of Gov. Ogles-
by another one of these radical newspapers
in Illinois, in fine accord with those we have
namsd, and we mi ght mention many others
of an Identical character.
These senators, Representatives, state oth
GERS and newspapers OF the republican party
in Illinois cannot be laboriDg as they are to
defeat the policy of President johnson with.
out hoping to force the people of that state
with them. They are preparing for the No
vember election for the Legislature and men,
bers of congress. But will the people follow
them. and carry out their plans Are they
not satisfied with Andrew johnson and with
his views as expressed in his various messag
es and addresses? Do they indorse the ne
gro equality record of congress and its obstruc-
tion of the restoration of .she southern states
to the Union? Are they for transplanting
the fanaticism of Massachusetts, and Vermont
to the soil of Illinois? Do they forbid the
south from representation until the blacks of
that section have been granted the privilege
of becoming voters and Office holders, while
they themselves deny this to negroes in their
own borders Will they consent to our fair
system of republican government being
changed to centralized despotism2 We
very much mistake the temper of the people
of Illinois if they do not signally rebuke rad
ioalism and condemn its champions. They
will be heard from next fsll.-St. Louis Re.
publican.