Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-20
HOW a sArRAP GAnnoTEs rms

II. II is Tut huN1 VI NhE Initial au-
thorities in this district to secure TO the
people the utmost freedom Of speech and
Of the press consistent with Law not to re-
strict either. No satisfactory execution of
the late acts of Congress is practicable I'M
less this freedom is secured and its exercise
protected by the usual legal means.
III. No officer or soldier in this COM
mand will hereafter interfere with news
papers or speakers on any pretense what
ever.
This action of Gen. Pope was COM
mended by quite number ofpapers who
believed he was sincere in holding up for
the freedom of the press What must
have been the feeling of his panegyrists
when they read his order issued on the
18th inst, from which the following para
graphs are quoted 2
/. The Commanding General has be-
come satisfied that the civil officers of this
military district are only observing his or
der prohibiting them from using any in
huence to deter or dissuade the people
from reconstructing their State govern
ments under the recent acts of Congress"
so far az their own personal conversation
is concerned, and are, at the same time by
their official patronage, supporting and
encouraging newspapers which are, al
most without exception, opposing recon-
struction and obstructing and embarras-
sing civil officers appointed by the mill
tary authorities in this district in the per-
Torrance of their duties by denunciations
and threats of future penalties for their Of
fetal acts
ii. Such use Of the patronage of their
offices is simply an evasion (perhaps unin-
tentional) of the general order above re-
ferred to- and is in fact, an employment
of the machinery of the provisional State
governments to defeat the execution of the
reconstruction acts.
III. 1t is therefore ordered, That all adj
vertisements or other official publications
heretofore, or to be hereafter provided for
by State or municipal laws or ordinances,
be given by the proper civil officers whose
duty it is to cause such publications to be
made, to such newspapers and such only
as have not opposed and do not oppose re-
construction under the acts of Congress,
nor attempt to obstruct in any manner, the
civil officers appointed by the military all
thorities in this district, il the discharge of
their duty by threats of violence or prose
cution or other penalty as soon as the
military protection is Withdrawn, for acts
performed in their official capacity.
Here are two orders relating to the
press, issued in but little over two months
of each other, which are as inconsistent
as they well could be. But they clearly
show the despotic character Of the man.
While he processes great regard for the
freedom of the press when a Radical
sheet feels the force of military rule, he
lays all this aside when he can deliver a
blow at the Conservative press. He pro-
fessed great regard for the rights of the
citizens when he assumed the duties of
commander of the third military district,
but was only fairly seated in his new
Office of Governor of three provinces,
when he commenced system Of petty
tyranny that would have suited only a
Mexican. His first interference with the
freedom of speech, was in denying to
Gov Jenkins and other civil officers of
Georgia the right to discuss and oppose,
and advise others to oppose the military
law, under a threat of be-
ing deposed "and held accountable in
such other manner as the nature of the
case demands" And now he has capped
this infamous order with that leveled at
the freedom Of the press, notwithstand>
ing he had declared but little more than
two months ago that no satisfactory ex-
ecuti0n of the late acts of Congress is
unless" the utmost free-
dom of speech and the press" is se-
cured, and its exercise protected by the
usual legal means" This petty tyrant
should be kicked ont of civilized society
and sent to deql with the Indians, as
President Lincoln did with him year or
TWO before his death.
The Savannah Republican, one of the
four Radical papers published in Geor-
sia, enters manly protest against this
effort to silence the press of that State
It is creditable that there is one Radical
paper in the South possessing sufficient
to denounce in fitting terms
his order prohibiting free political dis
,ussion The Republican says
We are greatly astonished at the general
enor of the order, conflicting as it does
10 strongly with the order published short
ime ago in regard to the freedom of the
press, In which General Pope took a lofty
md liberal ground, condemning the action
If one of his subordinates at Mobile who |
exercised his tyranny over a weekly Re-
publican journal Issued in that city, in the |
trongest terms, and denounced the exer-
isiHg of any restraint over the press or
my Interference with its constitutional |
lights. With the recollection of the pre- |
yious mandate ringing in our ears-an act,
90, that received, as it Justly deserved the |
encomiums from the press of the
South, East and West, ir-
respective of party feelings-this last order
s at least open to the charge Of inconsis-
ency, for it contradicts, or sets aside, in
he plainest terms, all that has been pro-
Stained from headquarters on this subject.
Jandor compels us to say that we regret
he appearance of this order, and for what
appears to us the best of reasons. We
,annot but regard it as a step backward in
he great work of reconstruction. There
are great many valid objections to the
of such orders as this, which
men of all parties, be they
Radicals or Secessionists, Republicans or
may justly entertain with
1ut exposing themselves to the serious
charge Of obstructing or retarding the re-
measures of Congress.
We dislike the order because it breathes
strongly of that intolerant spirit which
several of the rahid journals North and
South are still foolishly revealing towards
all who conscientiously differ with them on
certain political questions. Attempt to
conceal it who may, it is emphatically
with the press, and a direct in
reference with their legitimate business,
ia our honest judgement, not sanctioned by
pure Justice, nor warranted by circum-
stances. Ii will be viewed by many people