The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-04-08
For the Rock Island Argus.
A BRIEF REFERENCE TO The
"REIGN OF TERROR"
Crimes Committed in the Name Of
"Public Justice
Disregard Of the Constitution and Laws, by
the Peoples Servants.

"The sympathies of the great popular
heart" for the political principles of Jefer
son is, if publicly expressed or even implied
by silence" punishable by Punishment OR
incarceration in military bastiles, under the
revised code of criminal Jurisprudence.
President Lincoln, in his "reply" to the
New Fork Albany committee in 1863, thus
defined and defended the new code of Grim
inal law, under which Messrs. Bowles, Mill
gan and Horsey were condemned to be
hanged. He says: 1c-s
-s,rhe man who stands by and says nothing when
the peril of his government is discussed cannot be
misunderstood. If not hindered he is sure to help
the enemy; much more if he talks ambiguously
talks for his country with butts and ifs,' and
lands
The committee, in its .rejoinder to this
''reply," says: t.t
"Silence itself is punishable according to this
theory. We think that men may be rightfuily al
lent if they choose and to butts and ifs and
ands,'-these are Anglo-Saxon words belonging
to the vocabulary of freemen = Your
doctrine denies the freedom of speech and of the
press. It inyades the sacred domain of opinion
and discussion. 1t denounees the ifs and butts
of the English language, and even the refuge of
silence is insecure"
The innumerable precedents, for the first
time, laid down in our history by President
johnson. He has suppressed public journ-
ais and continued Mr.. Lincoln's system of
arbitrary arrests, and that, too, after the con-
clusion of the war.
The case of Mr.. Etheridge Ia Union man
compared with that of other southern men
basking in the sunshine of executive favor
exhibits in bold relief the power of the exc
cutive department to sustain its power 'botf
by indulgencies and seventies, as the one o.
the other may best serve its purposes" Mr.
Etheridge offended President johnson b,
publicly reading his resolution offered in tn
United States senate on the 18th of Decen
Der, 1860, and by quoting Mr.. Johnson
pledge made on that occasion, ITO burn e'
ery blade of grass, to perish IN the las
breach, and to make his grave in the las
eutrenchment of rebel freedom" Henc
his arrest On the one hand President JOIN
son prohibited the probate Judge of Mobi
county from exercising the duties of the o
flee to which the people had unanimous
elected him and, ON the other, he appoints
provisional governors for the seeded state
and determined the qualifications of electo
for the members of the several state conve
tions, which ne instructed his provision
governors to convene. President johnst
even dictated terms to the seeded states
Gen. Dix, chairman of the Philadelphia co
vention, said:
s.The President called on the confederate sta,
to accept conditions for their admission to the e
ercse of their legitimate functions as members
the Union. The ratification of the amendment
the constitution abolishing slavery and repud
ton of all debts contracted to overthrow the &c
ernment were these conditions"
Now, If, as President Johnson sometinl
admits, the seeded states were out of t
Union, or if, as think, they were conquer
provinces de fdcto but not de jure, then t
President by the above named acts could
be called usurper. He was the commal
.er-in-chief of the conquering government
Washington, and in this capacity he had
the rights of a conqueror, in the recess
congress, to dictate the sort of governmt
which, in his judgment, was absolutely
cessary to preserve order in the subjugat
states. On the other hand, if, as Preside
johnson generally contends, the sece6
states were still de .tacto members of .
Union,s.th all the above named acts, a
others not enumerated, are, in the words
Mr.. Madison, as "plain, palpable and d
gerous usurpations of undelegated power
those of President Lincoln. They have be
perpetrated, too, in times of peace, with
the plea of military necessity"
1t would have been better for the fut
IstHe VI L TSSIueHb JOuuSoA uuu tuCoc d
been his most culpable ones. In an uni
tunate moment he issued the following
der: @ -
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
WAsHlseroN CrY, May l, lSt
WHEREAS, The attorney general Of the Uni
State has given his opinion that the persons,
pIicated in the murder Of the late President I
cold are subject to the ju
diction of and legally triable before :. Nmiiit
commission" it is ordered: Z
lst That the assistant adjutant general de
nine competent military officers to serve as q 3,
mission for the trial of said parties, and
the judge advocate general proceed to DE-
charges against 60 "A NJ rf;cs fnr thar oll.,aa