Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-05-10
Military Government and the Northern
Press
THE IRON HEEL.

From the New York World (Democratic.)
If there is one American citizen who car
read the letter of General Pope to Govern
or Jenkins, of Georgia, of General Sickles
to General Clitz, and the warning of Gen.
eral Schofield to the Richmond Times, and
yet not feel his blood boiling in every arte-
~, he is more to be pitied than any citizen
of the PROSTATE, helpless South. 1t is more
degraded to the insensible than to suffer.
Despotism has its logic as we'll as liberty.
Pope, Sickles and Schofield make no false
steps In theirs 1t is not inconsistent with
the military despotism established by the
Reconstruction act of the last Congress
it is in perfect accordance with that parti
san, vindictive and aw-defying enactment
that General Pope uses 1.-The iron heeP' to
convince the Governor of Georgia that he
may not await decision of the Supreme
Court of the United States in a pending
litigation before advising his people what
their duties are on the gravest of all ques-
tons which can concern them it is quite
in accordance, too with that military des
potism established by Rump law that Gen
eral Sickles should with his ''iron heel
desecrate the American flag, the symbol OF
our freedom and orr national pride, by ma
king it O Gesler's Cay for every Charleston
fireman to salute it is the natu-
raj consequence of that particular act of
Congress also, destined never to cease to
be Infamous in our annals, that General
Schofeld should turn his ''iron heel on
the printing presses of Richmond, free
CITY of free men, in free State of free
government of thirty millions OF .freenen.
THE PRESS OF THE SOUTH.
From the New York Herald RADICAL
II is ALWAYS delicate subject to touch
the press or deal arbitrarily with it in
times of peace. 1t is thus not perhaps
quite free from danger for our military
chiefs in the Southern States to interfere
with it. Thus far they have done very well
in the exercise of their new powers. Gen
eral Sickles especially has acted with good
deal of Judgment and wisdom In many re-
spects, although we do not altogether like
his meddling in that flag business. 1t was
rather to small an affair, inasmuch as 1t was
a mere matter of taste. Different people
like different flags in public professions !;
some affect red, some black, some blue,
some notified and some striped. Taste in
banners and standards, like costumes, is of
the medley order. For instance, the Mos
lens on certain occasions carry q horses
tail. Occasionally we find pair of unmen
tionables preferred. A woman's rights
procession might most appropriately adopt
a petticoat for the device on their standard.
Gesler, the tyrant of Switzerland, insisted
upon the people bowling down to his cap
It is always better to leave these things to
shape themselves
General Schofeld, commanding Virginia,
who is very able man, and has good
deal of sense, has, we perceive, got into
collision with the Richmond press. If he
would learn the press to correct the press
he would save himself a vast deal of trouble.
The best and most effective answer to q
foolish or violent article in a newspaper IS
a squib from another paper. 1t is too pal
try a business for a distinguished general
to try to conduct any paper. The more vi
olent a journal is the more certain and spec
dy the reaction. During the war the
Richmond papers were full Of the grossest
abuse of Abraham Lincoln, ''the Yankees"
and so forth. When we got batch of
them we always published the most violent
of their articles, and had good laugh at
them for the next two days. We never got
angry. We took their attacks in the best
of humor. Therefore we advise our mill
tary chieftains in the South-Generals
Sickles, Schofeld, Pope and the rest-not
to NEEDLE with the press. Let the bad
taste of one paper be corrected by the good
taste of another. They will find this much
the best course in the end
Frem the Springfield Mass Republican.
GENERAL POPE AND GOVERNOR JENKINS.
Those who defend General Popes course
towards the Governor of Georgia make the
same mistake with the General himself as
to what constitutes opposition to the recon-
struction acts The Governor has neither
attempted to obstruct the operation of the
acts, nor Threatened to do so. He has ex-
pressed the opinion that the States had
better not reconstruct under them, but wait
till decision is reached as to their consti
nationality, or till popular opinion changes
on the subject at the North. This may be
advice we are quite sure it is, and that
Governor Jenkins makes an unfortunate
mistake in not uniting with the large ma
iority of Southern leaders of opinion in adj
vising the people to improve the opportu-
nifty they now have to secure return to
their normal political condition, and to
representation in Cong ess. But the Gov
ernor does not resist the law, does not in
any proper sense oppose 1t, In advising the
people not to reconstruct. If General
Pope will look carefully over the laws he
will see that the supplementary act author
ICES and provides for the expression of just
such opinions as those held by Gov. Jen-
kins The third section requires that the
registered voters at the same time that
they vote for delegates to a constitutional
convention, shall also vote for or against
holding such a convention, and if major
ity of the voters are against q convention it
will not be held. In that case the present
Joint provisional and military governments
would continue till some subsequent at
tempt at reconstruction, or some addition
al action of Congress. Congress having
thus made reconstruction optional with the
people, to speak or vote against reconstrnc-
ton is not an act of opposition to the law.
General Pope's first demonstration in this
matter, like his grand movement upon the
enemy in Virginia, is false one. If he
shall remove Gov. Jenkins for any such
reason as he has threatended it, he will
have mistaken his duty. He has the I'M
questioned power to do it. There is scarce
~ conceivable act by which he could ex-
coed his powers, but the removal of the
Governor will be grave error of judgment.
Opinion in the South, as elsewhere, must
be left free. We want the South to recon
struct and return to the Union, but we
want it done voluntarily, or at least with
no further compulsion than the law author
ICES.
Thad Stevens. Com fscRffou Doctrine.