The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-08-03
A Diseraceful and Humili.ting scsne.

Yesterday we made reference to G"1 90
Sheridan's vulgar pomposity in mho 81.
leans. From the..same gentlera,'n. ~. VIZ gave
ms information on the suliec's .nereih re-
iatad we Harmed of the following disgrace
s.s hnn,;l;ot;ng scene; scene which
-, ,',annd .bS pride and mortify the spirit
MS" So, 4 r.erican citizen who has any re-
" 80 81 republican institutions and civil
ibersy.
Our informant states that he was one day,
but short time since, summoned to attend
one of the civil courts in the city as wit
ness and while upon the stand, giving in
his testimony, he observed a Lieutenant, with
a file of soldiers, enter the courtroom the
soldiers being armed with guns, and the
Lieutenant with his sword drawn. Without
ceremony or hesitation, they marched up to
the Judges bench, and the Lieutenant deliv-
cred to the Judge, citizen of great worth
and high character, paper writing, which
the judge opened and silently perused. As
he did so, our informant says he saw the
which indicated that he was laboring under
deep emotion. In few minutes, after the
Judge had apparently finished the perusal of
the paper, he stepped from the bench and
entered into an animated conversation in an
under tone, with several members of the bar
whereupon the Lieutenant, without ceremony,
leave or license, walked into the Judges
stand, and, in a loud and peremptory voice,
dismissed the court ordering all to leave.
As matter of course, there was much ex-
element at such an outrage, and a great
deal of honest Indignation, though there was
no manifestation of violence, other than that
| used by the Lieutenant and his cohort of
soldiers. 1t was practical illustration OF
| the congressional plan of reconstruction,
| which makes the military superior to the
civil power.
The paper writing handed to the Judge,
| proved to be military "order," from ..these
headquarters,n commanding the Judge to
appear before his royal highness, Philip the
First Vice-Royal of the radical party, and
future Duke of Louisiana, there to answer
| for something, we know not what-quite
likely for his presumption in daring to ex
ercise the functions of civil magistrate
without leave FIRST had and obtained.
There was time in the history o
thisc ountry, and that but few
years agone, when such piece of wantol
| outrage, such practical exhibition of des
potic authority, would have aroused the in
dignation of the whole American people
and nothing less than the speedy, effectua
and condign punishment of the audacious
offender would have satisfied the public sens,
of Justice. A bare suspicion that such &
criminal would be allowed to escape without
feeling the full weight of the justice he hat
outraged, would have convulsed this country
from centre to circumference. But that wa
time when each man "knew his rights, ant
knowing, dare maintain" That was before
the country fell into the cluehes of radical
| ,xh.nb hot -, Loo 81
pathway of progress"
As will be seen by the following late tele
grams, the scene related above is not unus
ual; it illustrates the rule, not the exception
All is fully confirmed by our dispatche
which we have reproduced, and which bea
date from New 7 ork, 22d:
| Gen. Schofeld has called upon the Recorder O
the Hastings Court at Richmond for explana
nation of the proceedings in his court, which wer
| clearly of o. haracter partial to confederates.
1 And here follows another oflike import:
General Braxton Bragg, Superintendent of the
4 water Works, charged General Sheridan's mp
| pointees jim the street Commission with a waste o
water in cleaning the streets, and threatens pros
| ecution. The Commission replies, no more waite
| is used than necessary and retorts that prosccu
ton may be followed by substitute of officer
/ for the Water Works Company.
In the following instance Justice drop
her scales and fees from her own temple a
the behest ola military lordling:
The list of jurors for the July term of the Ma,
II tin County Court, North Carolina, was challenge
Il by one of the lawyers for not being in conformit
II with Gen. Sickles' code. The whole jury list wa
81 abolished in consequence, and the Court ad jourr
ed over to the next term.
What right have people 10 register or
vote, without first obtaining leave of the ''littl
Caesar" who struts in shoulder-straps an
rides in a carriage drawn by six horses, wit
white plumes in their heads? In the sam
batch of dispatches is the following. e. .
| ga New Orleans special says General Sherida
n has issued an order closing registration on tn
a 3lst of July"
\ These men govern by "orders," not b
r laws. Is it worth while to talk about GOV
eminent, constitution, liberty or law, Will
3 q civilized people are thus treated, in a pa,
OF the country within the Jurisdiction of tn
United States? Is this what is meant b
e Reconstruction" II these are not traitors,
I they do not deserve the doom oftraitors, the
has Justice no vocabulary to define til
crime of treason.--St. Louis Republican.
l E-e+ = 4 1 .=s -