The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-06-11
General Grants idea Of Liberty,

Livery republic when mas ever 4Decn c.
tablished, either in ancient or modern tunes,
has been destroyed by some military chief
tain" There is either something in the edu
cation of the regular army which is opposed
to the liberty Of the people, and which in
culcates despotism, or else the personal am.
bition of army leaders leans them in the d.
rection of supreme power, to be granhed at
any and all hazards. With the history of
the past staring us in the face, it is well TO
look at the antecedents of General Grant, so
far as he has antecedents and see what ideas
Of constitutional freedom he possesses. We
have already published his extraordinary or
der, issued while he was general command
ing in the southwest, banishing all "Jews''
from his department because tew Of them,
in his Judgment, had transgressed military
| rules and requirements, No such order,
| affecting a whole class, upon such causes,
was ever before issued except by some i'm
perial despot of Europe or Asia, and BY none
| of them within a recent date. We have now
| another "reminiscences of General Grant,
which is worthy of being published and kept
| as standing matter from now until the cleo
| ton. Here it is
"HE AD-apARrERs ARaTFs UsrrEp STArEs I
WAsHNGroS, February IL, 1866.
You will please send to these headquarters, as
soon practicable, and from time thereafter,
| such copies of newsps pers published in yoHF de
partment as contain sentiments Of disleyalty and
hostility to the government any Of its branch
es, and state whether such paper is habitual in
| its utseranee Of such sentiment. The persistent
| publication of articles calculated TO keep up
hostility of feeling between the people of different
sections of the country cannot be tolerated. The
information is called for with view TO their sup
precision, which. viii be done from these head
CHARTERS only, Z 81 "a -
= SBy order Of Lieutenant- q enefaI & rant
at. s. BOWERS,
Assistant Adjutaant- general"
This order is general in its character. and
applies to the whole press, north as well as
south, being dated Head quarters Armies
United States" ana liable TO be issued to all
departmental commanders.
Mark the above II is issued on no plea
if military necessity. 1t bears date year
after the war closed, and when no danger
| existed to the government in the form OF
armed opposition in the north or SOUTH
Yet, did any man ever read such an order
before an any country protesting to be free
Charles x. an almost absolute monarch, lost
the throne OF France in 1880 because the
Poglinac Ministry issued an order much less
offensive in its character, and encroaching
much lesssupoft the freedom of the press
We ask the public TO read that order of
General Grant again, and reflect upon it.
Reflect upon il in the light Of the constitu-
ton. 1t absolutely and by its very terms
puts the whole press of the country at The
feet of General Grant, and nothing can be
published which. is not satisfactory, 10 him.
Do the people Of this country wat their
press-he beasted sentinels oh the watch
towers of Eberty-reduced to this degrading
pesition Do they consider o man who
would ISSUE such an order, ct to be trusted
in the highest position of the republic?-
What guarantee of freedom can we have
under such man What guarantee that
he will not take an early occasion TO declare
himself dictator of the eouatfy and tosextin-
guish in blood the liberties Of the United
States We may add that this Infamous
order was aeountermanded by President
johnson, one Of the best, if not the very best,
acts of his administration. - Cincinnati
Enquirer.