Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1871-11-28
GOV. PALMER.
wa. Course Endorsed by Horace
Greeley.

have almost unanimously condemned Gov $
Palmer for rebuking Phil .ShsridSn's usur-
pations a. Chicago. We commend to their
a attention the following article extracted !
from the New York Tribune Of Nov. 20;
GOV. Palmer, of Illinois, is q lAwysr, .
soldier. and a politician. lie 10 an excellent
LAWYER he was a soldier OF such merit that
he rose from the ranks to the command OF
an army aud department. Bat II is the
custom Of western men aud western papers
to say that he Is bad politician. Ii this
Is true, IL is the fault OF politics, and not
his II means that be never will sign u bal I
with q Job in It by means Of which inhG-
ential party friends are to profit. de never
uses his appointing power for his own Ad-
vantage. He will NOS swervs one HAIRS
breadth from what he holds to be the law
to save his ow1 popularity, or his party
majority. lie 10 30 good lawyer that he
rarely M axes . mistake IN the law. lie Il
20 honest . man shas he never goes false 10 |
his convictions. For these sufficient reasons
The practical politicians agree that his
public career 10 ended with his present term.
II the practical men are TO continue TO
have their it their own way in the future, rs
they have too much in the past, this may be
true.
4 Just now they seem sure that the govern
or has made q grave mistake ia urging the
indictment Of the mayor Of Chicago, OF Gen.
Sheridan, and Of Gen. +. 2. Sherman, for
the shooting Of Col Grosvsnor, and subse-
quently 10 laying before the Legislature the
consideration Which moved him to this &c
ton His message has melted il Chicago
q storm Of denunc.Ation Siugularly az vATI
A7ce with the calm and temperate tone 10
which IL IL eouched. lie meets the usuAl
fate Of men who keep their wits about them
in times OF general excitement and tumulI
and who presume 10 recall TO their fellow
citizens the memory Of their mistakes and
iollieB.
IL appears from the governors message
that on the llth day OF October Gen. SheTI-
dan, under authority which be claims &c
have received from the mayor OF the city
issued Gen. Frank T. sherman an order I,
organize Q regiment Of Infantry 10 sery,
as guards forthe projection Of the remRiniu.
portion Of the city Of Chicago for the period
Of 20 days This regiment consisted ~
part Of companies Of state militia aud o
recruits enlisted Under Gen. SheridAn's gu
thority. Among them was company o
boys from the Chicago university under th,
command Of Capt. Colston. They took III
unusual oath Of allegiance and obeeisBce
To use Gov. Palmer's words.
Supported by this force, Lieut.. Gen
sheridan proceeded TO establish mililAr,
rule throughout the city. His guards Wer,
established aud his sentinels posted on tn
public streets, with orders from him, or from
some Of his subordi yates, to arrest eitzen
who might, in tue judgment Of sach guard
aud ssntines, he suspicious persons and t,
FIRE upon and wound any person who shoGl,
refuse TO obey their commands; and on,
citizen Of the city, who was quietly pAssIn,
along one ofstreets, was ordered by a senti
mel to halt, and, upon his refusing to obey
was shot and MORALLY wounded"
Theodore n. Treat, boy Of g, a studen
ia the university, hailed aud shot, on III,
night Of the 2Oih of October, Col. Thomas
". Grosvsuor, a prominent citizen, who
was passing the sentry on bis way home
This fatal accident seemed to arouse The
public sentiment which had been Rpatheu
cAlly conseuiing to he substitution Of mill
tagy for civil authority, and the state o
siege was terminated two days later. Gov
Palmer contends that this force Q
without legal authority tia. it hRdno RICH
to perform any military functions whatever
and that in iuhicting death, even in pursu
snce Of pretended duty, i:s officers rem
dsrcd themselves liable to an Indictment
for murder. After full deliberAiion, Gov
Palmer took the responsibility of formal y
advising the attorney geaernl Of the state
end district attorney, Of their duty in the
AL al ssl
these troops is shown IN the report Of Gen.
Sheridan to the war department. [ ndsr
date Of Oct 25, be says: 1T is proper to
mention that these volunteers were not
taken into the service Of the United States
They we're certainly never taken into the
service OF the State of Illinois, and car
therefore only be regarded in the light Of
an irregular police force, raised by Gen
Sheridan, under color OF an authority from
the mayer, which he had no right either tC
assume or to delegate.
IL is asserted BY some Of Gov PAlmer's
excited critics in Chicago that he himself
had recognized this usurped authority. But
the Governors message dIsposes OF this Hs'
sertiou. Up to the 18th Of October be wa
under the impression that Gen. Sheridan
wa acting 10 strict subordinaton 20 the
civil authorities, and as soon rs be learned
that the mayor had practically aodieateC
and given up the government oil the CIT,
Into the hands Of Gen. Sheridan, ne wroi
him letter censaring his course IN the Sc
verest terms, aud expressing the nope ina
be would at once resume his legel AuIhor
ity. The mayor answered, in tone rattle
Of petulADce than dignity, that he had O.
ready decided 20 dispense with military al
in day or two. He states also, IN Ian
Ruage which shows his entire unconscious
ness Of any such thing 81 constitutions
law, ~ do not believe, when the lives an
property Of the people-the peace and o.
der Of a large city-Rre IN danger, that 1t
the time to stop snd consider any question
Of policy" which is precisely the sentimer
which, IL generally entertained, woui
make free government impossible upon th
earth.
Good intentions cannot excuse violation
Of law The surrender Of municipal author
ty into the hands of soldiers is an act {
desperation. Nothing can justify It, noti
ing can ever excuse it but an overpowei
ing necessity which deprives al civil maj
istrAtes Of their free will. II does not 81
pear that q, any time there was such
necessity existing in Chicago. On the II
of October, at the hour when Gel
Sheridan was giving the order for rsisiu
the irregular and unauthorized regimen
from whose ranks came the fatal shot, Il
adiutAnt general Of the State was in Chioi
20, with over 500 disciplined men OF II
State militia, under skilful and trustworth
officers. Il is true there was good de-
Of Wild talk Of disorder and crime, of vi
lsnce and iucendiArism. Bot Gen. Sher
dan himself has horne full and manly test
mopy 10 the fAlsiiy Of the stories. tt Ell
was no such emergency Is required thI
dangerous precedent TO be set, Of weak
yielding the charge Of the public peace
the military arm.
As the grand jury Of Cook County hav
refused to indict anyone on account Of d
death Of Col. Grosvenor, it may be sal
that this il now barren discussion. Bot