The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-11

his Indictment against people whose pa
tience under oppression, whose calm and
untiriug appeals to justice and to law enti-
tie them to honorable memory always from
all Americans. Self-government has sell
dom been more fully vindicated than by
these people to whom it has been SO long
denied.
Il is against these people that General
Sheridan draws his Indictment. And what
an indictment it is He does not specify
acts of violence, for there are none to spec
fy. He does not instance even seditious
words, for none have been uttered. He
arraigns the state OF feeling OF whole
community of men. II have to announce
ITO you the existence In this state of spir-
1T of defiance" Ifsuch spirit existed,
it would be proof that the people whom i
animated were outrageously oppressed.
Outrageously oppressed they have been !;
but he is unable to adduce an instance IN
which they have turned upon their oppres-
sors. What he does is to lend the weight
of his Office and his name, in the interests
of Kellogg, and OF Casey. and OF Grant, To
a wanton and indiscriminate Islander upon
the people OF Louisiana. To man of the
military training aud military habits of
Sheridan. it is not wonderful that the con
stitutional opposition Of an oppressed peo-
pie should appear like mutiny, nor that
his remedy tor civil disorders should be q
Piegan massacre.
Ii we are forced to say this of him in
order not to extenuate but to account for
the self-eyident falsehond to which he has
put his name, what shall we say of Grant
10 hun. also, opposition is insubordina-
ton, and the demand of people for theil
rights is mutiny. But this is not alone
with him the result of military training,
bnt of nature selfish, surdid, and greedy.
10 him the presidency is neither trust T..
be exercised according to law nor pou sta
from which he can attain. even by tran
sccnding the powers of his office, public
ends which he cherishes. but simply an
opportunity to. trade on. We appeal t.
his whole public course, and to the con.
seriousness of every man who knows him.
if this is not the case. He grasps at pow.
er in order to get money he usurps for
the sake OF cheating, and he denies the
rights of Americans to the people of !4oui
siana in order that he may enrich his kins'
men and his dependents So formidable
an assault ON civil liberty by SO petty a
man 1ON 81 u1Cou - nlOSAtO WdS bSNOl 0CCu
in the world before.
Such and so mean as it is in its motive,
however, this usurpation is transcendent in
its Importance. All party differences
ought to be merged before it. We con
iess that we are astonished to find senator.
of the United States, of any party, so los
to the jealousy which American freemer
feel for their birthright as to attempt {
.ondonation of this great crime. This i,
what Morton and Howe and Edmunds ane
Conkling were not ashamed to do yester
day. Let it be remembered against then
forever, not by Democrats nor by Repub
licans as such. but by all Americans, tina
ethey have made themselves partakers o
what we are forced to call the intamy o
the president of the United States in con
verting state Of this Union, represente,
in their own body, into satrapy, ant
erecting military government, with al
alien adventurer for its civic fgurehead
upon the ruins Of Louisiana. Y World
1