The Van Buren press., 1877-04-17

CcItdlu DluCCp huu Vii CNACu ttC SVuthAh-
ding ofiicer TO place his force at the dis.
posal Of the civil authorities, in case they
should demand his actual services--a de-
mana which the law authorizes in instan.
ces of necessity Had the occasion for
those services arisen, the militia would
have been under The direction Of the
Sheriff, not Immediately of the Govern
or; aud as, in consequence of the pres.
cnce Of the militia, no such occasion
arose, the militia were simply in camp Of
instruction. Tie calling OUT of the
militia, contemplated by the language of
the Constitution, is Nh entirely different
thing And, as we remarked u few days
since. in regard to another official act Of
the Executive, the proof of tho pudding
is in the eating. Nobody was killed du-
ring that session Of the Court in Scott
County-we refer it to the recollection OF
the Argus whether that was an improve
ment ON other and recent terms. The
men were bivouaced two miles from the
county seat, and never approached it.
No citizen lost an ear Of corn. The cost
which fell not upon the county, but
was divided among the entire State--was
about half the ordinary expense of an
ordinary murder trial. The personal
feud which had brought undeserved dis.
credit on the good citizens Of Scott
County is practically at an end forever
And we venture to say that at this wri-
Ting. there is not All intelligent and
peace loving citizen Of tina. county, who
is not glad in his heart that the militia
were there. At the same time, the un.
explained and expected presence Of
the company at first naturally created
some irritation in the. minds of maa y
people Of Waldron; and this sentiment
found expression in remonstrance, ad
dressed to the Governor, signed in sin
cerity by some, and in insincerity by
others, who had begged for the militia as
an alternative to lynch law In courte.
Gus Difference to the feelings of the peo
pie, the Governor took pains to explain
the necessity for the course adopted and
with the delicacy which gentleman
knows how to use even in the perform
ance of the s.ernest duty, expressed his
regret, not at his own action, but that
the occasion for it should have arisen"-
said that he thought it might have
been erroneously'-that he was " doing
an act in the interest Of tie people of the
county'-and that he had judged it pru
dent-though he probably acted with
out due redection'-to send a portion Of
the grand posse Of the State, not to sup
press insurrectiou or repel invasion, but
to be on hand to answer the call of the
local authoritless, in case in their judg
ment it became necessary to have their
services ..-
Now, II oil those courteous words
plhout the bark on, but none the less
having all the timber of practical action,
constituted an admission "that the
course pursued was indefensible," We do
not understand the use of language. II
we know anything of the temper of the
Governor, or of the brief history Of his
ad ministration. then whenever, wherever,
aud homercr, under the Constitution, the
laws have to be enforced and the public
peace maintained, it will be done And il
gentlemen wish to amuse themselves by
torturing courtesy of language into ad
mission Of bunders," they will prob
ably find ample occasion for the exer
else of their ingenuity.
But for what reason and from what
motive should a journal protesting to
support the Administrations itself make
this particular ktud or - biunacr :" We
are forced to the conclusion that out
friend Col. Wilcox has slight leaning
toward captiousness. But Col. Wilcox
is good Democrat and a patriot; and
il he were going to make war upon tha
party, would do it in high toned, open,
and manly way, and not by insinuating
what he dared not say. We cannot be
understood, therefore, as referring to
him, when we call on professedly Demo
cratic papers to cypress their hostility, il
they have any, to the Administration
and the party, by open assault, and to he
either friends in deed, or foes in name as
well as in heart Otherwise. some peo.
pie will get to believe these radical false.
hoods about some other people. And
then We should be sorry--for the other
people