Year: 1863

HEkDouARrERs DlsrRIor OF ISDrASA.)


DEPARTMENT OF TBE ONO,


INDIANAPOLIS. May IL, 1863.
Z. Van Long. Esq, Ed. Warsaw Union:


! have received a copy of your paper of the
9Th inst. in which you boldly proclaim your in
tention to violate Order No g. Nv object in ad
dressing you is to give you fair warning. and TO
give you an opportunity to retract the objection
able matter in your paper OF the 9Th. A failure
to attend promptly to this admonition will not be


i am, sir, yours very truly,


MmoS HAscALL


Brig Gen. Vols. Com'd'g Dist


The above letter was received last week, too
late to do more than say that we could retract
nothing that had previously appeared in our col
umns. We feel that il is our duty to lay Gen
Hascall's letter before our readers that they may
understand the position of affairs under the new
regime of Indiana. The letter does not point
out the alleged Objectionable matter" Il
would, therefore, be impossible to retract IL we
were disposed to do so. We say, as we have
heretofore said, that % far as Order No. seeks
to prevent the people from criticizing the policy
of the Administration t is Illegal and of no force
or effect whatever, contravening as it does the
fundamental law of the State and of the United
States "The right to crticse the act of our pub
lie servants is undenable the right to breathe





by his order. has the right to prevent criticism in
public speech, he has the right to prevent il in
private conversation, which would be an exercise
of arbitrary power that would not be tolerated by
a free people. The Constitution of this State
provides that the military shall be subservient to
the civil power. Section 80 is as follows:


The military shall be kept in strict snbordina-
ton to the civil power"


If Order No 9 is to be carried out according



it places the liberty of speech, of the press, and
of the person at his mercy. and renders the civil
power subservient to the military. in direct viola
ton of the above provision. There is
no rebellion or sympathy with it in In
diana. The civil law is ample for a
redress of grievances, and will preserve peace
and harmony throughout the State There can
be no possible reason for thus int rfering with the
undoubted right OF the citizen except the deter
mination OF the Administration to maintain its
power by army means, necessary to effect that
end. Ifthe force that has been placed at the dis
p6sal of Gen. Hascall to enforce this order were
placed in the field to operate against the enemies
OF the country, IL would be more in accordance
with good sense. and wonld certainly rebound
very much TO the credit OF the powers that be
We hope to see the press of the State assume that
high position which the timesdemand Veal owe
allegiance to the Constitution and the laws made
in pursuance thereof; ALWAYS have and always
will obey theui, uphold aud maintain them as the
anchor Of our hopes. But military DEGREES pro-
mulgated in States wherein the Inhabitants are
truly loyal, are calculated To rritate the people
and to trample under foot the priceless principles
of constitutional liberty. So long as we have
control of this paper-so long as we have guaran
lied to US the liberty of speech-we will, to the
extent of our humble ability, and at every per-
sonal sacrifice maintain the inalienable rights of
the people against all encroachments And we
ask of the people peaceably, quietly, and in a
constitutional and legal way. to rebuke all eff
forts to strike down the freedom of speech and
the liberty of the press Warsaw Union.