It has always been the objective of tyrannical regimes to silence the opposition.

The following order was issued to Union General Dix dated May 18th, 1864,”You will take possession by military force of the printing establishments of the New York World and Journal of Commerce… and prohibit any further publication thereof… you are therefore commanded forthwith to arrest and imprison … the editors, proprietors and publishers of the aforesaid newspapers.”

What was the Lincoln administration trying to hide, why were over three hundred newspapers in the North forcibly closed during the war? Why were there thousands of political prisoners in Northern jails? This is what one would expect to see from a despotic government and that’s exactly what it was.