Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-03-06
RICHMOND, MARCH 8, 1894.

ed as statesman, 10 administer the high f,inc-
tions the chief magistrate of this nation.
Is he calculated, in the Cd place, by the hab-
its Of his mind, the GOODNESS Of hi. temper. the
sedateness of his Judgment, TO supply the place
OF experience and of study, TO select good
ministers, adopt good measures, and TO adj
minister the government according TO the
principles of the constitution and the interests
of the people
Let us judge him by facts. We shall state
them brIefy-leaving the reader to draw his
own conclusions
In Inc first scene, in which this officer APP
peared during the late war with &. Britain, we
lind him disresardng the orders of the Secre-
tary at War:
Under these acts, authorizing the President accept
the services OF 10000 volunteers he addressed the
OF hrs DIVISION and twenty-five hundred focked his
standard Atender Of them having been made, in Novem-
Der he received orders TO descend the mississippi the
ssence fthe lower country which thought
in danger" Rsids Life Of Gen. Jackson p.ie
lie arrived and halted at Natch-z Here jackson was
instructed TO remain until he sboul receive orders
Having chosen healthy site the encampuent Of his
troops, about ten miles from Washington he devoted his
time with the utmost industry, training preparing
them for active service. The cloud. in tina,
quarter having blown he an order from the
secretary Of war; dated the 5h of January directing him.
on the receipt thereof dismiss those under his command
from service and to take delivering over
every article OF public property, in his possession to
jor general Wilkinson"
The situation of his volunteers was al that
time most distressing. There were $50 On
the sick report, SO of whom were unable TO
raise their heads, and almost the whole of
them destitute Of the means Of defraying the
expenses o. the,r return the consequence,
therefore, of a strict compliance with the Sc.
rhlr ottct haze r
the sick would have persisted, whilst most Of
the rest would, from necessity, have been
compelled 10 enlist in the regular army under
general Wilkinson" In this situation. he de-
termlned TO disregard the secreiary's order
The necessities of his troops would have ex-
cused the responsibility whc!4 he assumed
but IT was the manner of the act which con-
stltutes the objection. Had he civilly and res
pectfuy communicated his dsobedience,
with the reasons Of it, TO the war department,
he must have stood fully justified before his
country. But the strict rules of discipline are
not sufficiently understood by gen. J.-Res-
pect to superior officer is among the most
essential rules of an amy
Gle los, time (says biographer) in making known
TO the secretary of The resolution had adopted to
disregard the order lac had given return his army to
The place he had received IT, He painted strong terms
the evils il was calculated produce erpsa the as,
Constituent he fit tat i, should have originated With the IA
MOI" author IF tAe Ns'rbns Lstier the then redoubred
adrOoate for soldiers rights"
However justly Gen. Armstrong might have
deserved The taunt from any other quarter :;
yet he was at thattime Secretary Of War. and
Gen. Jackson's ought to have been the last
hand To inflict such blow
We pass over the earlier scenes that were
exhibited at n. Orleans in December and Jan
nary lSi4-l5. We shall not enter into an
examination of the question, whether martial
law ought tn have been proclaimed, or the Lee
Sisiaii'e oody puf IN ate OF surUeiHdnce.-
These extraordinary measures however harsh.
might have been necrssary-and there are
crises when the safety of the people is the
supreme law."-Bnt why so rigourously main
tain marital law. when this necessity seemed
To vanish The British army had Withdrawn.
. MIR. Livingston had arrv I'd on the 10Th fof
blarch,) from the British feet, whittier he had
gone tn effrct a general cartel through him.
Admiral Cocirane had announced the ar
rival 81 vessel from Jamaica, with news of
peace having been agreed on by the two
co'intr'rs."-1he same intelligence had reach.
90 ~. Orleans from another quarter On the
I'm March, Gen. j. received an express, sent
blythe Postmaster General, bt airing commu-
nIcations from The government, il is under
stood, that the treaty uf peace had been sign
ed the 9th December 1914. Was il not time
then tn close the OdiOus scene Of military
power? Did necessity require that Mr. Lou
aIlier a member of the legislature, should be
arrested and confined? That Mr.. Hall, dis
frict Judge Of the U. S. for issuing a writ Of
iiabeas corpus on application of Mr.. l.. should
himself be seized, dragged to the Generals
camp, detained in close custody, and then
sent beyond the limits Of the encampment,
= until the ratification of peace is regularly an
nOuncPd, or until the British shall have left the
Southern coast 20 That the district attorney.
mr.. Dick who applied tn Judge Lewis for 4
habedS corpus To- Iiberafe Judge Hall, should
h'mseIfbe arrested? And that an order should
ne issued also for the arrest Of Judge Lewis
Were these hiSh-handpd measures rendered
necessary by the circumstances Of the case
or do they not rather besprak that species oil
temper IN Gen. Jackson, which is disposed to
make his owe will the sole rule of his &C
tiOns
Admit, however, that he is right in all these
proceedings, what shall we think Of some snb-
SPguent events in his military career? The
following Is AN extract from a Division Order
OF The General, dated Nashville, Anril 60.
1917:
The commanding general considers due to the prnci
cpes Of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ought and must exist in nm ar
rny 10 prohibit he dobsdiencc If any ordr saanang from
fA' department efDar TO officers cfis dirision who have
reported and beef assigned duty unless coming
MN as the proper organ of communication The object Of
ihs order 10 TO e recurrence of circumstance
which removed an important officer division with.
out the knowledge Of the commanding general and indeed
when be supposed that officer engaged ~ HE du,ie
and anticipated hourly the receipt OF his official epor,s m
subject Of great importance his command also ~ ro
vent the typographical reports being made public
through the medium Of the newspapers, as was done in
the case alluded thereby enabling enemy 10 Obtain
te benefit Of Ill our typographical as soon rs