Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-08-14
Gbe Tailp Spp,'
MONDAY, AUGUST IA, 1854.
MIIIrARY.-His ExcellenCy, Emory WASH

M1L1rARY.-His Excelency, Emory WASH
burn. Governor of this Commonwealth, and
Commander-in- Chief of the troops thereof, is
sued general order from ad-quarters, on
the 10th inst, IN which he states that the
"Offcers and privates of Companies and G
of the Fifth Regiment of Artillery, and C, of
the third battalion of Light Infantry, in the
first brigade, were guilty of riotous and tur-
bulent conduct at their parade on the 10th
ult Such conduct, says his Excellency, rem
dered them liable to a forfeiture of their posi-
ton; but his Exeellency in the fullness of his
clemeney, pardons them and graciously per-
mits them still to "roll drums merrily, and
march away with all the honors." Now we
do not presume to eriticise his Excellency's
order in military point of view. We are
not qualified to do that. We do not know
the difference between q curtain and a coun-
terscarp; nor should We be able to tell wheth-
er the troops ported or carried arms, even
himself, give them orders to do so. We have
never studied Stevinus, nor the gallant Chev-
alier de Vile; and the West Point Manual is
as much a bber iacog. to us as the sermon
which the Devil hooked from the pocket of
Gotten Mather, when that worthy and power
full thunderer against witches was on his way
one windy Sunday to Salem. If we should
undertake to critcise that orderwe should do so
on moral grounds entirely Cornnral T~;---
ana my Unce Toby, two distinguished militia
~ authorities, held that the great cardinal
principle of military discipline was obedience.
But our excellent Commander-in-chief does
not think so. He is of opinion that clen,ency
is more soldierly attribute than obedience.
The troops may be dlsobedient but the com
mander must always be clement. Much as
we respect Corporal Trim and Uncle Toby's
opinions on fertilization and the manual, we,
not being military men, coincide in opinion
with the Governor. His heart is true to
mercy, however much he may disagree with
our most distinguished disciplinarians in his
notions of discipline. 1t is true that "riotous
and turbulent conduct will probably increase
in the militia, under such clement authority
as that of his Excellency. Discipline will
probably become relaxed and all that sort of
thing still let us have clemency though dis
cipline and authority should go to the dogs.
Of course, we merely speak as civilians, and
not as soldiers. Everybody will understand
that.
There is one hypothesis however, which
has been advanced in this connection which
may prove, after all, that the COMMANDMENT
chiefs clemency was mingled somewhat with
policy. 1t is Shis his Excellency will be
candidate for the post of Commander-in-chief,
in few months hence, and the troops will
then be his judges. He hopes, therefore, by
this show of clemency, to secure the military
vote.
We detest hypothesis. They are as cold
and matter of fact, as philosophy. They re-
fuse to admit that the generous clemency of
the governor, to the "riotous and turbulent
B, G, and Companies,i. e. Sarsfeld Guards,
&C., was clemency. They pretty conclusively
indicate that it was, after all, nothing but a
demagoguic stroke of policy.