The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-05-17
The Bonbshen OF General Hunter.

1t is very old and wise maxim that
every one should mind his own bust
ness. Obviously the business of our generals
and that Of our politicians, though devoted
to the same end, are by no means of
the same character. At the beginning Of the
war our political generals caused us great
deal of trouble, and led us into all sorts Of de-
feats and disasters. Our military politicians,
however, have done quite as much harm. FIRE.
mont, with an eye on the next Presidency, in
iured the Union cause and himself by an aboli-
ton proclamation in Missouri. Phelps, in fit
of insanity, read datribe against slavery and
the Pope of Rome to a small but select assem-
blage Of contrabands at Ship Island. The Pre-
sident squelched Fremont Phelps squelched
himself, and their proclamationsS alike the Tri-
bune,s war correspondence, amounted to nothing
We can now place in the same category
it seems, General Hunters order declaring
that '.as slavery and martial law in a free
country are altogether incompatible, the per-
sons in these three States-Georgia, Florida
and South NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. held as slaves,
are therefore declared forever free?"
Whatever may be the effect Of this order in
the military department over which General
Hunter has command, it has certainly pro-
duced great excitement and confusion here
at the North. Everybody here has been
wondering and debating how this slavery
question was to be treated, and all at
once General Hunter throws this bomb
shell of proclamation from his headquarters
at Hilton Head, and attempts to settle the
whole affair by the axiom that slavery and
martial law in free country are incompati.
ble." Unfortunately, this axiom is not an
axiom, and Hunters corollary, that slaves are
therefore forever Free" falls fat to the
ground. What . pity it is that the gallant
Hunter did not avoid giving his reasons for his
general order. If he had simply declared all
the slaves Of the South free, we might have
admired him, or attacked him, or advised his
confinement in lunatic asylum. Now, how
ever, we can only laugh at and pity him, and
wonder where he obtained his bad logic, and
whpimpelled him to lay down the sword to
black his fingers and his reputation by writing
such silly document. In and out Of Congress,
therefore, every one is discussing this puzzling
OrQeT. Inc crazy lTtUWts tHluhs IL uitS tnc
rebels Fright between the eyes," But this
opinion is prejudced, because poor Greeley
sees chance to sell more guns from his manu-
factory to the freed slaves The World, after
arguing ell around the subject, finally con-
cludes that Secretary Stanton is at the bottom
Of it all, and hits him several heavy blows.
The Times says that Hunter is trying to rival
Fremont in the favor Of the aboitionists, and
has transcribed the sphere Of his duty" The
old fogy Journal Of Commerce believes that
either the order Is forgery or Hunter insane
The obscure little Sun approves Of the procla.
nation, and thinks 1t was ordered by the Presi
dent. The Express calls General Hunter "a
military dictator and predicts that the Presi
dent will rebuke him. The Euening Post fol.
lows the lead of the Tribune, and thinks Gen
Hunter has "cut the Gordian knott The old
lady Of the Commercial agrees with everybody
Now, those newspapers pretty fairly repre-.
sent the various and conflicting opinions of the
people; and If the careful reader will mix these
ideas and conjecturcs well together he will pro-
badly arrive at something very near the real
truth of the case. There is indeed some reason
TO believe that Secretary Stanton dictated this
order to General Hunter. Its style is very like
that of Secretary Stanton's war bulletins agains