The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-19
The Sphere of the Military Arm of the Gov
eminent

1t is hardly strange, in the magnitude and alb
sorbing interest of the war for suppressng trea-
son, and in the novelty of raising, supporting,
and sending out against the enemy an immense
army from every rank, occupation aud party in
the country, that there should be on all sides a
disposition to have an opinion upon, and TO inter-
tere with, the management Of the war and the
conduct of the government. Our government is
democratic, and the people, whether in the army
or out Of it, do not see m disposed to yield their
privilege Of critcising whatever in public affairs
they dislike, and praising whatever pleases them.
We are satisfied that this freedom of opinion and
of speech is even more necessary now to the pres
ervation of our liberties than it has been at any
former period of our history. But it must be
kept in its proper limits, and use only the means
which it may legtimately employ to reach its
ends.
A standing army has always been regarded as
dangerous enemy to the liberties of the people.
1t has proved itself often tyrant, or the agent
Of some tyrant, for the simple reason that it is
powerful and is tempted to show its strength.
Ambitious and popular men have sometimes
turned armies that were raised to defend the lib
critics of their country, into instruments to subvert
those liberties, partly because the armies needed
employment, partly because they were discon-
tented, and partly because they liked strong
government, which was to be upheld by their own
bayonets.
1t is hardly possible, however, to suppose that
any lapse of time would convert our army of in
telgent American freemen into any such allies of
despotism. Yeuthere is just now some discus.
sions in the newspapers occasioned by an appre-
hension, not much that such result is possible
as that there are designing men who would be
glad to use our army, or create an army that
might be used, for that purpose. 1t is but q
little while since proposition to raise an army of
$4,000 men for Gen. Fremont was severely con-
demned by the newspapers which were never sus-
pected Of having any Partially for Fremont as
an enterprise fraught with great danger to the
Government. At the same time quite another
class of papers have seen with some alarm, evil
dences that there were men in the country who
some knowledge of our soldiers, who were sub
stantlally advocating course of procedure on the
part of some of our Generals which would prac-
tically put the military above the civil power, and
leave the nation at the mercy OF the chieftain that
CHANGED for the moment to be the most popular.
We can hardly believe that there is, at prese Mt
any real danger to occasion these apprehensons
At the same time the people,-and by the people
we mean the army, as we'll as those at home,-
cannot be too watchful, nor guard too carefully
against the first inroads of those who would EN-.
ploy the army out Of its Legitimate sphere. The
army is not the government, nor any part of it,
except as it is numerically and actually portion
of the people. As an army neither it's rank and
ie nor its officers, have any civil functions what
ever. 1t is only the instrument employed for the
time being to carry out the will, and execute the
purpose of the government. Its highest function
is to obey the orders of its superiors who, in ou
government are the people, acting not through
oeueIdis, out through Cne ITeSluent anu CO0
gress. Yet we hear hat there are men in tn,
army, who would not assist in executing gener
al emancipation law, if such a one should b.
passed by Congress, and we know newspaper
that have counseled some of the Generals to in
sist, before they allowed their armies to advance
that the "policy'' of the government should be es
tablished to please them. 1t is quite certain tina
such spirit of INSTRUMENTATION, or despotic die
tation, as this would indicate, if prevalent in tn
army, would be at once dangerous to our libel
ties. We are glad to know that it is not genera
and that our soldiers have no purpose, howeve
much they may be urged to do so, to turn the
arms against the life of the nation.
Yet we should all be admonished bv thes
symptoms, of the danger to free institutions in
long war and an immen/s military establishment
and the people and thyarmy, in order to steer ell
tirely clear of these dangers should be often r.
ferred to the fundamental principles upon whic
our government rests. The power is lodged vii
the people, and by the constitution and laws