North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1863-02-25

| fines. And as they are not paid for their
services. this is a reasonable provision in ordi-
nary times" the piping times Of peace."-
though it ought not to extend to time of
war. A county Superintendent, who is paid
! for his services, is not exempt by the law
! He is, consequently, subject to military ser
| vice and to draft when militia are called for
But those sirnple-minded people who suppose
| the law is to be kept because 1t is htr, are
not well read in the logic of Republican rule,
and must correct their ideas and conform
| them to those great improvements in the SCI
! ed since Abraham Lincoln became Chief Mag
| istrate of tie United States.
1t may be triumphantfy asked if military
! necessity be sn adequate reason for the arbl
trary arrest and Imprisonment of political
! opponent { despite the constitution of the
! State and that Of the Federal Union ought
not educational npreSsjty t" be considered an
! excellent reason for setting aside The laws in
/ favor Of political friend The latter ex-
! preston is nearly as easily written or spoken
! as the former and rests upon the same mag
nificent principle of Suhjecting the people to
! the sovereign will and pleasure of their rulers.
| The question Of fact as to the existence Of
! the necessity IN any case. must be lett, f
course, entirely to official Judgment for great
mistakes would doubtless be Committed # the
! populace We're allowed TO intervene or pro-
nuunce an opinion upon it. Although 10 or
! dinary appreheusions the law fully provides
! for filling vacancy in the office Of County
/ Superintendent and the office seems every
! where rather sought after than summed when
| open To appointment or election, yet in this
Case official persons with a wide field of VS.
/ ion, to wit, Postmaster, State Superinten-
( dent, Secretary at War and a Governor
! having passed upon the question Of necessity,
| it would be preSumptous IN any private midi
vdua to attempt its discussion. 1t ha, been
to the law of the land, al least according to
those transcendentaI rules cf administration
to which we are becoming accustomed.
| Besides ii is insisted that as School Dircc-
!
ought to be also--n other words, the law
! ought to be cnded in favor OF the latter, as
it already iavora the former. Some captIous
| person might answer that It would answer
the purposes Of even-handcd jus, ice quite as
well, to repeal the exemption Of School D-
rect0rs or suspend it in time Of war; and
also that the exemption OF Directors from M
/ litary enrolment in ordinary times being IN
consideration Of the fact that they serve with
I out pay, the same reason will not apply to
! Superintendents who are paid for their ser
vices. an ohlector might farther alcgc, that
question Of change in tn laws, j. exclusive
/ " for the Legisiature-that it belongs 10 the
( jurisdiction OF those who enact tie laws and
not OF those e.recate chem, aud that until
! they are changed they are to be enforced up
| on all without " fear, favor, or afection-n
! But that this Is a narrow and insufficient
view Of the subject we have already shown
upon the high authority OF he distinguished
/ functOHarIes WHO were concerned in tie DIS
charge of Mr.. BURGESS, aud their views a.
they are in power, must be heIl As decisive
aud mcon'rovertibe. Any other doctrine
would be 8 dl,loyal" in the highest degree,
and would subject us to the Charge Of beiny
s. secessionis ls, )" or sympathizers with re-
belNon."
So far the case Of Burgess, or rather his
discharge, stands upon solid ground, or. at
least upon grounds As sufficient AZ those which
support many measures Of existing public po-
hey, and it would be satisfactory, at this point
to turn il over TO the contemplation Of our
readers. But ihls is rendered impossible by
the act Of Mr. Burgess himsef For he has
nterposed with a most remarkable expIana-
ton which shows that something very much
Ike d trick was practised upon the SPACIOUS
officials who strained the laws in his iavUr. or
else that thote officials are more guilty than
the FOREGOING exposition would represent
them. He said he had his arrangem, nts
made TO publish newspaper in Wyoming
County 5ef0re his discharge that he forward
ed his resignation as Superintendent 10 Har-
risburg and admits, in substance, that the
allegation that his discharge was necessary
10 me management OF schools IN Columbia
County, was utterly untounded and false -
And yet he slipped away from the draft en-
that pretensc
We were, at first, astoanded by this ex
PLANTATION, which seemed to remove from the
transaction, all pretence of classification or ex-
cuse bat subsequent reflection has convinced
US that our first impressions were erroneous.
We think we can detect the point Of the ar
gument On this new aspect Of the case,) upon
which the discharge can sull be triumphant
ly vindlcatcd 1t must be conceded that mil
itary necessity is cut of the case, for that
would require the retention rather than the
discharge of soldier iii for the wars and it
is equally clear from the explanation that
there was no etIltc0il0Q1t 7lecessjtu Til. ,C