Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-03-12
The Commander in Chief.

The copperhead, Democracy in the
House pretend that the Hanna Militia Bill
does not violate that clause of the Consti-
tion which makes the Governor the Com
mander- in Chief Of the military forces OF
the State.
The pretence is utterly false. and known
to besueh by every man who makes il. IL
he has read the bill. When the Consti-
tuition confers the power upon the Cover
nor. it gives along with it all that is nec-
essary to make it valid and effectual. II
means just what it says. and that be shall
have all the means necessary to enable
him to exercise the power conferred. Itis
an universal principle of construction that
when thing is granted. whatever is neces-
sary to ITS enjoyment. or exercise. is grant
ed along with it. Let us apply this prin-
cipls to the Hanna bill. 1t provides that
all the arms shall be placed in the custody
of the Auditor. Secretary, Treasurer, and
Attorney General of State. to be kept, is-
sued or disposed Of. only by them. The
Governor has no more control Of the arms,
, under any circum stances. than be has over
those belonging to Russia.
Ee is therefore a Commander in Chief
without arms or munitions OF war, and his
authority amounts to absolutely nothing.
lie cannot order q single bayonet or pisce
of artillery into the field without the au-
thority ofthe Attorney General and com
pany," by whom they could be Withdrawn
at any moment.
Mr. Lincoln is the Commander-in.C Chief
of the armies of the United States, bat il
the custody and control of the arms were
given to Vallandigham, Hendricks, Perkins
and Richardson. how much power would
ne have to carry on the war?
To be Commander in chief he must be
able to command the arms as well as the
men, for either without the other amounts
to nothing in war. The custody and con-
troll of the arms is always indispensable to
the command of the military forces in any
State or country and is proposition too
clear for argument. Again. to be Com
mander-in-C Chief of the military forces of
the State he must have subordinate officers
through and by whom he acts and who re-
ceive and execute his order upon the field.
They are the indispensable instruments BY
which he works and without which his su-
thority would amount to nothing: they
must recognize his authority and obey his
commands. and if they do not he must rs-
move them and put other in their stead:
they must also be friendly to him and e..
pecially friendly to the cause in which they
are called on to do service; if they are not
they can most certainly defeat his purpos-
es. render his undertakings disastrous, and
utterly thwart and nullify his authority.
Let us again suppose that Vallandig-
ham, Hendricks, Perkins and Richardson
constitute aboard to appoint officers by
and through whom Mr.. Lincoln is to com.
mand the armies of the United States in
would appoint men who were hostile 10 his
Administration, hostile to the war and
friendly to the rebels, and who could and
would defeat his purpose to suppress the
rebellion. and bring overwhelming disaster
upon the Federal armies. To be Commas
der-in-Chef in the spirit and meaning of
the Constitution. be must have tho selse-
ton of the subordinate officers, through
and by whom he commands, and who are
present with the army. How much sense
would there be in the employment of
physician while refusing him the choice Of
his medicines or ths selection of his rems-
dies, and deputing that power to another?
BY the Hanna bill the appointment of the
Major General and Brigadier Generals is
conferred upon the Attorney General and
Company. Like Vallandigham and Com
pany. they would select men who were
hostile to the Governor and would do
everything to defeat his authority. He
cannot appoint or remove them. and they
are Independent of him in every psrtiou-
lar. and are responsible only to the Board
from whom they receive their certificate ss
ppointment.-Lnd.J Jour.