New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-08-27

he announced by the declaration of martial
law, that his will was to govern New Orleans.
1t was a declaration of martial law without re-
seryahon, simple, of itself, like Falstaf7s
sack.
No. Is is the order of Gen. Sheridan which
announces, in effect, that General Baird's
martial law was not the precise quality of the
article bestsuited to the occasion; that martial
| law" however, ''will be continued and en-
forced so far as may be required for the pre-
servation of the public peace and the protee-
ton of life and property" We may infer from
this that Gen. Baird's martial law may have
/ had other objects than the preservation OF the
| public ppeace and the protection Of life and
property. But No. Is, while thus diluting
the strength of the raw article prescribed in
No. 60 by the addition Of little "pullet-
sperm" to Gen. Baird's e brewage' still left
the prescription on the books, to be applied,
we suppose, in case the strength of the patient
should be sufficiently restored to admit of its
use.
But No. 2 annuls Gen. Baird's martial law.
1t wipes No. so out of existence. But as No.
Is is precisely the fourth part of No. 60, the
proper harmony of figures could not be pre-
served without fresh combination of Is with
2. No. accordingly reiterates No. Is, which
being thus re-invigorated by the fresh impulse
given by No. ., is supposed to have increased
the intensity of its martial power sufficiently to
leave No. so in the cold and to reign instead.
We have accordingly only to discover the exact
proportion OF martial law in this latest ''brew-
age" fNo. Is, to be fully acquainted with our
duties as good subjects.
We are informed in the order itself that it
is only martial law TO "be continued and
enforced 50 far as may be required for the
preservation Of the public peace and the pro
lection Of life and property The ear Of
Russia exercises something like that kind Of
martial law over his dominions, except that
he usually states what "rnay be required :"
The sultan Of Turkey has like fancy for arbi-
trary rule. Even the king of Dahonley ezerts
himself to maintain the public peace on analo-
gous principles, barring his want Of a
! thorough acquaintance with the mystery Of
figures. It is also the custom of some Of the
more powerful Of the Chinese mandarins.
And the ruler of the Japanese would probably
be tempted to commit hari-bari if thwarted
in his purpose of maintaining ''the public
peace in his own way. But in a country of
constitutional law, where the civil authorities
are officially declared to be supreme, we
regret to see the military authorities reitera-
ting their defiance of the established laws of
the land.
We had hoped different action from General
Sheridan. he has proved himself a gallant
and brilliant soldier. We had hoped he
would set a worthy example as citizen of
obedience to the laws If he arrogates to him
self a superiority to the Constitution and the
laws of his country, and sets up his will in
opposition to them, how can he reprove others
for doing the same thing? But this last
declaration Of martial law is nothing less than
an assumption of complete control over every
department of the civil government. He tells
us that he will "enforce" martial law for GER
tain purposes. But martial law is military
rule, which overthrows all law and installs
itself instead. General Sheridan may assert
that he does not intend to interfere with the
constituted civil authorities but as martial
law is simply the exercise of his will, he may
change his opinion tomorrow. Besides, he
has already interfered with the civil law when
he declares himself above it, and announces
that he will enforce martial law as far as
he may think it necessary. And if it be not
necessary to interfere, the publication of his
order is reduced to an official absurdity, and
a needless assumption Of power.
Gen. Sheridan has been betrayed probably
by the impolitic action of his junior into a
wrong position. When he first came to
Louisiana it was TO suppress certain govern
ments that were in opposition to that Of the
United States, and to restore the authority Of
the United States Constitution. He has done
this. He forgets that the authorities now
here are as much those Of the United
States as he himself is, and that in sup
pressing them he is in fact defying the laws
and the Constitution of his own government.
We think that he must soon regret the false
position in which he has placed hilnself-will
gracefully withdraw from his attitude Of def
ance to his government and will lend his sup
port "to the preservation Of the public peace"
in the mode pointed out in the laws and the
Constitution.
Mr. Lemuel Lane of Newberry district S.
G., was brutally murdered on the 18th inst,
/