Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-06-13
IJa 49, lFrom the Baltimore Sun.l -.-l is9. "a
Multiplication of Military Orders.

y
20 Military. orders multiply at such rate
in this, free, constitutional country that
they actually burden the newspapers to the
exclusion of what would 1egitimately in-
terest and be of profit to an honest and
law and peace-loving people. They come
forth from the different satrapies of the
South quite as freely as they ever did
from the Austrian commanders in the de-
tendencies and provinces of Bthat en-
pire in. the palmiest days of its absolu-
tist rule over reluctant States and peoples
and in the one case they never were
more harsh and capricious than in the
other. Sometimes we have three or four of
these orders in a single day, ramifying, in
their effects, every interest of individuals
and of society. Civil officers, even Gov
ernors of States, are made and unmade by
military orders at pleasure. The people
thus are quite coolly snubbed by the mill
tary commanders set up in the South by
act of Congress, their instincts being evil
| IDENTIFY entirely anti-republican, however
| they may be praised by so-called republic
cans. In one case, that arrogant partisan
pet, General Sheridan, commander in Loui-
siana, who has not single civil qualifica-
tion, received Instructions from the Presi-
cent, through Secretary Stanton, to sus-
pend all proceedings arising from a con-
flict between wocontesting boards of levee
commissioners, each of which Sheridan had
deposed, when, what does he do but
promptly turn about and depose the Cover
nor, and appoint another in his place, who,
it is gratifying to say, had the good sense
not to accept. Itseems unaccountable that
any man should want office conferred in
such way; yet, subsequently,, another
person was found willing to become the
nominal Governor under military rule
The removal of Governor Wells seems to
have been out of spite for demonstrating to
the President against Sheridan's action,
and though the whole contest is between
two rival Radical factions in Louisiana,
the action of Sheridan is none tn e
less high-handed. The opinion of Mr..
Stanbery on the power and functions
of officers under the reconstruction
law is yet to be given, but if General
Sheridan can act thus, what may he, as
well as the other military commanders of
districts in the South, not do? Mayors, city
councils, sberiffs, &C., are removed in Ala
bama, Georgia, the Carolinas, Texas, and
elsewhere. This is a matter of course, al
most, under the law; butwhen the Presi-
| dent, the commander in-clIief. who makes
the appointments Of the district comman-
ders, is contempt ptuously thwarted in secur-
ing delay for inquiry. by one Oft them, as in
this case of Sheridan, it seems time that he
should assert the dignity of his high office,
and remove or suspend his subordinate.
!. Some ofthe newspapers, commenting on
| Tile dcIlOu VI OcucTdl OueTludu Ill T0llON-
ing the Governor of Louisiana, make the
point that If the Government at Washing
ton were to acknowledge that an appeal to
them from the decisions of a district COM
mander might be treated by the officer him.
self. as Offering an impeachment to the
faithful execution of the law" and pun
ished accordingly, the right of appeal
would be, of course, destroyed, and the
various Generals would become absolute
within the limits of their jurisdiction-a
result which the act certainly did not con-
template.