Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-08-09
Our Military Government.


We are often fearfulth that those who alone
have power to administer our State Gov
eminent nAshave in charge the welfare
and peace of the country, do not sufficiently
appreciate their responsible and trying pc
sition. Unused to civil jurisdiction, ard
unfamiliar with the workings of civil gov
ernments. the soldier is not likely to sue
coed at first to give satisfaction in the adj
ministration of civil law. His education
and habits are very different from those OF
the civilian, and his experience gives him
rather an aversion to the forms OF CIVIL
government than an admiration for them.
Tnonetnous. quick and decisive, he dis
dams the laws delays, and with HIM the
Army Regulations comprise more wisdom
and Justice than is found in the Common
Law of England.
Auxiliary government, on the other hand,
cannot be expected to be very popular with
a people whose love of freedom has always
been a boast. and whose forefathers sought
refuge among tie wiids of America from
the prosecutions of their own government,
and purchased by the sword the right to
Govern themselves, which they handed
down rs a priceless heritage to their pos
terity. The fact that the soldier has dis
dain for the civil form of government, and
the citizen hates the military government
with equal fervor, has no influence upon
the relations of the one to the other now.
The soldier rules with no less relentless
rigor. and the citizen bears his trials with
no greater fortitude from sympathy with
the merits or faults Of each other.
So far as our civil government IS con-
cerned, it is a ridiculous sham, permitted
to have an apparent existence, and de-
signed to tickle the fancies of such old TO-
cies who, in their antiquated simplicity
NAV desire and imagine that the United
States is still Republic. Its continuance
is in appearance only. The civil officers
are without power, and the tenure OF their
Office depends upon the will of one man.
Their orders, executive and judicial, are
without authority and almost without res
meet. The most ancient and sacred laws
are the convenient shuttlecocks for mex
perienced players, and coo popuf has beer
DEGRADED into the miserable crOakings O.
disfranchised traitors
AS deplorable as this state Of affairs ma.
be. there are conditions within the limit
of orr own Government much worse. Dis
membered and refusedrepresentation, witt
no connecting link between us and th
mother government except the bayonet
with no bond Of union except those give
by the tax-gatherer, or which bear tn
stamp of the internal Revenue officers, an
no L0vnl road to reconstruction save owe
the grave of our hOnor--dlslOyal, rebellion
districts-our present situation is lncOmpa1
ably better than IS the condition OF the 10.
al State of TENNESSEE. With the shade
of a. civil government at Raleigh, and tt
reality of military one at Charleston, it
infinitely to be preferred to the hybrid rs
publican tyranny which has its throne
Nashville. IF we are to be governed
soldiers, we prefer those under the con
mand of General SICKLEs, than Stat
Guards acting under the orders of Mort
Carolina Brownlow. If we are to have 6
election, we would choose the honorab
soldier to the doubtful politician to enfor
the franchise law. If to preserve the pea
it is necessary to keep standing army
our midst, we desire the General, and n
the State Government to foot the bill.
our rights are to be ignored, our hbertl
ieoparded and our honorable pride hun
bled, let it be done by the representative
OF power, and not by the miserable ere
lures of our own servileness and cowardic