Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-29
INTERPRETATION FTnEMILITAR
TOTHE CIVIL POWER.

sUBORDINATIONOF TnEMILITARY
TOTHE CIVIL POWER
We have often admired the direct.
ness and ability of General Sher-
man, who was skilled as a teacher
before he became distinguished as
soldier. We believe no has a sim
cere respect for civil authority, and
a proper distrust of pure military
government, such as the Southern
States have been living under for
some time past. His promise to
committee Of Mississippians that, SO
far as he was concerned, the people
should have fair play in the registry
and at the polls, was encouraging.
On the 23d inst, at the Dartmouth
Commencement, being called upon
for a speech, he said, in the presence
of Chief Justice Chase and other dis
Ilngulshed persons:
alt is a common feeling among
civilians that soldiers are men of
violence. There is nothing further
from the truth. Iappeal to the his
tory of America, to the history of
our own country, from Washington
until the present moment, 10 show
that the military men of this coun-
try have always been subordinate
men-subordinate to the law, subs
ordinate to the authorities, never
setting up their own judg-
ment in antagonism to that
of the nation, but executing its
will, when that will had found ex-
preston in law, with q fidelity
beautiful TO behold. And so long
as | continue to hold power and in.
fluence l shall ever direct that
power and influence to the end
that the military in this country,
whether a small force scattered all
over the nation, or a vast army of
volunteers gathered together for
some special purpose, shall sustain
the laws Of the land and support
the authority you may place over
me-"
Nothing could be better said
than this, but the record made
will not bear examination. Forts
Lafayette, Warren and McIIenry,
and almost a thousand prisons and
guardhOuses in the Southern
States, could tale unfold which
would silence all claims for gov
eminent by military men. The
"little bell Of Secretary Seward
would have rung in vain to accom-
plish unjust arrests and imprison-
ments, but that it was backed by
military power. Military will and
caprice, on false information, i'm
prisoned hundreds of men every
way As innocent rs their accusers.
The history of the war shows great
abuse of military power, when tins
power was not placed in judicIous
hands. Military courts to-day, in
time of peace, are usurping the
place of the civil tribunals. Mill
tary will has SUSPENDED the pay
ment and collection or debts; con-
iscated and distributed property
aided and abetted favorites; pun
ished the innocent and &C
quilted the guilty. 1t is nc
fitting part Of any free government
except as it is in complete subordl'
nation TO the civil power. 1t II
natural TO man to abuse power, anC
more the power of the sword thai
the wand of justice. What are al
the great governments of Europe
Great Britain perhaps excepted
for England and Scotland AM
Wales-but the government of tn
bayonet Even Ireland is pinne'
to Great Britain by bayOnets. S
is Poland to Russia; the German
principalities and peoples to Prus
STA or Austria, and Cuba to Spair
Washington-a name which is be
coming fashionable for moder
Radicals to decry as old fogy-i
his Farewell Address warned h
countrymen to forego "the ncce'
sity of those overgrown militar
establishments which, under an
: form of govern ment, are inausp
cious to liberty, and which are
be regarded rs particularly host
to republican liberty" His wore
were words of wisdom for all tim
and the last few years have demon
strated their application TO the pre-
ent time and our own country.