Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-04-12

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MILITARY ABsOLUTIsM.
The great conflicts Of society, the struggle
Of civilization, IL between physical force and
the moral power Of law, Physical force,
organized under law and subordinate 70 n,
as In military and police fundamentally, Ia
a necessary agent OF civilization. Still, II Is
hut physical forco-the strong hand with a
constant tendency to recognize might as tho
rule ofhght, and 70 strIkevithont debating.
Recognized by law as necessary and legit-
innate agency, decorated with brilliant In.
sigma and honored by society, physical force
In military form tends TO assert lts ludepend.
euce Of lts creator, and assume to DO itself
the fountain Of government, thus tending to
absolutlsm-to DO irresponsible, above obe-
dienCo to law, and the only power to give
law-honco we have the dogmas Of strong
government, divine right, non-resislanee, all /
o. which political science In Its progress has
proven to be fallaclous, inconsistent with
national interests, greatness, aud power. 1t
has been shown that the greater the respon.
slbllIty aud accountability Of the Executive
power, and the more clear and defined the
various departments OF the Government in
ierests, with Fixed responsibility Of tho OH.
Gers having them In charge, the moro Ell
Client, and the more FREQ from wrong Is the
administration Of affairs.
As the masks Of religion aud liberty have
been worn by those who we're committing
the greatest crimes against both, so disolp-
line, military discipline, has Of late been
Put forth as significant Of military absolute
ism. irresponsible abs dilute persoual power
any where Is not discipline, indeed Is lnlml-
cal to II. Discipline In military service lie
the harmony Of law, which at ones defines
aud limits tho controlling authority, aud
protects those committed to II from unneees.
sary acts Of personal power, guarding the
Independence OF subordinate agents sun.
clently to secure their responsibility In their
vocation, and To interest them In the most
efficient and honorable performance Of tho
duties entrusted TO them. -.r
Military power or absolutism may, despite
all laws and restrictions, In the walls OF
fortress, or on board naval vessel In mid
Atlantic or Pacific, swing an Ambassador,
q Senator or peoples representative from
the gallows, and months after the deed was
done render reasons satisfactory to court OF
men interested in preserving the same
power.
The unhappy case of the somors proves
how easily this can be done, when the COM
mander hung an officer, the sou ola cabinet
minister, and the more humble participants
In tho alleged crime, because ~ feared M
home courts tsoah not hang h5t the couVic.
tlon now being that one innocent person fell
a victim to that summary justice. High
authority has Of late claimed that military,
and especially naval authority must be Ab
solute, and one naval official recently JustI-
fed bold act Of power, by claiming for
himself the divine right of king which
none should dispute.
With all the appliances Of power, men do
bis bidding without halt or question, and
aims to make II effective, tho temptations
are great for military and naval comman.
ders to assert the irresponsible personal au
thority OF military absolutlsm. Certainly II
is not so feeble an element Of society as to
need careful nurture aud protection with
out any help Il eau rise to its full proper
lions aud assert Its own right. What It does
need, aud what the public interests demand
Is, that those in whose hands IL reposed such
the closest restrictions aud held TO the most
definite accountability.
II, for instance, tho commander ola man
of-Uar lie held to a loosao or no accountability,
he may by dcsPotc or caprielous orders
sacrifice lie financial interests Of the Gov.
eminent aud involve the bondsmen Of pay
masters. He may destroy the engines or
blow up the ship by the same irresponsible
orders TO the engineer, or he may cause
much unnecessary suffering, saGrlaee much
life without other reason than his will, or
even, as has been done, put whole ships and
squadrous out Of use. There are many
Illustrations OF these eVlls-the most recent
Is the case of the wounded man removed
from the sick list by order Of the command
ing officer.
One Of the most notable Instances Of tho
misfortunes arising from the want Of secured
Independence aud responsibility OF staff de-
partments was thus commented upon at the
time, 1913, by one OF the leading papers OF
the country
standing armies ndstandtng nHvtes are bad
things, and we Wish that the country could
dispense with them. But, rs Ia the present
conditioh Of society they are necessary evils,
OUT hrst care should DO 10 make them as harm.
leaa as possible TO ourselves, As formidable a.
possible to our cnemieu. 10 war, much more
Than In peace, are the misehiefs that orSSp
into armies Ana naviea, made m aniIeat to The
people. 10 peace nobody cares, and theFefore
nobody knows how badly al army or navy
maybe managed: But 10 war, when the loss
Of hattie, the disabling Of q Ehip, the failure
Of an enterprise, are serious thinEs the poo-
pie viii ipsat upon knowlng the causes OF the
misfottunei aud tracing II to abuses 10 nHn-
Agement, they viii Insist on = correction.
power Of the eaptAin over the whole navy,
add the arbitrary power of the military over
the medical officers The medical offiseTs
should be masters 40 their Department. Wheo
thsy speak upoG anything Concerning Inc
health OF the ship, the captain should have no
OtherreaOrt thHn implicit obedience 10 their
orders. 10 lhta department the medical ON.
seIs Alo1e do OF can know what ls necessary.
lIhe eApuln pay due Attention TO his own