The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-08-02

would laneuish and our bonds would come
home to End the debt deprecated. was

| not IN favor OF military action IN bOutE
Carolina recently. and il the comm auder
of the forces there had telegraphed to me
or asked advice [ would have advised
him not under any circumstanced to allow
himself or bis troops to determine who
we're the lawful N embers of state Legis-
lature. could not have given him better
advice than to refer him to the special
Message of the President in the case of
Louisiana. some time before. but 10
South Carolina he had the question set.
tied by decision of the Sup
RENE Court of the state, the highest
| tribunal which had acted on the question,
so that his line of duty seemed even to be
clearer than in the action in the Louisiana
case. If the Federal court. had interfered
and overruled the decision Of the state
court there might have been double Ger
tainty. but the Federal court onlyi inter-
fered to complicate, not to decide or over
rule. Anyhow, it is no business OF the
army to.enter upon such questions. aud
even if it might DO so. in any event the
civil authority is supreme, as the constitu
ton declares it to be. The South Carolina
case was one In which the army had q
plain duty. Had Gen. Ruger asked me
for advice, and if | had given it. | should
of course have notified you of smy action
Immediately, so that it could have been
promptly overruled. Gen. Ruger did not
ask for my advice and inferred from
that and other facts that he did not desire
it. or that being in direct communication
with my military superiors at the seat of
government who were nearer to him in
time and distance than l was, he deemed
il unnecessary. AS Gen. Rugar had the
ultimate responsibility of action and had
really greater danger to confront in bis
final action in the matter l did not dare to
mbarass him by suggestions. He was a
department commander and the lawful
head of the military administration with
in the limits of department.. But, besides, |
| knew that he had been called to Wash !
ington for consultation before taking |
command and was probably aware of the |
views of the administration as to the /
civil affairs in his command. knew that
he was in direct communication with nv
superiors in authority in reference to the |
delicate subjects presented for his consid-
GRAFTON or had ideas of his own which he
believed to be sufficiently in accord with
the views of our common superiors to
enable him to act intelligently according
to his judgment and without suggestions
from those not on the spot and not as fully
with the facts as himself. He |
desired, too, to be free to act, as be had |
eventually greater responsibilities, and so |
the matter was governed as between him /
and myself AS have been writing thus
freely to you, | may still further uubosom
himself by stating that have not thought |
It lawful or wise to use federal troops in
such matters as have transpired east off
the Mississippi within the last few months
save as far as they may be brought into
action under the article of the constitution
which contemplates the meeting of armed
resistance or invasion of a state more
powerful than tho state authorities can
subdue by ordinary process, and then only
when requested by the legislature; or if it
could not be conyeued in session by the Il
governor, and when the president of the
U nlted States interviewed in that measure
it is state OF war, not peace. The army
IS !aborlng under disadvantages and has
been used unlawfully at times 10 the
Judgment of the people-in mine certain>
~, and we have lost great deal of kindly
feeling. which ths community at large
once felt for US. It is time to
stop and unload. The officers in com
maud of troops often find it difficult to
act wisely when their superiors in author.
ty have different views of the law from
theirs and when legislation has sanctioned
action seemingly in conflict with the
law ana mas generally to
deter to the known judgment of their
superiors. Yet the Superior officers of the
army are SO regarded in such great crises
and are held to such responsibility, espcc-
ally those at or near the head of it. that it
Is necessary on such momentous occasions
TO dare to determine for themselves what
IS iawfuland what is not lawful under our
system. If the military authorities should
be invoked as might possibly be the case
n such exceptional times where there
existed such divergent views as to the
correct results. the army will suffer from
rs past action, if it has acted wrongfully.
Dur regular army has little hold upon the
affections of the people to day, and its
superior officers should certainly as far as
les in their power legally and with right
sous intent aim to defend the right, which
10 US is the law and institutions which they
represent. 1t is we'll meaning institution
and it would be we'll if it should have an
opportunity to be recognized as bulwark
10 support of the rights of the people aud
Of the law. l am truly yours.
WINFIELD s, HANCOCK
To Gen. w T. Sherman. Commanding
Army of the United States, Washing
ton, ID. e