The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1908-03-17

MAY be PARDoNED.
1t Is rumored. or announced. that
General stoessei may be psrdoned BY
the Car. after all. 1t viii be remem-
bered that for >surrenderine Port Ar
thur to the japanese. the General was
recently tried by courtmartiai and
sentenced to death. but the verdict
was accompanied by strong recon-
mendation for mercy. which the Gear
needed and committed the sentence TO
ten years Imprisonment. Now IL Is
believed that he will soon receive full
pardon.
1t has always appeared to us that
the conviction Of stoessel was harsh
and unjust. 1t is true that military
justice often looks TO civilians like in
justice and no doubt it is necessary
for the efficiency of the military and
for the good of the service that what
seems cruel injustice should sometimes
be visited upon soldiers and officers.
In this case however, 1t is difficult to
see the equity of the courts decision.
There was no charge against stoessel
OF either cowardice or treachery He
had held the position as long as there
could be any possible hope OF success.
He had cost the Japanese immense loss
4vn -
reached the limit of endurance. But"
as The Raleigh Evening Times argues.
"it was the opinion of the military
court that Stoessel had no right to
surrender at ail--that he should have
kept on lighting until he was in the
last ditch and the whole Russian army
at Port Arthur was wiped out. II the
defense had been prolonged for two
weeks more. IT was alleged. the ia
panese armies beleaguering Port Ar
thur would have been unavailable for
operations against Kuropatlin, and the
latter might have won decisive VIC
tory over the Japanese at Mukden. This
is doubtless a conclusive consideration
from. the military point of view. New
ertheless, Stoessel seems to have done
all that was possible, in his Judgment.
to hold Port Arthur. To put him to
death would not retrieve Rvssia's dis
asters or restore her prestige. There
were generals in the Russian army in
the Far East who might have been
disposed Of by a firing squad for the
good of their country and for the
greater efficiency and discipline OF the
service. But stoessel seems to have
gone to the limit of his endurance. He
made a magnificent defense of Port
Arthur. and If he surrendered ten days
before his resources were wholly ex-
hausted, he capitulated from no lack
of devotion TO his country or from any
unworthy motives.
This is another instance OF the
might have been" which is SO fire.
quently used by those who discuss past
events. II stoessel had detained the
Japanese ten days or two weeks longer
before Port Arthur, Kuropatkin might
have won a victory at Mukden." OF
course, no one can now say whether
that would have been the result or
not. If stOessel had held ont until
his entire army was destroyed and
nothing left OF them but corpses. it is
possible that the Russian army at Muk-
den might have won a great victory,
but no one knows whether that would
have been the result. Doubtless the
Russian military authorities thought
SO, and. believing thus, they thought
Stoessel deserved death for not sacri-
ficing his entire army rather than sur
render. Stoessel. therefore, should
have lost sight of all feelings of HUI
manity, ana should have done violence
to his own judgment and held out as
long as he had a man to fire a gun or
WELD a bayonet. That may be the
Russian idea of soldiers duty, but
it does not strike us as a proper one.
If the Car grants full pardon to the
unfortunate General, we think the CIV
1lized world win approve the act.