The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-08-12

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and terror the very fury OF the caTds-
trophe might have carried men through
It with less of despair than this cold
conquest.
The first pages OF all the newspapers
were reserved by the military govern
ment for its announcements. These
were headed:
OFFICIALl
ORDERS AND DECISIONS By THE
MILITARY GOVERNMENT OF
MASSACHUSETTS AND THE
CITY OF BOSTON.
There were so many Of them that
there was no room for news on theA
first pages, even had news been per-
mitted.
Within twenty-four hours the city
had been set back to its condition in
the seventeenth century when Boston's
first newspaper was throttled by re-
dictionary legislature.
The people OF Boston did not know
II Connecticut had been conquered.
They did not know IL New York had
fallen. They did not know where their
army was or what It was doing. A
great battle might be deciding the fate
Of the entire country, but no whisper
reached them.
As in colonial days, they were re-
duced to such knowledge as might
come from rumor or from Information
1 rr-ka hxx% xula loo 1aA
thing by chance.
It was In this way that nearly every
body In Boston came to know that in
the stAtehouse there sat a council,
dressed in uniform and bearing mill
| tary rank, but in reality a council of
men learned In international and,f
United States law. Surrounded byI
great rows of books which they had
brought with them, these men were the
real rulers Of the conquered land.
The commanding general and his
field star might act with summary au-.
thority under the rules Of war. The
commanding generals name might be
signed to all the scores Of orders that
4 issued daily, but this council OF mill
| tary lawyers acted as governors,
judges and soldiers at once. Their de-
cisions in all mooted cases. their in
geniously worded orders, were perfect
ing the enemy's complete possession.
No American, great or humble, might
60 a step beyond the prescribed and
| routine affairs Of the day without first
learning what their orders were. No
man held property, whether 1t were
priceless or beggarly, except by their
| favor. No man knew at any moment
what remaining liberties might not be
taken from him at word from them.
With the impersonal coldness of a ju-
dicial machine they went about the
work Of stripping the city Of treasure.
In all the departments Of the munich
pality were soldier experts, studying
the books. In the custom house were
half a hundred others searching the
records Of exports and imports. Every
financial institution Of the city. had
been ordered to present it's accounts In
the statehouse.
During all this time the invader
made daily acquisitions for the use of
| the troops or for other military pur-
poses. He demanded for the navy a
supply of 10000 pounds of smoking to-
bacco, 1000 pounds of roasted coffeeI
one ton Of rice, 800 pounds Of salt and
$1,000 pounds Of fresh meat. He made
requisitton for paint, cable, ropes, hose
and steel for the ships. <
There were acquisitions for medical
supplies. for cloth and for shoes. To
the harassed officials who demonstrated
against the hardships that were laid
on the city and pointed to the state Of
its trade, the reply was that 1t was one
OF the richest cities IN the world and.
that the levies were modest. When a
deputation OF citizens pressed the pro-
test the council printed It's reply In the
Official columns of the newspapers.
"In regard to the acquisitions made
by the occupying army" said this state
ment, attention is called to the fact
that the United States supreme court
In the case Of New Orleans versus
Steamship Company, 20 Wall, 394, de-
cided that the military governing au-
thority may do anything to strength
en- itself and to weaken the enemy
and that the court further stated that
'there is no limit to the powers that
may be exerted In such cases save.
those which are found in the laws and
usages of war"
Despite the cannon that glowered In
all the streets Boston's fury at this
ironic rejoinder nearly broke through.
all restraint In the old city that had
the famous tea party among its priced
achievements the spirit Of that past
age awoke again and spread almost
without concerted thought or Intention.
Wherever men could meet they formed
In groups to ease their minds by free
speech If they could do nothing else