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

In several quarters of the city there
were fncipient riots, suppressed by the
police only just In time to avoid bloody
interference by the soldiers.
I'VE must curb this town." said the
commanding general to the military
council In the statehouse TT is not
one to remain cowed for long without
repCesssve measures"
The council nodded. Next mornings
newspapers had ON their first pages an
announcement that made many read
ers rub their eyes and stare incredu-
lousy az the printed page, for on it was
such proclamation as might have been
read In Boston town in the reign OF
Charles l. 1t was headed:
sEDTTIoN Law.
L Every person resident in the territory
occupied by the power exercising SOW
keignty by right of conquest, who shall
alter seditious words or speeches or write.
publish or circulate scurrilous libels
against the governing authority. or who
shall conceal such practices that come to
| his knowledge shall be punished summari-
! ly and severely.
Every person who Joins q secret so
| ciety or attends a secret meeting for the
purpose of advocating sedition or rebellion
shall be punished summartly and severely.
Again the citizens committee pro-
tested. Boston lawyers represented to
the military council that American cit
liens could not be held guilty of sedi-
ton or rebellion If they adhered to
their country.
THE inhabitants of conquered terri
tory" answered the council, ''are cit1-
Eens Of no country. They are under
the Jurisdiction of the occupying army.
But they are not even entitled to the
privileges OF citizens of the country
which controls that army"
But mere conquest does not entitle
you to treat them as rebels urged
the committee. They are within their
rights to preserve their allegiance so
long as they do not violate the rules
OF war by opposing you with arms"
One Of the officers smiled. He open
ed book. "Once more must respect
fully refer you to your own court de-
cisions," he said, and read from Unit
ed States supreme court verdict,
Conquest Is a valid title while the
victor maintains exclusive territory Of
the conquered country"
There is nothing that we can do"
the committee reported to the people.
It was the refrain that sounded in all
the United States just then To the
wild projects for desperate defense
that were being preached every day in
the city of New York to the frenzied
demands that the volunteers In the
western camps be rushed into the field,
to the curses directed at the American
army because it refused to fight, the
same answer formulated itself because
there was no other. Always, from all
quarters, to all demands and impreca-
lions, the only answer that was posi-
BILE was, ''There is nothing that we
can dor
The city multitudes surrendered
YEARLY to the situation. But there
were men whom the helpless reply
drove frantic.
There were hundreds of these men
) In New York, Brooklyn, Jersey City,
Newark and all the towns eastward
/ LueIG 4nEH
were milltiamen who had not been
able 30 Join their organizations when
3 they went to the front or whose or
ganizations had been merely paper
ones. There were members of sports.
1 | mems clubs, accustomed to the use OF
heavy caliber firearms and to the trail
5 and there were many men who were
moved simply by the recklessness OF
1 courage.
During the days while there drifted
! through the United States the broken
S incomplete, but ever growing story OF
New Engiands uprising and It's fearful
s suppression, these men had begun tc
assemble In Connecticut's country be
: tween New Haven and Hartford
urged by no settled plan, but moving
5 TO that district simply because it was
j, the last American front between New
York and the invading army.
3 The enemy was moving westwar,
S slowly. He had to hold out a might,
screen northwestward against tn
American army that now lay beyon'
% the Berkshire hills, holding the lam
. between western Connecticut and Al
% bany. That army, intact and out o
). his reach, WIS constant, acute dan
ger. 1t endangered his communica
q tons, It endangered his base, it endan
gered his divisions that occupied Boe
Is ton. It forced him 10 advance only 1
IL continual readiness for battle on flank
and rear lines. Its signal service an
70 avfators kept constant watch OF tn
s. invading legions. Its range finder
located the exact positions of thei
q guns
IS During the slow approach the me
az who had gathered between New 81:
ven and Hartford began to form som