The Washington times., 1918-02-06
What He Has "Taken On Him.
self" and the Way He Carries 1t
By
MARTIN H. GLYNN,
In The Time.-UniOn, Albany, N Y, Jan. Fl, 1918

war was won.
At the time of our Civil war no such ex-
traordinary powers were conferred on Presi-
dent Lincoln as had been given General
Washington or as have been conferred upon
President Wilson. But the President did not
hesitate to take, to himself and exercise
powers far more arbitrary than either Of the
other two ever assumed. President Lincoln
refused to recognize the writ Of habeas cor
pus regarded as the bulwark of individual
liberty under the common law, and the ia
nous John Merryman case became the talk
Of the English speaking world, Merryman,
arrested for sedition, sued out a writ of
habeas corpus and his position was affirmed
by the United States supreme court. But
the President ordered him locked up in a
fort and directed the commanding general
not to permit United States marshal to
enter or any one to serve papers. The Mer-
ryman case established a precedent and
thousands Of citizens were locked up till the
end Of the war without ever being informed
as to the charges against them. 1t was
time of war and war upsets all normal con-
ditions and presidents.
And on rights of property President Lin
coin made himself as much of dictator as
on the question of individual liberty. The
slave was property under the Constitution
and laws Of the country. Yet at stroke Of
the pen this entire property. amounting to
some three-quarters Of billion of dollars,
was wiped out. The loyal citizen and the
rebel alike was the loser. There was no ques-
ton Of humanity involved, no right or wrong
Of slavery considered. But emancipation ac-
cording to the language Of the proclamation
itself was ian act warranted by the Constitu-
ton upon military necessity" When Presi-
dent Lincoln was reminded that he had no
right under the Constitution and the laws to
order troops into or to cross the soil of States
like Maryland and Delaware not in rebellion
without request or permit from the gov
ernor of such States he replied, "The troops
cannot crawl under nor fly over these States
and as they must come to Washington they
will cross in the usual way, governors per-
NIT or not" And they did. The exigencies
of war required it and as commander-in-chief
he ordered the movement.
If President. Wilson had not been vested
with the extraordinary powers by Congress,
giving him authority to meet the emer-
gencies he has had to meet, but had ''taken
on HIMSELF all the responsibilities that he
has taken and done all the things he has
done merely in the exercise Of his constitu-
tional right as commander-in-chief of the
army and navy to meet the exigencies of
war, would he have gone further than did
President Lincoln under similar pressure?
It was war time then and it's war time
now, and under President Wilson as under
Washington and Lincoln the conventional
ties of peace must give way to the necessi-
ties of war.
War is a one man job. Whether it be
waged by democracy or an autocracy the
power must be lodged mainly in one man.
Washington was criticised-bitterly, I'M
fairly. remorselessly criticised. So was Lin
coin and SO is, and will be, President Wilson.
In the multiplicity of the duties loaded on
one man much must be trusted to subordi-
mates and the one man carrying the burden
will not always be able to assure himself of
the aid Of the right man or the best man for
the work. This is unavoidably the case. In
the natural working of human activities it
couldn't be otherwise. No matter how faith
full the subordinates be or even how able,
sometimes ,unftness or want Of adaptability
to the special task imposed will irritate the
public and impose what seems to be unneces-
sarY burdens and uncalled for hardships.
This cannot be avoided entirely, no matter
what the effort be. And the intelligent pub
lie understanding the burdens and the in
tricacies do not expect it to be avoided. On
the contrary, the people are prepared to
carry their shares of the troubles. They will
cheerfully meet all necessary sacrifices in aid
ing the President to win the war. They will
even stand their full share Of unnecessary
sacrifices, but they are reasonable in asking
that the unnecessary sacrifices be made as
few and as light as possible. In this there is
no difference between the desires Of the peo-
pie and the earnest efforts of the President
and those laboring under him.
The President has had laid on him, and has
"taken on himself" the most stupendous bur
den ever carried by human being. He is
not staggering nor stumbling under it, but
is going forward steadily; with even step and
clear perception. And as he proceeds the
world is more and more convinced that he has
not "taken on HIMSELF more than he can
carry.
MARTIN H. GLYNN.