Year: 1861




The Duke Of Wellington used to say,
martial law is the will of the military CON-
mander." Though the definition Is COM
prchensive one, few generals conducting nc
tive operations, either offensive or defensive,
hut have. when tho occasion made It adyisa.
bic, acted fully up to Its terms. Nor Is 1t
either stnnge or unreasonable that they
should. An army is sent against the enemy
to beat him. A general sets out ON n cam.
paign with ono single purpose--to conquer
his antagonists. A nation goes to war to
put down its enemy 1t can only put down
an enemy by reducing him to submission
and for this purpose its generals must use
every meuns in their power, consistent with
humanity-and, by the rules Of war. they
may use some scarcely thus consistent-to
distress, disable and destroy the foe.


The autumn has so far advanced that we
may expect to sec active operations against
the rebels on large scale in few weeks
1t Is not expected that these operations will
be conducted on that border line which the
South Carolinians, with characteristic selfish
ness, hastened to make. the field Of war, to
save their own precious State from alarm and
injury. Our armies and our nayics will car.
ry the flag Of the Union into the southern
tier of States, and IL tho Government rightly
comprchends tho spirit Of the nation, 1t will
take care that the flag which was humiliated
at Fort Sumter is there hoisted in triumph
again ut an early day. .i '


Now, in any military operations conducted
In such States as South Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, the ques-
ton Of the powers Of general in the field
will have to be quickly decided in many in
terestng cases. Suppose, for instance, that
Gen. Mcclellan should enter the State Of
South Carolina with military force. Sup
pose him actively opposed by the insurgents,
and, far away from his supplies and rein.
lorcements, put upon his mettlc to sustain
himself and beat back the rebels. lie is too
able general not to avail himself, in such u
case, oil every advantage which the enemy's
situation or his own might afford him. lie
would probably by proclamation call on all
the loyal people Of tho State to rise to his
assistance. lilo would put arms into the
hands of all who might come, and form them
into regiments to be joined to his army. He
would dcnounce and inilict heavy penalties
such as conliscation Of property and even
loss of lirc-upon all citizens of the State
who in any manner gave aid to the insurgent
forces, and thus endcavor to array the resi-
dent population Of his field Of operations
against them. lie would destroy all proper.
ty of the enemy on which he could lay his
hands.


If the emergency should prove sufficiently
great, he would rightly iorcc every ablc.bod-
lee man in his reach to bear arms and help IN
his defence. And as South Carolina has a
negro population Of 402, 2,5il persons, ono
9Th of whom, or over $4,000, may fairly be
considered ablc.bodied men, who have the
added advantage. for military use. Of being
thoroughly familiar with the country. he
would not fail to call upon these to join him.
In TACT, he would compel them to join him.
where he could catch them and where they
were not in his reach he would offer such in
ducements as would be most sure to bring
them over to his side. In plain words. he
would offer them their liberty rs the reward
Of their aid-and it would be surprising II
the insurgents did not hasten to make the
same offer. In this case. however, our gen.
erals promise would receive more faith than
that OF u slaveholding commander, whom the
negroes would rightly suspect Of promising
against his will what he would hesitate to
perform IL he were victorious.


Now, in the emergency which we have
supposed-aud one which is very common in
all military opcrations-if the commanding
general had at every step to look at the la
test act Of Congress, and the moment it'
provisions did not cover his emergency u no
had to stop there, and then, and send MESA
res To the President for instructions, he might
as we'll, aud indeed much better. stay a' home |
The picturs Of commander making an at'
tack according to the act OF Congr~s, TO
,i.ting the enemy within tho limits OF the
Presidents instructions, seiring no advantage
without the permission Of the Secretary OF
War FIVE hundred miles away, is too absurd
to be soberly conceived by any body but
member of the white feather party. II Is
not possible to carry on campaign In this
way. While the enemy was acting with |
vigor in every direction, our poor commander
would be looking anIiou.ly for his expresses
from Washington. While the insurgents
were firing houses, destroying fields, carrying
of property and slaves or citiIens-as they
have already done in Missouri and Kentucky |