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Show 2() THE GOLDEN HOUR. IV. 1\i I L I T A R y N E C E S S I T Y · IT is claimed that tho military general is tho judge of what 1nilitary noces ·ity requires. Tho 1uilitary general is tho judge of tho methods by which certain 1noven1ents arc to be acco1nplishod. It is manifest, ho,vevcr, that pccific lllOYOmCnts anu 1nethocls arc, to a groat extent, determined. by tho great object to be accon1pli ·hod by tho entire syston1 of 1novoments. General nfcClellan is tho j udgo of how to roach Rich· 1nond; but of the object \VO have in reaching Richmond he is not at all tho juJge. The nation n1n t a ign tho ain1 and then its officers mu t decide what n1oans aro ' necessary to that aim. It is clear, that, if tho dernancl of tho nation wore ·i1nply that our flng should wave over sorno forts and cu 'ton1-houses fron1 \vhich it has been taken down, tho n1iliLary necos ·itios involved would be Yery different fro1n what they woul<l be if tho demand 'vero that thi rebellion should be crushed in such a \vay a that it houl<l be ab ·olutcly i1npos· siblo over to have another. Tho war power is not lin1itc<l to a . pacific 1nilitary move1ncnt, lJut extends to any ain1 \vhieh tho people n1ay hold as essential to the staLility, peace, and honor of their country. Tho war power- tho po\ver unsealed by military MILITARY NECESSITY. 27 necc sity- is not dependent in its action upon the absolute indi pensablcness of the 1ncasurcs it proposes. It is ju ·tificu in that it secures any advantage greater than the price paid. If a conflagration were svvccping through a city, and there were a probability that the blowing up of John Doc's house would arrest it, John Doc's lawful "ca tic" vvonld be blown up. J. D. 1njght give goou reasons to show that the ·flame · ·would. pre cntly be arrested without that n1easurc; but if it were probable that t-wo hou cs might be saved by destroying this one, it would be done. In such cn1ergcncies the scale of values rules. The cow-shed must be sacrificed for the caLin, the cabin for the mansion, the mansion for two 1nansions. Thus no advantage could be so s1nall but it would, by martial law, justify the destruction of Slavery. If by aboli hing the unn1itigated curse of this land the life of one soldier could be saved, we should be the 1nurdcrcrs of that soldier if we did not abolish it. If by slaying this pursuing dcn1on we could bring peace to the country ten 1ninutcs sooner than without it, we should be traitors to civilization if we did not do it. For the one soldier's life, tho ten 1ninutos' additional peace, would be worth something ; tho infernal thing we should pay for these must be reckoned worth loss than nothing. IN WAR SL.A. VERY IS THE STRENGTII OF THE SOUTH. - rrhe institution of Slavery, which in time of peace is a weakness of the South, is in time of war, and un- |