The late Military execution.
A prest deal of sympathy has been expressed for the fate of the two men who were executed last week for deserting their colors, and going home without leave.
For the fate of three men we feel as deeply, probably, as any others not immediately connected with them; yet we can very well perceive the absolute necessity of making an example.
The crime of desertion has become fearfully prevalent in the army, and, unless we have determined to abandon the cause altogether, it must be stopped.
Every other method has been tried in vain.
The authorities resorted to the punishment of death with extreme reluctance, and at last only because they saw that nothing else would do.
It has been said that these men did nothing more than what they saw others continually doing, and that it was hard to punish them alone while there were so many others guilty.
We do not exactly see the force of this argument, nor can we understand why it is any extenuation of one man's guilt that another man has been guilty likewise.--The clemency of the
Executive has had a most disastrous effect.
If it was designed for kindness, it has turned out to be anything else.
This is one of those cases in which mercy is the greatest cruelty.
The absolute necessity of putting a stop to the practice is obvious.
It is a practice which, more than any other, is encouraged by example.--If a firm stand had been taken in the beginning, and the first man who deserted his colors been punished, there would have been an end of the thing.
But when the soldiers saw men deserting everyday, and brought back without being punished, what was more natural than that many of them should imitate the example!
We are aware that this punishment came upon these soldiers with the force, somewhat, of an
expost facto law. They had seen so many go unpunished that they believed nobody would be. Nor was it likely that they should conceive themselves to be doing anything very wrong, when they saw so many others doing the same thing with impunity.
Yet they knew the law and the penalty it imposed.
They had no right to believe that they could violate it with impunity, because others had done so. We have heard it said that the authorities ought to have made a proclamation of their intention hereafter rigidly to enforce the law. Perhaps it would have been better and we hope, even now, it will be done.
But still, even if they did not do so, there is not a man in the army who does not know that desertion is punishable with death.
Should no such proclamation be made, however, it is now at least well understood that the consequence of desertion will be fatal henceforth for the rest of the war. It will not do to trifle with this law. The salvation of the country depends upon its execution with the utmost fidelity.
Every man who has any conception of the fearful extent to which the crime of desertion has gone, will at once be convinced of this fact.
It is supererogatory to plead the hardship of individual cases.
Every man in the ranks can with perfect truth present a case full of hardships.
All have been called to the service of the country at enormous sacrifices.
All have given up home, friends, everything that makes life desirable.
What would be an excuse for one man would be an excuse for all. To place the question upon individual cases is to dissolve the army.
To say that a man has fought gallantly is no excuse, although a man who fights gallantly is not apt to desert.
The rule is positive, absolute, irrefragable.
It must be so, or there can be no army.
We hope the
President will take this occasion to issue a proclamation offering pardon to all deserters who will return to their colors by a named day, and distinctly declaring that he will not interfere to prevent the death penalty in any case of conviction for the same offence thereafter.
We hope, too, that Congress will pass some law enabling him to get rid of unworthy and incompetent officers.--It is they who are the really guilty parties in most cases of desertion.
It is their criminal neglect of duty that occasions the entire relaxation of discipline which leads to it. If there is no law to punish them let one be made.
