JOHN STUART MILL'S DEFENCE OF AMERICA. going, that human beings should be burned alive. The calm and dispassionate Mr. Olmsted affirms that there has not been a single year, for many years past, in which this horror is not known to have been perpetrated in some part or other of the South. And not upon negroes only; the Edinburgh Review, in a recent number, gave the hideous details of the burning alive of an unfortunate Northern huckster by lynch law, on the mere suspicion of having aided in the escape of a slave. What must American Slavery be, if deeds like these are necessary under it? and if they are not necessary and are yet done, is not the evidence against Slavery still more damning? The South are in rebellion not for simple slavery; they are in rebellion for the right of burning human beings alive." Mr. Mill turned next to a common defence of the Rebellion on the lips of many Englishmen, that the South, having a right to separate, the disunion should have been consented to at the first demand by the North, who in resisting it had committed a similar wrong with the England of George III. in the contest with the American colonies. The answer to this was given with a touch of irony. "This," said he, "is carrying the doctrine of the sacred right of insurrection rather far. It is wonderful how easy and liberal and complying people can be in other people's concerns. Because they are willing to surrender their own pact, and have no objection to join in reprobation of their great grandfathers, they never put themselves the question what they themselves would do in circumstances far less trying, under far less pressure of real national calamity. Would those who profess these ardent revolutionary principles consent to this being applied to Ireland, or India, or the Ionian Islands? How have they 159 treated those who did attempt so to apply them?" In this easy and masterly way the acute dialectician turned the tables upon the accusers of the United States, of the high tory party, who thus saw themselves repudiating the wisdom of their ancestors by which they were accustomed to swear, and contradicting the genius of their order by advocating the lowest pretences of revolutionary license. It was this that made America so impatient of the criticism of England, and judge it to be hypocritical, prejudiced and unfriendly. Looking to Great Britain as the land of all others where the principles of law and order were understood and respected, she had reason to expect that the first grand vindication of her violated Constitution, which had been forced upon her, would receive, if not admiration, at least sympathy and respect. When, on the contrary, the costly effort was received with reproach and pretended contempt, there was little wonder that the nation felt aggrieved. The perplexities and contradictions of the English mind over this very simple affair, in which there should have been in their own avowed rules of judgment room for not a moment's hesitation, present one of not the least noticeable phenomena of this extraordinary period. We need not here present Mr. Mill's speculations farther. They will be remembered and sought for with the ablest documents of the time, and read not only for their acuteness at a time when the judgments of very many intelligent Englishmen were very much astray, but as an historical memorial of the perverted reason of the hour which they combated. As an aid to the formation of a sound public opinion in Great Britain respecting the national cause in America, the essay was of the highest importance. CHAPTER XLVIII. GENERAL HALLECK'S DEPARTMENT OF MISSOURI, NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 1861. On the removal of General Fremont we have seen General Hunter placed in command of the army in Missouri. The arrangement was a temporary one pending the reorganization of the Department meditated at Washington. By a General Order from the War Office, dated the 9th of November, a week after Fremont's dismissal General Halleck was appointed to the command of the new Department of the Missouri, including the States of Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Arkansas, and that portion of Kentucky west of the Cumberland river; the remainder of the last mentioned State being included in the new Department of the Ohio, assigned to General Buel. To General Hunter was given the Department of Kansas, embracing the State of Kansas, the Indian Territory West of Arkansas, and the Territories of Nebraska, Colorado, and Dakota. The Department of Mexico, consisting of the Territory of New Mexico, was assigned to Colonel E. R. S. Canby. The last mentioned officer, on whose patriotism and energy the Government relied not in vain for the preservation, under many difficulties of this imperilled region was a native of Kentucky, a graduate of West Point of 1839, in the same class with General Halleck. Entering the 2d Infantry, he was in 1846 promoted to a 1st Lieutenancy. He served with distinction in the war with Mexico, being brevetted Major, and subsequently Lieutenant-Colonel, for his gallantry in the battles before and at the capture of the capitol. In May, 1861, on the increase of the regular army, he was promoted to the Colonelcy of the new 19th regiment of Infantry. The management of his department of New Mexico required the utmost circumspection and vigilance. The line of the Rio Grande on which above and below the important position of Santa Fe the Government posts were located, as a protection of the country against Indian ravages, was beset by armed bands of insurgents from Texas, where by treason and violence, as we have seen, the enemy had early gained possession of the southerly chain of forts or military stations. Lieutenant-Colonel Baylor, a rebel officer, in August, claimed possession of Arizona, issuing a Proclamation declaring the country under military government as a part of the Confederate States. By the surrender of Fort Fillmore and the other stations below, the National defence became limited to the Forts more immediately around Santa Fe, of which Fort Craig on the southwest, and Fort Union nearer at hand or the north-east, were the most important. Henry Wager Halleck, the new Commander of the Department including Missouri, like his distinguished associate, General McClellan, was one of the officers of the regular army, whose education and experience led the country to anticipate the greatest benefits from their services at the present time. Both highly accomplished, distinguished for the solidity of their attainments in the profession to which they had been brought up, they had enjoyed in a remarkable degree the confidence and favor of the head of the army, General Scott, at whose recommendation they were at once raised to their eminent positions. It happened also, that each had left the army for the pursuits of civil life. Neither, however, had lost sight of his military calling, and MAJOR-GENERAL HALLECK. 161 each was ready at the first intimation to men, rescued two naval officers and sevobey the call of his country. Henry eral marines who were prisoners of war, Wager Halleck, was born in the year captured the enemy's flag, two Mexican 1816, in Weston, Oneida county, in the officers and the Governor's archives, the State of New York. After passing some Governor barely escaping in his night time at Union College, he entered the clothes. At Todos Santa, he led into Military Academy at West Point, as a action the main body of Colonel Burton's cadet in 1835, graduated with distinction forces. In the naval descent upon Main 1839, and was brevetted 2d Lieuten-zatlan, he acted as aid to Commodore ant of Engineers. He remained for a Shubrick, and afterwards as Chief of year at the Academy as Assistant Pro- Staff and Lieutenant-Governor of the fessor of Engineering. In 1841, he was city. As Chief Engineer he planned and Assistant to the Chief Engineer, General directed the construction of the fortificaTotten, in Washington. His "Papers on tions at that place. In 1848, he was Practical Engineering," were published at brevetted Captain, "for gallant conduct this time by the Engineer Department. in affairs with the enemy on the 19th For the next three years he was employ- and 20th days of November, 1847, and ed on the fortifications of New York for meritorious service in California." harbor. He then went to Europe in He was Secretary of State of the Provcompany with Marshal Bertrand, by ince of California, under the military whom he was introduced to Marshal governments of Generals Kearney, MaSoult, then Prime Minister of Louis Phi- son, and Riley, from 1847 to the end of lippe, and received every facility in ex- 1849; and was a leading member of amining the military works of France. the Convention in 1849 to form, and of After prosecuting similar investigations the Committee to draft, the Constitution in Germany, Italy, and England, he re- of the State of California. From 1847 turned to the United States at the end to 1850, he directed and superintended of the Mexican war. In 1844, Congress the entire collection of the public revepublished his " Report on Military De-nues in California, amounting to several fences." In 1845, he was appointed millions of dollars. His decisions in 1st Lieutenant in the Engineer corps, these collections, assailed at the time, and was chosen that year by the Com- were sustained by the Supreme Court. mittee of the Lowell Institute, at Boston, In July, 1853, he was appointed Captain to deliver one of the regular courses of of Engineers. Seeking more active emlectures before the institution. He took ployment than the army afforded, he refor his subject "Military Art and Sci- signed August 1st, 1854, and devoted ence." He incorporated the lectures the himself to the legal profession. At the following year in a volume published at outbreak of the rebellion, he was the New York, with an introduction on the principal partner in the law firm of Hal"Justifiableness of War." The Mexican leck, Peachey and Billings, of San Franwar then occurring immediately after the cisco. He still continued his attention battle of Palo Alto, he was sent to Cali- to literary pursuits, and had just pubfornia and the Pacific Coast, where he lished an important book on International served during the war in both a civil and Law. In December, 1860, he was apmilitary capacity. He was present in pointed Major-General of militia in Calivarious engagements with the enemy, fornia, and acted in that capacity till the particularly at San Antonio, where he receipt of his commission as Major-Genmarched with about 30 mounted volun- eral of the regular army. The latter teers 120 miles in 28 hours, surprised was dated August 19th, 1861, ranking the enemy's garrison of several hundred him third on the list of general officers |