al scheme of major-generals: the
Lord-Protector and his Council of State having well considered and found
it the feasiblest,--'if not _good_, yet best.' 'It is an arbitrary
government,' murmur many. Yes, arbitrary, but beneficial. _These are
powers unknown to the English Constitution, I believe; but they are very
necessary for the Puritan English nation at this time._"[9]

Perhaps no better words could be found in explanation of the Cromwellian
policy adopted by our President.

A contemporary Royalist, Colonel Ludlow, whose "Memoirs" add to our
authentic history of those interesting times, characterizes these
military magistrates as so many "bashaws." Here are some of his words:--

"The major-generals carried things with unheard-of insolence in their
several precincts, decimating to extremity whom they pleased, and
interrupting the proceedings at law upon petitions of those who
pretended themselves aggrieved, _threatening such as would not yield a
manly submission to their orders with transportation to Jamaica or some
other plantation in the West Indies_."[10]

Again, says the same contemporary writer:--

"There were sometimes bitter reflections cast upon the proceedings of
the major-generals by the lawyers and country-gentlemen, who accused
them to have done many things oppressive to the people, in interrupting
the course of the law, and _threatening such as would not submit to
their arbitrary orders with transportation beyond the seas_."[11]

At last, even Cromwell, at the height of his power, found it necessary
to abandon the policy of military governors. He authorized his
son-in-law, Mr. Claypole, to announce in Parliament, "that he had
formerly thought it necessary, in respect to the condition in which the
nation had been, that the major-generals should be intrusted with the
authority which they had exercised; but in the present state of affairs
he conceived it inconsistent with the laws of England and liberties of
the people to continue their power any longer."[12]

The conduct of at least one of our military magistrates seems to have
been a counterpart to that of these "bashaws" of Cromwell; and there is
no argument against that early military despotism which may not be urged
against any attempt to revive it in our day. Some of the acts of
Governor Stanley in North Carolina are in themselves an argument against
the whole system.

It is clear that these military magistrates are without any direct
sanction