Virginia Free Press

The Civil over the Military.

Gen. Hancock, the successor of Sheridan in command of the Military District of Louisiana and Texas, like a true hero and a gentleman, is undoing some of the arbitrary acts of his predecessor: such, for instance, as the order for revision of the jury lists so as to exclude all citizens not registered voters under the reconstruction acts.
Gen. Hancock, in his revocation order of the 5th, says:
The true and proper use of military power, besides defending the national honor against foreign nations, is to uphold the laws and civil government, and to secure to every person residing among us the enjoyment of life, liberty and prosperity.
It is accordingly made, by act of Congress the duty of the Commander of this District to protect all persons in these rights, to suppress disorder and violence, and to punish or cause to be punished all disturbers of the public peace and criminals. The Commanding General has been officially informed that the administration of justice, and especially of criminal justice, in the courts, is classed, by paragraph No. 2 of Order No. 125
To determine who shall and who shall not be jurors appertains to the legislative power. and until the laws in existence regulating this subject shall be amended or changed by that department of the civil government which the constitutions of all the States under our republican system vest with that power, it is deemed best to carry out the will of the people as expressed in the last legislative act upon this subject.
The qualification of a juror, under the law is a proper subject for the decision of the courts.
The commanding general, in the discharge of the trust reposed in him, will maintain the just power of the judiciary, and is unwilling to permit the civil authorities and laws to be embarrassed by military interference, and as it is an established fact that the administration of justice in the ordinary tribunals is greatly embarrassed by the operations of paragraph 2 of order No. 125, it is ordered that the said paragraph, which relates to the qualifications of persons to be placed on the jury lists of the State of Louisiana, be and the same is hereby revoked, and that trial by jury be henceforth regulated and controlled by the constitution and civil laws, without regard to any military order heretofore issued from these headquarters.