True in a measure; but the commander-in-chief must be given some instructions, even if they be general, for the reason that the commander-in-chief is merely an instrument for enforcing a certain policy.

Clearly, he must know what the policy is, what the department desires; and the mere statement of the department's desires is of itself an order.

If it is admitted that the commander-in-chief is to carry out the orders of the department, it remains merely to decide in how great detail those orders ought to be.
No general answer can be given to the question: "In what detail shall the orders be ?" The general statement can be made, however, that the instructions should be confined as closely as practicable to a statement of the department's desires, and that this statement should be as clear as possible.

If, for instance, the only desire of the department is that the enemy's fleet shall be defeated, no amplification of this statement is required.

But if the department should desire, for reasons best known to itself, that the enemy should be defeated by the use of a certain method, then that should be stated also.