The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-16 00:00:00

"BL A CKW 00D' S MA GAZIN E" ON TO
OUTGOJXG AND THE INCOMING PRESIDES r•

(From the Anglo-American Times.)
There is an article in Blackwoods 1110 azine of
this month on " The Outgoing and the Incoming,
President." Both Andrew Johnson and Genera
Grant are sketched, but scarcely with the usual
accuracy of that periodical. This outline of Grant
career contains many errors which may well SIP
prise, considering to what notoriety within so We
a period he has attained. It is not our business!
however, to correct these, but we desire to extract
some remarks of interest with which the article at
the same time abounds. The writer says that after
General Joseph E. Johnston was removed—a 'las,
take of Mr. Jefferson Davis—and General 1100
substituted, Sherman saw his chance " with
inspiration of genius, and telegraphed to General
Grant before Richmond for permission to mare
with 50,000 men from Atlanta, right through the
heart of Georgia. It was a march of 350 miles t°
the city of Savannah, and the road was full of p 0
sible and but too probable dangers. Grant
ova
sitting in his tent before Richmond thinking $l3.
smoking, as is his wont, when the telegram 113
cipher was received. lie read and reread it sell
•
ral times, and smoked and smoked with a vigelir
apportioned to the importance of his silent cogitty
Lions. When he had thought it over sutlieiendl;
he called a council of war, and submitted the curt
and emphatic document to the opinion of his off;
cers. Nobody knew what to make of it or NO°
to advise. Grant smoked, and passed no °pie°
for some time. At last, having heard what ever
body had to say, he put the telegram in his pocket'
drew the cigar from between his lips, and said,
while he knocked away the ash preparatory t
another whiff—' Gentlemen, the General must a°,
as he thinks best. In the art of war we are all a °
babies compared with Sherman." On the nightt
of the 6th December, Mr. Lincoln addressing tfr
excited crowd from the balcony of the White
[louse, said, "Fellow-citizens--I know where Sher;
man went in, but I don't know where he will Core
out." Nor did anybody else except Grant. Maga
i
gives the following foot-note to show the love 4/
the mass of Northerners for the Union--f°t
which they were prepared to sacrifice anythiogt
even liberty—" While the Convention that norsl
•
nated Abraham Lincoln for the second term 1.°6
sitting at Baltimore, in July, 1864, a Wester:
orator, of Irish extraction, related a story of
patriotic old lady at Cincinnati, who had seven 030
killed in the bloody battles of the North. The •
\iayor and Corporation of the City sent a depetlo
tion to condole with the good woman on her grog
loss. " Never mind me, gentlemen," said the old
lady, " I only wish I had known when I vas 0
younger woman that this war was coming, allci„ -
,vould have had seventeen sons instead of seven
I'o
ight the battles of the Union." The writer
ivance is the touchstone of General Grant's ro
,idency—holding to the opinion that repudiation isfto
From being dead. " All other questions are sre3jil;
nd of poor account, compared with this. And age
)f the difficulties in his path—and a very consider,
tole difficulty he is likely to find it—is that a verio,
argent and powerful section of the people does ri° o
want to pay the piper at all." "Repudiation is
of
)dious word to the merchants and bankers of Sei
York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston, and toy 0
he leading commercial people throughout
Union ; but not odious to the farmers and mei°
nits of the Far West, or to the bulk of the Soutber„,
people, forced by the superior authority of the
vincible North to renudiate their own war debt, $l/f
not at all indisposed to be freed from the weight
taxation imposed upon them to help to pay the e:o
penses of their own subjugation." The questl9o
is one of expediency, of policy, of wisdom,0
well as of morality. Blackwood's foot-note 11„
have given, was intended to show what Amer
cans will give and endure for the Union. ,
they are persuaded that the interests of that T.501°,1
will be forwarded by honesty in this matter, $
ieeply injured by dishonesty, why should they 11?
endure in this matter as well as on the battle-fiel)
We do not disguise the truth that it is possible I°4
the question again to come up, but we doubt Who
under any circumstances, can it advance to °I
front under more favourable auspices than last 0';
when it was most disgracefully defeated, and driVe,,,
with ignominy from the field. We do not think bort
holders need entertain much fear, but no one oil
any time say they are absolutely safe.