The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-03-29
HOWAJII.
NOTICE OF THE LATE MAJOR GENERAL brown

BY MAJOR GENERAL JEsUP
Among the eminent of whom country has been
prolific the of the late General Brown stands in
bold relief To form proper estimate of his merits how
ever it is not sufficient that consider his victories alone
brilliant they certainly were but to do full justice to
his character and his abilities commander should
also take into consideration the circumstances Of the times
and the situation of the country and the army when he
was placed in command.
The campaign Of 1918 had terminated to the North in
of failures and disasters which, united to divided
counsels and fiscal difficulties had spread general gloom
over the whole country The apprehension began to be
extensively entertained that had far degenerated
from the revolutionary stock in all the higher qualities Of
the soldier and the citizen be incapable of those e
forts of courage and Of patriotism necessary to command
success There wanting individuals high in po
litical station and still higher in the confidence of
spectacle portions of the community who considering
our institutions too feeble for war, ascrbed all our
disasters to them And officers Of rank known
publicly to acknowledge that We were inferior to
the enemy in all the essential military qualities. The
military character had so far fallen in public est-
nation that in the part of 1873 and the early
part of 1914 officer could scarcely pass through sim
gle street in any of our towns or cities without dam
ger of insult The military seemed to be identified in the
public mind with the idea of cowardice pusanmity and
dishonor General Brown fully aware of the difficulties
which encompassed him. assumed the command Of army
deeply sensible he himself of the position held
in public opinion and determined to wipe off the stigma
attached to the military character perish in the attempt
In order make the most of the admirable spirit which
animated the corps he commanded he resolved Immediately
active operations. To the suggestions of the timd, who
urged that troops unable to contend sue
cessuly in the field with the disciplined troops Of the
envy he replied that were equal to them individually
and there was reason why we should not equal them
collectively To those who urged that great object was
TO be attained by invading Canada from the Niagara he
replied that could at least do duty and If others
performed theirs should make powerful diversion in
favor of the main army operating upon Lake Champlan
but if We should even fail in that object we might strike
such blow to re-estabsh the military character of
the country, which, in his estimation, was worth any
sacrifice that of the whole corps he commanded.
Having entered the enemys territory, he set the
If on al
cared that he would have skuking under mean dis
guises from his example and that of other chiefs it be-
point of honor with the officers of the army TO
at all times whatsoever the country allowed them to
wear. The measure operated severely upon them but its
moral effect upon the troops electrical and this was
perhaps one OF the great springs to the success which fol-
lowed.
Without the advantages of early education with no
other preparation but that which vigorous mind, aided
by the accidental observation of few months previous
service had enabled him make Brown assumed the Of
nsve at the head of army of recruits and volunteers
and opposed by able general followed by gallant and
veteran battalions, he the fortunate individual who
turned in favor the tide of victory then running rap
idly against us; and in series of weought actions in
which his army sometimes the assaan sometimes the
assaed he restored the furnished military reputation of
the country to its original brightness and won for himself
a lasting renown
There moral grandeur in the efforts Of uuaded in
telcct forcing its by its intrinsic the
conventional barriers of custom and prejudice 10 the COM
handing cminences of society In times OF calm and quiet
those high places often obtained by mediocrity with
certainty than by great character transcend
ability because, in snch times, course of in
rgue ofow cunning, and base subserviency often
necessary to which high honor and
conscious ability stoop But in those times of
storm which the history of nations sometimes exhibits
when the tug OF and disaster follows disaster
when the political edihce shaken TO its centre and
society as were resolved into its eenentshen is
that the insect tribe brushed away and eagle spirits
soar then it is that those master-spiris qualified to
mark distinguish the period in which they live step
forth and assume by general suffrage the stations which
Nature intended they should occupy The plain the un-
assuming Brown OF those master-spirts IL is inn
possible for those who knew him only in the bosom Of
cety TO conception of the astonishing grasp Of his
intellect or Of his great moral ntrepdity. Calm, cool,
collected and sepossessed, he not to be shaken by
any circumstances however unforeseen appalling Fer
tile expeden he kept his antagonist in state Of con-
alarm With soundness of judgment and quick
of perception rarely surpassed he faihomed the plans
of the enemy by intuition and perceived all his faults
in instant and prompt in his decisions he never failed
TO strike at the proper time and with the most decisive
effect
TBr BANK or CoNsrRon--Therc slight run tsays
the Baltimore Patriot Of Tuesday, this bank yesterday
about $4,000 less than per cent ofits circulation hav
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