The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1858-04-17
Washington, the Soldier.
Extract from Mr.. Hunters Grafton at Ric

Extract from Mr.. Hunters Grafton at Rich.
mond, on Monday last !: MAJ lfs
1t was wn,he public hope was lowest and
the public mind was most Respondent that the
trumpet of the Leader proclaimed loudest, and
with no uncertain sound, his faith in the aid OF
Providence and the ultimate success Of the
cafse. Then indeed it was that the shont Of a
king was among them. These things he did
because he knew the chief strength of its de-
fence lay in the public opinion Of the country
fwhose forces, while mai stained, were the true
reserve Oh which his arr y might depend with
absolute confidence, 81 eh were the means
with which he wrested a mighty empire from
the most powerful nation on earth. II, then,
as have said before, mil tary genius is to be
measured by what it acc ,mplished, need we
fen th, comparison betw IN Washington and
The most distinguished ca ,tains of the world?
Alexander manguvered upon a larger scale,
and conquered 10 batts5s where multitudcs
were engaged, and there were greater nurner-
leal odds aginst him but he led d people and
an army Jar superior in all the arts Of peace
and war 70 the snbjugation Of inferior nations,
who had no common bond except the fact OF
acknowledging the san,e master. He struck
with his mailed hand at q social systen,
mighty, It Is true, but it was n Heclying str,iSe-
tt're, which clumblea into fragments under the
force of the blow and yet be built up and
constructed no new organization, leaving il to-
his successors to form other combinations OUT
OF the ruins. Washington wrested an empire
as large IN extent, from a greatly superior,
power, with undisciplined troops aud inferior
means. Nor did he fail to complete his
achievement for be ives mainly instrumental
IN erecting upon the ruins of the old a new.
social system, which, from his time until the
present, has been daily developing new comb.
nations of beauty and of strength. and has
Become the study of statesmen and the bope
and the delight Of thefriends of liberty thronph.
out the world. NO.
Hannibal attacked an equal, and with troons
perhaps but little superior to those whom 10
encountered. Breaking over the bearer Of the
Alps, be passed through Italy with a series of
battles and manGnvres far more striking than
anything in the war of. our Reyolntion and
constituting, perhaps, the most wonderful miI;-
lafv achieyements Of antiquity. But he failed
~ all the objects Of the war, and was bafflrd
q inc ma result Of his campaigns, which ended
~ ms defeat by Seipio at Zama. and the entire
olnga,1ons OF his country to her hated rival.
II NaSllngton could not have freed the
barriers OF the Alps and fought the battles of
ne y feoia I~hrasymene. and CannE, rs did
1t IS perhaps still more probable
nal tne latter could not have conducted sue.
esSlnily the war of the American revolution
sin saeh means as were placed at the disposal
.ne former. hazard, perhaps, little in saw.
ng mat Washington would have made a more
Ril'iul use of the disaffection to the Roman
wv which prevailed among so many con.
|uefed Italian States than did Hannibal nor
; y probable that he would have permitted an
n'ire army to march unmolested before bs
70 the destruction of his brothers f1rcns
n which rested his only hope of success.
Inc great Cesar, who has been denomipated
: me foremost man in all the world by the
lea'eS' master Of The human heart who has
swept us chords, can hardly be said to
la''ed IN any object of his serious pursuit
wv ne' 100 Away, commanded troops who
.e'e opp,oiIel'ls IN discipline aud efficiency. OK.
'Pt at mat battle in which he was near suffer
X aeieat from the sons of Pompey. His
avs were mostly with barbarians, in which. It
l9ae, ne accomplished great results and made
or no mistakes, Bat if his results were
lse' SO were his means, and in his case the
were lar more equally proportioned than
~ washington. lie was the first of his
'uolfymen to comprehend the fact that the
oman empire had grown beyond the capacitv
us municipal institutions to govern It, ana
o.oh lheir ruins he established an orooni2o 4 ~
centrallzed power, which, for its durai;on /
~ eliects' IS the most wonderful of ali tha 1
c,al systems which have been tested bv time {
he did it, at the expense of the Roman 4
,.o,pie' their power. their prestige, and in vin, /
lioh OF all that they esteemed most rinr;ons {
ID sacred in their old traditions, Pomn mma t
become the seat of a. greater power Svere tI Mas ),
!, na'' ever known before, but it was no lon~ar i
roman power The transcript fithers m1st
" make a place for the Gaui and ,he s a,'n
70 the imperial scat of power itself mirh, :
liied ,rom provinces, and the mighty lsa5
sp ing beside the Appiap Way, Whose ears J.
. oeen so long used to the grateful sbont If h
zoe when nsherea in the barbarian cba;na1 ia
a captive to the car of triumph. mnst Lavo D
'aea N Their graves to hear him mareb;ng .,
me ehlef seats of Roman power. and IN fel ott
me cpns1ISllPs and curnle dirnitins yb;ch NJ
81 long had bDen represented b, the imama' b!
Ii were The sacred ornaments of their house.
re no" equally open to The CRASH of tha IN
anger. The ashes Of the SeryiI,i tho Ma ; LIZ = "a
Inc Sclpios mnsi have hin in nneosv cono'
lonShip with those of the fan5r,a' ~