The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-09-05

Time for Action and Not for Words.
The newspapers ere filed with praises of
the speech delivered at Irving Hall by Mr.. Holt,
formerly Postmaster General and Secretary of
! War under Mr.. Buchanan. The speech is no
doubt very good one in its way, and in it's
| proper time and place would merit all that is
said Of it. 1t seems, however, like waste Of
the flowers of oratory for the speaker to deliver
these brilliant and patriotic illusions in New
York, Boston and other Northern cities. where
people are all of the same way of thinking, and
where there is absolutely nobody to convince.
1t is time that Mr.. Holt and others like him,
should understand that the era Of stump speeches
has passed away, and that we are entering upon
one in which genius and action will alone suit
the exisencies of the times. Stump speaking
has debauched and ruined the country, aud those
who, on the strength of this single qualification,
have contrived to push themselves into places
of power and influence, are being rapidly thrust
aside to make way for men of capacity and
energy. General Mcclellan understands the
drama and the age, and makes TO stump
speeches. When, returning from his victories in
Virginia to assume the command of the army
OF the Potomac, he was called upon in Philadel-
phia to address the crowd that assembled to
offer him an ovation, he declined, with the en-
phatic remark that this was not a time for
speaking, but for action. Nor does General
Fremont make stump speeches. T" Friends"
said he at Cairo, when called out by the crowd,
Il have too much work before me to think of
"a L., Z 4. t.ff- r..
over, aud will give you MS many speeches as
you will care to listen to-" And so with
General Wool and General Banks. The former
uses no more words than are necessary to make
his orders understood and the latter though
one of the finest stump speakers in the country,
finds that he has something more important to
do than to crafty his tastes or the tastes Of
Others in this respect. Inter aryna silent Gague
Is now the motto and rule of conduct Of our
representative men, The takers will conse-
quently have to yield the stage to the workers.
and retire to the background until the shifting
scenes Of the drama admit of another interval OF
suspended action, when the monologuo aud
chorus may again resume their places.
MIR. Holt surely does not wish to occupy the
position of the unlucky comedian who got shut
out before the drop curtain, thus affording the
audience surplusage fmirth. We are sick to
nausea of speeches here in New York, and GER
tainly do not desire larger supply just now.
Len him go to Kentucky, whose fortunes are
balancing in the wind, and where his accom-
plishments rs stump speaker may be of some
use. Ii there, as here, the time be gone
by for talking, he can at least shoulder mus
ket and do good service in the field in defence
ofthe Union and Of his native State against the
encrOachments of the Southern traitors
There are among the men of action, too,
some who need word of advice. Our sue
cesses since the commencement of the
war have not been either so important
or so numerous as to afford much room
for selfcOngratulation. We are afraid that
our people are getting into the bad habit of
making much of small victories. The effect of
this is to give our officers and soldiers false
estimate of the merit Of their own deeds "
we make heroes out of men who have performed
but very ordinary acts OF duty, where will be
the rewards of those who accomplish extra
ordinary results? 1t is not thus that great
armies are formed The highest honor that the
ambition of the English or French soldier
Graves is q few words of favorable recognition
in the report of his chief None but the con-
querors of provinces and kingdoms receive
public ovations. 1t is not so with U.S. No
sooner does the commander of a small expcdi-
ton accomplish Tie duty that he is sent upon
h.. b,,c al y,
he knows await him in the large cities This is
all wrong. Great services are entitled to great
rewards, and we do injustice to the deserving
by lavishng Unfortunately upon all
the tributes which are due only to
extraordinary merit. Its effect upon the morale
Of stimulating them to greater efforts it rciaxes
their energies. The leader who gains
small advantage over the enemy, instead OF
studying how to prosecute it TO greater results.
only busies himself to find pretext to get
home to enjoy the fluctuations of his friends and
neghbors. This must be stopped and the best
way to stop it is for the government to appoint
to important commands officers that it can
rely upon, and then to entrust them with
larger discretionary powers. The turn in the
tide of fortune inaugurated by the capture of
the Hatteras forts should have suffered no
pause. 1t is only by a series OF rapid blows Of
that kind that terror can be stricken into the
Southern heart and the backbone Of rebellion
broken. Let us have no more stump speeches
or public ovations. 1t will be time enough
for these when the work Of the campaign is got
Through.
Follow IT Ur-It is to be hoped that, with
all possible despatch, the late important victory
and occupation Of Hatteras Inlet will be fol-
lowed up in similar movements at other points
along the seaboard of our rcvolted States The
coast survey, in its maps and charts and
soundings, has furnished all the ncedful infor-
nation concerning tho inlpts chinup}a ha rhore