The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-05-11
BEAuREGsRn

II - disgracrfal fact fba, tn. Officer !,
command Of the rebel troops in Charie.;on
who have overcome the forlorn hone q
Major Anderson, was, until within = fev
WEEKS, trusted officer of our poyernm.n,
fresident Buct anan, IN the last DIV of h;
administration, ordered Major Beaureyar,
70 tue snpsrinfendancy Of the academy n
west foint. We understand that. in view
Oh that pleasap, service, he vas not intends,
10 commit the overt aci Of treason, hu, {,
continue IN the pay of the government which
naa educated him for its service. /, is DO.
sihie that be had intended 10 render III,
enemy aid and comfort By infusiny easor
INTO the minds OF the young cadets unde,
his care, preparing them to follow in III,
steps Of the Coopers and iIolueses who hay,
deserted the country, which has cherished
them, IN its hour Of peril. 1t seems howey
er, that Mr.. Buchanan thought ft to coup
termand the order given 10 Beauregard. ano
sent him on other dnty. Forthwith tn,
gentleman resigned, not, as his friends say
from any scrup!es about receiving the pay
o. the government as superintendent, al
Vest Point, but from vexatiGp that the
commander-ln-c chief exercised his right To
require his services when and where they
we're most needed. Arnold, in the Revolu-
ton, probably never thought of treason so
long as Congress did not interfere with his
wishes. II Congress and Washington would
have catered to Arnold's vanity and greed.
he would have served on to the end of the
war, and the treason which was actually in
bis heart would never have come to light.
Major Beauregard at West Point would have
done ms Arnold did previous to his treason.
But, when ordered to report for duty which
he did not like. and the glittering prize of
a generals commission is offered to him by
the arch traitor at the South, he fnds tba,
be cannot, IN conscience, longer remain in
the army. Arnold's conscience was Of the
same sort, and began to work much in the
same way. lie never thought of treason.
probably, until he could get money and rank
by the operation. Loyalty to George I'LL.
was aroused in his mind by bribe and a
rank in the British army. the same ns that
given to M,jor Beauregard. We would do
no injustice TO this late ma or of engineers.
II is srue that he did not, like Twiggs and
Arnold. traitorously attempt to surrender
n post to the enemy, for he had no command
10 betray. Had the West Point academy
and its appointments been at San Autoni, !.
We fear the parallel between Beauregard
and Tw,ggs would, in this respect, have
been complete. The una ,r gave up to the
enemy all he could-his honor, his con-
science, his skil and his sword. In return
he has received an important commlnd, n
brlgadier-generafs cJmmissiou, and the
honor such as 1t is, Of victory. Ii was not
n Arno!ds power to deliver West Point
into the hands Of the enemy. lie carried
TO the enemy no more than did our late
major OF engineers. He distinguished HIM
self by his reckless cruelty against those
who remained faithful to their flag. Beau
regard has not yet had nm opportunity Of
initiating in this respect, his infamous pred
eeessor and model. But we must be just
TO Arnold. lie had not been taken in hand
by his country and pu, under pay when n
mere boy /; educated, raised TO IN honorable
position, with ample emolument secured TO
him tor life. He struggled with poverty
unaided and alone. He won and maintained
his rank n. Ticonderoga, in periious marches
through the wilderness, uader the wall of
Quebec, and on the field Of Saratoga. The
poor, starving colonies had been harsh and
rugged nurse to Arnold He was bound tn
his country by no favors received in boy
hood. Tie sacred bond of patriotism and
the sanctions of an oath had not been made
ten thousand fold stronger by the obligations
of gratitude. In Arnold's time, our cuun-
try was in n revolution. Ii had no history.
Ii had no place among the nations. II had
hardly flag.
But We will pursue this painful parallel
no longer. We have profound conviction
that the sober second thought Of history will
place these two men in the black catalogue
1 e L. e., I.,,a
Of engineers and bis brethren in infamv is
palliased by none Of those enthusiastic feel.
ings in view of which mankind have so often
reversed the technical verdicts Of law.
They were led as,ray by no sentiment Of
LOYALTY to an exied sovereign Of an ancient
line, like those old Sco,chmen who staked
their all upon the desperate fortunes OF
Charles Edward. They are not fighting
against usurping, bloody, and atheistic
rev olution. in behalf of throne and altar,
social purity and civil order. like La Roche
iaqnelIn and the peasants OF La Vendee.
They have not, like Garibaldi and his COM
rades, been inspired by love OF freedom and
a burning desire to avenge the boarded
wrongs Of centuries and vindieate he sacred
rights Of property, thought, and conscience.
M the opportunity Of unlimited trade IN
egroes--to steal territory from Contra!
America, and Spain. aud Msxico-the hope
of being able to monopolize the supply OF
cotton for Europe-the hope OF being able
to consume without producing live With
out labor in an nge of democracy-to es-
tablish and perpesua,e an arisiocracy more
intense and adious than was ever exercised
hv Norman over Saxon, by the Frank over
CeIs, or Turk over Christian have been the
sources of their inspiration. Looking at
The Southern rebellion from whatever point
Of view, iss real motive forces are cold,
merceuary and SELFISH World.