The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-07-18
The Horrors of war---who is to Blame

er the destruction falls upon their own citizens
or allies, or upon the Unionists Wherever the
rebel army has moved in the border states, a
wanton destruction ofproperty has marked their
course.
In Missouri, Gov. Jackson commenced the
war by MISUNDERSTANDING Railroad bridges,
tearing up the track, and destroying, cars, en-
gines, &c. And this was not done because the
Railroad was the property of Unionists, Or be-
cause Gov. Jackson thought it was likely to fall
into the hands of,and thus enrich those who are
fighting to sustain the Government and the yn-
ion 1t was simply the insane act of the Grim
:nal, who thought to escape the hand Of Justice
by burning Railroad bridge and for the time
being interposing narrow river between him
self and pursuing justice grain of common
sense reflection might have assured him that the
destruction of all the railroads in the State would
not excuse treason or answer the ends of JUS
tice At most, it could only delay the loyal
cause few days, while all the loss and perma-
nent damage would fall upon his OWE citizens
and upon his own State. The Government or
the friends and upholders Of the Union, have
never contemplated such thing as conquest or
invasion in the present war. The army of the
United States may march from the Aroostook
to the Rio Grande, and through every State of
the Union, and there is no invasion, no CON
quest.
in Virginia and Maryland there has been, and
still is, the same propensity to destroy, on the
the part of the rebels. They have destroyed
nearly two millions of dollars worth of proper
ty, Of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad And
to what end 2 1t was property that belonged
to secessionists mainly, and mainly in seces-
sion State. Its destruction would not retard
the advance of the Government forces into the
heart of secessiondom, to any extent, because
the road ran east and west and not north and
south. The loss of all the property destroyed
could fall only upon the citizens of Virginia and
Maryland, and those States alone could suffer
from the partial destruction of great internal
Improvement that had cost millions of dollars,
and years Of labor. Such destruction cannot
be charged to the Government nor to the de-
termination of the Government to preserve the
Union, for the perpetrators cannot plead even
the poor excuse of self defense. Look at the
destruction at Harpers' Ferry. When the reb-
els found they could no longer occupy that point
they went to work deliberately to destroy ev-
erything that could be destroyed. But in their
fear and hurry they they did not make their des
truction complete, and finding that the place
was not occupied by the Union troops, they
sent back detachment of their army to perfect
the destruction. The most serious charge
against Gen. Patterson is that he did not occu
| Ply Harpers Ferry at once and thus prevent thi.
second destruction.
| Nowhere has the Government or its army des
troyed dollars worth of private property wan
tonly or for the purpose of furnishing the rebel,
and traitors. If private property has anywhere
been appropriated for the sustenance or con
venience of the Federal army, it has been paiC
for, or will be. We have an army of 70 or so,
900 men in Virginia anu have had about hal
that number for a month past, and yet we pre-
sume'our whole army has not destroyed a thous
anth part as much property in Virginia as theil
own citizens have, wantonlY and uselessly.
The Virgnians, and all the rest of the seces.
sionists, ought to know by this time that the des
truction of property is no object of the United
States Government. All that is wanted is the
preservation of the Union.
Northern sympathizers with Southern rebel
lion, and the advocates of peaceable secession,
have pictured in horrible colors the horrors and
miseres of civil war, and the President and
friends of the Union have been denounced in
unmeasured terms, the authors of these hor-
rors and distinctions. We advise such men to
turn their attention to their secession friends,
and urge them not to destroy and Law waste
their own homes-or in homely phrase-nOt to
bite OFT their own noses, to spite somebody else
When this unnatural war is over, and the mis-
guided people of the rebel States returned to
their allegiance to the best Government under
the sun, to the Government that has only been
too partial and too indugent to those States, the
people will only have to go to work to rebuild
the homes they are now wantonly destroying,
I and reconstruct the public works and improve
ments that have enriched their States. They
would do well to think of these things now, and
stay their hands from uncalled for destruction.
County Superintendent of Schools.
One of the most important officers to be cho
sen at the annual general election in each coun-
ty is that of county superintendent of schools
1t may appear premature and inexpedent to d.
rect attention thus early to the election of this
officer, but there are weighty reasons which JUS
THY 1t. This being new Office and one which
is likely to have a respectable salary attache 1
to it, it is natural to presume there will be MANY
aspirants for the situation, some of whom may
be early planning for nomination 1t is there.
fore proper to caution the friends of education
against secret man9uverings or undue inAuen.
ces, which may be brought to bear in the Sc
lection of candidates. The interests at stake
are too great to admit of any trihing or favor
iteism, nor should political consideration have
control i'll deciding upon men proper for the
place.
1t will be admitted by every intelligent man
that there is no elective Office in the county fol
which so few are fitted as that of county sinner
intendent of schools. The kind of talent and
qualification for this Office will be found ex-
tremely rare in most, if not in every county in
the State. Indeed, it would not be surprising
If some counties should experience difficulty in
finding the proper man, providing an intelli.
gent discriminationand judgment are exercised
IN making the selection. The qualifications
for the office are peculiar; but few, even well
educated men possess them. A superintendent
to be useful, needs to be practical educator
he must have learned the theory of instruction
IN the various branches of science, from person
al experience in the school room. He should
be qualified TO conduct teachers ms titutes tc
impart knowledge of the different methods Of
instruction, and express intelligent views Of
their comparative merits. He should be pop
ular public speaker and able to interest audien
ces on the subject of education. He should be
himself model teacher, man of agreeable
manners, and possess an unexceptionable moral
| character.
The duties ofmost public officers are merely
mechanical or, at most limited to few discre.