The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-03-31
Communicated.


IL is said by GnoAe WIZ OHS"s O VIZ
nost difficult of all military evolutions, is
tn change the front Of the line of battle on
the Geld in the face of the enemy. The
whole country has rung with notes of ad-
miration and praise to Gen. Curtis and Gen.
Sigel, because, at the battle of Pea Bridge |
the other day, they performed this Brilliant |
maneuver twice or thrice and thereby posi-
bly, won the glorious victory which that
day perched upon our banners. But Cur |
tis and Sigel are not the only men, we give |
the world to understand, who can do this |
thing. There are others, not perhaps as |
widely known to fame but still honorable
men, who can perform and actually have
performed this difficult feat, quite as bril- |
liantly and even more thoroughly than
those generals. And what adds greatly TO
the remarkable cha ract er of this achieve
ment, is the fact that the men of whom we
have spoken are not, with the exception of
one much military, either from education,
| practice or position. It is true, that this
cannot be said of their leader. He occU-
pies q high and responsible military posi-
4 ton, and fromIthe fit of his coat and the
length and brightness of his sash, has al
ways been looked upon as possessing great
military aloility-demonstrat now by
this, the most profound conception OF his
life. 1t is true the accomplishment of this
most astonishing feat was not upon regu-
lar bona tfde battle field, where men meet to
kill each other, but was upon the more
harmless, but not less important, municipal
battle field, which takes nothing from the
| merit of the act, but on the contrary shows
the power oftrue genius in applying the
experience gained in one department to the
exigencies and requirements of another.
We mightoas well tell in plain words
what we mean, and let the act itself be-
come its own eulogy.
Four years ago the question Of the adOp-
ton of the new charter was fairly submit
| ted to the people, and, by a vote of three to
| one. voted down. This should have been a
final quietus. But mol Some unsettled
spirits, demagogues, who love excitement
t and turmoil for its own sake, aided by 9TH
! ers who had no more brains than to follow
them, stirred it up again from its rest and
presented it once more. They commenced
4 gathering up their forces against the old
| charter from the by-ways and dark alleys,
| and commenced their battle with the blind
i ness of utter stupidity. But they soon found
g themselves in a fair way TO a complete and
| diseraeeful defeat. Then they bethought
themselves that they must have a leader
e and with the same intense stupidity blind
7. ing their eyes, they went first to one and
"a then to another, until they had gone to as
!, many as FIVE ordinary, common men, no way
fitted for their wants, until at least, hpa-
hazard as it were, they fell upon Major
johnson, who, at great personal sacrifice
Q and much against his WILL consented to run
l. for Mayor, aud thus became their leader.
L New, MAJ J i,ad had thoughts, pre-
visions of thIs state OF things, and had in
ID measure been preparing the way for it. IL
ir had been led by Klusman, Haney, Muentzer
Il and Smith to believe that the new charter
"a was immensely popular-that it would
N carry everything with it to certain success
:. And SO he fell to having conversations abou
" it, and all his leanings Major J. rarel!
" more than leans any way were IN the di
rection of the new charter.
To ona man he said. 81 am not 90 sur,
- old" to another he said, {" l don't know 81
much about that; the new charter ha
IA many advantages over the old : and to an
Of other he said, al am not quite certain bu
: that the old charter is humbug." To an
"A other he says, ait is by no means certain
which is the better. The old charter car
81 riei before only by small majority
d (Here IS seen the military character of til
ye Major in perceiving small odds in an enem,
three to one stronger than himselE) Majo
J. actually said these things, as can b
10 proven. So in truth and in fact Major ].
g, at FIRST was almost as stupid rs Klusman
= Muentzer, and the rest of them, and wa
!, really just as much of new charter man
L But by and by his military genius began Il
ID arouse ITSELF and he saw the exigencies @
v- the case, and that with that front he mus
al inevitably be defeated. So he called
!. Council of War and decided on change c
Al front. The fight had commenced and rage
hot and furious, but the front must b
De changed and the genius was at hand to &C
D. complish it. As if by magic it was done
-. In the twinkling of an eye. Before WI
2 could say "beholdp' the jaws of darkness
70 had swallowed up the new charter.
Q. Major J. issued bis proclamation, in whic
I'd be says; I" have always been decidedly al
At old charter man, and l. am at'1reSerVedty i
favor of the old charter" With the alb
OF straction of true genius he forgets what
OF passed and remembers only what is ahead
is He did not remember his old doubts an
Mt uncertainties in regard to this old chartel
In fact, in the face of the enemy he change
~ bis front. In other words, having show
ne bis back at first in one direction, he nov
in simply changes the view and shows it j
we another. C " dA ~ 1a-
Where now are Curtis and Sigel Ma
jor J. outshines them as daylight doth
40 lamp. If it were not that it is wrong (
ey elevate men upon mere gun powder popu
in iarity and renown, Major J. ought 20 b
-. suggested for high military promotion. A
IN II 70 we will never cease to admire an
" P.sise the matehless ingenuity, address, an
ne SoO,neSS Nth which he managed to chang
ill ms ilne OF battle from one rssIIng upon th
he new charter to one resting upon the ole
10 As he said of himseIfin grocery The othe
~ night where he made speech, he "is nc
Of accustomed to this sort OF thing, but ma
10 be might do il as we'll as some others.''
propose that some one write an epi
about it, tS#ia ~
es Tax ON SLAvEs.-The philadelphia Lex
ri, ger is out in favor of tax on slaves. II !
u. | lanrinna the I.aflcrAr. IN uar-u q, =, !