Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-06-03
i.- From the Cincinnati Gazette
The Rebel General Jackson.

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4i.- From the Cincinnati Gazette.l
The Rebel General Jackson.
We should not allow our moral facul
| ties to be obscured by the newspaper sen
sation over the death of the rebel Gener
al jackson, nor permit the cheap magma
nimity toward dead enemy to shove by
Justice, and cover the nature of his crimes
Educated in the National military school
he took up arms without cause to destroy
the nation He never could have believ
ed that he had just cause for rebellion
fosnone of his associates have ever been
able to allege one, nor to agree upon q
statement of grievances. If there is guilt
in the shedding of blood without cause
may the guilty wash it out by shedding q
sea of blood?
Jackson may have believed the cause
he was fighting for one worthy of his am
bition, Just as JEFF. Davis and A. H.
Stephens do, although neither of them
believed the rebellion .justifable, but he
could not have believed it just. 1t was
a rebellion to set up the power of his own
class against the Government of the peo-
pie. The old robber Barons of the Feud-
alages may have believed theirsubjugation
of the people to vassalage Just cause to
! fight for, but it twas by first perverting JUS
tice and setting up the rule that sheir own
tyranny was the law of nature. General
Jackson fought to establish the suprema-
cy of his own class over popular Govern
ment. He may have believed it a good
cause for his class, and that their suprem-
/ acy was the proper order of nature, but
he could not have believed it Just in re-,
gard to mankind in general.
Rebellions have usually had pretense
of liberty or claim to justice. But this
is rebellion against liberty, Justice, pop
ular Government, and against free con
stitution. 1t could not allege a single
grievance against the Government. The
only cause it Is fighting for is tyranny
And if we concede that it is fighting for
the perpetuity of Slavery-although the
leading rebels admit that Slavery was in
no danger in the Union-yet that makes
only cause revolving to justice; it would
still be the most despicable cause that re-
bellion ever started upon.
Jackson is reputed to have been kind
of Balfour of Burley praying man, and
upon this the mantle of charity and mag
nanimity has been made very broad, and
a religious journal in the North has dis
patched him straight to Heaven. But
history has not been thus charitable to
the characters of former times. Some of
the greatest monsters that have cursed
the world were praying men. The great
est tyrants regarded themselves as Gods
anointed, as ruling by divine right and
their oppression of the people, and their
bloody cruelties have in all ages been sup
ported and fortified by continual PRAYERS.
There is no necessity for men to pronounce
decision for Omnipotence. Leave that
to Heaven. But the possibility that men
with thousands of murders on their heads
may obtain mercy of Heaven, does not
set aside the principles of justice here.
There is but little cost in the generosity
which may be INDUCED by draft on di-
vine mercy, nor in the magnanimity
which praises dead enemy, and in this
cheap indulgence General Jackson's mil
itary ability has been vastly magnifed.-l
It must be remembered that in the first
year of the war Jackson's enterprise was
exhibited by the contrast of our helpless
inactivity. He was allowed to roam up
and down in front of our great army, ex-
posing himself with impunity, because it |
was said that any interference with him |
would overthrow our vast strategical plans. |
He went into Northern Virginia, driving |
our small detachments of occupation be- |
fore him. We might have marched twice |
the force from the Upper Potomac upon
his line of retreat. General Lander urg-
ed it, and got only insolence from Gener-
al Mcclellan in return. Certainly it was |
not Jackson's ability that enabled him to |
carry on these expeditions successfully
1t was the assurance of our settled mac
tivi ty.
In this way Jackson won a military rep
ltat ion before he had fought battle, and
before he had really exposed himself to
lang er, for the incubus on our great army
was equivalent to the declaration of an
armis tice on our part. He was defeated
1t Winchester. He drove Banks out of
the Shenandoah Valley but Fremont
iroYe him back still faster and more dis
If his advance was creditable,
Freinont's was more so. If his retreat
vas ,ereditable, Banks was as much so.-
Up the time of the attack on our right
wing at Gaines Mill, on the Chickahomi-
ly, j. lckson's military reputation was of
dul lious character. In that he COM
which was successful because no disposi-
lOllS w CIO ny IAO
o meet: it, although it was expected. The
rmy W; as not disposed so as to support its
lifferen parts. 1t was not welded as an
rmy, bI1t left to be crushed in detail.
The greatest performance of jackson
vas that which resulted fatally to him
he attack on our right at Wilderness
IN his ge neral successes he must be award
ID the ql lalities of General, but we must
t the same time remember how much of
his is du to incapacity in our command
rs than to military genius in him. But
brilliant military genius we may con-
ede to him, the glitter of it need not
lind US t % the character of the cause he
ought for, and to the just responsibility
or the blood he has shed in it. We
night as well overlook the murder of the
innocent in our admiration of the skill
Fith which the executioner sewers the
lead at single stroke, as in the cheap
ulogy of Jackson's military success over
ook the slaughter of innocent men, the
bereavement of wives and children, the
7ide dey astation and the ruin of country
or which he is responsible, and for which
Ie can plead no cause of justice, freedom,
humanity Or human or constitutional