The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1863-03-21
GrumbIing at the Government.

1t seems TO be the conclusion with some,
whenever disaster attends our military
movements, that there has been mismsnage-
ment somewhere. Somebody has blum
dered," they Immediately begin TO sing,
and either from a frequency of national
miscbances, or their own dolorous incIna-
tons, find occasion perpetually to keep up
the tune. No greater mistake could be IN
dulged. 1t is natural when misfortune
comes, that its recipient should repine, but
nevertheless often most unreasonably. The
great difficulty is that grumbling never
mends the matter, Do those who complain
SO lugubriously whenever a reverse over |
takes our arms attribute every success We
achieve to mismanagement on the rebel side!
If so, there would be very little glory In
winning Union victories.
The entire practice of the grumblers is q
blunder. 1t is wrong in principle, and dis
astrous in its bearings. 1t is unjust TO the
GoVernment-no Administration can In the
nature of things expect to be uniformly sue
! cessful. Accidents will happen in the best
Governments, as well as In the best regulat-
ed families. On the whole, when We come
10 consider the magnitude of the work which
Mr.. Lincoln's Administration has had upon
| its hands, we cannot conclude that anything
like failure is so far to be written upon lis
record-psrticulary when we remember how
different the results have been from what
was foudly and confidently anticipated by
the rebels at the commencement of the trou-
bic. If we have been disappointed, they
have certainly been equally SO; and proba-
bly, with greater reason than ourselves. If
we have not achieved the suppression Of the
rebellion, they have not achieved independ-
enee. If we in the beginning confidently
counted upon the former as little job of
six or twelve months time, they as conf
IDENTIFY counted upon the latter in an equally
brief space of time. If they have hurt US
We have certainly succeeded in inficting
some injury upon them. On this score.
when we take into consideration the ravages
which have been wrought by our army upon
their SOIL the prostration which has been
brought upon their business by the block
ade, and the arrangement of their entire
servile labor system occasioned by the pres
ence of an enemy in their midst, we must
conclude that the balance is certainly not
against US. If our situation is not to-day
infinitely better than theirs, we are, indeed.
much mistaken.
Doubtless mistakes and blunders have
been committed on our part, for which
somebody has been to blame. 1t is cir
cumstance, however, which should not
escape the observation of the public, that
the United States Government has always
been prompt to investigate in such cases,
and visit penalties where they were found TO
be deserved. The President has sought TO
avoid no responsibility himself, nor has he
shown any disposition to allow others to do
so. While this disposition on the part of
the Government exists, we may depend upon
it that blunders must occur, 1t will not be
from want of effort on the part of our au-
thorities to prevent them.
At no time is it justiiable to commend
wrong, or even overlook it, wherever ex-
listing, but the present is time when for
bearance is pre-e minently a virtue, If &
government should ever receive, not only
the sympathies but the charities of its peo
pie, it is our own in this terrible crisis o
, our national affairs. Faith is a duty which
the citizen at such time owes To his gov
eminent as well as material support. AnC
to day, grumblng is characte ristic of trea
son. Not that all grumblers are traitors
, but all traitors are grumblers. Peace Dem
ocrats are invariably grumblers. Com
, plant is part of their tactics. They hav,
. reduced it to a system. The Government
would IN their eyes seem incompetent to d.
any thing right. If it does well, the fact i
r overlooked and it gets no credit; if it doe
i'll, they never overlook it. Grumbling anC
l. croaking in their hands is made an efficien
means for the disintegration and demorali
4 zation of the Governments supporters
Loyal men owe it to themselves, as we'll a
to their country, to refrain SIS much as pos
sibe from initiating their example. Inevit
Il
/ evil company .-MisSoUri Democrat.