Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-05-07
COMMON SENSE W. GENIUS.

journal, edited by the Rev. HENRY WARD BEECH
Ea, numbers among its weekly contributors Mr..
Horace Greeley, the editor of the New York Tri-
bune.
Mr.. Greeley, in his regular communication to the
Independent of the Both ultmo, having avowed the
opinion that we are approaching the end of the
war, Mr. Beecher doubts the sagacty of this pre-
dlction, and INDUCES in the following reflections
upon the sanguine temperament of his colla5ora-
teur:
In another column of our paper Mr. Greeley
his opinion that the draws 10 close and that this
year will probably it ended. He does give the
facts on Will such Judgment based and it be re-
events aud their present condition, upon his mind
But Judgments of this Kind but little than the
reflection OF personal temperament Opposite opinions
will be formed in view of the same facts by two men
equally wise simply because is saugulne, and dwells
upon the hopeful aspects, while the other cautious aud
slow Of belief weighs the difficulties and dangers.
We can see how the easily might be short and
that may DO near its close But with equal clear
ness that 1t may be proracted for several years to
Nor IN the power of any man. at present to judge
which OF the two possible courses events will follow.
We substantial evidence that the South ia yet
discouraged What Legislature Convention, infuen-
al man even has uttered Responding word The spi
r OF the people is not broken. With few exceptions,
the intelligent prisoners who taken hold language.
and that of rm resoute bitter determination to resist
to the utermos Nor learn that those who stay
at home and who suffer great deprvations weary
discouraged Even when hunger drives women to riot aud
violence it is remarkable that they demand bread but
never peace' Indeed we are free to cay that we
not repress admiration Of the conduct of the Southern
people in this terrible struggle. 1t needs only worthy
cause to be regarded heroic They seek to establish
detestabe sysm Of slavery They seek for that end the
overthrow of bene6cent Government Their is
bad as well be- Nevertheless they have given up
all things for what they regard their country They
have relnqushed uxuries submitted to hardshps, suffer
but eagerly and after two years of trials that may be said
almost to have revoutonized the interior of Southern
cety and reduced them to the minimum of comfort they
are undiscouraged. They fierce and bitter
than ever"
After adding that the prospect of " starving
rebellion" does not seem very cheering" in the
case of "men that could march as Jackson's army
did into Maryland, almost without commissariat,
and eating green corn for rations, pucked from the
fields for each days use; and with passing allu-
sion to the fact that "slready early garden crops
are coming into Southern markets." the Indepen-
dent proceeds as follows
The nober expectation ia founded upon the power OF
armies to overcome Southern armies We wait for
that But terribly have former expectations been dash
ed that shall believe after the event. and hold udg
men in suspense till then. We admit that great improve
ments have taken place in the army in many important
specs But sorry to say that after two years of
schooling genus has been drawn to Washington
in the confidence of the Government
Mr.. Lincoln understands plain men. He selects wise
y among that have simple common 1t is only
when affairs demand Of than industry and
tine that he at fault lie has affinity for men
of genius. They to terrify him. He likes to ride
sae, strong dull borse, that will keep in the road But
blooded that knows how to leave crcuous roads
and make straight path for himself fields, over
walls bitches, through hickets-such animals Mr.
Lincoln sends off to pasture possible And so
we have had draugh horses pulling at this war; while the
Mltchels, the Buffers, the FremonIs are at grass.
Il is this fondness for plain we presume, that
has drawn Gen. Halleck to Washington he ia wise in
military history. He knows what has been done, rather
than what should be done If old battles to be fought
again, probably Haleck would be best General
1t his memory and bis enton that is strong I'm
fortunately the Of h best gifts all campaigns
have required ideas He is patient and industrious
He pulls the with dull ox-ke strength. As yet he
has shown nothing of genius. His plans and combinations
far developed, have excited no admiration for bril-
ancy, nor even for efficiency Opnionated obstinate,
bitter his preudces he unable to to the best
advantage the whom he might command But he is
steady strong plain He is just the man that the Pres
dent understands and likes without fancy without
novelty Of idea, without dangerous mpetuosy sober,
solid reading rejecting man, who could edit military
encyclopadia-ifit took him a hundred years
If we have nothing to say in animadversion on
the tone or temper of this criticism upon the
President and the General-in-Chief, it is simply
because we have long since discovered that what
is captious' or even " reasonable" in conserva-
tive journals is only the intensfcation of patriot
ism in journals of other tendencies. Their right
to carp at the President and even to make light Of
his capacity is assumed indisputable We do
not at all envy them their privilege, but we could
wish that they might be more considerate in its
exercise So far from thinking it an infelicity
that the President understands plain men" and
not men of genius like Butler and Fremont we
would rather be disposed to congratulate ourselves
on the conceded fact that Mr.. Lincoln knows how
to /" select wisely among men that have simple
common sense" We are quite sure that " simple
common sense" even as the President understands
it, will carry the country farther than genius, as
that quality is conceived by the New York hide
pendent. When it says that the President has no
affinity for men Of genius, and instances his par
TALLY for Gen Hallcck as an illustration of the
fact, our contemporary assumes to pronounce a
judgment which helps nobody to any hopeful or
salutary conclusion. If after two years of school
ing, no man Of genius has been drawn to Washing
ton in the confidence of the Government, may it
not be as much from the poverty Of military genius
among our Generals as from the imputed opacity
of the PRESIDENT The names cited by the Iude-
pendent would seem to justify this apprehension.
The President may be blamed for not discovering