Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1863-07-11
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The Rising Man. p.

Army of the Potomac have added greatly
to the interest Of the present appointment
Everybody wants to know who Gen. MEADE
iS-what are his antecedents-w bis
qualifications for the important trust repos.
ed in him-what his plains and prospects and
what the chances and elements Il bis sue.
cess at the head of an army that has had
four leaders before him, neither Of whom
has been able to win decisive victory
Who he is and what he has been are easily
told, but what he will do TO vidicate the
prowess OF his finc army and his own abii.
tics as leader, is entirely matter for the
future to develope. His fortune is in his
own hands, with abundant claims for
prompt action, aud he must build up his
own fame from the metcrial furnished him
and the successes that attend his efforts.
In order to give our readers means Of
forming an opinion of Gen. MEADE, as n
man, a general, o Christian, and a polti
clan, we have colIated such facts as are
available, and present them as they are
garnered up for the occasion. He was
born in Spain, in the year 1916, Of Ameri
can parents lie was appointed TO the
West Point Academy, from the District Of
Columbia, in 1881 ;iowas graduated and
entered the Third Artillery iu 1885 /; re.
signed from the army in the following
year in 1912 was commissioned in the
Corps of Typographical Engineers, and was
mentioned in dispatches for gallantry at
Palo Alto and Monterey, in Mexico.
When the rebellion broke out he held the
rank of captain but was called to com
mand brigade in the Pennsylvania Re.
serve Corps, under Gen. Mccall He was
noted for steady conduct in the battles of
Mechanicsville and Gaines Mills was
wounded at the battle ef Newmarket Cross
Roads, but recovered in time to command
the Pennsylvania Reserves at South Noun
tain and Antietam. AT the battle Of
Fredericksburg be led the attack on our
left, and ohtpned the only success Of the
day. His troops, by very sudden and
vigorous attack, surprised the enemy, drove
him and penetrated to his second line
Here, being unsupported, they were un-
able to maintain themselves, were attacked
on front and fl INK, and forced to fall back.
Two days after the battle, on December
15, he was placed in command of the Fifth
army corps, and in January he was nomin'
ated Major General, and confirmed in
March. In the battle of Charlottesville
he commanded part of the right wing, and
on the retleat his corps acted as rear
guard. await. ..., ....... ........
AS man, General MEADE is referred to-
as notable for frankness, courtesy, afablity
and high sense Of honor. He is uprigh
to remarkable degree. His intercourse
with bis subordinates, without relaxing dis
cipline, has always been genial, and mer
who have fought under him possess for him
the same adoring regard Napoleou's sol
diers had for their Little Corporal u
Without ostentaton or pharasaism, Gen.
MEADE is Christian. lie believes in the
overruling Government of God, and in the
moral and religious obligation of man, and
the sentiment which pervades his first or.
der is no hypocritical preenSc or unneces
sary display, but the expression of genuine
feeling, pervadiug the entire character. Nc
one can read that order without believing
that its author is true soldier which in.
wolves the presumption that he must be a
real gentleman. ...... .... ...
Such is the personal and military char,
actcr of the General who has been sudden
IL and unexpectedly called. at crisis of
unparalleled danger in The pending conflict,
to take command of the Army of the Poto.
mac. 1t requires sterling courage for q
considerate man to assume this command
under the circumstances of the case, for be
must know that his future balances in a
doubtful scale. If he proves equal to the
emergency, then his name will be written
high upou the pillar of natious fame, for
upon him, now, more than any other man
hangs our nations welfare. II be fails to
meet the expectations of his country and
proves inadequate to the exigency, his star
will set in impcre;rable gloom as have
those Of bis predecessors. ,.,. own. ..-.
While we have found for General MEADE,
good personal and military antecedeats, We
are furnished with an index to his political
opinions aud character Thee are of a
type we'll calculated to inspire confidence
in all except those who glory in their at
tachmeut to the Copperhcad persuasion
He is a thol ough aud uncompromiSing UL-
ion man who stands by The integrity Of the
Government He was invited TO attend u
mass meeting in the city of New York in
April lastto give an impetus TO the Union
League movement, and being in command
of the army co ps, aud unable to attend,
he wrote letter expressing his regrets,
and giving the meeting warm assurances OF
sympathy and cordial attachment for the
principles of the organization. His letter
closes THIS: a.... ..1 eD.
Ny views, which you ask for, are very bricI
and simple. They are, that it :s and should
be, the undoubted aud unhesitatiug duty o
every citizen Of the republic 10 give hia whole
energies, aud to contribute all the means in hi:
power, to the determined prosecution Of the
war until the integrity of the government is re
established, and its supremacy acknowledged
Deprecating, as useless, all discussion as to the
cause of the war; the fact of its existence, ant
the necessity for its continuance, should alone
occupy us. For its successful prosecution ant
termination, am clearly of the opinion ther(
is only required union aud harmony among our
selves, and the bringing to bear men and mean
proportionate to the power and resources o
the country. - ...
For the purpose Of securing union aud har
mony, know of no means better calculated
than the organization of your National Loya
| Ieague It's board aud simple platform is on