Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-03-31

A OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES AND HIS SELF IMPORTANCE
SIDE BEFoRE AND BUR>sIDs AFTER THE WAR
TEE CoEsEQCENCE tF A LITE GLoRY.
lae conduct aud language OF Major General Burn
side, IN public and IN private, seem to be exciting
good deaf of attention in the NOrth.-Ihe World
takes under Charge the particular of this conspicu
Gus military iunc'ionary, aud shows up the sudden
umefaction OF his Individual Importance:
y Mi jOr General OF the American army WHO goes
about ravng OF the imbecie clemency OF the Govern
ment whose commission he bears who calls heaven 20
wItLcss before sanitary ladies and gaping Sunday
school children that he Is personally Innocent OF the
ruin Of the State who, in clubs ana on the highways
beats bis breast Deiore hs astonjehed acquainances
and pEoclans that il he invested with the pow
Which his conscience tells him be is divineIy fitted
10 weaT, be would hang lLd.td citiz.ns" Of New
ork before tie Government could Interfere to stay bis
haEd, IS q phenomenon worth considering. Those
whom The spectacle mOvts 10 compassion, and those
whom it CXcites to Indignation, alike at loss to
account for .t1e the explanation is Leither difficult
uniutelG sting.
Three years ago, Mr.. Ambrose L. burnside was q
quiet, respectable citizen OF the United States man
who 10 doubt knew lis rights and knowing dare d
maintain but who kew his duties too, and who
would soon have thought OF commanding the sun to
stand stl that his cucumbers might 1ipen the better
CT saving the State by the force of his private will
and Judgment. lie not reputed q Colossus of in
tceCt, certainly but be went about among his fellow
men. in q sufficient Od0ur CT sanity ard would, no
d5ubt, have been readily entrusted with letters of ad-
minlstratCn On the estate of GEoFphan, even with
the delicate duties OF village church warden. The
war came and made him soldier. He Lacked neither
bravery ntelg ence understood the orders given
to him, and executed them earessy. In evil hour,
however, and promotion to him
such success, and promotion rapid that he one
night found himself suddenly charged with the
dOus Responsibilities OF the supreme command
army larger than any marched under the banner
OF a Marlborough a Frederick B meath this sudden
accession of authority and the attendant alterations OF
the Tribune, bis braia, OF began to reel Bewild
cred and excited he hurled bis army upon horrible
tastrophe and from that catastrophe emerged denoun
cling his subordinales to disgrace with sweeping fury
which ought to have warned the nation aud the gov
ernment OF the state into which he rapidly drift
ing. The warning was lot needed. He was transfer
rcd from the more less limited responsibility of q
general within reach Of The White House, 10 the
practically unlimited responsibility of q military
project. With the wider sweep sof power came
fel Ger accession of the disease which power lad de-
vtloped. Commanding at Fredericksburg be had been
M rely frerzed. Commanding in Ohio and Kentucky,
be went stark mad. He became in his own eyes the
Caesar of the West arrested ctizans without consult
ing the Government-in defiance Of The Govern
ment ssizad MIR. Nallandigham On his own motion
en- his own motion tried him. Conforming the united
mons frances Of the Cabinet Washington, and, but
for the decision of his court martial would his
motion, have hanged him. Even the recklessness OF
Washington not proof against the alarming fea-
lures OF the it now began topresent Itself and,
as soon - cireums would permit the insane die
tator was withdrawn, to be subjected to the gradually
curative process Of limitation OF responsibility 10
his earlier functions general commanding q
corps.