, 1864-11-19

day on which he entered tho State to the hour
In which this is written, is known to the Wrl-
ter In tts every public act. A resident Of Ar
Ing hut tie 's secession % @osement me- from is com;
menccmentg; acquainted with the prominent
men; knowing the people, their wants and
sentiments; cla.m to be able to Judge fairly
In this matter. And, with this kno~iedgo,e
can confidently and proudly say that the nd
| 1niuistration Of Gen. Steele has boon sue
ccssful and glorious one. He has made re-
a skiIful leader; wise ruler and q true
! patriot, of which the country and himself
may we'll be proud.
srEnE's ro11c1. :
At first, when the clique Of ex-scccssfonists
were anxious to get followers, they insisted
that tho great body Of the people Of Arkan-
eas were loyal md true that they wanted
them to form in solid column. under: the
! folds Of the old flag, and take decided stand
| for the u1ion. The clique urged that the ut
most kindness and lcniency Should be shown
70 all except their personal enemies. But
Gen: Steele at once adopted the policy Of
making no compromise with traitors or trea-
SON.. Men who avowed dangerous or disloyal
sentiments were banfshcd; spies wcro hung,
and rebel sympathizers promptly punished.
Then the cry against Steele WAS that he WAS
too 1nFsh, and vas driving of the citizens by
his severity.
Hutu ElluuG IA4lGu 10 Gtk
power, or to be sustained BY the people, they
began to swear most Justify that the people
were unsound, and that all, except themselves
and their Immediate followers, SHOULD be i'm
prisoncd, banished, shot, or hung, They
turned Their tune and begun to denounce and
swear at the policy Of Gen. Steele as "eon-
ciliating.n This Is the string they now harp
On. The truth is that the policy has been
firm, decided, and unwayering. No disloyal-
II has gone unpunfshed, and fn no SINGLE case
has any one been discharged against whom
proof existed.
II this connection IT eheuld be remembered
that a State Government was inangur,.ted and
went into operation last spring, md, as far Us
possible, the civil control WAS yielded to The
State authorities. 1t Is admitted by ali that
|; General Steele has dong all he could to
strengthen the State Government, and place
as much civil power Us possible in It's hands.
uus MILITARY RECORD.
| As to the military career Of Gen. Steele, It
T. part Ct the history Of the country. He
could have brought five men against him to
his one. He has held such positions as Pine
Bluff, aided by such gallant commanders Us
General Clayton, against heavy odds. In the
advance, last spring, towards Texas, he drove
superior numbers Of the rebels to the confines
Of the Stale; took the important post Of
Camden, and would have Joined Banks at
Shreveport, had the latter not met with q re-
verse. In returning from Camden with his
little force, when Kirby Smith hastened up
from Texas to join Price with his
army and crush Steele, the latter stood at
Jenkins Ferry and in one OF the ferccst and
bloodlest battles Of the war repulsed the fiery
masses rolled against him, and inflicted such
damage that Smith was unable to follow, or
to return to Red River to injure Banks. With
line Of hundreds Of miles to guard impor-
tant posts to occupy and defend and, at one
1.%-&a <ox.4 4.
his face to the enemy and defied them. They
have felt his lines time and again,-haye as
saultcd Pine Bluff, Fort Smith, and other
points, and, invariably have been hurled back
bruised and bleeding. Even Shelby, who
crossed the river with view of cutting of
communications, dared not assatl Duvalls
Bluff, but could only attack an intermediate
and lmimportant point on the railroad,
damaging some hay contractors and taking q
| few prisoners at q tremendous loss Of killed
and wounded rebels.
FLEA FOR FAIRNESS.
To notice the paltry slanders against The
| personal character Of Gen. Steele would be to
! give prominence and currency to often re-
/ tutcd and oft repeated lies.
t'Falsehood and frand grow up In every soil,
| The product Of all cltmcs,"
| and, like noxious weeds, If cut down will
sprout again, These petty falsehoods, in re-
| gard to noble officer, meet here with the
contempt they deserve, but abroad they may
be believed, if endorsed with the stamp Of re-
| spectability hy appearing in journal Of char
acter and wide circulation Ike the TRIBUNE.
\ SANDERS like theirs fall harmless where the
| .uttcrers and the person nssaflcd arc known,
but abroad, II funrefuted, they may do mis-
chief
This, gentlemen, is my apology for troub-
/ ling yon with this letter. 1t is because feel
assured that you will not knowingly do In
justice Or permit your paper to be the vehicle
pecially to true and tried gentleman and
patriot, that hare written this.
In the van OF the gallant leaders Of tho
Union army there Is no crest more spot1ess,
| no sword more bright, no character more uu-
stained, than those Of the commanding Gen
eral OF the Department Of Arkansas- BE has
ished its enemies upheld the honor md dig
| nifty Of the Union, and made himself loved
by loyal men, and feared, and hated by
traitors.
A fcw time-servcrs and malcontcnts, who
fawn and cringe in his presence. go OF to in
| dite cnlumnies In secret, or persuade others
| TO do 50. This is one of the Ills of IN exalted
condition, and Of being superior to the en-
yious wrctches who seek only to promote
| their own 6elhshness.
Let us do Justice to good men and suffer
none to be unjustly DETAINED, especially when,
as in this case, it IS one whose sword Is un-
sheathed in tl.e cause of his country; and who.
self brave soldier and accomplished gentle
"'ris hardship, toll;
'Tls sleep1ess nights, and never-reeang days;
,Tis equal l fate for III and ehansiag fortune
The nobcst virtues tl ondsthe gentiest manners"
Very t1ulyfyours,