Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-09-09
CONCERNING THE BAYARD OF
.-. THE PERIOD.

CONCERNING THE BAYARD OF
THE PERIOD. ,,.. q.
Some time since Mr.. JoHN MITCHELL, then
occupying the editorial chair Of the New
York DIiiy News, took occasion to refer to
Mr.. RoBERr Il. LEE ne Ythe Incompatible
BAYARD Of his time. From MITCHELL and
the Ncws such language was to be expected.
They would put MAnMADuKE and MAGRU.
DER, JouS MORGAN, and tho highwayman,
'GILMon, far above wAsHISoroN, WARREN,
PUTNAM and MARION In their eyes the
virtues of PuILP SIDNEY fade from view when
contrasted with the ineffable lustre which
surrounds the charactersof ions sLIDELL and
JOHN D. FLorD. For they are men,
worse than men without moral sense--they
are men, the action of whose moral sense
works backwardly. They are known
of all men, but If they are read OF all men it
is only to learn to what lengths Of insanity
the infatuation and passions engendered by
thirty years contemplation of CALHouSis
philosophy may drive sentient beings Their
rawlings are harmless. ~ r.
But II is because they are in some sort,
and degree, echoed by q portion Of the press
which ought to know--nay, which we are
compelled to believe must know-better, that
we notice them. Mr.. LEE Is undoubtedly n
person of gentlemanly exterior, Of modest
and quiet department.; he Is regular In habits
and, We suppose, reasonably constant in
availing himself of tho privilege Of listening
to the preached word. And for these portion
ofthe press respectable in influence, calls pom
the people to admire him; warns them that
he is greatly loved by, and possesses power
fal influence over, those whom he lately lead
in reasonable, unreasonable, fratricida,
war, begun in the interest of the Sum of all
Villainies, and carried on, from Bull Run 10
tho last skirmish beyond the Father of
Waters, in spirit Of diabolism which has no
shadow of resemblance In the history Of civ
ilized nations, and scarcely a parallel in the
tales of barbarian butcheries, yet fitly rep
resenting the wickedness Of the great op-
preston which ID was instituted TO sustain
and expand. But Mr.. LEN has been ap-
pointed the President of n aeollsge; he is to
train tho ingenious youth Of Virginia In the
tencts Of his new found Loyalty. More, it is
demanded that now he shall bo taken and
accepted rs the leader whose personal mag
netive shall be employed to draw misguided
rebels back to their allegiance. ..I
Let us consider for moment how Mr.. LEE
acquired this wonderful influence Of the heal
ing properties whereof we are now invited to
avail ourselves, in behalf Of restoration. He
Is no stupid Ounce. blpdly led by designing
demagoguosi no plastic character giving way
10 the sudden, overwhelming passion Of an
hour He knew--no man better.-for twenty
years, whittier we were drifting, while the
RuErTs, tho YASosrs, the SIIDEBLs, and
the MAsoSs, by themselves or through their
facile.l crcatures, governed the helm. q, His
treason was. Of the cool, calculating sort
He knew before the 4th day Of March,
1861, whore his choice lay. Yet he re-
mained at the headquarters of the United
States army, in CONFIDENTIAL position-Lhe
received promotion, too - until the 25th
day of.April, when his patriotic impulses
prompted him TO resign his commission as
colonel of the First cavalry, United States
prmy, turn against the flag under which he
was born, and against tho Government which
had educated and honoted him, to violate
his solemn oath Of allegiance, and for this
his best excuse was that FLOYD, the thief;
LErcHER, the drunkard, and SMrTH, the vul-
gar, babe him do so. He went into the
shareholders rebellion manifestly with his
whole heart His faithfulnsss to that
unhoIy cause, no traitor ever FOR n
doubted He waged the war, he
brought thousands to slaughter, long after
the result ceased to be doubtful. Sc.
And that is how he gained the influence,
which loyal newspapers are not ashamed to
invoke in behalf Of restoration. Pos .t.,.. ,.s /
RoBERr e. LEE stands before the world
to-day perjurel traitor, not . whit more
.espectable because he Is smooth, polished,
nad sanctimonious--the last man of oil those
whose names arc recorded in that roll of in
fanny the list of designations in the Army Reg
istsr of 1861, whose example should bo set as
a lesson for American young men, unless II is
desil cd to pave the way for a new rebellion
in the next generation. ID, o.. .9p.
The men of the South whose influence is
to be invoked, successfully invoked, in favor
Of free republican govei nmpnt are Of an alto
gether different SOFT. They are tho JoHN-
SONS, the HAMLroNs, the BRowsLows-men
whose faith has been tried in the furnace
the FARRAGuTs, the THoMAsEs, the DRAY-
roNs-men whose loyalty has received the
baptism of 6re. The madness which ruled
Its hour Is passing away, md the South
must look, nay, wiN lpok, to her loyal he
rOes for counsel and for guidance as she
treads the glorious way Of universal liberty.
Freedmen's Anhirs.
Rev. J. Il. SmIHPERD, Secretary Of Cor
ras,nn1ana. ~. A. U..oa ,,,hn . rnn,,,ission