The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-10-29

dull and heavy. Whiskey was stcedy, Win mooerate
demand.
The Military Character OF tho Candi-
dates In this state.
Twenty candidates for State ONCE are put
before the people by the two parties, and of
this number eight are soldiers The, republican
party has given the yarmy just one-half its
ticket, either very grateful to the army or con-
scious Of some bad political timber; and the
democratic party, recognizing the army as
little as circumstances permit, gives US three
soldiers to seven politicians. Of these eight
soldiers six are general officers and two are
colonies. All have undoubtedly served the
country in the last four years with all their
might in The most devoted spirit, and some Of
them with distinguished ability. They
pledged life, fortune and honor for the public
welfare in the greatest necessity that ever fell
upon the country; and having done that we
must recognize that they are better class of
men than the people are usually required to
vote for. 1t is to be regretted that all these
soldiers are not distributed through the
various offices, so that they would collectively
make one ticket, and that the people would
not have TO vote against any one, but could
give one broad, distinct expression Of their
faith in this class Of men and their contempt for
the politicians.
General Slocum, who heads the democratic
ticket, is the most distinguished soldier of the
number. He is graduate of West Point, and
also lawyer. He left this State in command
ofone of our early regiments, and at the close
of the war commanded, under Sherman, one
half of the army that marched from
Atlanta to Raleigh. He went up from q
colonelcy to one Of the exalted positions
in our great Enthusiastically heard of by
the country; making no noise, never announc-
ing his own merits, never factious, but doing
his duty earnestly, thoroughly and quietly, and
taking his well-earned rewards when they
came with true modesty. His record is some
times supposed TO be not of the brilliant"
kind. It has not the brilliancy that is associated
with the names of Sigel, Butler and that class
Of heroes. His name has not been dinned into
the ears Of the people year in and year out in
connection with stories Of victories claimed and
battles to be won; but if any one Of these noisy
fellows with "brilliant record" could justly
claim one-half Of Slocum's fights he would con-
slider that he had grounds to justify the widest
stories he could tell of his own achievements,
and would be happy man. Slocum was
hard worker in the national cause from the CON-
mencement. He was the other day exposed to
the degrading imputation that his appearance
in politics before the war was by permission"
Of Thurlow Weed. But he has shown that in q
nobler and harder sphere than that of politics
he needed no "permission," and no other assist
ance than that of his own brave heart and clear
head. He is indebted for his advancement in
the army to his acts. He served with great
success on the Peninsula, in the battles on
South Mountain, at Antietam, at Chancellors-
vile, and more notably than all at Gettysburg.
He subsequently served, as the country knows,
in the great campaign against Atlanta, and in
that which brought Sherman to the sea. If this
is not brilliant record in the best sense of the
term where shall we find onei
General Barlow's military character is that
Of a hard fighter. He differs from Slocum in
the important fact that he has always had to
obey orders and seldom to give them; and
while Slocum has had the opportunity in the
command of large bodies to indicate an intel
lect Of high order, Barlow's sphere of duty
has only given him the opportunity to indicate
an inHexiblc will and the most dauntless, I'M
conquerable courage. He is striking in
stance Of the possession Of these qualities in
an eminent degree. His mind is good one,
as It was the influence by which, without
special military education, he rose from the
ranks TO his position Of major general. He
has carried troops forward through as hot a
fire as any other man that ever trod the field
of battle, and though always wounded he
has always recovered msrvellously and been
ready to repeat his exploits on the next
battle. General Barnum's military character
is the same-that Of stubborn, persistent
fighter. General Jones and Colonels McNett
and Rowland have the characters Of faithful,
reliable soldiers; and General Martindale has
always been regarded as one Of the most
accomplished officers of the Army Of the Poto-
mac.
General Patrick has done good fighting, and
notably at Antietam; but he Is best known in
connection with the position he long held Of
Provost Marshal General Of the Army Of the
Potomac. In this position he gained in the
army reputation for incorruptible honesty.
He was man Of whom al wrong-doers were
shy, and all swindlers, suffers ana skulkers were
on their good behavior when ."Old Patrick"
was reported in the neighborhood. No man
who was to be bribed could have maintained
such character in that army, where plenty Of
money was always ready to purchase the privi-
lege to rob and cheat the soldier; and the fact
that Patrick's character in that position was
never impeached Is satisfactory evidence Of
his real integrity and Of his fitness for the very
position for which he Is now named.