The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-12-24

0raat saa sehurs On enc Condition q
tho southern States.
Two military men-General Grant and
condition of the Southern people. The reports
differ somewhat, which is, perhaps, not remark
able, as the men differ little also. Grants ID
very short and Schurz's is immeasurably long
thirty times longer than Grants. This Is, per-
haps, natural too. Schurz has done thirty times
less fighting than Grant, and so 1t is only proper
that he should do thirty times as much writing.
This will preserve an equilibrium. Schurz has
hitherto been distinguished for what he has writ
ten about the battle of Charlottesville He was
in the very midst Of that melee, our readers will
remember, and led the way to the rear with mag
nifeent impetuosity. He led his division away
from the enemy in such fine style that he forced
backward whole army. If he had only had
the sense to 60 in the other direction he might
have had glorious victory at the price he pafd
for shameful disaster. His principal object In
life ever since has been to prove that he did
not run away, and thai there was no defeat
He has written this theme. mp and down
and crosswiss, just a. Butler wrote and
argued to prove that Fort Fisher oould
not be taken. Butler did not stop his
arguments about Fort Fisher even when
the thunder Of saluting cannon announced its
capture. Nor would Schurz give way to
equally cogent evidence as to the Ohancell0rs-
vile defeat. He wrote 80 feroely about it
that he was once more intrusted with the COM
mand Of troops, and so it happened that he
was at the battle of Gettysburg. There his
laundering permitted half his command to fall
into the hands Of the enemy. Since that
Schurz has KEEP. out of.sight with some sue
cess, and now he comes forward with this v0-
luminous report
Like all Schurz's efforts, his report amounts
to very little. He kicks tremendously at the
dead lion, and to no purpose. Was there not
want of delioacy. of manly courtesy, towards
brave foe in sending person like Schurz to
examine into the condition of that foe after the
battle The South could receive Grant as the
soldier who had beaten it down fairly in good
fight Hundreds Of others it GOULD have looked
upon ia the same spirit But the sending of
the eyer-beaten Sohurz it might justly look
upon AZ m indignity. He went, however. He
had tried to penetrate the Southern country
several times and always in vain. But one
day the Southern soldiers laid down their arms.
and then Schurz went ahead. He wandered
about in the cotton States for three months,
and he wrote for three months more. Six
months were thus occupied in order to tell us
very little, and llat little we knew before he
told it, His tedious report does not even give
the results OF his own observasions-poor NJ
they might be. II gives instead rchash Of
what he heard. IL echoes the grumblings OF all
the soreheads he mot on his travels. II N q
tedious rigmarole OF mere gabble, and only
touches points OF interest by accident There
is not fcesh idea or a practical suggestion in
this vast agg,0meration OF words His reasons
against the rehabilitation of the Stale govern
ments and the withdrawal Of the troops are lost
in the last Stage of puerility. He would delay
tho restoration Of civil authority for reasons
such ns these IL. Because there are men in
The South who ridicule the oath Of allegiance.
q Because they" call the Northern people
Yankees (and probably called Schurz Dutch
many. 3. Because there are some foolish per-
sons who believe the South ought not TO pay
taxes, and ought TO be paid for the niger.
4. Because the Southern people believe tree
niger won't work it he can help il. s. Finally
because the Southern people love the persons
they suppose 10 be their friends better than
those they have fought against for four years.
Jus, such empty nonsense makes up the re-
port. Schurz n lauded as a radical, but he
has made sad havoc with the radical arguments
against reconstruction. and that merely by nd-
leaves them o1iy this point TO stand upon: that
We must occupy the Southern States with
troops merely because the Southern people do
not love the United States government with The
same devotion with which the Northern peo-
Pile love It. He says that all Southerners are
agreed that "furiher resistance to the power Of
the national government is useless. and sub
mission to iss authority matter OF necessity
He thus bears testimony that the South &C
cepts the supremacy OF The government az a
fnct; only be considers that il does not accept
this fact in the right .'spirit" II does not do il
gracefully. Il does not bow to Ceslev's cap
exactly as Schurz fancies ii ought to. viii
Scaarz te.l IVA what the government has got 10
do with spirit and What il requires of the
people more than the recognition OF its au.
thority and submission to it?
Here are the words of General Grant, telling
in three sentences more than Scburz tells in
his Eve hundred pages OF foolscap:--"I am
satisfied that the mass of thinking men OF the
South accept the present situation of affairs in
good faith. The questions which have hitherto
two sections--slavcry and State rights, or the
right OF State to secede from the Union
they regard as having been settled forever by
The highest Neutrality-suspicious. man can re-
I .,laanad 10 Iaarp Croxn Tho laad