New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-08-20
stonewan Jackson


stonevvan jackson,
For the Crescentl
Every country in which liberty has ever mad 4
footing, no matter for how short period, seems
to have produced larger or smaller number OF
truly great men, Whether the latent sparks OF
genius exist in every human heart, only requiring
the breeze of opportunity to fan them into slo-
rous flame; whether we are to attribute Inc
honor of producing to the particular ctisis which
calls into action and general notice the hero the
statesman or the patriot; or whether we are to
believe that the Deity, in His infinite wisdom and
paternaI love of mankind, gives to nation
plunged in difficulties the man Or men capable OF
extrioating it from its unfortunate position, IS
question which must be determined by an ADLER
mind than that of the writer of these reflections
Though the mind of man, by its inherent weak
ness, by its inability to fathom the depths of the
divine economy, is unable to ascribe with any
determinateness the particular cause towhich the
world is indebted for the blessing, yet the fact
clear to any close observer Of events, or reflective
reader of history, that in every storm that has
convulsed any particular nation a man has
appeared on the scene capable of becoming
pilot to the ship Of state and guiding her to
haven Of security.
| Athens had her founder Theseus, Rome her
Romulus, America her Washington-Athens her
preserTer on several occasions, Rome her Cicero,
| and the United States has statesman now at the
helm who, may we not hope, will be entitled to the
gratitude of posterity as its pFeserver? Unfortu-
nately for the interests of mankind, the lovers Of
liberty and the wellwishers Of their species, the
men who have obtained the leadership of nations
have not always pursued the course most calcu-
lated to benefit the great body Of their fellow
creatures; but, in some cases, have allowed them
| selves to become, in the hands of a particular
class the willing tools of oppression and injustice
But while on the one hand we are constrained to
4 weep for those men of superior parts VINO py
their own direct guilt or objectionable supine-
ness either become the actual infietors or the IN
struments in the hands Of others for the perpetua
! ton of tyranny in their country. we are called
upon to admire the noble patriotic spirit Of those
| who like Scion, exercise authority only Tor the
good Of their country, and voluntarily relinquish
| it when the necessity that called upon them to
assume the reins of government no longer exists.
Such a man was StOneWall Jackson. He
claimed the attention of his countymen only when
the interests of his native land called aloud for his
serviees-only when.his country was in imminent
danger, was he willing to leave the pleasure of
| that retirement he so loved, and mix in the more
busy and oftentimes REPRESENTATIONS Of public
A life By his courage and gallantry amid the
greatest dangers, during the Mexican war his
name first came into public notice. His fame at
A that time, though equalled by that of many others
and surpassed by not few, was sufficient to have
A caused very generous reception to be awarded
him. had he seen fit to enter the arena Of political
life. But he was content with having rendered
great and meritorious services to his country in
her hour of need, and to leave the management of
n political affairs to those who had taste for it,
and to retire from the public gaze until another
occasion arose to demand his services How
prone we are to forget our benefactors-th who
rendered us the greatest services-unless there is
some direct influence to cause our thoughts to
revert to them. Thomas ]. Jackson was, prob
ably, during his retirement, but little thought
Of; scarce remembered save by the fortunate
few who enjoyed the rare privilege of personal
acquaintance with him; and when in the late war
he commenced that succession of glorious actions
which have caused his name to be surrounded by
undying memories, many of his fellow-citizens
had to have recourse to their histories to learn Of
his record Such was the man, transformations,
modest and retiring. He abored not for self-ag-
grandizement, nor for that other general motive
of military men, honor and fame; but, having
served his country nobly, gaantly and faithfully,
he was content that his services and his very exs-
tence might be forgotten. But, thank heaven, his
name will never again be forgotten. His glory is
established forever As long as America lasts, as
long as the English language endures, as long as
any language now spoken survives to mankind,
will the name Of stonewall Jackson be revered
and admired for the many virtues and gentle
characteristics which he SO beautifully blended
with military ability and skill unsurpassed by
that of Hannibal Caesar OF Napoleon. The fame
of StonewalI jackson has become the property of
mankind. 1t will be honoFed and defended
by every nation in the confines of whose
territories there exist any love of honor, patriot
ism or Christianity. 1t will be handed down to
the posterity of every country as proof that the
Christian virtues are not incompatible with the
" character of great military chieftan. Strangely
and unfortunately, an idea seemed TO prevail
\ among mankind in general, and the military pro-
4 fession in particular, that military man was not
u amenable to the same laws Of moral recttude
Il which every other member Of the human society
is constrained by decency and responsibility to
conform to- as well as by love Of the Creator and
I desire Of following the dictates of His divine
will. Licentiousness, profanity, injustice and
many other vices and crimes were allowed to
4 pass unrebuked and unobserved in the military
man that would have brought down execration on
the head Of the civilian. The objectionable and
loathsome excuses Of Alexander, Cesar, Deme-
trius, Antony, and Of nearly every great general,
were lightly thought by the reader of history who
unfortunately come to consider them as the natural
accompaniments Of higher order of talent and
the necessary consequencesof genius. How alb
surd and pitiable to imagine that a man engaged
| in the defense ofhis country, on whom rests the
burden Of its most important interests, and who
is responsible for perhaps its very existence, is
excnsable in committing actions that the humblest
and most degraded Of his countrymen would be
ashamed to acknowledge! But the example of
the noble Stonewal, as well as thaBof few Of his
honorable predecessors, completely disprQves this
faIlaey. and thoroughly establishes the contrary
opinion that a military man should be christian
las well as a. warrior. Fabius Maximus, we are
4 told by Plutarch, was, as q mark Of respect and
as the father of the people, buried at the public
expensey each citizen being allowed the oppor-
tunity Of contributing his mite; SO that he who
A protected them during his life might al death be
consigned to the eternal rest by them Stouewall
Jackson deserved NO less an honor no less a
tribute Of love. No mohumeutof bronze or marble
has been reared to commemorate bis noble deeds,