Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-05-08
GENERAL GRANT AS A THIEF AND
MURDERER.

The public have recently been shocked by
the recital of a most atrocious murder COM
mitted in Philadelphia, where an entire
family of eight persons, including men, wo-
men and children, were deliberately slaugh-
tered in order to steal three hundred dollars
and pair Of boots. Anton Probst was the
inhuman perpetrator of the deed In the
annals of crime there is no record of a more
brutal murdor, nor of one in which the
commonost feelings Of nature were more
UNANIMOUSLY violated than in the killing of the
Dearing family,
The Chicago Times represents the pcrso-
nal and political sentiment that regards the
downfall of the rebellion as Il national cal
amity. During the war those engaged in
its prosecution were denounced by that
paper as the hireling scum of the earth, aud
as malignant oppressors of brave and noble
people Tho killing of every rebel in the
prosecution of the war was held to be
cruel murder of a gallant man defending his
home from brutal invader, and every grave
that closed upon federal soldier was hailed
as monument to mark the retributive JUS
tice which should overtake every wretch
mean enough to bear arms in contest
wherein the freedom of the African might
be secured That was the tenor of the four
years teachings Of the Chicago Times.
When grateful country rejoiced over the
energetic abors OF Sheridan, and the world
delighted to honor his brilliant deeds, the
Chicago Times held him up as blatant
imposter and coward, unworthy to be men
toned in the same breath with his accom-.
plished, brave and honorable adversary, the
drunken Early. In the estimation of the
same journal and those it represented, sher
man was mounlebank, whose fantastic
tricks would sooner or later be terminated
by the soldier johnson; and Thomas was
ansold fogy unable TO contend in any way
with the brilliant genius of Hood But the
special object upon which its venom was
exhausted was General Grant. The pre-
sumption of such man as Grant undertake
ing to compete in the management of an
army with a soldier like Lee, was held to he
an outrage upon the national character, 10
be resented by every man who was not an
Aboltionist or insane, The malignity with
which every soldier who was not also a trai-
tor was pursued was intense, and as persis.
tent as il was characteristic of the treason it
sustained
Grant, Sherman, Thomas and Sheridan
survived the armed treason of the enemies
of their country, and despite the defamation
of the Northern allies OF the rebellion, have
won for themselves in the estimation of the
world an honor and distinction as military
chie0ains, which is not shared by any other
living men,
The Chicago Times, however, has not for
gotten its malice. 1t may have been repress-
cd, but never diminished, and the murder of
the Dearng family is seized upon as the pre-
text for repeating its denunciation of Gen.
Grant as n thief and murderer. 1t finds in
Anton Probst, the slayer of the bearings,
another Grant; it finds in the three hundred
dollars and pair of boots an indueement
for crime fully as honorable as the capture
of Richmond, while the murder by probst
of those delenceless women and children is
no more infamous than the slaughter at
Spottsylyania and Petersburg Probst il
insists, is the hero of bloody action not
equalled, 'unless by some of those fought
around Spottsylvania Court House"
Probst wanted the three hundred dollars
and the boots Grant wanted Richmond; the
Dearing family stood in the way of the
money and the rebel army in the way of
Richmond, Probst murdered all the per
sons who could prevent his theft; Grant did
the same. Probst did no more than Grant,
but, as to the atrocity of his act, was fully
equal to him; Grants motive was as crimi-
nal as that of Probst, and to accomplish his
success he murdered more people, and as
Indignantly as Probst The two men are
classed ogether-equals in crime, and enti-
tied to the same honors and fame in the
estimation OF their country. AS Grant is
awarded higher honors by "a grateful country
for his deeds than have been awarded to his
comrades, so Plo1st, it insists, should be
exalted and lionorcd above all other MUIR
derers except Grant. 1t thus closes its COM
parison between Grant and Probst.
'IIe (Probs) needs honors of some sort.
1t would be an insufficient acknowledgment
to make him brigNdier general of murder
ers. major generalship In the grades OF
slaughter would he beneath his deserts We
must look higher. He outranks the regular
and highest oil the customary official distine-
tions lie should be ut the very least Il
lieutenant general
To the extent that Grant is thief and a
murderer, whose deeds can be classed only
in the same grade with the atrocious slaugh-
ter OF the Dearing family, so also must be
classed the acts of Sherman, Sheridan,
Thomas, and their associates, rank and file,
who, during four years, carried the flag and
the sword of their country through the land
of the rebellion, Every man who, by word
or deed, is responsible for life lost in that
war; even if taken in defence of the country,
every soldier who bears upon his person the
scars of battle, and before whom contending
traitors have fallen on the field; every man
engaged in this war whose hands are not
bloody with the gore of the national defen.
ders, is, by the Chicago Times, pronounced
a thief and murderer, who in all that con.
stitutes hero, can only compare with Probst
in the proportion that they took part in
Grants cold -booded murders.
We do not remember to have seen during
the war, even IN the rebel newspapers, more
malignant and scurrlous defamation OF
Grant and the Union soldiers, than that
which appeared in the issue OF tile Chicago
Times of April 90 lsGG 1t is brutal in its
taste, Infamous in its object, cowardly in its
manner, and insulting in all things TO the
survivors of the army, and to their relatives
and countrymen, who claim for both living