The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-01-31
: Conduct Unbecoming an Officer
and a Gentleman"
from The Freenau's Journal.

from the Freelnaus Journal.
This is phrasein the ARTICLES of War"
1t was founded on the old notion that the
commissioned officer in the Army or Navy
of civilized people must be a gentleman,
or, at least must bekace himself as nearly
as possible like gentlemen do. 1t was in
serted in the !" Articles of War; by Con
gress, at time when it was never dreamed
Of that "Beast Butler could possibly get
commission in the Units,i States Army
much less be du5beaa Major-General 1t
ought to be cancelled now. 1t isas absurd
as to require boot-blac!, or Congress
man, to be gentleman, as a condition OF
pursuing either OF their several trades. A
gentleman may become boot-black, or
even Congressman but, he is not gen
tleman because he is one or the other. 10
more is he because he is q commissioned
officer In the Army.
These reflections are suggested by noti-
cling in Southern papers, on the same day,
two official acts Of two Union Generals, at
different points. One is that Of General
I)eRussy, commanding the Department OF
Southern Alabama. We have the pleasure
of copying in another column, from the
Mobile Daily Times, his courteous and SOL
dierly reply to the inquiry made OF him as
to whether any objection would be made to
theatrical benefit in Mobile in aid Of the
widow of "Stonewall" Jackson. His reply
is not gentleman-liks- is that of o gen.
Aeman. He applauds the idea, and, more
over, promises before hand, his concurrence
with any schemes for the relief OF the suf-
fering that abounds in The South. That is
conduct becomiag an officer and gentle
| man.
The other instance, that happened to
| meet our eye on the same day, and by con-
trast, causes this notice, is ola Mr.. John
Gibbon, who holds the rank Off Major
! General the official peer of Beast Butler
| and, judging by his official language, the
feeble copyist Of the Butler that is said to
/ have expressed himself as desiring immor-
tality as infamous, rather than not have
auy record. Butler and ,Gibbon may
/ achieve dstestation in the present genera
| ton, in which they live. Fifty years
| hence, Boston Corbett, and Butler, aud
4 Gihben, are sure to be forgotten, and any
one that chances, in the year 1916, to light
on the name Of any one Of them, in reading
| the ephensera ofDur day, will pass it over,
/ as we now, in looking over newspapers OF
| 1916, do not regard whether some low fel-
| low, then, named, was called Jonathan
Scroggs, or Billy BLANK
i We did not know, till within O week,
| that any one called John Gibbon had been,
or was now, in the United States armies.
| He has revealed himself! Some tens Of
thousands viii read, for the first time, in
this article we are writing, that one John
| Gibhon has been in the Army, and that is
over and above, like Butler and Schneck, a
| Major-General
| 1t is not for any stout meeting with
| Stonewall Jackson's command, nor with
| Longstreets, nor for any furious encounter
with A. p. Hills soldiers, norwith Ewells
nor for any fierce riding against Wade
| Hampton, or Wheeler, or Jeb Stewart
! that they will know Of him. 1t is for q
| "gallant" assault on the wohaea and boys
| of Petersburg, in old Virginia!
Let US explain. They have had the Gus
tom, in years gone by, in old Virginia. o
having what they call tournaments. -
Gen. Robert Il. Lee never took part in
them, nor Gen. Joe Johnston, nor any 9th
er old sold soldiers. They were not bloody
liousts. There was not, even, o shock O
cavaliers, with blnnt-pointed lanees, trying
to unhorse each other. The whole objec'
was to dmuse the Virginian youth, and tt
cultivate among the manly exercise ofele
CANT and skilfull horsemanship. 1t is OIL
Accomplishment of a gentleman. 1t is NO
one of a thousand of the kind we can NEE
i in the Central Park, among the shodd,
pumpkins that ride there, straddting costly
but well-tamed horses-.-if with a lady, al
ways English fashion, ON the off-hand side
where it is impossible even for real horse
man to render the lady any aid in case 0
need. l.Hf
We forbear contrasting the Virgins
amusement for youth with the effamiIiat
dances, tolerated AYE, caltivated--in Ncy
York, and learnedfrom disreputable circle
in Paris, and observation-disclosures, not of TIL
old, modest kind. that observed the pre-
prieties Of Christian morals, but such a
are dancedl ss lasi, Isl,
Well! They got up one Of these mani
exercises Craftsmanship, near Petersbur!
Old warwprn soldiers, with a few gay e,
ceptions, took no active part in it. 1t wa
an innocent amusements for the youth, an
the women, At this social entertainment
it seems, the women, of that part Of OIL
Virginia, desired to have none but heu. on
people. Now, not only no gentleman, bl
no man of ordinary intelligence and decel
cy, will ever quarrel, with even his .frien
for not inviting him to aselect dinner pa
ty! Among real men, especially if hayir
heavy and constant cares upon them,
a"Major General commanding is suppo
F ed to have--s,ot to be expected at a co
/ vivial entertainment, might be supposed
be the true Kindness
John Gibbon, Major General in hope
! o Puritan Commonwealth, did not look {
it in any such light. The adherents of Il
late Confederate States being all, by t
general understanding, disanned, it W
cheap courage to call them cowardly al
false Theyare powerless. Maior-GeneI
Monkey, or Rat, or what You will, back
by the victorious power Of the Unit
States. "so-cal!ed.' can insult them wi