The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-25

GERS who command them carry com missions
from the War Department at Washington. The
position is anomalous and alarming. Our Gov
ernment Is compromised by the acts Of its own
soldiers; its policy Is thwarted by its own SER
wants; its foreign relations necessarily delicate,
are rendered more difficult than ever by the
negligence OF misconduct of its own officers.
colonel of o regiment of United States crlOred
infantry directs the details OF an outrage for
which there was not the slightest justification.
And General Crawford, having made himself
infamous as flibuster-in-chief on the RIO
Grande, returns to New Orleans for reinforce
ments and supplies" and no doubt also to re-
ceive the congratulations of the fltbusterlng
fraternity for acts perpetrated In their behalf.
Such condition of affairs would be bad
enough, had circumstances transpired to account
Tor it. No Government not weak and berett OF
self-Tespect could tolerate the hllbusterism
which usurps national authority and assumes
the right to dictate the national policy. The
duty of any Government strong enough TO main
tain its prerogative would be to arrest, try. and
punish all concerned in the effort to provoke
hostilities with Mexico and France. In our
case, there should be neither hesitancy nor mis-
placed leniency. We owe to ourselves the prompt
and fearless maintenance of the policy on which
we have entered. We owe to the world the vim
dicaton of law and the repression OF the
flbustering spirit which, under the name of
liberalism degrades and damages the best inte-
rests of democracy.
Oar duty would be plain, though the effect
were to strengthen the throne of the Emperor in
Mexico. Regardless OF other considerations, we
are bound to show that the Government which
has suppressed a rebellion conducted in the
interests of slavery, is aOle and resolved to put
down ilibustersm under whatever pretext it
presents itself.
But IN regard to Mexico there can be but one
opinion as to the tendency of these causeless
complications. They lead in the direction of
war; the wckedness of which is made apparent
by all the recent intelligence from France. Few
things are more clear than the anxiety of Louis
Napoleon to Withdraw from an Intervention
which at every step involves him deeper in
expense and difficulty. He has committed
grievous blunder, and is anxious TO eXtricate
himself from it with the least possible delay.
This result is being fastened quietly, but not
the less surely, by the course Of our Government
the weight of whose moral influence has uni
formly been on the side OF the Mexican Repub-
lie. The policy of WHICH blatant champions of
the Monroe doctrine complain, and under which
the Crawtords and Reeds of the Rio Grande
became impatient, Is being vindicated by time
Without the expenditure OF dollar or drop
OF blood, al the American people aim at will be
ultimately accomplished.
To make this sure however, the neutrality
dictated by our Government must be enforced
A repetiuon of the Bagdad affair would be DIS
aslrous and dsgraceful. Ii necessary, let the
command of the department undergo change.
The reputation acquired by General Sheridan as
a dashing cavalry officer is not an excuse for
remissness on the Rio Grande, where the tact
and caution OF the statesman should be added
TO the activity and trmness of the soldier. We
are entitled TO demand the punishment of the
offenders at Bagdad, and the appointment to the
command OF some officer whose qualities iudi-
cate his fitness for o position which passing
events render pre-eminently critical.