Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-02-12
DaIaGoId.

The delicaey of General Delafeldsought
not to go unsung by Il muse vigilant TO cell
citrate the progress Of refinement for since
the first days of the war, when our Gener-
ais fought the enemy in the spirit Of
brotherly kindness and Cancellation, we
have not seen so great proof of tenderness
fer the rebellion as General Delafeld has
lately shown. In an old army man, too,
it is all the more surprising, for it must be
confessed that soldiers-those surgeons of
civilizatiOn-get rough habits of frankness,
and like leeches, who make a great deal
of i~ncision, has a certain ruthlessnesss of
touch. But General Delafield has pre-
served all sensitive courtesy of his youth,
and will not call a spade by its name in
the presence of gardeners children.
1t is known that in the curse of the
late regrettable hostilities the Govern
ment troops took from the rebellious
forces some thirty guns, which were sent
to West Point, there to be inscribed with
the names of the actions in which they
were captured, and kept as trophies. The
Secretary of War has now transmitted tc
! Congress the correspondence between the
Academy and the chief engineer of the
army, in relation to these cannon, from
which it appears that General Delaield,
with the d~elicaey which we admire, re-
| piled to Captain Balch's request for leave
to mark the guns with the proper inserip-
| lions, that it had better not be done. In
speaking of the pupils of the Academy,
he said:
at should be our study with these
young men to permit nothing eff an irri-
table or boastful spirit to be placed con-
| stantly before the sight of those whose
section of the country suffered by the re-
bellion. Let history tell the evils this re-
bellion has produced, and let us, through
the instrumentality Of the Military Aead-
envy, renew its powerful inhuencein estab-
fishing national feelings through the
friendships that are sure to flow from a
scholastic fellowship under military train
ing for years. These guns should be pre-
served only as historical Of the artillery
arm Of the service, indicating the period
and place of manufacture of each, ealibre
and description Of gun, emitting every
thing connected with their capture or use"
No'one can deny that this is thoughtful
and amlable in General Delaield. To
be sure, the gentle purpose might be more
perfectly accomplished by melting down
these unhappy guns and substituting 9TH
ers Just like them for use in the study of
historical gunnery, but still it is to be
hoped that the young gentlemen Of the
North and West will emulate General
Delafeld's generosity, and never allude to
the capture of the cannon in the pres
ence of their fellow students. Toe many
of those who remained true to the Gov
eminent in the hour of its calam-
ity, and helped beat down armed trea-
son in the bloody field, cherish an
indecent pride in the recollection of their
deeds, which cannot be rebuked with suf-
1cient severity; and the sooner their SOM
can be taught to forget the whole affair
the better. There is a peculiar propriety,
moreover, in hushing up the secret of the
insurrestion at West Point; for it is we'll !
known that some of the most distinguished
chiefs of treason were educated st that
Academy; and if there wera anything
there to remind the Southern students
hat the treason had suffered a n utter and
ingloriousIdefeatEt might not only wound
their heightened sensibilities, but would,
perhaps, warn them that rebellion is dis
aster.-Nation.