The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-02-12
Monday Morning, February l2, 1865.
Unfair Comparison.

The New York Times,-which seems to be
troubled with immediate reconstruction on the
blaln n,-alluding to the reports made by Gen.
Grant and Gen. Carl Schurz. on the condition
OF the South, says; h5.og.to yslta,. ...3 '.'
Does anybody doubt the difference In the
| degrees of authority which the country a.
taches to the declarations of these two w.t.
| nesses? Is it pretended that Carl Schurz is
closer observer, a clearer thinker more i'm
partial judge, a better patriot than Gen. Grant |?
Is talleged that Carl Schurz is a more yioilant
| guardian of the process of restoration on con-
stitutional authority than Gen. Grant? On
tne contrary, is not the conviction all but uni
yersal that while Grant is patriot, Schurz is
mere partizan? That while Grant, happily
independent Of parties, desires nothing more
| than the reassertion of Union authority over
the South, and the quickest possible accent
ance by the South of the logical sequence of
the war, Schurz is the mouthpiece of those
who would reduce the Southern States to the
condition OF conquered provinces? ided1
The gross unfairness of this comparison is
seen in single fact. Gen. Schurz was sent
South officially, on purpose to learn and gath
er facts, and make observations on the condi-
tion Of that section of the country. He tray
elled extensively, visited all the late rebel
States, and spent seueral months in pursuance
Of his mission. He saw and conversed with
all CLASSES, men late in armed rebellion. men
who had remained loyal during the entire
struggle, men of the aristocratic classes, and
poor whites, besides large numbers of freed
men, officers of the Government and agents
of the Freedmen's Bureau. His report was
the result of his travels, experience and OBJ
Gen. Grant, on the other hand, went South
on mission purely military--so he says him
self-and was absent from Washington only
ten days, five Of which were spent in travel
ing, and the rest in four different cities. These
were all the places he visited; all the points
from which he could gather facts or make OBJ
servations. He conversed with leading men
some who had been rebels and some who were
officers of the Government, but he did not
hear word from the poor whites or from the
freedmen-so far as Southerners were con-
cerned, only from the @ruling classes" iAni
a9 Now, without detracting one iota from Gen.
Grants great ability, and his readiness to take
in at glance and comprehend the military
situation, how supremely ridiculous to pretend
that under such circumstances, his opinion,
based on facts and observation, is to out
weigh that of Gen. Schurz. Such readiness
to exalt great mans opinion. on point in
relation to which he acknowledges the i'm
perfection and scantiness of his facts and
means of judging, looks to us amazingly like
funkeyism, and disposition to fawn and
play the sycophant We give Gen. Grants
report all the Importance his brief visit and
meagre means Of observation win warrant,
but we shall not ignore the report of another
able man on point he was required to make
an object Of special investigation, simply be-
cansA ne goes pvyvna v.rv --1-ts. i
and brings to the surface mass Of facts and
considerations Of vast Importance in forming
correct Judgment, which the other, and
perhaps superior man, had no means of reach
ing. Because the New York Times is as pre-
judiced as bigot, it need not be wilfully un-
just. fih T.---- t.,1loo, u