Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-08-30
ALABAMA JAcKBooTs.


ETY. several years ago by few newspaper
correspondents, whom he kept at head
quarters aud Jeted like princes. His
towering genius and wonderful energy
we're heralded abroad and stupid
falsehood, in the shape of an Official dis.
patch signed "John Pope, Maj. General,
narrating the capture of 80, 900 men from
Beauregard, near Corinth, paved the way
for his promotion to the Army of the
Potomac. Unfortunately for Pope,
newspaper articles could not win battles.
Although commencing the campaign
with headquarters in the saddle, and
a sneer at his predecessors for desiring
bases of supplies " and lines of re-
treat, young Cesar suddenly found
himself confronted by several very
rugged obstacles. The most serious was
man named Lee, who disputed certain
rights Of way in a manner that illustrated
the difference between marching unop-
posed from Birds Point to Madrid Bend
and walking over sharp bayonets on his
way to Richmond. In only one partiou-
lar did Pope maintain his consistency.
He kept his headquarters in the sad
die" not having time to abandon them,
through fear of sudden contact with
Stuarts rough-riders. 1t is said that
during his somewhat hurried trip to
Washington, via the Virginia Valley, the
skirt of young Caesars coat stood out
like the streamers of vessel at full
sail, and his fiery courser attained speed
unknown to Dexter. In accordance
with principle of military etiquette
quite prevalent those days, Stonewall
Jackson's corps and Jeb. Stuart's cava-
liers formed Pope's rear-guard; but
although constantly in close connection
with the bulk of the army, their only
knowledge of the whereabouts of its he.
roic commander was an occasional
gleam Of the shiny buttons on his long
tail blue, as its owner mounted some
hill in his preciptous :" on to Washing
tor"
Pope proved a signal failure as a com
mander, and was unceremoniously sig
nailed to the Indian country. By
remaining in St. Paul and leaving to
subordinates, several hundred miles dis
tant the control of affairs, he managed
to save his army, and at the same time
relieve himself from portion of his
disgrace by appropriating the fruits of
its labors.
But Pope will live in history. He is
determined that his triumphs over the
civil laws of Alabama and Georgia shall
fill the niche in its Pantheon that Mars
resolutely closed against him. Although
unable to inspire either terror or respect
during the war, he now lords it over the
famishing people of District No. 3 like
a prince of Jackboots. General Or
ders multiply like locusts, and Satrap
Sickles must look to his laurels. Again
are headquarters in the saddle, and
under his invigorating policy, the peo.
ple's base of supplies will soon reach
the delightful condition of invisibility
to which this great commander reduced
that of his Virginia army.
Sometime since Pope finished bis
work of exterminating the civil courts.
This was not enough. " Headquarters
in the saddle means business, and
towering genius and wonderful energy
require activity. The question of re-
construction on the Sherman.Shellabar-
ger-negro basis waste be submitted to
the people. The sovereigns were to de-
eide whether they would accept or reject
the proposition. This left the matter
open for discussion; and among others
Hon. B. H. Hill, whose able speech we
recently published, ventured to suggest
that the Sherman. .Shellabarger method
was not quite the thing for District No.
3. Free discussion, in the Jackboots
vernacular, means free discussion
Of the Jackboots side of the ques-
ticn, and Pope recommends to Gen.
Grant that such disturbers " as Hill be
quietly arrested and exiled. Nothing
but towering genius could have con-
ceived so brilliant method of securing
free discussion and fair decision of the
reconstruction question. 1t is a twin
fellow of that of the valiant Burnside,
who exiled Vallandigham from Ohio to
secure the election of Radical Cover.
nor
Our incompatible Pope does not stop
with Hill and other orators guilty of the
atrocious crime of uttering anti.Jack-
boots opinions. The newspapers, a por-
tion of which have until lately sang
countless peans to his greatness, are
about to receive the reward of Actean's
devotion to his dogs. Mr. Jackboots
proposes to swallow them without greas-
ing. Says section three Of the latest
batch Of general orders, call advertise
meuts or other official publications here
tofore, or TO be hereafter provided for
by State or municipal laws or ordinan-
ces will be made in such
newspapers, and such only, as have not
opposed, and do not oppose, reconstrue-
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