Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-10-20

CoE GURERT GETs HIS
Cen Grant presented 20 the Cabinet
meeting today the record Of the court
martial in the case Of Col. Gilbert, VINO
wss tried by Gen. ora for SURPRISING 8
newspaper in Arkansas, and writing a
defence OF his act, based on the grounI
that the military were 1.-The masters OF
the Southern people" Gilbert Is louuu
TIiItv sentenced to pay 8 fine Of one
Thousand dollars, snd be reduced 10 the
rank CT Captain. The sentence Is APP
moved bv the President and Gen. Grant.
We do not rejoice at this Judgment
and its approval because it Furnishes COL.
GILBERT; but because. it establishes the
facts that citizens who commit no offence
against the law are entitled to some pro
fsa+ion and have some rights, d that
there is some limit to the license OF the
military power, even under the recon-
struction acts. II is another sign that
matters are rightiug themselves, and that
the country is slowly regsining the use Of
it, reason, after the frenzy Of the war,
aud retracing It's steps toward ConstItu-
tiouaI Government.
Il seems TO be the universal law, that
regularity and harmony shall in al cases,
moral. material and mechanical, be the
ra-ult Of the conflict and balancing Of
sntag0nistic forces. From the JOINT
action, the astronomers tell Us, OF two
opposite forces, in appearance absolutely
hostile to each other, the centripetal and
ceDtrffugal-one that in our system ever
strives to draw the planets to the central
sun. and the other that urges them to ny
off from it-result their beautifully har-
monious revolutions in their elliptic
orbits, and perhaps all the infinite move
meuts Of the great universe.
From the combined and opposing ac-
ton Of the human passions, hateful %
bideous in excess and uncontrolled, but
the source Of all lofty and noble energy,
love, daring, generous ambition, when
under due restraint-Of the sensual appe-
tites. the moral sense, and the desp0tism
ofthe intellect and reason, comes all that
Is harmonious and beautiful in human
nature. Baseness, iagratitude, cowardice,
cruelty. tyranny, bigotry, s~ensualism,
revenge, hatred, Jealousy, want, distress,
danger. pain, sickness, suffering are the
occasions and incentives without which
There could be 10 generosity, forgiveness,
liberation. patience, heroism, hrmness,
~self-denisl, charity, disinterested love,
gratitude, nor any other active or passive
virfue II there were no degradation
among the masses, no nations sunk In
slavery. ignorance, superstition and sen
spsI vice. there would be no occasion for
the missionary, the philanthropistr the
enlightened ruler, the great statesman
the patriot or the sage.
We see but g little way, and are
ALWAYS likely to err when we undertake
IN saw that this OF that disaster, agitation
or controversy is really an evil. God,
who sees the whole circle, knows. II is
only in the shocks and conflicts caused by
great questions that great inteIlects rise
and rule and it is by them that the at
teptfon Of the people, hsbitually little
given to profound reflection, is kept
fxed upon public affairs, and their in
terest in those affairs maintained.
When there are no such questions, that
excite and arouse the passions, and
alarm those TO whom the interest and
honor Of the country are dear, then IN
the stagnant waters corruption breeds
small questions make the turning points
OF politics aud As they can as well be
dealt with by small intellects as by great
ones. those busy and bestir themselves,
aud after 3 little, push the truly
great men from their places, and ali
becomes. in elaboration as well IS action,
trivial and contemplate The petty in
trigue, the low csbal, place put up for
sale, and power, held in unwashed and
unworthy hands, p~rostituted to the most
ignoble purposes. Great occasions and
great controversies alone produce great
ness in 8 nation. When these die out,
al is petty ~squabblng and low ma
hOuvring.
The internal fires Of the earth find vent
here and there in occasional and perms-
nent volcanoes; or earthquake would
soon shatter itinto 3 new swarm Of aste-
roids. The passions Of q nation, too,
must have vent and an issue often car
ries or SAFELY enough the humors that
else would eat away with fatal disease
the lungs and heart
The great questions that now a~qitate
Ebe country give occaEi7n audopPortgnity
for great men to arise snd rule, al least
"a sbe realms q Toe intellect, andby and
-. l..-.-I- - ~. ~. 81 I