The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-13
THE NEW YORK PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS or THE LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT TOPGCs-COMPGLED EVERY
DAY FOR THE EVENING TELEGRAPH.
Dona Ferentes.


.FFo7n the Tribune
There are various ways of soothing a dis
appointed general as well as complimenting a
llympathy gets also a big cheese; sometimes
house; now a saddle, and then suit of
Ilothes from an advertising tailor Whether
those kindly persons who have recently pre-
scented to General Lee pair OF gamecocls,
roosters Of no ignoble lineage and dunghills
of an elevated breed, exhibited delicacy
equal to their personal devotion, may well
be questioned. Why should a retired brave,
who had had losses, and who is at present
engaged in the praiseworthy occupation Of
teaching young gentlemen their mathematics,
have disagreeble memories aroused by the
,yin of a brace of fighting fowls, and reminded
0F tho doleful dav when he himself was forced
1,,, fata 10 knock under2 OF what particular
valne 70 the General these plumy little war
riors will be. unless he kills, roasts, and eats
them. we are at a loss to determine. 1t will
be inconsistent with academioal decorum to
match them in the college yard. Placed, how
ever in a convenient position, they may
prove valuable allies of the college bell in call
ing the boys to morning prayers, and may be
regularly sworn at by the sluggards.
General Lees letter accepting the poultry is
before us. and we would quote from it, if there
were anything to quote. He is simply grateful,
and merely "yours respectfully" He indulges
in no ferooious illusions to the Yankees, and
in no rhetorical hOwls over the corpse of the
Confederacy. This may be in good taste, but
really we not think it is what the donors had
a reasonable right to anticipate We fear that
it is of bad example to Major Generals in gene
raj. and to our own officers in particular. Of
what use is it to throw away kegs of butter
and barrels of apples, hats, and boots, and
other magnificent specimens of merchandise
and manufacture, upon a military man who is
so extremely afraid of damaging his chances
of the Presidency, be the same more or less,
that he never permits himself to go beyond
the polite vagueness of ''much obliged ?'
When, we should like to know, is a man to
express his opinions, provided he has any,
if it be not when his heart is expanding
with gratitude or his stomach is full of
eleemOsynary dainties That must be a very
infexible caution which generosity cannot
coax out of its reserve. We think that
General who expects to be President is under
a sort Of moral obligation to have views; nor
is it any great stretch of suspicion to distrust
the sincerity of opinions which are never
aired. 1t may be very comfortable for time
to be upon both sides or no side, on this side
safest and most truly American way, before
to screw his notions out of him, or to make
sure that there are no notions to screw. If he
does not yield to the persuasive influence of
presents, and is not to be melted into explicit
correspondence and categorical lucidity by
our donations, it is a very hard case for voters
at least who desire to vote intelligently, and
who are willing in certain sense, to pay
handsomely for enlightenment.
We think if any more presents are to be
made to any of these brave commanders who
may be supposed to be laying slow and silent
siege to the White House, that the accompany
ing notes might be so framed as to extract
popular and useful information, something
perhaps after this fashion: 'Dear General
accept this coat and what do you think of the
Wool interest i' or, 'Here is little purse of
greenbaoks which your friends have made up
for you, and please give us your views of the
resumption of specie payments" or, "Accept
this barrel of apples, and let us know, if you
will be so good, whether you think the SER
pent that tempted Eve, the venerable old
snake is not still alive and wriggling in
various parts of this country" This may not
be very delicate way of getting at military
views Of civil matters; but as the country has
more than once been miserably and eXpensively
imposed upon, it is safe to aver that delcacy
is out of place. 1t may not be quite agreeable
for an old soldier to be forced to say some
thing when he has nothing to say but it
must be remembered that if amanis to be Pre-
sident, he must ultimately speak and he
must finally do, and that a little private en-
barrassment now is far better than national
botheratiOn hereafter. We trust that no
fine old soldier wants the great Office who is
conscious of his unftness for it; and he may
rest assured that he is altogether unfit for it,
if he be without decided opinions upon the
leading questions which are dividing the land
A man may be very grateful, and highly gra-
tilted, and extremely pleased, and much
obliged, and ''yours, gentlemen most respect
fully, ," without being exactly safe political
person; and if we are to have military per
Gnnnmas miNmm in 1lnlitins LuLnt Lnr,, - d.