New-York tribune., 1868-10-10

there will be many difficulties is certain, even
if no experiments were to be tried and should
the events of the first few years dIsappOint In
some degree the expectations of friends, we
may predict from the amplitude of means, from
the zeal and scholarship and ability of the pro-
fessors, who are mostly young men, to do much
work. as well as from the experience OF the
founder and of the Board of Trustees, that a
reform in education will be sensibly advanced.
--
HOFFM4NS ESTIMATE OF PUBLIC SERVICE.
The essential fact concerning the service rem
dered to the nation by the builders OF the
Monitor is that they did for the Government
what it was unable or unwilling to do for itself.
This volunteered service saved our wooden
navy and our seaboard cities. Mr. John L.
Hoffman now visits the home Of the man who
rendered the service, and obtrudes his sneer to
the effect that after all no credit is due him.
because he only wanted to make little money
out of the job!
Here is high-mindedness for you We fancy
Mr. Hoffman, in the refined chivalry OF his
nature, applying the same rule OF judgment In
other cases. We can imagine him receiving
the man who should plunge into the water to
rescue his drowning child "Sr, the life OF
my child is dearer to me than my own, and
90 you have saved it; but owe you no thanks.
You expected to be paid for it; here's your
money and now we're even" We can
see Mr. Hoffman, as Mayor of tho City,
receiving her gallant regiments, as
with thinned ranks and tattered banners
they returned from the war: Soldiers, you
" have fought bravely, have saved the State
/" from invasion, and have helped to preserve
" the Nation; but we owe you no thanks for
ait you were hired for that. and you've got
a. your pay Don't come around whining about
recognition of your patriotism, for you know
L" YOU only went into the war for the money,
" and Won We got your sixteen dollars month y
We fancy Mr.. Hoffman in Tammany, repeat
inc his Troy speech mt the Mcclellan re-
ception: General, we believe you the
" greatest Soldier of the age; we re-
" gard YOU as having saved the country at
"the outset from an else-assurcd Rebel triumph
"and as having been only prevented from end
"ing the war within year OF its beginning by
"mnlevolent enemies; but we owe you no
thanks, no sympathy. no honor. Didn't you
"get two hundred odd dollars month, besides
"rations and fomgci What else did you go
Into the war for, but the money! Didn't you
"have a contract with the Government for doing
duty as a Major General, and didn't it pay you
"all it promised, You are amply rewarded. in
"thc pay you've got, for all you ever did"
Mr.. Hoffman takes large credit to himself for
his gentemanly instincts. This, then, is his
idea of the gentlemanly way to acknowledge
vital and volunteered service.
The Government knew the danger threat
II. q.
was proposed. The authorities had no faith
in it, refused to touch it, and awaited the
impending disaster. Then John A. GriswOld
came forward: 81 believe this Ericsson plan
"wIll save you, and am willing to risk my
personal fortune. If you will let me try 1t,
" to make the effort" They reluctantly gave
the permission, aud the uncertain experiment
was tried, with no risk to the Government it
was TO serve SO incidentally, save the risk
that, in the event of failure. perhaps Mr.
Griswod's personal fortune might not be SO
great rs the authorities supposed Meanwhile,
the Merrmac, steaming down to our fleet in
Hampton Roads, in n little time destroyed two
of our finest memo of-war and taught the af-
frighted country that every port on our coast
was at her mercy. At that moment Now York
would have given millions for protection. The
Government had none to offer John A. Girls
void and his associates had.
They have never boasted of this act, or
sought consideration account of It, But
now Mr. John r. Hoffman, having rivalry
with Mr.. Griswold, goes to the city of his res
idence, and sneeringly tells the people of Troy,
"You think NewYork is going 10 elect your
Mr.. Giiswold Governor because he saved
the navy and protected the seab0ard. You
never were more mistaken. lie did the work
we never said he didn't-but hasn't he been
paid for il 7 Didn't he get every dollar Of tn
contract moneyw 1t is true that the Govern
ment paid the money. 1t is equally true that
if its Judgment about tho Monitor had been
right Mr.. Griswold would have been
ruined It is true that, learning now to appre-
ciate his business sagacity, it made other con-
tracts with him. And it is equally true that
on these he lost money. but subsequently had
his losses made good. That is all.
This is business-cold, mattcr-of fact busi
ness. John A. Griswold never sought to pre-
sent it in any other light. But tho people
of New York have not learned to reckon
the value of great national services i'll
mere dollars and cents. Apparently Mr..
Hoffman has. They do not feel absolved from
gratitude to their soldiers because they have
paid them sixteen dollars month. Apparently
Mr.. Hoffman does They do not think Gen.
Grant deserves no honor because he has
got pay from the Army Paymaster for
every day of his service Quite probably Mr..
Hoffman does. They do not think John A.
Griswold deserving of coarse insult at his
own home because others have said that he
WAS entitled to honor as well as his pay for