Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-09-04
LONGSTREET.
The Old Corps Commander in
n New Role.

From the New Orleans Tlnes.J
The New York 7Fibune's version of a
conversation between Gen. LOngstreet
and 8 reporter, will not be credited by
many Of our readers as at all consistent
with the character and antecedents of
the distinguished General. There are
others who are familiar with the Gene
rails idiosyncrecies and his remarkable
simplicity in all political questions, as
well as with his impatienee in adversely,
and his -Overweening desire for prefer
ment, who think that this sketch is a
probable and just one.
We should not consider ourselves JUS
titled in adopting this view and giving
utterance to the ideas which Ii would
suggest. For Gen. Longstreet, as q
brave and honest, firm and heroic COM
mander of an army corps in q cause
which he believed to be just, we have the
highest admiration and respect. But for
Gen. LODgstreet essaying the part of
the statesman and politician, as
Stunning a superiority Of wisdom
over all his late associates and
adopting opinions in conflict with the
unanimous sentiment of the people with
whom ne has been identified in all his
previous years for LOnestreet, in the
Ia VI DOAANAC6I 60N AZ LlNLl~
itor Of the Southern people, we believe
that there is out one sentiment through
out this section, in which ne is still held
in the highest respect for his military
virtues and serVices-it Is that of pro-
found pity and sorrow. We are not of
those who ascribe these observations of
Gen. LOngstreet to selfish, ambitious, or
av8ricious motives-who charge a mani
fest purpose TO gain favor with the dom.
inant party in order to restore his broken
fortunes and establish himself in lie.
We discard allsueh imputations and find
a full explanation Of his ecceDtricities, in
hat simplicity often allied with high
merit-that leads men Of strong eharac-
teristics to imagine that they are
strongest in that Ia which they
are weakest. Just as Cicero imsg-
ined he was a great poet when he wrote
wretched doggerel, and Dsmosthenes,
that he could command armies better
than he delivered orations. So the wor-
thy K Confederate corps commander,
who handled large bodies of men in the
field with great skiI and address, fsncies
that his role and his highest attributes
are those Of the profound and sagacious
statesman who "a comprehend at q
glance the political situation and the fu-
buIcl anu SOANc tu6 mOSb ulA1Culb pLOD-
lens of government,
This is the amusing infatuation of Gen.
LoDgstreet. 1t is due to him and to his
Northern admirers hat they should
be notified hereof, lest they may be
deceived and do him great injus-
tice. Gen. Iongstreet lie, we have no
doubt, perfectly honest and sincere in
his conviction that he is the only states
man in the South. WhV sAOuld vho
desire Of to disturb the worthy Generalint bi.
pleasant, and daring, and altogether in
nocent and harmless oOnceit and
delusion? II the great Fred
erltk could amuse the dull hours of his
winter quarters by writing wretched
verses which he committed to the criti-
cal view and approval Of the illustrious
VOltaire, surely we may be indulgsnt to
the distinguished ex- Confederate corps
commander, who relieved of his military
cares and duties, devotes his genius to
the study and exposition of great and
complex political questions.