Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-02-18

known 10 fame deserve distinction In one
form or other. He who, by bold per-
sistence in one direction, excels all
others, whether it be,the arch fiend Of
the INTERVALS, the throned iyrant, or the
common cut-ihroat, outranks the humble
Thomas, the accomplishing martyr, aud
the mere uan Of many obscured virtues
II Is not enough to be great, and much
less to have high place. A man must
Tread on the outward verge Of right, ana
dare great virtues or great crimes, II he
would have renown. He must not par
ley and doubt and stand on oil sides oil
the fence. Ifhe hesitptes and shrinks {;
if his cheek blanches, and his con-
science makes coward OF him, and he
dares not strike the blow, be It good or
evil, In the very acme and crisis OF his
fate, he will never achieve eminenoe,
never be crowned with the victor's
laurel, never rank among a nations
idols. Men who are merely tossed into
greatness, on some rising billow, no mat
ter how high their place, only appear the
more diminuiive the higher the niche
they ill. Itwere well for Them they had
remained obseure, that their weakness
might be hidden from too strong light
1t ia serious misfortune for little man,
like our Grant, to be blown into place,
where he must come in contact with the
really eminent, either for great virtues or
great vices, and appear the dwarf that
he 10. He looked very well as plain
San" in the lanyard, and got along
slowly as general, with the help of the
talents, plans and energy of able su-
bordinate officers. But, since he was
made full General" and has gone with
the instincts OF little soul TO lying and
scheming for dictatorship at Washing
ton, and, much to his discom-
future, has been caught at it, he looks
quite a diminutive Tom Thumb in
Cwsar's breeehes, Beecher or Stevens
or Greeley might make man of him, ii
there is material enough to work up. For
they have too much Puritan persistence
and purpose to sickle at trihes, and, in
inaugurating a great national outrage,
would keep him out of the traps, into
which, school boy like, littleness invaria-
bly, stumbles. But, unfortunately for his
hitherto rising star, be has fallen into the
hands of mob without head, which has
all the venom, but lacks the unity OF
purpose and the sagacity of the serpent.
His masters lead him in all direotionsi
and not being able to command the sit
uation, his star is on the wane. He has
already been labeled, and will shortly be
laid on the shelf. He set out very well
on the principle of keeping his mouth
shut; but he has blsbbed at lest and the
best record which the historian can make
for him is that the fool is out. This
language may be strong, and thought too
strong by some, but it is true. The man
who is capable of falsehood, equivocation,
and breach of faith to his superior officer,
and who is guilty of betraying his friend
and counsellor, in order to displaoe him
from power and reap to himself the ad-
vantage of the betrayal, with the help Of
the known Judas of the Presidential
Cabinet, is simply dishonored, and de-
serves the lash.
General Grant now stands fully conn
mitted to the Radical party and to all its
infamies. There was time when he
stood high as a soldier and man oil
honor, and when patriots and conserva-
tives hoped something from him. Had
he spoken manfully for the rights OF
States, which, as such, the power OF his
arms had compelled to remain in the
Union, and acted up to the principles
and magnanimity indicated by him at
the surrender of Gen. Lee, he might have
been honored still, and all his course
would have resulted in peace and frater-
pity He set out with forbidding his SOL
diers from enticing slaves 10 leave their
mas,ers. he EXPRESSED himself repeatedly
during the war as opposed to negro suf-
frage, and regarded the war as for no
such purpose. He assured Senator Doc
little, as late as 1858, that such thing
would be public calamity, unwise, and
that "a considerable portion of the
troubles between the whites and the
blacks that had already occurred was in
consequence of the unwise attempt to
force negro Suffrage in those Stats he
said further that if the Federal Govern
ment were TO attempt to do it and enforce
it. it would undoubtedly produce war be-
tween the two races there" These things
are proved up on him. He meant well
then, and acted according to his convlc-
tons. But the radical party has bought
him up, and his weakness shows they
have given full price. Whether, now that
they have sounded him and used him, they
will cast him of, in the disgrace into
which they have led him, will hereafter
be seen. 1t is painful to witness such
humiliation. But it is true that dishon-
orable conduct will not bear exposure
without q downfall.
Hatred OF the Negro.