The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-07-01
Jno. a. BIngham-A Criticism.

EdStors E,lteltgeneeT:
An article in last Saturdays issue of |
your paperAcopied from an Ohio paper |
John "A. Blnghams vote |
as falling behind the party ticket. This |
Is 70 be regretted. Yet We are not sur
pftsed at Il, although it may seem
strange that such should be the case in |
g man of his political and mental |
strength.
We are an admirer of his ability, and
feel that he is RpoWer in our Hatlonai
councils-yet We sour a little soms-
times at his manner. However AasDIe
hs NAV be in the social CIRCLE he Is not l
so in much of his public speaking. aus
love of sarcasm and scorn-or rather
his usa ofit-makes no friends or con-
yerts none of different opinions.
When he crouchea, as 1t were, his
whole salr, mind and body, into one of
those indescriable positions of seorn
and Misses a stream OF burning sar-
casm through his teeth, upon some OBJ
ject of his spite, or some one, may be
differing only in opinton-WeB indeed
feel convinced, butt Is of his power
while our sympathies lean toward the
obiect-and although our feelings and
sentiments may be in entire accord
with the speaker, yet We cannot DAT
think that he has used an instrument
of torture rather than of simple specu-
lAtion.
As an example, probably familiar to
many of youT readers-during the war,
when great efforts were being made to
bring out the 500. coo. In an Grafton
which he delivered In Wheeling, we be-
lieve, he ran into a personal and po-
iitical description OF the leaders of the
Rebellion. Having probably perso-
nal acquaintance, and fnlly appreciat-
ing their ambitious and selfish motives
his sarcasm WAS at times sublime.
Yet we thought of that military princi-
pie of Napoleon, when advised in fur
therance ofhis ends to free the Russian
serfs-''I might desire to make friends
of the Russian government at some
future day."
Coming to Benjamin, then one OF the
rebel cabinet, he threw out his finger
which, backed by his shagged brows,
might well represent the finger of
scorn-And rolls out q bundle of inYec.
tive, as a murderer would roll a stone
upon the remains of his victim, 'and
Judah P. Benjamin, that cop-peT-col-or-
ed Israelite lW We imagined, that no
loyal man thanks him for that express.
ion, for it lost its power as hurled at the
traitor and seemed to strike only the
down trodden Jew.
And caE course this would drive
every Jsw, closer in sympathy to
brother Judah, and rather away from
The man and his party, who denounced
his race as "Copper-coloredI sraelites'"
You often notice that those who are
especially bitter in their vitupeFation
towards their opponents are most apt
to turn eyewitness Parson Brown
low and Andrew Johnson-aud We
should not be surprised to see Brick
Pomeroy laboTing along with those he
now SO violently writes against, If not
already in disguise, although for the
sake of humanity we hope not.
Consequently we were not surprised
at the rumors some time ago, that
John a. Bingham was going over to
the enemy-about the time that Butler
and he had the "set-to."
And again, in that encounter We find
his sarcasm doing him no good, al
though we could highly appreciate 1t
as heaped upon the head of Butler, who
| in turn has no mercy upon an oppo-
| nent. But when he began to recount
| the failures OF the Big Bethel hero, our
| feelings began TO warm for the latter;
| and when Butler replies that he had
| gone into the war with his whole soul,
| and with all the ability he had, and il
| he made some failures, DC, then we
feel that Butler has again made his
| point.
We hope this criticism will not be
/ misunderstood, as 1t is certainly given
in no fault. finding or carping spirit
with which some persons seem to be
chronically adected; Dut 1of the prlnci-
Piles he esPouses, and in admiration for
the man whom we would wish to see
free from every fault.
| Yes, simple fauIt-fudiDg we detest,
| aud We felt sorry to read from COR
respondent In your columns of Generals
| Butler and Logan as pushing them
selves as leaders of the Republican
party; and we felt like saying, go,
| thou enviOus carper, and BALI I'LL their
| placas. ave. bucklR the shoes Cl1On their
I feet!" We must know that man feels
more like a leader, more enthusiastic,
when he gets upon The right side sees
clearer.
Tell our Ohio Republicans that they
must put John a. Bingham under
training; again try him unless they
have a better fieid for him.
Tune IN 1853 go -