The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-06-04
From the New Y York World
The Republican Candidate for
President.

IF backwoodsman should insist ON
using an axe to cut his crop of grain, in
stead of a sickle, because the axe had
rendered good service in telling the forest
that stood upon the same ground the
preceding year, nobody would be apt to
think well of his judgment in the seIec-
I tlon OF a utensil. As we are not to have
a war, there is less fitness in the selection
of general than of statesman. as a
candidate for President General Grant
has been nominated solely in consequence
! Of his military reputation. Waiviug, for
the present, the fundamental objection
that the instrument is not adapted to the
proposed use, and that the presidency,
during the next term, will afford no scope
for the excr;ion of military talents, we
challenge inquiry into the grounds OF
| General Grants fame as soldier We
| suppose that none of his friends will
seriously maintain that he is entitled to
! be called great general merely because he
has commanded great armies, much less
! because he has exposed and lost in battle
! great multitudes of men. His reputation
rests upon the fact that all his campaigns
have been successful Bot success against
such adversaries as Pillow or Pemberton
IN the West is no very signal proof of
abilities, unless they commanded greater
forces which they did not. Genel al Lee
was more worthy antagonist bat Gen
eral Lee was not conqured by fighting
him, bot by exhausting his resources. he
stood on the defensive for nearly a wear
after Grant assumed command in the
East, although the Confederacy was even
then, when Grant crossed the Rapidan,
lettering and well-nigh spent by three
years exer!Ion III 4 strenuous and unequal
struggle 1t is certainly Just to credit
Grant with the capture of Lee but there
is debit as well as a credit side to the
account. What General Scott cal.el
''the economy Of life by means Of head
work" will be sought for in vain in the
campaigns OF General Grant. His sue
cesses have been won by a prodigal ex-
penditure of his soldiers. III his last and
greatest campaign he pitted an enormous
army against a small one, and sacrificed
twice as many men as Gen. Lee had un~
der his command. Ii is not Justice, but
adulation, 10 praise him as if he had con
quered an army as large as his own Il
is not justice but an afront to humanity
to give him as uch credit as if he had
achieved the same result without such
Wholesale sacrifices of man. The follow.
ing is an authentic statement of the re-
sPectlve forces and losses of Generals
Grant and Lee between the Rapidan and
the James:
Grant, on assuming command May 4,
1864, had OF effective men besides the re-
serve, when he crossed the Rapidan, 1875.
900.
Lee at The same date had an effective
force of 81, 200.
Grants reinforcements up to the battle
Of Cold Harbor, June 3, were $1,000
Lees rsinforcements up to the same
date, were $1,000.
Grants total force, including reinforce
ments, was 222,0
Returns to their respective governments
showed that when both armies bad reach-
81 the James, June 10, the number of
Grants army that had been put hors du
combat was III 900.
Up to the same date, the number of
Lees man who had been put hors du
combat was $4,000.
The two armies then met in front Of
Petersburg.
We have been at some pains to ascer-
tain and verify these cures, and We vouch
for their substantial accuracy. We shall
take care that they do not escape the no.
tice nor slip the recUl .ction of the country.
We cheerfllly coDcede to General Grant
the merit of success but it is right that
the country should know the terrible cost
at which that success was purchased.
The truest test Of military genius the
accomplishment of great results with
slender means. We can recall no in
stance (ubiess Grant be an instance) of "a
general who established his title !, b CALI
ed great otherwise than by succeeding
against great sadvantages-either su-
perIur numbers, or cousummate abilities
in the commanders opposed to him, or
formidable physical obstacles. A man
does not prove that he possesses a giants
strength by overmastering an Invalid or
a cripple. A general does not establish
his title to be considered great by subdu-
ing an army one-third as large as his own,
and losing five Of his own men for every
one that he disables of the enemy.
We have had some experience before
of running successful generals as candi
dates for the presidency; bot their achieves
ments were, in this particular, great
contrast TO those Of General Grant. Gen
eral jackson won his brilliant victory at
New Orleans with 1000 men against
British army of II, 900. General Taylor
had but about 5000 men at Buena Vista,
and the Mexicans twice or thrice that
number. General Scott had $500 at
Cerro Gordo, the Mexicans 900. The
splendid victory OF Contreras was achiev-
ed by Scott with $500 men against l2,-
900 Mexicans. General Scot in his re-
port TO the Secretary of War, speaking of
the battles in front of Mexico, SAID
"And L assert, upon accumulated and
unquestiorable evidence, that in not one
of these conflicts was this army opposed
by fewer than three-and-a-haIf fines its