Delaware State journal and statesman., 1869-07-16
From the New York Nation
THE SICKLEs TESTIMONIAL.

We suppose few intelligent persons reau
the extraordinary "testimonial sent 10 den-
eral Slckles, and signed by numoer oi
g nroninent citizens" previous to his ue-
narture for his post in Spain, without iee,ng,
II moi saving, that il is high time lhai mere
should be plain, general UNDERSTANDINGS US
to the nature aud extent OF the relations
oS;s,ing In the United States between morals
and notifies. We cherish no deluslons on
this subject. No politician need lancy lhat
in onenipg the subject we are gong 10 lur-
nish him with laugh nj our expense, ny
arguinr from the assumption that none put
me pure and good should fill places OF honor
or profit. What we seek, ana what we
community seeks, irom the class o! pe9l"e
who signed thls Slckles tesllmohiai' S
.nlain answer to these two questions
Would il be possible for n man 10
con,mi, any crimes so heinous, or lead any
80. 80 debased, as TO disquallY MN ior
noifffeH Office in the United Slaiesf ~
Sunnosing that there exists no such
disqualification, what IS your real oplnloh
as ID the effect Gu social order ana on nnor-
ality-putting politics aside nnogetner-oi ''i,a
public announcement, such US nus p''n ,.,o'o naw'
n this Sickles case, by lawyers, editors
merchants. and philanthropists, that man
az Infamous character is not only not unh'
for a high public position, but is deserving
of sthe nersonal respect and esteem anu
friendship" OF his fellow citlzensl
Lest IT should be supposed that we are IN
duleipg in mere defamation, Win nolhlns
hut a hypothesis for our text, let US p,lIy
state the facts of the case; aenefal oichiss a.,s
was-in 20 far as his public life was coh'
,cerned--up TO the outbreak of the war u
New York politician OF the lowest 0r9ef,
which is saving great deal. But in addl
lion TO this, his private life was IRON early
manhood down 10 the same perlod-lhat ~
to the age of lorly-five or thereaDoats-in
famous in the literal, generally acceple'
sense OF that term. We are not gong
.sully our pages by reterahng the LEADING
incidents in his career. II is sufficient Il
saw that they arc such that, 10 match then
in the case OF public man, one has not U
search the historical literature OF moder
Chrstendom but the pages oil Iacllus Q
Suetopiue. This, we admit, is strong Ian
Huage; but we mean it to be strong. Con
sidered ia relation 10 the facts, OF whlch IL
intended 10 give the reader an IDEA, ~
mild language. Moreover, we are hot
saving this giving the results oil mere rumo
We are giving a version oi Lis career whic
we have had from men who knew him we
in his youth and manhood, which hundred
in this city could confirm on oath, which
in part, of judicial record, and winch nobou
Neither he nor those who last week
tempted to fete him has had the courage
deny In short, the year 1871 louhu MN
man with whom men OF honor IN clvlhz
countries do not associate, and whom
resnectable woman could meet under al
circumstances in social life, The W
onened 10 him chance OF partial redempuo
The advice which honest men who alta
any importance 10 character Woulu ha
given him when he was entering the arm
was to expose himself freely, ana earn
silence and forgetlulness oil the coihiiuh comm
he had lived in by an honorable death
served brayely, was badly wounded, a
survived the war. We have no desire
no occasion to underrate his military
nlolts, His mistakes or misconduct
Gettysburp cannot affect his moral characi
and there are few purely military err
which are not atoned for by despel
wound. But all that he earned by MS IL
tary career-all he could have earned Dy
had il been twice as brilliant-woulu ID
heen as we have said, the silence of
nublic about his past In serving IN
army. and serving well, he did no more u
hundreds OF thousands OF men oil pure
and unblemished character. 10 mem
him IN the same breath with thousands
entered the service, not as refuge II
disgrace, but as the seal una connrmano
long-cherished convictions, US the lasl
nob1est sacrifice 10 duty, would De 10 IN
dhem il living, and dishonOr their men
If dead, In short, all that his hghting
,titled him to was silence and oblivion.
ii gave him a clam 10 anything more
this, that claim was amply satisfied BY
receiving rapid pTomotin TO all but
highest military rank. THIS attainet
proper regard for decencY and moralii.
,auired that he should, during the renal
OF his days, obilude himself as little OF
public notice as possible, and that his u
should call as little attention 10 his exist
as was consistent with the proper dlsch
of his duties.
A portion OF the public thereiore-an
are glad to believe it is still by far the IL
portion of the publc-were both astoni
and shocked by his selection Tor the Sp'
mission, particularly when the relatio
the two countries were in most de
state. They were astonished and shol
first, because his military career hat
been such as TO entite him TO exl
binary distinction or to any OF the NOR
liable prizes of civil life; secondly, be
the selection of such man for any hi
flee was nothing short OF an insult II
multitude of men all over the country
had served as well as he and from far