The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-06-10
The Mission to Spain.

In a brief notice which we took, two
weeks ago. of the appointment of Daniet f.
Sickles as Minister to Spain, we stated that
his generalship and military blundering
came near rendering Gen. Meade's victory
at Gettysburg defeat, for which he iSlck-
les) was threatened with court martial
The Johnstown Tribune declares that our
article "insults common intelligence and
foully slanders one of the nations bravest
and best defenders" but it fails to explain
ho,c, except by saying that sit was at Get
tysburg that Sickles lost a leg" 1t is no
slander against General Sickles to repeat
now what was well known to the leading
army officers who took part in that battle.
1t was common rumor then and subsequent
ly, and so far as we know, was never denied.
If person were to say that John w. Geary
showed the white feather at the stormiug of
Chepultapec, during the Mexican war. it
would be no SANDER, for the simple reason
that the officers and men of his regiment
Sickles lost leg at Gettysburg that he was
not court marshalled. That accident re-
moved him from active service, aud having
therefore produced the same result as would
have been brought about by military trial.
the latter alternative was not resorted to.
To the same article to which the Tribune so
strongly objects, we appended the views OF
the New York EUening Post in opposition
10 Sickles' appointment. That paper be-
longs to the Tribune's own political party,
and is edited by very distinguished radi-
cal. We republish it, and the Tribune may
answer it if it can:
"This is an appointment which the country
will not approve, and which the Senate. when
il meets, ought not to confirm. 1t is bad ap-
poiDtment, made in the face of light for
though, when the name of Mr.. Sickles was
first mentioned in connection with the Span
nish mission, the administration might have
been ignorant of his character and history,
this cannot now be said.'
The Post is not the only radical paper
that has censured the appointment Of Sick
les as ga bad appointment, made in the face
of light" The Trenton State Gazette is
equally as emphatic in denouncing it. In
addition to all this, it is made tolerably
plain, by the following extract from Har-
per's Weekly, Grant organ, that Daniel
E. Sickles is not proper person to repre-
sent this country either in Spain or at any
other foreign court:
"Of the ability of General Sickles there is
no question, nor of his faithful service during
the and as the commander of a depart
ment. That it is ungenerous to remember po
litical errors after they have been, to say the
least condoned by service in the field, is not
to be denied nor is it ever too late for any
man honestly to change his views and his
course. But, with all that may be truly said
in favor OF the Generals appointment to Spain,
there is, it seems to US, certain deep sense Of
propriety that forbade it, and which also for
bids the acquiescence implied by silence upon
the part of those who disapprove. The ad-
ministration may justly say that it cannot be
censurea for appointing to peculiarly repres-
entatiVe position one whom the party in New
York had selected as the leader of its delega-
ton to the nominating convention. But there
are certain considerations in the management
of public affairs which should be superior to
any such claims, and which should have sue
cessfully asserted themselves in this instance"