Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1872-10-10

- SlECtGus
We publish below the letter of GEN
JUpAL EARLY, addressed to Committee
of gentlemen of Frederick County, in re-
ply to an invitation to be present at a
Mass Meeting to be held at Winchester,
Oh the 18th of October. We earnestly
request every reader of our paper to con-
slider calmly tho able arguments presented
in this Letter, and to call the attention of
his neig hbors to them. When standing
aloof. will give our State into tho control
ofrad icals and carpet baggers,' We are
satisfied that our citizens willnot pursue
SO suicidal a policy.
LsscHnuRa, September 80, 1872.
In this copjuncture the question pres
cuts itself to all those Virginia Conser-
natives who disapproved the action
Of the Baltimore Convention what &C
ton their duty to their State requires at
their hands? Shall they unite with their
bitter and vinliotive foes in the support
OF the present incumbent; or shall they
stand aloof from the contest aad incur the
risk of the States going by default into
the hands Of the Radical party; or shall
they unite with their friends and save the
State to the Conservatives? One-of these
three courses they must adopt, and Il
must confess that the question between
the latter two has been to me matter OF
worry serious consideration. I haze said
that would stand aloof from the strug-
gle, but have been led to doubt the
proprcty of that determination, and | am
not satisfied with it. A support of the
Philadelphia nominees by a true Virgin
ian have regarded as thing not admis-
siblc in any contige, cy. 1t is very ap-
parent that Grant is mere puppet in the
hands of the most unprincipled and NAL.
ignant faction that any country has ever
been cursed with, and he is the mere tool
for carrying out the designs, of such men
as Morton Butler, Carpenter. Cameron.
Conkling, Boutwell,, &c A continuance
of their rule ander him is the continuance
Of the South in the most revolving forms.
and Of the era Of hatred. aud i'll will until
the Southern people shall be Inundated
into the very dust beneath the feet of the
negroes, the carpet baggers and native
reucgades. The party supporting Grant
desires and, ifpossible, will establish the
ascendancy Of these negroes, carp set bag
gers, and renegades in all the Southern
States, as they have it now in South Car
oliuia Mississippi. Louisiana, Arkan-
sas, and Texas; and if he is elect
ed all the power and patronage of the
government will be used to reduce the
people of Virginia as we'll as of the rest
Of the Southern States, to the condition
in which the people Oft the States named
now are. T. cannot be doubted by any
sane man who is not blinded by party
zeal or by prejudice. 1t is very possible
that Grant himself may not desire such
results, but he is dull. obtuse, stolid
man, with no exalted notions of patriot.
ism or craftsmanship, who cares more for
selfindulgence and ease than the duties
of his position, and leaves the affairs of
government to be managed by those who
pander to his tastes and provide him the
means of luxurious indulgence, after the
manner practiced by the ministers end
favorite of the weakest and most deprav-
ed of the Roman Emperors, have seen
and read Grants Amnesty Record"
published by the Republican committee
at Washington, and ranked by the
Hon. Mr.. Platt." This document has
had very different effect on me, for one.
from that contemplated by its author or
those who have undertaken its circula-
ton If the acts of '.magnanimiy" and
"amnesty" specified. con t tu'es the best
that can be said for Grant then be las
very little indeed to recommend him
For soldier to grant honorable terms 10
an adversary who has shown bis prowess
in the most unmistakable manner requires
no very great stretch Of msgnanimity,
but is generally. regarded among brave
men as matter of course, and there are
numerous instances to be found of such
terms granted even by those We would
regard as barbariaus. The terms grant
+. ed to General Lees army at Appomattox
were matters of stipulation, and not Of
grace, and I have the authority Of Gen
eral Lee himself for saying that if honor
able terms had not been granted him be
would have made tho effort to cut his way
out with the troops left him. The state
uient sometimes made that Grant return
ed General Lees sword to him has no
foundation in fact, for by the very terms
Of the surrender all officers were allow
ed to retain their side arms, their pri-
vate horses. and baggage.
~ X \
Gibbon says of Marcus Aurelius An
toniDus: "He was severe to himself, in
dulgent to the inperfections. of others,
just an! beneicent Of all mankind. He
regretted that Avidius Cassius, who ex-
cited . rebellion in Syria. had disapoint-
ed him, by q voluntary death, Of tie
pleasure Of converting an enemy into a
friend; and he justified the sincerity Of
sentiment by moderating the zeal Of
the Senate against the adherents Of the
traitor. -
Compare Grant to this picture Of the
heather ruler Of = heathcn people. and
then let NJ hear 20 more Of The integrity
libsralisY. Or msgnanimity ofour CHRIS