The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-10-18
THE TWO RECORDS.
Grant and Greeley Contrasted by a Virginia
Democratic Paper--Look upon this Picture,
then upon That.

Democratic Paper-Look upon this Picture,
then upon That.
[Frem the Staunton Valley virginianl
With the views of fairness we entertain,
we regard the appeals, week after week, OF
several valley papers, based upon the fol-
lowing paragraph, as unjust, insincere, and
irrelevant to this canvass. Whether Gene
raj Grant ever gave such an order is ques-
ton with us. If he did, it was issued in
time of war, when every nerve of the Fed
eral power was stretched to its utmost ten
sion to overcome the Confederacy. 1t was
given as necessity of war, and is so stated.
This is the paragraph, said to be an extract
from an order of General Grant to Sheri-
dan.
DO all the damage you can to the railroads
and crops--carry off stock of all descriptions, and
negroes, so as to prevent planting. phe loar Is
to last another gear, let the Shenandoah Valley
remain q barren waste"
1t should be remembered that this VAL
ley was regarded by both governments as
the "granary of the Coniederacy," and
that the destruction of material resources
was one of the most humane methods of
closing the war and saving human life.
As evidence that it was not issued in q
vandal spirit, we have only to refer to the
order Grant gave to allow the soldiers who
surrendered at Appomattox to take with
them their horses, for the declared reason
that it would enable them to pM ont and
cultivate crop.
There was far less of the fiend and less
of the vandal shown in this order, than in
that of the Confederate authorities which
set in flames their own capital, destroyed
thousands of dollars worth of property of
private citizens, without a cause or pur-
pose that ever yet has been shown. 1t was
no more brutal than the burning of Cham
bersburg by the Confederates. We do not
wish to be regarded as justifying one more
than the other. They were both extreme
measures, not called for by the necessities
of the occasions. But the reason assigned
for making the shenandoah Valley bar
rem waste" was a military one. TWAS for
the purpose of Gripping the power of the
Confederacy and ending hostilities. The
burning of Chambersburg was purely re-
renge, and that of Richmond. craren coio-
drdice.
Conceding that Grant issued such an or
der in time of war and for war purposes,
how does it compare in ferocity, in fiendish
brutality, in savage cruelty, with the fol
lowing prayer Of Horace Greeley, sent
forth from his cushioned chair and carpet
ed sanctum, and blazing hearth, far removed
from the stern trials of the camp, the smoke
of battle, and the whistle Of minnie balls
But nevertheless we mean to conquer them
not merely to defeat, but to conquer, to suBJU-
aArR them-and we shall do this the most mer-
cifully the more speedily we do it, But iohen the
rebellous traitors are overwhelmed in the field and
scattered like leaves before angry mind, 1t must
not be to return to peaceful and happy homes
They mast find poue'ay at their fresides, and see
priudtion fn the anxious eyes Of mothers and the
rags Of children.
These were the sentiments in May 1861,
of the philosopher, the kind hearted, the
humane Horace Greeley! If a more bru-
tai, barbarous, fiendish utterance ever was
made by man or devil, we have never heard
or read of it.
The spirit breathed in this extract from
Mr.. Greeley's editorials, written in the
calm and quiet of his sanctum, harmonized
beautifully with his agency in assisting and
encouraging old John Brown in his
incendiary mission with pixies, from
Harper's Ferry, when butchery, ar
son and rape were to be accom-.
plished. It is akin to the hellish purpose
encouraged and fomented by him and exc
cuted by Jim Lane and Montgomery in
devastating the south border of Missouri,
in time of peace, burning the houses,
killing and stealing the stock, and murder
ing quiet, peaceable citizens, without
regard to age, sex or condition. Lisping
infants, women in labor, and decrepid men,
were driven out upon the prairies by the
scorchipg flames of their own homes, and
murdered by Sharp's rifles furnished for
bleeding Kansas by the incendiary
abolitionists. of whom Horace Greeley
was the chief. Then, as during the
war, he kindled the fires of hate and muir
der, from his quiet sanctum, kept out of
harms way his own precious carcass, but
instgated his degraded minions to do the
bloody work This was the philanthropic,
the sanity and the good Horace Greeley
who did this ! The same individual that
Southern people are asked to elevate to
the highest civic position to which man
was ever exalted, in token of their graft.
tude!
In1s64, he favored the confscation of
Southern lands, and their distribution
among the Federal soldiers, as a Just meas
ure. He favored the reconstruction Of the
Southern States by Congress, as against
the proclamation of the President confding
llidt pIlflitS0I W lllt CtdtcSs
In 1865 he was rampant for trying and
Furnishing leading Southern men for trea-
son. He did this when the Northern mind
was still infamed by the passions of the
war, and many Of them, especially his bot
tle-holder and the chairman of the Liberal
committee of New York, John Cochrane,
one of the most impure and degraded bum
mers that was ever stirred up from the
dregs of Five Points, were vociferous for
Furnishing traitors and making treason
odious.
While he was stirring up the worst pas
sions incident to the war, Grant was inter-
posing the influence of his position and the
terms of Lees surrender, for the protection
of Confederate soldiers who had been in
dicted for treason in Underwood's court, at
Norfolk, stating with all the sternness OF
the soldier and the kindness of the man,
that if the strict letter of the parole OF
Lees army was not observed, he would re-
sign his position in the army.