The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-04-29


objection to it is q piece of hypercriticism
altogether more nice than exact. But
why does it change its phraseology and
say, We, therefore consign him General
Grant, to the history of the future historian
of these disointed times ?" Now, as we
are "nothing, if not critical" we might |
object to the Pathological manner in which
it gets out of a critical dilemma, and insist
that the s. history Of the historian" is bad,
decidedly bad, also; but we will not.
What we object to, in its reference to us as
" another Daniel come to Judgment" is
the attempt to pervert history in advance
of its actual making. 1t says =" Some fu-
ture Macaulay, standing amid the ruins of
the Capitol at Washington, will have to de-
eide whether Grant was little or great
man--whether he is to stand with those
who have been the scourges of the world
who have gained notoriety by burning its
Temples-as the destroyer of our Ameri-
can Liberties, or by the side of Washing
ton, who erected that far Temple"
Now, before we can find this future
Macaulay," and furnish him with the ma
terials to write this deplora5lo history, we
must see the Capitol at Washington in
ruins--the identical ruins, in fact, in which
it would have been laid had it not been
for General Grant, whose future place in
history is so much of puzzle to our con-
temporary. 1t would, no doubt, be graft
flying to our neighbor to be ranked as the
''future Macaulay" of America himself,
with permission to write the history that
is to decide whether "Grant was little
or great man." but the misfortune is,
there are more diamond-pointed pens in
the world than the single one of the En-
9uTer, and while its editor is reducing the
splendid ''Capitol at Washington" to
ruins, and deciding who have been tho
"scourges of the world" other and less
destructive pens are busy at work, show
ing how magnificently one column after
another rises to its place in the
fair Temple of Liberty, and how grandly
the Genius of America crowns its uprisen
and heaven-piercing dome. Sectional pre-
JUDGES do not make history in these days
of lightning telegraphs and lightning print
ing presses, whether they exist north OF
south of the Potomac. They must give
way to the impartial judgments of man.
kind, and to those philosophical inquiries
respecting effects and causes, which give tc
the annals of history their true value in all
ages, and especially in this age, wher
everything depends upon the naotiue po,ce'
of both mind and matter. The future his
toran of America will not stop to discuss
the intellectual or other superiority O.
Bill Yancey over Wendell Phillips
nor inquire into the right or wrong
of their respective positions, but may
possibly treat them both as mere bubbles
drifting upon the surface of great events
Nor will he measure Generals Lee ant
Grant by any other standard than tina
+ which settled the comparative merits G
l Washington and Howe, during our ow
Revolution. Howe was splendid general
and drove Washington, in battle after bat
g tie, from Flatbush to the right bank of tn
! Delaware. But he aoas on the acrong SID
= to aUin the true glory Of achievement. His
: tory assigns him his true place, but
crowns Washington with the immortal dia
. dem of Liberty. Success is what gives til
. browning glory to achievement, and it
impossible to belittle success in the ligt
> of that history which must forever shin
y upon it. Howe had but small opinion {
: Washington's generalship, but it was
: generalship that won, and the Genius
Il History was not slow in comforting hi
Il laurels according to absolute merit.
II And so it is, and ever will be, with tho
+ whose names and fame go into histor.
e The Enquirer cannot stay the current
. human judgment--it can shape nothing b.
= its own prejudices into notoriety--by i
presenting General Grant as small man,
II scourger of the world, q burner of its ter
N pies, and destroyer of our Liberties.
s. would be just as absurd in us to heap u
% on General Lee all the vile epithets at 0
le command. because he differed from us
z the course he saw fit to pursue during t
u rebellion. We prefer to threw the large
Z" mantle of charity over his misdeeds--tho
= resulting from step mistaken-and
e the true nobleness and grandeur of
n character stand out for the admiration
8 mankind. If the Democratic journals
e the South will seek to indulge in simil
It spirit towards General Grant, they will
81 troubled with no such political nigl
81 mares as national capitols in ruins
l. "burning temples of liberty" ''scoure
s. of mankind or anything of the sort tn
n now horrifies the Enquirer into historic
IL spasms, such as we continually see. J.
! US have cessation of these spasms, if pr
Is sible.
Ot TrTI, Ipb;(, tho SpA rrl7 Hon