New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-05-15
GENERAL LONGSTREET.

GENERAL LONGSTREET.
To be great is to be misunderstood, en-
We'd and slandered by the little. Accord
ingly, the distinguished man whose name
heads this article, has become the object
Of malicious criticism and unmerited OBJ
loquy from persons immeasurably his in
ferlors, and whose brly advantage over
him is the command Of the columns of
certain inscriptions and prejuiiced jour
nails, ever ready to minister to the evil
spirit of misunderstanding hate.
The course of General Longstreet in
public matters has been open and con-
sistent from the first. Influenced by the
delusive doctrine of State sovereignty as
held by many leading politicians through
out the South, and some even in the
North, he believed that in a conflict be-
tween the federal and State governments
his primary allegiance was due to that of
his State. He acted upon this opinion,
taking up arms in support of this doctrine
when it was staked on the arbitrament Of
war. How brilliant was his military
career need not be told to those who fol-
lowed it with GREATNESS admiration and
heartfelt sympathy. nor to those others
who cheerfully accord him the honor
which brave men never refuse to ''foemen
worthy Of their steel" That career is now
a part Of our national history. In the
Confederate army he occupied a position
second only to tina, Of General Lee. and
it is admitted by a Confederate authority,
that mo one possessed the confidence of
General Lee to a greater extent than did
Longstreet."
The result Of the war being the COM
plete overthrow of the Confederate cause.
General Longstreet accepted that result
as frankly as he would have gladly ac-
cepted the opposite one. The issue for
which he had fought was dead; tried, sen.
fenced and executed by the power to
which he had himself appealed. Thus
were State governments defnitively decid-
ed to be not absolutely sovereign. The gov
ernmeut Of the United States holds that
position. He thenceforth gave his abso.
lutte allegiance to that government: nor
did it need a struggle to do so. He had
always loved it. and had only resisted it
from a mistaken sense of duty. The
course of'common sense and honor was
plain: to submit. with manly sincerity to
the decision he had invoked. The course
Of patriotism. was equally plain: to give
hearty support to the only government
which had claim upon him. There was
no conflict here. No private man need
have hesitated a moment. But General
Lorgstreet was not a private man. His
deeds had made him illustrious. Thou
sands who had followed him in war, thou.
sands who Lad followed him with imagina.
tons warmed by love and sympathy from
their fresides. were looking toward him
now for an example. What ould be do?
Continue futile. wordy resistance TO
power which had just overcome the val.
liant military, and in which he had taken
50 distinguished fart? Retire to sulky
solitude. abjuring at once the privileges
and the duties of citizenship: The re.
sporslbility was great. and nobly did he
meet it. Not like the freside generals.
who. when his sword was flashing in the
heat Of conflict. were ccolly criticising
him in their comfortable arm-chairs, and
telling him how 'Longstreet should have
acted at such or such battle; hot like
the self-seeking commissariss whose love
Of gain was the sole motive that took
them to the wars: nor yet like the disap-
pointed politicians whose zeal for the
Confederate cause was based upon
the numerous fresh. IA: Offices
which its success would bring into the
market. All these. with attendan: groups
Of impecunious newspaper men, briedess
lawyers and Boosting swashbucklers. saw.
OF thought they saw. that the course of
p:oi. lay in reightiug the war il their
SEPARATE localities. abusing tie "Yan.
KEGS. cursing the government. fostering
spirit OF hate. feeding the smoldering
fire OF rebe.l;ous rep;nings and ferceIy
denouncins as traitors and ratega..e; all
ex.Con.ed=rates Of stani:r: who frankly
gave :.-e;s aahes.0:. to tle geIe.Ai gov
e:rmeu:. 10 s.ic: :aar. cL..ac:er,ess
and unprincipled, the manly. straight.
forward. patriotic course Ct Genera!
Longstree. since the close of the war Is a
matter Of harsh censure. bitter hostility
and malicious Misrepresentation. Men
Of nobler stamp. however, though re-.
strained by prejudice. mistaken views.
consistency or false pride. from following
his example. yet admit the wisdom Of his
conduct. and do not question the purity
of Ills motives. If those motives had
been more generally appreciated among
his former associates. especially in LOU
isiana, and tha: example had been more
generally followed. we should no. at this
day be in a condition of semi-revolutior.
based on distinctions totally forgotten to
the spirit Of our government. Nay. there
would no longer exist any distinctions be.
tween those who were '.tor the South" in
the late war and those who were against
her: and men like General Longstreet,
who had submitted as sincerely as they
had fought bravely, would be recognized
as the promoters Of the best interests Of
the community in which their lot might
be cos This he Is and q = S,.oL .r;Il 10