New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-06-23
MnSRXlS GHERRLLLAS.

There used to be wrong but very common
impression in the early times of the war that
a guerrilla was a sort of sem-mllltary Tree
booter, who differed little from jayhawker
or a common thief except in wearing uni
form and pretending to obey the orders OF his
coptain. He rode through the country, strik-
ing terror into hen-roosts, and harrying his
own side whenever plumber fell short on the
other The celebrated Col. Mosby, whose ad-
yenturous horsemen were the heroes Oh so
many apochryphal tales OF maraud, was inc
bue-a-boo OF the border in those days; and
people who knew no better used to picture to
themselves this gallant and daring officer raid
ing among the farm-houses, plllaging supply
trains, and galloping back to camp with
couple of hams and captive goose slung
over his shoulder. 1t was all mistake but
Col. Mosby is acting now as if it had all been
true. He did not, indeed, make war on bust
ness principles but now that the war is over,
he seems to have gone into politics for the
sake of what he can get by it, and he views
the situation in Virginia precisely as ten years
ago he was vulgarly supposed to look across
the Potomac at the corn-felds of Maryland.
Politically in fact the gallant Colonel is n
iayhawker. He is opposed to the Conserva-
tive party because it has not any offices to be-
stow-or in other words, because by its war
upon tho Administration it throws all the
Federal patronage and the Federal influence
against the true people of Virginia, and thus
keeps alive and affords sustenance to the
Radical party Of negroes and carpet-bagSers."
These Radical oflce-holders being utterly des-
picabe, what is Col. Mosby's plan for getting
rid of them Why to turn Radical himself
and take all the offices for his own followers.
There is nothing to be gained by fighting any
longer under the Conservative banner; so he
proposes to change sides and make raid in
the opposite direction. "Gen. Grant has been
every liberal" he said the other day to a
Richmond reporter, " in appointing my friends
"to Office and while Gen. Grant per-
severes in this cOmmendable device for
"concilating the South" Col. Mosby pur-
poses to set him up again for reelection as
often as four years term comes around. We
can almost hear the bold Colonel haranguing his
guerIillas. lie reminds them that their stomachs
are empty, their jackets are out at elbows, their
boots are broken, and their horses are half
starved Their old party has nothing to give
them, for it is as poor as they are. Gen. Grant
offers them a square meal and unlimited plumber
with comfortable blue uniform in place of
their ragged gray. What a beautiful provision
of Providence The conversion is instantane-
GUS. Mosby's guerrillas raise a cheer for their
new general, and swoop down upon Virginia
One brave fellow carries off relationship
Another throws the mail-bags across his saddle
A third rides home with marshaps commission
impaled upon his sword. The troop isn't a
very large one, and the Civil Service Rules have
been amended some more, and Virginia is
big State; 30 we shall not wonder if every one
of the raiders get.bis belly full.
Is it merely coincidence that Col. Mosby's
frank and heightened declaration of principles
should be made just as the President discov-
ers that the Civil Service Rules must be mod
fled 80 that he can "give Offices to more Of
chs Southern political friendsH' He began
emptying out lot of consulshps the other
day, for the purpose of putting Southern men
into them. We shall watch with some GU
riOsity for suspension of the rules in Vir-
ginia now that Mosby's guerillas are asking
to be conciliated.