Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-02-17
PUBLIC LEDGER
HISTORY.

1t is one of Blaine's speeches intensified,
refined and enlarged. 1t is simply in
famous, and we warn all right-minded
people, North and South, against it. No
wonder the Northern partisan journals
hail the Count de Paris as the greatest
historian OF the age, and compare him
with De Tocqueville as q philosopher.
Anybody is a philosopher who adapts
himself to their views of hate toward
the South. No wonder the publisher Sc
lects the least offensive proofsheets to
send out as specimens to Southern edi
tors and Conservative papers. And since
we have alluded to the subject again, we
will give a few characteristic extracts,
from which it will be seen that the au-
thor derived all his ideas from the most
bitter and partisan haters OF the South,
and that he is incapable as they are Of
doing both sides justice. The very. FIRST
page begins with this denunciation;
At the beginning Of the year 1861 one
Of those acts Of violence which ambitious
men are often able to disguise under
anne the more attractive in proportion
as their motives are the most culpsble,
acquired to rend the republic Of the
United States and enkindle civil war.
A coup de etdt was attempted against
the Constitution of that republic BY the
powerful oligarchy which ruled in the
South and had long controlled in the
councils of the nation.
The transition here from the "rcpub-
lie" to the patton isas abrupt as most
OF the authors deductions are forced
and illogical. On page I he states what
is historically untrue:
Il will thus be seen that the States
which defended the Union in 1861 are
those that had made the greatest sscri-
fees to establish it, while those that
raised the standard Of rebellion against
it are also those tina. had the least right
to call themselves its founders.
On page 81 we find this perversion oil
truth and malicious inference 10 allud.
ing to the Mexican war:
The war which was undertaken against
Mexico was iniQuitous. The men Of the
South who then governed the Union.
President Polk and his agent Mr.
Slidell-the same we have subsequently
seen in Europe pleading the rights Of
Observation-Disclosures at the increasing
influence Of the free States, had sought
to counterbalance it 10 the councils Of
the republic by the creation of new
slave States. The North repudisted
this odious policy, etc.
The arthor never let's an opportunity
pass to apply odium to Southern mer
and institutions. No partisan %journa'
or politician Of the North during thu
early days Of the war could surpass hin
in this respect. The language, however
is generally chaste and graceful.
Speaking Of Jefferson Davis in Mexico
he says:
Ambitious, impetuous and eloquent
this old West Pointer WAS trying t
achieve at the anne time popularity viii
his party and the military reputation
which. when the crisis came, was Il
place him in possession Of the War De
partment.
Humphrey Marshall is grudgipgl.
awarded the need Of "a rough Blu
brave Kentuckian." The chapter o.
slavery seems to have received its il
spirStion from Uncle Toms Cabin,
which a reference is admiringly made
Pains is taken to suppress the fact tbs
all the States, except one, held slaves
the time the Federal Constitution wa
adopted. General Kearney is eulogize
for breaking up a pro-slaVery Lfgisl'
ture in Kansas. Old John Brown
held up as almost a saint. certainly NJ
as q criminal. Page LOG is devoted
General Forrest. We will produce
for the benefit OF all concerned til
those who know General Forrest be
aud do him justice as a gallant soldier,
law.abiding citizen and an honorab
gentleman, may judge of the charsct
Of this v~eracous historian
Differing from the other two chic
(Mosby and Morgsn) who, when hosti
ties commenced, gathered the create
number Of pariissns around them to b
gin the war, Forrest impersonated Il
most brutal passions without compensl
iug by any brilliant quality. This ve
table captain Of military bandits, lii
those that were seen in Germany duril
the Thirty Years War, promised the a
y~enturers whom he enlisted, not toler
ton, but the right Of pillsge. The riv
Of Quantrel, that brigand who boast
during the war that be had never 81
fered & human being 70 live in who
counties of Missouri, he eneoarsg
them TO sets Of cruelty which far q
ceeded all the ontrages hat have be
charged a%gsinst the Indians. We shi
find him, therefore, alwsys en- the loo
out TOR easy successes and signalizii
himself at last by q sinister exploits
massacre Of the negro garrison at Fc
Pillow. He organized the band und
bis command into q corps Of mount
infantry, in which every nan was pi
vided with a horse-less for the purpoG
OF fighting than for executing RAP
marches, at the end of which the N
would dismount. take up their musk
and carry the enemys positions, ID
suddenly attacked, at the point Of I
bayonet. He found these tactics I
more successiplthat he Was not ashaml
no more than the Indian. 70 beat a hA'
retreat whenever he found bis adverse
on his guard. His corps increased II
idly BY the addition Of other parts
bands, whose chiefs had acquired Il
celebrity than himself. He soon ar
tired Of being orly e guerilla chief, Ii