, 1876-05-18
RECORD OF Gen. R. H. kIL3Y. "

bearing unmistakable internal evil
dence of having been furnished by
himself from his own personal jour
nal. And this is followed by col
umn of comments addressed to us
personally in answer to the remarks
which we deemed it proper to make
in vindication of Judge Jacobs in
relation to Milroy's appointment, in
which we are accused of misrepre-
-snting the popular sentiment of
this section in that regard. We can
not see the pertinency of quoting
Gen. Milroy's military record to il
lustrate his fitness for civil office.
Gen. Belknap's military record was
much more distinguished, and Gen.
BabcocA's quite as good as his. We
have no disposition to detract from
either. Nor do we entertain an un-
kind sentiment towards Gen. Nal-
roy, personally, and should Got pro-
badly have made comment of any
kind upon his recent appointment,
had we not heard it attributed, from
many sources, either to the active
influence or neglect of Judge Jacobs
which we characterized as Gunner
itted censure"
1t is no reflection upon the mill
tary record or moral character OF
Gen. Milroy, to say that he is not
personally popular. 1t is signifi-
cant fact that his biographer men
tions but a single instance of lis
having held office by popular elec;
ton, and that was as Delegate to
Convention to amend the Constitu
tion of the State of Indiana. Being
manifestly an otfice-seeker, it is evil
dent that the people where he was
born and among whom he has lived
for more than fifty years, failed to
appreciate those splendid qualitica-
tions for civil service which his bio
grapher attributes to him; nor is it
strange that the cosmopolitan peo-
pie upon whom he was forced as
carpet-bag office holder, without
their previous knowledge or con-
sent. should fail to award to him at
once a higher measure OF esteem
than was ever accorded to him by
his own immediate neighbors and
friends.
Like Gen. Howard, Gen. Milroy
affects extreme piety; confines his
social relations almost exclusively
to his Church and temperance or
CARNATIONS, and makes violent ag-
gressive war upon every form Of
amusement connected with the use
of cards, spirituous, vinous or malt
liquors; is an earnest advocate of
restraining laws, and a volunteer
prosecuting witness against those
who offend against his moral senti-
ments. In all this, he is IN
doubtedly conscientious, as all hon
est fanatics are, but he makes no al
lowance for the differences between an
old settled and a new unsettled state
of society and would enforce public
and private morality by pains and
penalties, instead of by moral sua-
sion. We never questioned this
mans honesty, any more than we
do that of his prototype, Gen. How
ard. But we regard him as one
that earnest and honest class of
of men of narrow views, from which
bigots and fanatics are drawn. -
When the Commissioners of the
Confederate and Federal Govern
ments for the exchange of prison
ers found Gen. Milroy's baggage to
consist chiefly of articles of female
apparel, captured from defenseless
homes, the Confederate Commission
er insisted, and the Federal Commits
sioner declined, to receive it as pri.
vate property belonging to General
Milroy. Now, we do not believe
Gen. Milroy was thief, but that he
conscientiously regarded it as a pat
riotic duty to "despoil the Egyp.
tians."
When Gen. Milroy lent his official
signature to foul slander agains,
H. A. Webster, we did not regard j,
as amalicious act, but as an evidence
OF dense stupidity, in which he was
made the instrument of more Gun
ming rascals. When, with his of
flee. of Superintendent of Indian AT
fales, he brought with him host o
Jamily dependents to fill all til,
minor Offices, who reflected no cred
It upon the Government service, w,
charitably supposed he honestl,
believed he Was coming amen.
heather and that all t1.. in
t.ligent support he would have, h
must bring with him from tn
white settlements. When Super
visor Kemble found such irregular
tiles in the management of his of
flee as to demand his immediate re
moval, we believed with a majorit,
Of those who knev anvtbino of +L,