Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-04-19
NO. 95.
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THURSDAY, APRIL 10. 1877.
HAYES and HIS CenSOrs,

The Presidents quiet play OF solitaire With
tho Southern question is both amusement and
amazement to the cheap politicians, who are
not uppormOst in Ilayes's thoughts and fears
Ben Wade, the aged cattc-drover, who once,
by a 1irace, failed in succeeding in The Presl-
daucy man only less virulent than himsclt-l
mean Aady Johnsou-Ben they say, has writ
ten some letters. So did Mrs. Potiphar; 50
| did Mr.. Dick-he who was at work on the life
ef Charles l. There is nothing terrible in Ben
| Wade's letters or Wendell Phillipss speeches;
| becoming wholesale, they are purchased by the
! bushel Having extirpated slavery, the next
things to cxtrpatc arc the egotists who affect
to think they did it all, and who want popu
lar pension by lecturing on it some other way,
for having promised that they did it. The con.
| gregated suffering and clcquencc of Wendell
Phiips's life, is not equal to the dying pang
Of any little drummer hey who received bis
mortal wound and thought OF bis mother, as
he bled away his youth and faith. No, not II
that little boy was 10 the Rebel or Union ranks
Particularly not, if he said, looking toward the
encmy-which ever side his enemy might have
bccn-"Fathcr, forgive them They know
not what they do Thousands OF such littlo
brave boys are dead aud rotten. but the public
blow hard lives on that image In brceches who
stands up beside President Hayes like the Pha
riscc beside the genial sinner, and thanks God
that in magnanimity, philosophy and assocla
tions he is not as that man.
1t is seldom that Providence lets any great
conflict 20 by without making plain the mo-
tives of tie little and the great, the beaten and
the victor, particularly ii that conflict is preg
nant with moral consequences. That the Amer
lean rebellion should end with the vlOdIcatlon
and compaccnt pantheonIzpg OF every old
phrase-singcr who drew an audience by chant
ing against slavery, is violatlve Of every hlsto-
rica decency. The generous and Just arc moro
apt to be men between the ranks, who die
without platiudc aud fight without motto.
The sublimity and perfect simplicity OF Wash
ingtou's character so far survived the scandals
OF the American revolution that he was never
assaiIcd until the wanton envy OF men like
Phillips took his memory from the grave to
vlllily it. lean-handed men were willing to re-
spect former revolution, as proof OF their
own prOpr!ety, in another. But Mr.. Philips
sole title to respect is the easy and Chester
Geldian way in which he pronounced both
Washington and Liucoln to be worthy OF moth
Jog less than his contempt as failures where nc
was conspicuous success As fools, where he
was Mincrva's own hired man, workiag tor
wisdom, cheap.
1t ;a generally made clear OF these men be-
fore they die, that their personal honesty is not
much greater than their sense of reverence.
One Of the letter writer's against President
Hayes has been walking up and down the
Washington lobby for about four years working
up au old, wrecked railroad interest.
saw very prominent man from Name
yesterday. who said to me-
'Dont get wrong on the State OF Maine.