The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-02-27
COL. DOWDAL on THE CONDUCT
OF THE WAR.
Peoria Democrat.

Peoria Democrat.
The Rock Island Argus don't like the
appointment of Gen. Banks as United
States marshal for Massachusetts. We are
Indifferent; seeing Republican, none are
more deserving or worthy than Banks.
As the Argus intlmates, Banks has filled
some kind of public Office almost continu'
ously for thirty years; and be it said to his
credit, that with what hundreds OF Others
would have regarded as splendid oppor-
tunities" to make money, he rctlres On the
4th of March--poor. And because he is
thus poor, the Argus argues that his
whole public career has been failure.
But the Argus speaks more particularly
of his failure" in the celebrated Red river
expedition We tell you, man, that had
Banks possessed the genius of Napoleon
the Red river expedition would have prov
ed failure. 1t was deliberately, devilish-
ly predetermined at Washington, before he
started on that, or any other expedition,
that he should fail. Do you ask why! 1t
was predetermined IN the early days OF the
war that no Republican commander in the
army should be allowed to succeed. 1t is
singular fact that no Republican officer
of the army. or very few and very stupid
ones, were ever promoted to the full rank
of major general so they could be
made crops or department commanders.
We tell you. this thing did not happen
accidentally, Fremont and Banks were
commissioned major generals before
July 1861 The consplrators imme-
diately saw what they considered their
blunder, and haste WAS made TO utterly
break Fremont and drive him from the
army, and next to disgrace Banks. After
| that, thorough care was taken that no
/ other Republican officer should ever he pro-
NOTED to so high rank. Democratic Off
GERS were made major generals and corps
commanders without stint. Hooker, Burn
side, Sedgwick, Logan, Rosecrans, Thomas
Meade, Schotield Fillmore, Hancock ana
more who could be named, if we had the
roster of the army But few or no
Republicans. Dare any man insult
the intelligence of the American
people by saying that ALL the mill.
tary genius in this country could only
be found in the ranks of Democratic Off
GERS! The idea is prcposterous. And i
so there was a reason-a deep, damnlnl
reason for keeping in check army Officers
of Republican politics The reason was
that no Republican army officer should be
allowed to achieve distinction, because thai
would make formidable rival for the
presidency in 1864 or 1868, So they were
held back, snubbcd, or broken and dis
craced. if they gave the slightest indica
ton OF getting too strong. 1t will rcqulr
century for wrongcd people to become
fully convinced of this perfectly hcllis
purpose but after they have paid intereS
for century on more than two Thousand
, millions OF debt needlessly piled to carr.
out this scheme they will see it. II they coul
see it now, certain monument woul,
be torn brick from brick and stone fror
stone till not "a peck of mortar remained
mark the spot or perpetuatc a memory. III
chief conspirator in this damning villain
put upon struggling and bleeding peopI
was Z. b. Washburn. But ''thc best lai
: scheme of mice and men gang aft aglec
: and so it did with these. Lincoln lived b,
: one month of his second term, and one {
, the pet Democratic generals Of tie consp
II rators became president after all, Will
: Others have become Republicans. Wasl
V burn was forced to 20 into voluntary an
- honorable exile. Stanton died by his ow
hand, while the nation has forgotten II
. and who ever else was in the conspirac
c All we know is that million lives WEI
c unnecessarily sacrificed, and crushing,
u public burden cntallcd upon all Of us.