The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-11-06
Death Of Gen. Joe Hooker.

UeaLh OF ten. Joe hooker.
Major General Joseph Hooker died at Gar.
den City, Long Island, on the evening OF the
slst nltimo. He had been in his usual health
until an hour before his death, and purpoaed
going to New York on the day following to
attend to business matters. He entertained
a large party to dinner at the Garden City
Hotel on the 25th, and seemed to be in the
best OF spirits. and to enjoy social intercourse
with his many friends as at any time OF his
life. His intellect was unclouded, and but
for his unfortunate ameness he would seem
accustomed walk in the park during the at
ternoon, and did not complain OF feeling i'll
till about clock, when he reti red to his
own apartments, ON the second floor, and
summoned his valet, Thomas Lawler, who
assisted him to reclining position upon
a couch. After an hour he arc Sc and busted
himself about bis room until 5:45, his valet
hearing the General struggling for breath,
hastened to his side and assisted him to lie
down upon his bed. at the same time ringing
the bell for help. Mr.. Nickerson, the hotel
superintendent, hurried to the room, but
when he arrived the General was dead.
General Hooker was sixty.f four years of
age. He was born at Hadley, Massachusetts,
graduated at West Point in 1887, served in
the Mexican war with distinction, being
successfully breveted captain, major and lieu
tenant-colonel for gallantry and meritorious
conduct on the field, and afterwards became
farmer in California. When the civil war
between the States broke out General Hook.
er accepted the position Of brigadier- general
Of volunteers, and took command OF bri-
gade detailed to watch the lower Potomac on
the Maryland side. In March, 1862, he was
commissioned to the command of division,
took part in the leading fights on the PENN
sula, and certainly with his division bore the
brunt Of the battle at Anteitam. After Burn
sides defeat at Fredericksburg, Gen. Hooker
succeeded him in command OF the army of
the Potomac, and suffered such severe de-
feat at Charlottesville that it is quite prob
able his army would have been totally de-
stroyed or captured entire but for the woun-
ding of Stonewall Jackson. Gen. Hooker
was afterwards sent West, and took an ac-
tive part in the battle Of Lookout Mountain.
His later services do not need peculiar men,
ton.
The Dispatch defines its position to be
this: 1t believes that the financial troubles
and distress which have afflicted the country
since 1873, are attributable to a contraction Of
the currency. That Notwithstanding the
Hamilton county speech Of Mr.. Thurman, in
which he favored substitution OF green
backs for national bank currency, it favors
the latter currency rather than the former;
and that, notwithstanding it cannot approve
of all of Mr.. Thurman's positions, as an
nounced in that speech, it would prefer him
as the Democratic candidate for the Presi-
dency in 1880, were he available
We do not think the Dispatch can es-
tablish the first OF the propositions in the
above formulation. Both OF the editors of
that paper are too vel! versed in the politi-
cal history of the country to attempt to
prove that financial panics result from the
volume of currency. On the contrary, we
| think that their knowledge of the financial
and business revolutions Of the United States
will locate the cause of the panics expert
enced in over-trading, based upon inflated
confidence and credit, and not upon inflated
currency. There was more currency in cir
culation in 1873 than there was in 1868, aud
| the failure Of Jay Cooke & Co., the initial
event of the panic OF 1873. was due to the fact
that their operations were the result OF wild
speculations which had no foundation, either
in the volume OF currency or in any values
whatever. The confidence Of the business of
the country received shock therefrom, and
as confidence retired the inflated business
balloons collapsed. There was no contrac-
! tion Of the currency at the bottom Of it.
| The plea of Democratic editors and speakers
into the belief that the Republican party
should be held responsible for it, will not
1ow be urged by any sagacious writer or
| thinker, who is DESTROYS Of instructing the
popular mind in the truths of history.
We infer that the Dispatch favors the
present banking system, and Mr.. Thurman
says he opposes it. Yet the Dispatch,
| having faith in Mr.. Thurman, although it
does not agree with him on this vital question
OF public policy, would rather see him the
Democratic candidate for the Presidency
than any other of its party, were he available.
This confession is rather damaging to the
DiSp0tch's patriotism as 1t shows that pri,s-
c,ples have less to do with its political con-
illusions than personal favoritism.