The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-13
UNITED STATES SENATOR.

discovery ~ q sweet mOrEel under her gar
rulous tongue tho while abe ohirpa and twit-
tors with az much afTsctionate fuss as though
she had been turned loose at really exolu-
sIve reception. The alleged point is thla .
that. whereas the DEMOCRAT advocated Mr.
WiItE's nomination on the score OF hts large
experience In politics, diminishing tho claims
| Of other aspirants based on their title TO pub
Ito gratitude, II now advocates Mr.. John Nc
Epery's nomination Oh the score of hs claims
| to public gratitude, dismlsslng the preten-
sions Of others based upon their large poIltl
cal experience. In other words, and TO help
our innocent friend to make her point more
| explicit, It u claimed that we employ IN sup.
porting Mr. John McEnery the very argu-
| ments which we ignored and, Ia fact,
| repudiatsd In supporting Gov. Wilt Or, In
other words and to help our dear old neigh
Dor still further. we are now combating In
| the case of Gen. Gibson Che Identical plea
which we ourselves resorted to IN advocating
Coy. Witt. We are always glad TO extend q
helping hand to q worthy and struggling fol.
| low creature.
| II Ia necessary, however, to call our con
temporarys attention 10 at least ono oiroum-
upon her proposition. II Ia thls: In the
question between Gov. Witt aud Gen. Ogden
wa had two gentlemen VI equal claims upon
public recognition. Of equal public service and
of equal personal ability. In auoh cnse as
| that there could bc but ono consideration the
consideration 81 previous experience as n
guarantee of fitness for tho position. The
Governorship 10 place requiring wide and
thorough acquaintance with public men In
| all parts Of the State. lnnumerabs appoint
ments are to be made, and In order to make
| them iudioiousy the Governor must be able
| to make them upon his own knowledge, and
| independently Of the advice of others.
| 1t was upon these grounds. and In
view Of Gov. Wiltzs notorious and
acknowledged qualification that we urged
hs nomination, nil other things being
equal. In the present contest no such CON
ditIons exist. Gen. Gibson L. In no sonse Mr..
| McEnery's equal ~ regards service In tho
peoples cause; he has not 1.-THE or Mr.. Nc
Enery's claims To public gratitude. Sup
posing that he were as greatly Mr. McEnery' u
| superior In ability az his friends afeet TO be-
| lieve. and ooncedlng that he possesses all tho
| Influence nj Washington which IL has become
| the fashion IN certain quarters to aiege, there
would still remain tho troublesome question
| whether these considerations ought to com
plete his title 10 the highest honor In the gift
| OF tho State IA against man infinitely his
superior ID deeds Of patriotic servico and
steadfaet devotion In tho hour Of emergency.
These propositions, however, are untenable.
1t ia absurd to cay that Gen. Gibson Is an In
M H..fT
cry, or to claim that his influence Mt Wash
ington IL any greater than he Ia leglti-
nately entitled to an N Congressman who 10
also well-hred gentleman. We are unable
to see why, as matter OF expe-
dieney, Gen. Gihs0n should be chosen in
preferences to Mr.. McEnery; and certainly. on
any other grounds, thers Ia no sort OF COM
parson between their respective claims. Glen.
Gibson has already been honorsd and re-
warded quite up to the measure Of his merits,
and sueh services as he has rendered ars only
what 1t was his duty TO render. When his
present term expires he will Fave enjoyed ak
years of elevation In Congress, and, II there
be question IN the promises, II Il not how
much thu State owes hin for his services, but
whether he has rem Tered service enough to
offset these elk years Of dignity and emolu-
mont and emlnence.
Az we remarked, when treating this same
subject on Sunday morning, there Ia Il vast
deal OF foolish humbug INDUCED In by friends
Of Cen Gibson who arc more Jealous than
discreet We have no desire to belittle him
I'm any OF his aspects as q gentlemam, n sol
dier or an on ,eholder, yet when they speak
of Gen. Gtbson's military career with an
efrusion that dims II 1t does not wholly OBJ
iterate all other military careers, we make
bold to say that. on that score, Gen. Gibson
deserves no more credit than the humblcst
private soldier who lay in the cold, wet
trenches while he slept warm and tranquil In
his comfortable tent. TO borrow glory from
the late war, at least 10 this part OF the coun-
try, where almost every full-grown man was a
soldier, IL rather feeble expedlent. So far
as Mr.. McEuery Is concerned, he was there
also, and he did his duty. What more is
there to be said2 The truth Ia. we are not
inquring into the warlike qualities OF men
lust now. Though Gen. Gihson may have
waded up to his armpits In Federal gore from
Murfreesboro to Missionary Ridge, we do
not admit that his claims to the Senatorship
In this era OF peace are thereby strengthened.
The whole discussion is as irrelevant as the
Picayune's padded Washington gossip telling
us how honored and beloved Gen. Gibson Is
at the Capital, and how delighted the Yale
alumni will be to have him made O.
Senator. And this reminds us that Gen.
Gibson can hardly expect to have all this rub
bish flung about In his behalf without being
Injured by some of 1t. No man OF Gen. Glib
sons actual calibre can safely make or have
made for him such extravagant and prepos-
ferrous claims, and yet wholly escape unfavor-
able comment. We shall not at present I'M
dertake to point out any Of the channels into
| which this comment may legitimateiy run,
but we do wish that some wind could be let
out Of the bag-enough to bring 1t down to O
practicable and proper size-so that we may
discuss the question sobery.
|
RELIEF FOR IRE LAND.