Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-06-06
Mahone's IngratItude-.A Soldiers
Protest.
RICHMOND, VA, May Is, 1882.
To the Editor of the DisD0tch:


To theEditor of the Dispatch:
For many :years I highly honored
General Malone. Often have I eaten
bread at his table, baked by his own
hands land no man can bake better
batter-cake,) and several times was I
associated with with him on the battle
field. Indeed, think he had but two
superiors in the Army of Northern Vir-
ginia. He possesses in a remarkable
degree the three great qualities which
Patrick Henry wisely said make the
successful general. He is ''active, vigil
liant, brave" Though the men who
followed him did not love him much,
yet they were true to him and had great
faith in him in time of battle. Many of
the privates in his command were much
better born and bred than he. yet they
gladly honored. his genius. They fol-
lowed him on bleeding feet and on half
rations. They cheered him as he rode
in front of his line of battle, and even
when charging the enemy in the Wild
erness with the underground up to their
chins they were shoulder to shoulder,
and delivered their fire with deadly eff.
feet. Splendid discipline! splendid
men! I could but say. AS his line ad
vanced and the enemy's gave way I'M
der his steady fire, could the thought
have entered his mind, "These are the
men that shall one day betray? 2" his
prompt reply would have been: us thy
servant dog that he should do this
thing?" And yet it has come to pass.
Berne upon their shoulders above the
surging sea and placed safe on deck, he
now orders the ladder on which he as
cended to be hastily withdrawn, and
leaves the poor fellows clinging to the
lower rounds to the merciless waves be.
low. What meanness! what treachery
Can language describe it? The heart
sickens in contemplating such baseness.
Mercy turns to judgment and curses
ton OF her own son! What say the
ghosts of the noble men he left in his
path as he advanced on the retiring en-
envy? Thank God they are spared this
spectaCle! We who live can hardly
bear the sight of this infamous debauch-
cry of virtue. When even late enemies
propose to forgive and trust us he says
mo, they are not worthy"
I This combination of great mental en-.
dowments with such meanness is dan
gerous to public virtue, and should re-
ceive the sternest public rebuke. The
future youth of the country may be SO
fascinated by the one that they may first
extenuate and then initiate the other
A man may be 1.-THE greatest and yet the
meanest of mankind" as Macaulay says
of Bacon. Mahone's ingratitude to al.
most everything and everybody who
has helped him is cOnspicuOus-to the
State, to the teachers that educated him,
and to many Of his best friends who
helped to elevate him. But the crown
ing infamy is his turning his back up.
on his soldiers best and
bravest men of the South-the men who
loved to honor him, who were proud of
him. Better never have been brave
better never have been born than to
live for this. Let the name of Malone
be a by-word and reproach. Let 1t be-
come a common nOun-MabOny-mean-
ing tricky, treachery, treason-and let
it find its way into the next edition of
the dictionary. There was a time when
I would have cheerfully faced death at
his command, and once was glad to
ride mile through the shot and shell
from twenty guns by his permission,
but now, as to the patriot O'Conneil
said of once distinguished American,
I regard "his touch contagion, his as
ISOLATION moral DEATH"
A SOLDIER FROM BETHEL TO Apo
MATTOX.