Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-16
N EMPRIS APPEAL
THURSDAY. s.: MARCH 16, 1882



Public opinion Is so tickle, men are so
liable to temptation, TO blunder and to COM
NIT those mistakes regarded by the world as
worse than crime, that no mans reputa-
ton is considered secure until after death.
But it seems the grave is no protection to
James A. Garfield. Slander was busy with
his name while living and it now seeks to de-
file his tomb. The political hyenas have
resurrected the decaying remains OF the
Inartyred President, and the whole country is
filed with a foul and sickening stencil.
During the last canvass for the presidency,
the Democratic press made no new charge
against Garfield. They simply republIshed
the accusations made by the Republicans
themselves, and presuming they were true
argued that man capable Of such conduct
should not be trusted with the high and ex-
allied position of President of the United
States. But Garfield was elected, and
his inaugural was so patriotic, his brief
administration so lofty in its aspirations so
conservative, so conciliatory and SO deter
mined to give peace to the country and
honesty and efficiency IN the public service,
that the Democrats forgot and regretted what
had been said against the political candidate
in their admiration for the patriot and
statesman. But Garfield was struck down
by the assassin in the midst of career that
promised great usefulness and popularity.
When he was consigned to the grave amidst
the tears of the nation it was thought his
reputation was secure; but recent develop
ments have greatly dimmed the luster of a
l i L
full. The recent funeral Grafton OF James G.
Blaine, before the Congress Of the United
States, was intended as an exaggerated
eulogy upon the life and character of the
illustrious dead; but it seems to have been
the means OF exposing duplicity, falsehood
and hypocrisy unparalleled in. the his
tory of the world. In order to prop
erly understand the situation of the contro-
versy as it now stands, it is necessary
to briefly recapitulate the facts. When Ex-
Secretary Blaine, in his funeral Grafton
before Congress, stated that Garfield, on
assuming his new duties as chief of staff to
General Rosecrans, 'found various troubles
already well developed and seriously affect
ing the value and efficiency of the army of
hAS CuhlNCAiahdJ ACadSAS AC-
garded the statement not as historically true,
but merely an intended compliment to Mr.. |
Garfeld's executive capacity. And when |
General Rosecrans punctured the airy bubble |
and showed that the officers and men of the |
army of the Cumberland were singularly |
united and free from dissensions, the matter |
was supposed to have been satisfactorily
ended. And when, subsequently,, letter |
from Garfield relative to the battle Of |
Chickamauga was printed, wherein the |
writer took the ground that that battle, in
stead OF being disastrous to the Union
arms" as Mr.. Blaine alleged resulted in the |
greatest possible advantages to the Union |
cause, and was essentially a Union victory,
almost everybody conceded that Mr.. Blaine
had been wholly misinformed and that in
his forensic efforts to do honor to Garfield he
had overshot the mark and made statements
having no foundation in fact. Mr.. Gar6eld's |
confidential letter to Secretary Chase, pub
Gahed in another column OF the APPEAL. |
shows, however, that Mr.. Blaines unfounded
filings at the commander of the Army OF the
Cumberland and his great lieutenants were
inspired by Mr.. Garfield himself; that while
holding the responsible and conf |
Dental position of chief of staff to
General Rosecrsns, had not hesitated |
to abuse the confidence reposed in him by |
writing Confidential" letter to Secretary |
Chase, in which he charges his chief and |
seventeen other general officers with being |
"blind to the advantages Of the hour" while |
he alone was "the only one who urged upon
the general the imperative necessity of
striking a blow at once, while Bragg was
weaker and the Union army stronger
than ever before!" And who were these
"blind" generals Of the Army OF the |
Cumberland who could not see what |
the illustrious Garfield saw so plainly? |
General Rosecrans, commander-in-chief; |
General 6eexge II. Thomas, the hero of
Chattanooga ana Nashville; Generals Sheri- |
dan, Palmer, McCook, Stanley, Granger, |
johnson, Which, Schofield, Rousseau, Neg
ley, Reynolds, Brannon, Baird, and
Others like them, who had fought great
battles and won great victories, while Gar
fields only military achievement was his
command of a small brigade and his skirm-
ish with Humphrey Marshall General
Roescrans denounces the confidential" let
ter as piece of the blacklist treachery; as a
compound of untruths and exaggerations;
and its author as person capable OF false
hood ami double-dealing, and fit subject
for a court-martial 1t is amazing that Gar
field should have been shallow and vain
enough to write such letter, but more
amazing that any true friend of his should
have consented to its publication. And who
else than a professional friend could have
access to the letter, and who among them all
could have motive to see it in print except
James u. Blaine, who might use it as his
warrant for clarifying Garfield in his ora
ton at the expense of Rosecrans and his
generals? singular feature Of the letter
is that il is dated Nashville, July %,
1868, while Rosecrans's army had more
than a month before started from Murfrees-
boro in pursuit of Bragg, had driven him out
of his stronghold at Tullahoma, compelled
him to cross the Cumberland mountains and
the Tennessee river, and to seek safety in
Chattanooga; while Rosencrans himself at
that very time had his army concentrated
near the base of the Cumberland mountains
and was making active preparations for his
wonderful campaign over the mountains and
into northern Georgia. campaign, the
conce ption and brilliant execution of which
is not surpassed by any other during the
war. Mr.. Garfield was evidently too
far TO the rear when he wrote TO Secre-
tary Chase TO have correct idea of
what Rosecrans had done, or intended to do.
These developments place General Gar
held in a most unenvisble light. 1t is SIM
gular that the funeral Grafton, which was
intended as an eulogy upon the dead presi-
dent, will contribute more than all other
eauses TO sully the name il wss intended