The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-05-28
Mahone's Ingratltude--A soldiers
Protest.
GIcHaoND, Va, May %, Is
I,y;tos. ~ fls ~, e,lofcL.


To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
For many years highly honored Gene
raj Malone. Often have eaten bread NJ his
table, baked by his own hands (and no man
can bake better battcr-cakeb and several
times was associated with him on the Dat
tle-fcld. Indeed, think he had but TWO
superiors in the Army OF Northern virgil
mia. He possesses In a remarkable degree
the three great qualities which Patrick
Henry wisely said make the successful gen.
eral. He Is "actiye, yigil1nt. brave"
Though the men who followed him did not
love him much, yet they were true to nm
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 followed him on bleeding ieet ana
on half rations. They cheered him as he
rode i'm front OF his line Of battle, and even
when charging the enemy in the Wilder
ness with the underground up to their
cbins they were shoulder to shoulder, and
delivered their fire with deadly effect.
Splendid discipline! splendid men! |
could but say. As his line advanced aud
the enemy's gave way under his steady
fire, could the thought have entered his
mind, "These arc the men that / shall one
day betray?" his prompt reply would have
been: "Is thy servant dog that he should
do this thingi" An yet it has come 10
PASS, Borne upon their shoulders above
the surging sea and placed safe on deck,
he now orders the ladder on which he
assembled to be hastily Withdrawn, and
leaves the poor fellows clinging 10 the
lower rounds 10 the merciless waves be-
low. What meanness! what trcachery
Can language describe it? The heart sick
ems i'm contemplating such baseness.
Mercy turns TO judgment and curses him !.
Iniamy bushes ut the degradation OF her
own son What say the ghosts OF the
noble men he left in his path as he advanced
on the retiring enemy! Thank God they
are spared this SPECTACLE We who live
can hardly bear the sight OF this infamous
debauchery OF virtue. When even our late
enemies propose to forgive and trnst rs he
saws: d" No, they are not worthy"
This combination OF great mental en-
dowments with such meanneSs is danger
Gus to public virtue, and should receive
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
"the greatest and yet the meanest OF man.
kind" as Macaulay says of Bacon. Ma
homes ingratitude to almost everything and
everybody who has helped him is con-
spicuous--to the State, to the teachers that
educated him, and to many Of his best
friends who helped TO elevate him. But
the browning infamy is his turning his
back upon his fellow-soldiers-the best and
bravest men OF the South-the men who
loved to honor him, who were proud OF
him. Better never have been bravc-better
never have been born than to live for this.
Let the name of Malone be by-wOrd and
rcproach. Let it become common noun
Mahony-meaning tricky. treachery. trea-
son-and let it find its way into the next
edition OF the dictionary. There was a
time when 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 the patriot O'Connell said OF a once
distinguished American, | regard "his
touch contagion, his aNociation moral
DEATH
A SOLDIER FROM BETHEL TO ApPoMATToX.