The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1884-10-23

ldency. lie has lost al! hope Of The south
failing to make an impression upon West
Virginia and now he aims to Stray one
section against another. Blaine shonid
carefully avoid all reference 10 the war
when be reflects the part he took in It.
In 1882 some aGmirer in speaking Of
Blaiue's boyhood, related an incident of
his courage IN box ug the ears Of a ciTl
for speaking disTespectiulIy Of b 5 clothes,
and added that the same courage was
shown in wailopiDg the brigadiers il
congress. Judge Tourgee, who is COW
supporting Blaine, made this little anec-
loae the text for the following scathiUg
article in Our Continent:
The boxing OF ears" or the girls who
saw 1it to make fun of his dilapidated
wardrobe is just about as brave ana man
" thing rs his renowned "wallupng Of
rebel brigadiers on the floor OF congress.
So much has been said of this latter per
Torrance Of man who in the period Of
war has usurped the appellation Of "a
piumed knight, that 1t is worthy Of a
moments consideration III connection
with this newly recorded exploit. Mr..
Blaine Is one of those devoted patriots
who, though at that time III the prime of
life and activity, left to humber, coarsar
and less valuable men the unpleasant.
difficult and dangerous task of .'waIOp
ing the brigadiers" il the field. Not only
WAS he conspicuous in this conflict by
his absence, but the nations peril was
ms opportunity. In one way aud anoth-
er he gained much money by reason of
the nations necessities. This he had an
uudoubted right to do, but the man who
was a ''plumed knight IN spirit, could
never have c0ntented himself to sit aud
serve during those eyentfuI years simply
as a representative from one Of the dis
tricts ii Maine. If, like the gallant
Baker, tie poor, detained, and now al
most forgotten Scheuck, and many an
other noble man Of that day, he had felt
q tbrob Of knightly Grdor in bis veins, ne
would not have been content with wOrdy
warfare in tie capitol, while the tramp
OF the legions of The "rebel brigadiers"
shook the hills Of Maryland and the echo
OF their guns uushel the mimic warfare
OF the forum.
The brigadiers whom he assaulted had
earned their titles. Not one Of them
Was of the "corn-stalk'' variety, and not
one of them bad won his way upward
with his tongue alone. While Blaine
was scgilIiug with the "preVi0us ques-
ton" and "boZirg tho ears" OF few
masculine old women on the "floor Of
congress, IS well as watching the rise
AID fall Of funds and supplies, and lay
ing the basis Of that ample fortune which
he now SO gracefully enjoys, more than
enc Of thsse rebel bTigadigrs" was fac
ing the storm of shot and shell at Get
tYsburg, and winning his stars amid the
sweat and heat of that immortal battle.
They had avowed their manhood by the
sternsst Of all testG-the life of the sue
cessfui soldier. Nay, more, it should
be admitted that tire life OF the ''rebel"
Oh his way from the ranks OF the line to
the stars OF the "byiEadier" was pecu-
liarly hard one. The discomfort, the
hardship, as well 40 the danger surround
ing the position were exceptional in war
fare. They fought under rigorous
blockade, without The azhaustiess West
from which to draw their stores or the
busy factories OF the North to cater to
their wants. They shared With men H.
fed and poorly clad al the disoomforts
and exposures Of a war whose failure
meant the forfeiture Of life to every lead
er If the victor should so decide. In the
face OF ali this these men won emiGence
and leadership.
The writer is the last one who can be
accused of any favorable bias towards
tAcCuufedar&cy or the ''rebel bri2adiers. ="
OF their purposes during and since the
yaH he has been an opponent Of such
parsiejenCy as 10 have been hOuuded with
especial delight ~ their supporters; with
the conflict o. principles that followed
the WaI he was very intimately associated.
Many of the brjgadiers whom MG. Blaine
assalied he had met IN the field and on
the stump For all that they had done
or desired to do in political way he had
q hostility 50 intense, as TO make Mr.
Blaiue'a seem veal, and insignificant be-
side It.
Yet with all this sentiment against the
men whom Mr.. :siaine assaILed, we must
admit that we regarded with shame and
Indignation his coarse ana brutal attack
upon them, which has since been herald
ed forth as his daring and knightly
''Waliop!ug Of the rebel origadiels on tie
floor uf Congress. They had come
there under the law Of tie land, in the
peace Of God and the statc'-men who
had won the right 10 lead by leading
when leadership meant mortal peril; and
the coarse, useless, bullying attack upon
them ~ rebels ana ''brIgadlers coming
from u man who bad never
smelio0 powder: was UHmGniy ana COW
aTily. Ii was relevant TO nothing, and
was merely q demagOgic appeal TO the
worst END OF the sentiment that war en-
gCIdercd ut the North. The Nation
has pardoned the sin OF rebellion, and
the bfigadjeTahip Of itself was an honor
able Testimonial Of manhood. That many
of these men were il the halls OF Con-
gress by virtue of unlawful methods
there was no room for doubt. as such
they deserved denuncIatiOn, and were
legitimate subjects for both patriotic and
partisan attack; but as 'rebui DriEalhers',
lawfully amncstied and sitting as men OF
equal right with himself IN the national |
council, the rebel brlgadIers should have |
been safe from an assault at the hands |
Of a non conDataut. As the representa-
.ives OF the hGkiGx--a5 men who took |
benefit from crime and bl0od-hod-no |
language could have been 700 severe to |
apply to them. is participants in a |
struggle, h4roic though mstGken-as
sometimes criminals whose crime had |
been condoned and hiotted out by law
10 forgetfulness could have been too
absolute TO oompoIt with knightly chiyal- |
~. When he looked upon their battered |
forms and into their faces that will never |
lose the bronze OF those four battle heated |
years, he should have been so ashamed |
Of his own unscarred and unscathsd body |
rs to have held his tongue from taunt |
from very pity for his own fame. Tie |
knight who gathered ws TIA and rotor |
iety with a busy hand and at safe dis |
lance, while mcauer and dulIer natures |
fought for him and bis, should at least |
laye had decaney enough not to ioar at |
brave soldiers for adherence to Il lost |
cause. That . man who would do this |
should have boxed the ears of school |
= Z 3,