The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-28

the qualities afterward so conspicuous. and ex
pressed the confidence in him that was at last
justified.
Abraham Lincoln did not at once, when he
became President and the war came--the most ter
rble storm that ever raged-gain the affectionate
admiration of his countrymen. That he was too
slow and tender, and indulgent toward generals
who failed and soldiers who deserted and that
we were drifting to ruin, was the opinion OF
great many persons who may not have placed
their misgivings in rash expressions in pri-
vate correspondence, or who have not earned
the enemies to pay for advertising It, Senator
Wade and Henry Winter Davis two Ynost un-
questioned and faithful patriots, among
those who violently criticised the great Repub-
lican President as late in the war days the sum-
mer of 1864 Whether the cost of putting down
the rebellion was not vastly greater
sacrifice of life and expenditure of money than
it should have been, is grave question that may
be better investigated when ali recollection of
its personal aspects have faded. 1t has not yet
been answered.
when the great cause was won all the world
knew what factors in the dreadful contest the
generous and kindly patience of Lincoln and
the military grip and hardihood of Grant had
been, and the days of doubt and despondency,
and the angry exctements, alternating with
hopeful exultation and grievous loss of conf
dence, so nearly forgotten that their once
lurid colors have quite faded from the public
mind.
1T may not be altogether improbable that
one SnoulQ be reminded occasionally or those
times. that they who do not remember the war
may see In flash what it was, and Mr.. Hal
steads letter in possession of the private secretary
of Mr. Chase lit is his recollection that there are
good many of them, and that they would make
| a very interesting volume, particularly for
young folks) may be found serviceable in that
connection. He would not be premature in
ackn owledging the authorship of all that could
be contrived, but it is his ambition to
be useful. He only wishes it to be
understood that the recommendation that
deserters should be shot was upon the ground
| that severity toward them was justice and
mercy to the true soldier.
''Mr. Halstead, though several times privately
reminded of the existence of the Chase letters in
the course of his controversies with certain stall
warts, has declined to modify his methods of
discussing public affairs and if there
were forty barrels of his ancient cor
| respondence published, and he was shown to
have been hasty and wrong in his judgments
and harsh in stating them. he would continue to
hold that the enmity of the plunderers of Gin
cinnati, the spies who live in disguise and hide
their tracks, is compliment that his antagon-
isms with the schemers who have enriched
themselves at the expense of the people have
been wholesome and that. however the serv-
ices of the men who destroyed the military part
Of the rebellion may have been or be misjudged.
those who won the war should not be placed IL
political subordination to those who were, in
those critical times, against the cause of the
country"