Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-08-24
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STRANGE MISTAKES.

We can scarcely believe that any re-
spectacle American journal would make
such blsnders regarding European mat
tiers, as are frequently chargeable to the
European press, concerning American
affairs. 1t is not long ago that the London
Times, which certainly has no excuse for
inaccuracy, reviewed American affairs for
the year 1884, in which it speaks of Con-
gress closing its session in March, when, as
; matter of fact, it was at actual work I'M
til the close of the first week in June. The
Times refers to the abortiye effort to do
something at that session to settle the
tariff question, saying that both parties
feared to meet the free-trade issue, and
quietly consented to the whole subject be-
ing shelved. The truth is, that the mid
die OF April was reached before the Nor
rison tariff bill was taken up for consider
alton, and nearly month later conclu-
sive vote was reached upon it. The con-
trolling element in the House was not
equal to the task of carrying tariff meas
IRE through. In one sense it is true that
there was timidity by both parties in
handling the question; but it is also true
that the Republican party very early de-
clared in favor of policy of protection. So
far as negation has affirmative value, the
action Of Congress was a negativing of free
trade policy.
Turning from the English to the French
press, We find the Journal des De6ats in its
review of the character of General Grant
speaking of him as % a curious combina-
ton Of preacher and soldier, with the
name of the Lord necessarily on his Iips.
impenetrable in his designs, implacabIe in
his hatreds, skillful in turning the affec-
ton of his soldiers and the passions of par
tisans to the profit of his ambition; who
recalls in more than one regard the
terrible Protector (meaning Oliver Crorn-
well) who. claiming to be the in
strument of Providence, destroyed the
liberty of his country That any
intelligent editorial writer of this age on
leading journal anywhere in the world
could form such an estimate of the charac-
ter of General Grant is much more than
surprising it gives ground for entertaining
the belief that the author of the lines was
inspired by malice. II there was any one
chieftain in the worlds history who looked
upon war as a cruel necessity, exeusable in
severity only because that is the quickest
road to an end Of it, and g.ho- enteraeined
: ife--s iIatreds, and was unambitious.
it was Ulysses S. Grant. Further on The
same Journal, which unfortunately is If
wide influence in France, speaks of the
mildest of men and most compassionate of
soldiers as domineering and absolute in
temper, as obstinate as imperious, and with
much of the character, if not the military
genius of Napoleon" This would GER
tainly justify the charge that the French
paper is actually ignorant of modern his
tory. And this judgment is more Chart
able than the suggestion that the editor
was inspired, as We first suggested, by
malice. The same paper and writer. in
speaking Of the surrender of Lee to Grant.
said Grant By no means found sufficient
satisfaction In the defeat and submission
OF General Lee; he insisted on the hmnili- |