Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-03-27

Lsnrstreet As q Failure.

81 Cfouerot l<Ou8StIcet, vi OcotSRat 10 !"
tharacter who has filled good measure
Eef the public eye during his long life-
Mime, and h marked specimen Of that
Solass Of men who arouse high expecta-
Uohs which they steadily fail to fill and
eventually show that their capacity lies
! A. seeming rather than in being. Dur
Ing the war he held high Confederate
Z rank and occupied positions which gave
him every opportunity for glory, and he
seems to have largely maintained the
conndence of his government, as he re-
tained his position though conspicuously
unsuccessful In his efforts when In inde-
pendent command. He was the victim
of an Ill luck or II. judgment which his
tUputation as an accomplished soldier
\ bat made the more marked.
After the war was over he continued
his erratic course by falling In line with
the Republican party, to his profit
I But his i'll fortune still prevented him
from reaping full frultion of his efforts,
and he has ever been hanging on to the
RAGGED edge Of the leadership Of his
ragged Georgia party. During Cleve-
lands presidency he subsided, to be
aroused upon Harrison's election so
- to write him letter Of
congratulation, which secured him
an Invitation to Indianapolis ; which
Inspired him to ask an Office for friend
IDven before he set out upon his journey
- the Mecca of expectant Republican
politicians. Harrison received him
With fervor and promised him the con-
troll Of Georgia he was invited to the
inauguration, where he sat upon his
horse IN the rain as an aid to
enr revered Beaver, grand marshal
u the parade, 30 that he took TO his
bed for four months afterward.
When he arose from 1t he found no
more calls from Washington awaiting
him, nor did the promised control Of the
Republican offices of Georgia fall to
him. A little bird had been whispering
: Harrison, In the shape Of one Buck,
and he had become Georgla's Republi-
can boss. His whisper to the president
Informed him that Longstreet had failed
20 vote at the presidential election.
This statement having lately appeared
in the newspapers, General Longstreet
writes to nm Inquiring friend admitting
that he did not vote for president, and
so0bring as his only reason that IL was
~ no use to do 20 In Georgia, where the
majority was overwhelmingly the other
way. He tells Of his correspondence
With visits to and promises from Harri-
oon after the election, and manifestly
sclaimed that he has since been ili-rsed
by him. He has much complaint to
mako Of Buck, and gave 1t as his
supInion that Harrison's favor to him
has been purchased by the promise of
Ge0rgia's vote in the next Republican
Presidential convention.
We are much inclined to the opinion
that Longstreet's judgment Is bad, as
usual not perhaps about Buck or his
tnducement to presidential favor but
particularly in finding nothing in his
failure to vote which should turn Har-
rison's heart and hand away from him.
We are not persuaded that the excuse
given for the failure of the aspiring
Georgia Republican leader to cast his
ballot at the presidential election is a
good one or that the suspicion that
ne was waiting to see which side
won the trick Is an unfair one.
ADD 1t seems that good code of
ethics, as well as moderate amount of
good sense, would have induced the gen.
erai to tell the president-elect when he
met him at indianapolis that he had
not voted for him and the reason why
- that the Bucks would not have the
telling Of the tale.
Il II is easy to see and say, now that his
career is well run, that General Long
street Is conspicuous mixture Of
strength and weakness with nothing but
the weakness apparent in these latter
days, that he is fine type of that
numerous and distressing class who
promise far better than they perform.