New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-06

age, ana perhaps d'D|F any Sut'''"'i- "-N' 80
regards military genius That he should have made
of bis AIaccdonans force capable OF gong any
where and doing anything is not wonderful IN
view Of his performance in all that takes the
admiration of the ordinary soldier. lie was their
hero ard their idol and not only because ne could
and did do everything, but because he was gem
crols profllsc even, when his Golfers were full,
and bccausc lie was never beaten. Ills striking
personal beauty, his martial cloquence, the con-
slant sight of his gallantry and "elan III battle.
the boldncss of his plans and the headionS dash
OF his execution. must lave developed an attach-
mcnt and devotion 10 MIN among ms men even
deeper and stronger than that OF the va unard
toward the Little Corporal. Ills astonishing
fertility in resource must have increased this feel
ing moreover. The presence of difficulties lit
orally stimulated him, nor is there single re-
corded instance Of his surrender to the most for
midabc of them. The siege OF Tyre was one
notable Illustration of this Another was the
Battle Of liydaspe-, when the elephants oil Iorus
threatened to parayzc the Macedonian cavalry
his favoritc arm. His treatment of the high rock
forresses Of India IS still another case IN point.
When winged soldier" were needed TO rcducc
stronghold he was able 10 give them wings.
Neither moumtan-pas nor deep ravlnesnor path-
less snow fields nor burning. watcIleSs DESERTS
could block his path TO his object lie was the
most terrible fighter the world has ever seen. ne
cause literally nothing was permitted to stop HIM.
His men were invincbe because he always
led the way for them: that when the mutiny
occurred at Opis he was able to challenge the
bravcSt champion among them to come Forward
and compare scars with him" and l." said Alex
andcr, will show him more than his 1t was
true. for he had as he also said, been wounded
in fiSn
and stabbed with swords, pierced by arrows and
spears bruised by clubs and stones-therc was
no kind of wound from which he had not snf-
fered. Once he was shot through the lung and
a weaker man would no doubt have died of the
injury. Not 50 Alexander, who in n few weeks
was able TO leave his bed and resume his com
mand His DEATH when il occurred. was caused
by n neglected malaral fever, cngcndercd by
the breaking np Of large Of soil at Babylon.
for purposos of ratification Even then prob
ably the neglect alone determined the character
Of the ISSUE for such a constitution at thirty
two should have retained vitality enough 10
throw Off the typhoid influences if given any
thing like a fair chance to carry on the sirne-
gle Such a mind in such body was in truth
never known before or since: an athlete with
the brain of n Napoleon. For Alexander was
much more than great captain ne was great
statesman also. one impracticabc fancy p"Ns-
csscd him, that Of freeing all the races Of his
heterogeneous Empire, by mingling them well
together. This dream and never could
have come TO anything He IIccnizcd Asia 10 a
very slight extent and Asia Orcntalizcd him
and his Maccdonians far more deeply After
hi, death. in fact the Asatc habits impressed
upon his army speedily led TO its demorlllaion
ana most Of his licutcnaMts fell under the sane
corrupting agencies But he held large view,
not only of conquest hut Of administration. His
treatment of conquered peoples and subluGaicd
princes was that of a wise politician. and A.
different possible from that of the earlier and
later Asatic conquerorS He meant 10 keep the
countries lie had won by the sword. and 10
solidify and establish his conqucsrs he sought 70
make the subject races happier and safer than
they were before
II could not be expected that in a military
study Tie ethical aspects of AlcXandcss career
should be very carefully considered. but il may
he objected that Colonel Dodge extcnua'cs the
faults and vices of his hero too much If iustih-
cation can be found for the campaigns against
Darius in the notorious purpose Of the latter
10 invade Macedonia, no such argument exists
in support of the conquest Of India. There ana
bition and vanity alone are seen. and ton
disregard Of the most primitive ri-hrs pertain
ing to peaceful and inoncnslyc peoples. TIE
most that can be alleged in mitigation OF Alex
andcrs Indian expedition is that his age did not
recognize those obligations which have indeed
but recently, and even then bat partially seemed
20 check and restrain international aggression
1t may be said that Napoleon was not less ob-
fuse than his great predecessor In this respect
and if we 20 back little further. 10 the time
Of Louis the Fourteenth. shall find parallels
not only u AlcNandcr's high-handci nvasiOns
but even 10 the ruthless butchcrics which ON
several occasions lc pcrpeiraicd. Nothing IN
the military crimes of the AcAahdiiau epoch.
for example. sirpiSsrs in horror the slaughter
Al TIE sack % Moedchure, where thirty thou
sand ont OF thiry-siA Thousand men, women ana
children were massacrcd. under the authority II
most Christian king. When questions OF
humanity and morals come ~ be con 5Gcrcl, in
short, II IS not so easy as might be thought -
distinguish between ancient and modern pric-
tees. War, from lis nature. j., inevitably cruel
ana lnhumanc. and the very qualities which -
TO constitute the most successful soldiers are
precisely those which, under given conditions.
condncc 10 the production of the most pitilcs'
deeds The conduct Of Wcllineton's troops in
the sack Of Spanish cities during the Pcnnsular
War IS directly in point, and many equally APP
posite Illustrations might be given.
We are disposed 10 agree with Colonel Dodge
that the l"isO2al defects Of Alexander. even
taking fully into account his mos violent and
indeicnsible acts. such as the murder of Clitus.
the execution Of Parmcnio and Philatas, and tic
cruel Treatment Of Bats do not together consli-
tutc dannlne record, when contrastcd rs they
should be Win the conditions amid which he lived
ana the magnitude Of the temptations 10 abuse
OF power to which be was exposed. II is said.
perhaps il is insisted upon too strongly
that he was vain. But where has there ever
l'ecn man WHO had anything approaching his
excuses for vanity? The conqucror If the known
world. the inyiucib,c captain the subdCcr Of all
cfstacles the handscmest strongest, strongest
n.iAGcd, mos universally accomplished SOVEREIGN
Of his age; tie man vino had never known Dc
feat; the man to whom all looked up, whom ell
hattcrcd ard d'ierrcd to; whose position w;,s
that Of a deni2od-hOw should such one rscap:
the weakness ci vanity? As to the common r..
port Of his Incorporate habits. it inevitably