The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-04-08
GENERALS IND oo1ONE1s.

Francis Peabody, jr., and Patrick A.
 Collins are two Boston men who are dis
 tingulshed among other things by hav-
 ing held the proud place of judge advo-
 cate general on The governors staff
 They will be more distinguished as
 soon as it is generally known that they
 don't want people to call them General
 and prefer to be called "Mr."
 This performance is hard to under
 stand Why anybody who can with any show of right be called General should not want to be so called is some thing that needs explanation. We hope the explanation will be made, so that curious world may know something of the working of minds that differ so much from most minds. In order to fully appreciate the difference just
 imagine any of our New Haven Gen
 erals asking to be called "Mr." And especially imagine it of any of our Gen erals who have won their title not on
 the battle field but in peaceful military duty on the Governors staff. MT" for any of them? Not much, while life and appreciation of their own rank last
 Some of them would sooner be deprived of their name than of their title. They would not miss the name as long as they could hear and have the bystand- CTS hear the General" The same state below the rank of General The town is fairly well dotted with Colonels, who are as worthy of and as tenacious of their titles as the Generals. For in- stance, the other day a busy man called one of the Colonels by telephone and was thoughtless and discourteous enough to ask, "Is MT. - there?" The Colonel himself answered, saying "Col- onel - Is here" and the emphasis on the "Co1onel' showed the busy man what was wanted. The next time he calls the Colonel he will make up for his mistake by asking for the General, and will thus delicately show that he thinks the Colonel has the qualities of a General. If the mistake is corrected by the Colonel he will know that the Colo mel does not feel like General
 The strange attitude of the Boston men will not be initiated in New Ha- ven. If it were the place would lose much. It is something to be able to walk about our streets and see the Generals and Colonels and hear them called so. It is good thing for the | imagination. When one hears a man | engaged in some prosaic business call ed General or Colonel it lifts the mind out of the dull routine of the daily | grind and calls up visions of the bat | tle-feld, "the pomp and circum- | stance of glorious war" deeds of | bravery and herolsn patriotic self-sac- rifce, and the Stars and Stripes way ing over all. To be sure it takes imag-
  and CoIonels with such things, but that | is what imagination is for. Then, too, | suppose one of New Haven's citizens | who is we'll acquainted with his fellow townsmen has visitor whom he wants to impress. How can he do it more than by taking walk with him and speaking carelessly to the and Colonels as he meets them, being particular to let the visi- tor hear the titles It is a fine thing to know distinguished military gentle men, especially when you don't have to explain them.
 No, none of New Haven's Generals or Colonels should or will think of imitat- ng the two Boston men. And nobody n New Haven should or will want them %. In addition to the variety and dis .inction they give life here they make it certain that if war should break out New Haven would go splendidly and ,ommandingly to the front. There would be many vacant chairs in our places of business, but there would be | corresponding number of saddles we'll filled at the front Soldiers led y New Haven Generals and Colone1s would know their business and do it. Is universal peace is not yet in sight here must be no diminution in the lumber of great military leaders which Jew Haven is prepared to furnish If were not for the fact that an imme- fate and large increase in the num- er would detract somewhat from the which goes with the titles 1e should advocate such an increase. 'ut perhaps there are enough for the resent.
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