The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-03

-, the st. Louis Globe-D Democrat.
,nnointment of Lieut.. Gen. Sir Red
uenry Butler to the supreme COM
- of the British forces in South Africa
...rarlv excites a good deal of interest
q. the personal character of an officer
.,,7zrning whom the reading public
,..,rs Iittle. Butler is 60 years old, and
5-..t-- his army life has served with dis
.,;o1 in China, through the Zulu war.
w.. A.bauu war, the Egyptian war, the
.ostsn of lSS4-S5 in the Soudan and the
i -, war with the Beers, but in none
j. - these conflicts was his command differ
.~,i,ted from that of others to sutti-
i ,i.nt decree to give him prominence as a
..rsr and consequently no small share
= the credit to which he was perhaps en-
Md was given to others, possibly no
more deserving but more prominent by
r,sson of position.
RplIer is described as a silent man, and
-, an the accounts of him that have
reached the public, he seems to be a stern
q ,.,;,,,rn soldier, who wastes no words in
.rssrs neither speaks nor acts for effect,
4 {,,t keeps clearly in view the desired OBJ
.r and bends every energy of his nature
q ,og-ard its attainment. In other words
q ne is the typically successful General;
j5 hooded regarding the lives of men
w means TO an end, regretting the loss
4 If soIdiers in battle, not on account of the
4 ~ but from the fact it diminishes the
4 r,,r,ber of his effective force; punctilious
~ d,,tv and demanding that every one
i aisa should be the same; not sparing him
elf and equally merciless in his eXactons
Il 81, others: a man to whom other men are
3 ,,,acbin4s to be moved to and fro and ma
4 pinulated without the slightest regard to
4 their personal feelings.
Snob a man may, in his moments of re-
i,vation. be an agreeable companion, but
ralax9tion to a man of this kind is for
eien. almost unnatural; it is not in con-
i sonarce with the popular conception Of
bfs character, nor, indeed, with the facts
IN the case; for a man of this description
rarely feels the need of it. Cold, phleg-
4 1natic for all practical purposes, his
nerves might be steel wires; so far as can
he udged from word or act, he has no
Il nerves He is among men, but not of
tbapo. a thing apart and above the hu-
man race, using it for his own purposes,
IN accomplish his own plans; to carry out
the objects which he proposes, to fulfill
the task which has been set for him or
which he has set for himself, without fear,
without favor
silence Means SeIf-ReIiance.
The portrait of Butler might, with tri-
fling notifications here and there, serve
as the portrait of Kitchener, but the
most obvious quality of each being ST.
lence not to say taciturnity the charac-
ters of both men must be judged from
their actions rather than from their
words. They are men who make history.
Silent men in positions Of power and in
. 1uence always do. The man of action is
net always silent, the silent man is NOT
Il always a man of action, but when he Is,
when his mental energy takes the form
of deeds rather than of words, he is toler-
q ably sure of accomplishing something
which the world will find it worth while
to remember. The silent men, while them
selves speaking little, are a source of
Inspiration to the takers, for so natural
81 is ii and so much easier for men to trans
4 late thought into language rather than
Il into action, that the silent man becomes
more conspicuous by his taciturnity than
he could possibly be by the exercise of
any gift Of speech that might belong to
him
q The history of the world has been made
s. by silent men, who, like Butler and Kitch-
ener laid well their plans. but did not
a talk of them, often not even TO their in
Inmates The silent man is of necessity
selt-reliant self-cOntained. He bears with
81 patience the views and opinions of others,
8 but does not impart his own; he listens
81 10 advice, but gives no hint as to what
use, if any he intends making of the sug-
81 gesuons offered. The laxative man is
morally certain, some time or other, to
make a slip and say too much, or to say
the wrong thing, or the right thing at
the wrong time; but the words of a quiet
man are usually well weighed before they
are uttered, and thus generally convey a
deeper significance than those of the talk
er, who, from mere force of habit. speaks
whether he has anything to say or not
Grants Taciturnity.
Great soldiers have generally been silent
men. The military life of itself is not con-
ducive to loquacity, for the discipline of
Inc ranks enforces silence, but the private
soidler has periods of relaxation, during
"hlch ms tongue may have free play. He
mas 10 care, no responsibility, for his
movements are directed by his officers, and
even II he had the capacity, ne is not
permitted to do his own thinking. An
o'lef thinks for him, another tells him
"hdt TO do, and his main duty is silent
obedience. A commanding General is in a
position where reserve is enforced by his
surroundings. He has no EQUALS, and
therefore no intimates; he is observed by
an ana his slightest utterances are pom
uefed by those who hear them, often dis
,otyed INTO a significance which he did not
me most conspicuous example of the ST.
t tvrs man IN American military history is
lliHsAed by Gen. Grant. The'famous con-
4ueFor at Vicksburg and Appomattox was
aOlurnlty itself. With him reserve was
r. Huch a natural quality as matter OF
"a cTaD'. In a circle of intimate friends Gen.
liant would talk entertainingly of all
b;a not Immediately connected with
aa poIessional duties, but when in com
b,' pll oil the army, war was with him a
fusless' and he considered it imprudent
NJ any man TO talk freely about his bust
s SIS AT his councils with general Off
tora s under his command he heard at
n.. a'eiy what information they had to i'm
ANY listened respectfully to their advice
# Soo Oplhlons and reserved his decision.
bGa- OF MS most important movements
e,.as ,eI' were apparently made without
ia lsr, % consultation with other officers. ST.
Fl AIM ne had thought of the whole stu
ri9s ana come to a conclusion. When his
n of .u was made up to do a certain line
FL In, aOoh he was rarely diverted, from it,
Il IA ttiossedly followed the plan he proposed
, ov.a li'seI' relying for his success on his
peiseverance and energy.
NapOleon's SnuR Box Rinse