The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-21

applied to the President to raise a
brigade for the Standardization
war, land the Southern people urged
President Mckinley to appoint Col
Crandall as brigadier general; but the
President was a Republican and Gran
dali was Democrat, and that was the
end of it." Now, any sensible person
knows this to be a base SANDER on
President Mckinley, for he appointed
Joe Wheeler, Fitz Lee, M. c. Butler
William w. Gordon and w. c. Oates,
all Southern Democrats and ex-Con-
federate soldiers, to be major or briga-
der generals in the Spanish-American
war. Gen. T. L. Rosser, l think. did
not become a Virginia Republican I'M
til after he was appointed a brigadier
general with the above named Demo-
Gratis. 1 make this protest because a
similar complaint, equally unfounded,
has come from a very few Southern
editors. Our regular army is to-day
full of officers whose fathers were
Confederate generals.
brilliant young Georgia editor de-
clares that military men make poor
statesmen. The position of this writer
is very much like the juryman who
was for the acquittal of the prisoner,
but found that the other eleven jury
men were for conviction. All history
proves that military men, the world
over, are the idols of the people, and
win many high places of honor in civil
life. Webster and Clay, and not few
other eminent statesmen, were made
sad If not sore by being set aside in
their presidential aspirations by the
more Favored claims of military he
roes. Clay once said, in his soreness:
Il pray God in His goodness to send
war, pestience and famine, any
scourge for the sins of the people other
than military chief for a ruler, and
a wild, reckless enthusiasm for mill
tary glory" And yet Washington.
whose military glory could easily have
made him Dictator, was chosen as the
first civil chief magistrate of this then
new republic. And his successors
down to the present day, in a large
measure, have been military heroes of
high or low degree. And as a general
rule, l think, they have proven quite
as good statesmen as the majority of
presidents from civil pursuits alone.
The cry of military usurpations, and
disregard for the constitution, some
times heard in these war days, is no
new thing. More than eighty years ago
it was heard in the halls of our Con-
gress.
Another hero of the bloody battle of
Monterey has passed over the river and
Joined his old comrades long gone be-
fore. Brig. Gen. James Hagan, Of Mo-
bile, Ala. came out of the Civil War
as one of Gen. Joe Wheeler's dashng
cavalry commanders. Although born !
over in Ireland he grew up to man
hood about 1910 in Pennsylvania, |
where his father had settled as a far
mer. After short residence n New |
Orleans with his uncle, he came to |
Mobile, where his uncle had a brancn |
house, and that city was his home un- |
til he died. Being a natural born" /
soldier, when the Mexican war opened |
up he Joined Col. Hays famous TEX |
as Rangers" and with them acted a /
conspicuous part in the successive at /
tacks on Monterey. His personal brav-
cry there attracted commentator of /
Gen. Taylor and he was appointed a /
captain in the Third United States /
Dragons, April 8, 1877 which was dis /
banded in July of the following year.
In the Confederate service, in 1861. a
captain, he rose TO be major. colonel /
and brigadier general. and in every
grade won the confidence and respect
of his soldiers as well IS that Of his
superior officers. He vas a man OF
commanding figure and a generous
Irish nature. and bore his four score
years as became a soldier.
The death Of Mai. Gen. John Horace
Forney. G. S. A.. AT his home IN Ala
bama, following that OF Brig. Cen.
James Hagan. c. s. A., OF Mobile.
leaves that state with but few Con-
generals To respond b roll
Pettus. Shelley. aarri- 7
son. BoWles-unless Gen. Wheeler gtill
claims Alabama AZ his home clayton
Baker, Allen. ONeal. Oracle HaRan.
Garrett, (W ~ Torney Dgshler. Loo
max, Sanders. ciant0n ffoltzciaw.
Semmes. Wood Perry
walker. Fry and others whose names
DO not now recall-al have passed
over the river" Gen. F0rney and hle
brother william Henry FoFney feg-
onFrTfsuaul came ~ good Old North
Carolina nEhung stock, tbs father be-