Yankee praises of Jackson.
The
Enquirer passes an appropriate and pithy comment upon the
Yankee praises of
Jackson, now that he is dead.
Him "they never could afford to admire until he was dead, and their sorrow is tempered by a sense of relief" The
Enquirer thinks that their creditable mimicry of admiration of him "is second only to that unfeigned homage which, in their inmost souls, they pay to the living grandeur of their own hero,
Butler, who embodies, in highest perfection, all that they can conceive of moral grandeur; for his is patriotism that pays — a glory that can be measured in gold, invested, discounted, made to bear interest" It proceeds to undeceive them, and to prove that in accordance with their own standard of true glory, as displayed in
Butler, their great model,
Jackson is unworthy of their praises.
It says:
‘
"It may seem harsh, at such a moment, to damage, in the eyes of the
Yankees, the memory of our Confederate General, just when the public heart of that nation is thrilled with the luxury of magnanimous sympathy and the editorial tear hardly yet dried; but we think it a duty to inform them — they will scarcely believe us; they had formed a smarter opinion of human nature — that
Gen. Jackson did not accumulate a fortune in this war. He did not speculate in sugar or molasses; in tobacco or in flour; he robbed no houses; stole no plate, nor jewels, nor pictures, nor wines, sold no passports; extorted no black mail.
But enough; no more needs to be said in order to disgust our Northern sympathizers with the man whom, in the unsuspecting no ability of their nature, they were, for a moment, inclined to honor with their regrets. "
’
