Complex sentence: President Grant had the "painful duty" of announcing the death of the only surviving past president; northern newspapers, in their obituaries, tended to focus on Johnson's loyalty during the war, while southern ones paid tribute to his actions as president.
Split into simpler sentences: President Grant had the "painful duty" of announcing the death of the only surviving past president. Northern newspapers, in their obituaries, tended to focus on Johnson's loyalty during the war, while southern ones paid tribute to his actions as president.