The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-04-06
gseHFTaI ffHatst.

We have copied our first page, bio-
graphical sketch Of General Grant which has
been condensed from the columns Of tie Ma
fonal I,tet,geneer. Tue sketch il The be-t We
have seen. We would have preferred 10 pre-
esent our readers with a full and i'm
partial portrait Of General Grant drawn by a
talented and philosophic historian, ike Gibbou
or Alison but such portraits are never taken
ill after che a ath OF the subject The most
that the contemporaries Of distinguished
man can 30, towards attaining full and just
idea at his eli aractcr is to compare the various
and detective caricaturos, which are drawn
Of him by his friends and his enemies, and by
considering the lines in which al the artists
agree, toerable idea can be formed Of his
most prominent characteristics.
The writer in our pager TO day comes before
us, not only as a friend, but as eulogist Of
Cen Grant and wishes Us to think a. b. ghly Of
his friend as he does Aud vet the revelations
he makes 60 to snow that the General does not
belong to the highest class Of great men. Thee
have 20 great a fund ofmenial power aud ener
~ that they could be almost equally great in
any direction To which they might turn their at
tention and would become distinguished in
many walks Of lie. The second class Of great
men are great in only one or two things, and il
o,he. respects, they NAV be as powerless aud in
efficient "a ordinary men. According to the bi-
ography before us. If General Grant il 10 belong
to either class, it must be TO the latter.
When the first Napoleon had applications
made to him for promoting individuals, his fire.
inquiry was. " What has this man done >" He
assumed that if the man had merits superior TO
the rest of his fellows he would have developed
them in biz acts This il a fair rule and if we
apply it TO General Grant, what is the ans~er
that. West Point scholar, be vas At all re
maIkable, graduating in the middle of his class
u -t-r- sf,s'. 30 -
twelve years in the army, and although he had
participated b. t.urteen battles he rose 10 high
or than the rank Of captain. Unlike many Of our
Generals. he seems % have hal 10 tase for lite-
rary pursuits, nor any success in the avocatiOns
OF civil HE. Il does not appear that he has ever
written an address or made speech; be il more
fond Of whittl'ug tlan writing; be abhors dis
putes and quarrels, has no sports and IL difhdent
TO fault; and It Is a fair presumption from the
statements OF hi- b'og'apher that if the war had
not broken out, he might have cOntii ued TO
draw wood for the villagers OF Carondalet, in win
ter, an collected the accounts OF it merchants
in summe', until the end of bis life. He has no
irrepres-iDls energies in any direction be has
no ambition Ike Columbus 10 discover world
or, Ike Alexander, to conquer one; be has no
aspirations. ike Luther or WilberiOrce, to labor
Tor its improvement aud reformation nor, a. a
merely .lfsh man. does be strive TO rise 10
70 tne summit Of political distinction among his
friand- and cannrr ysa4
But, II We turn our attention to his late mill
tary career, We may find evidences Of good mill
iary talent During the last three years he has
teen the commanding General in seventeen bat
ties; and if he has not always attiined unmixed
success. yet he has not been defeated. Such
series of victories cannot be attributed wholly to
chance; aud taken in connection with long ex-
perience in military lie, with steady devotion
10 his miltsr. duties, and his remarkable sim
plici'y OF character, We have reason 70 hope that
bis new career ~ill not dsappoiut the exuecta-
tons OF the nation. The ewes. not Only Of Amer
lea, but Of the civilized world, are turned upon
him. IL j. scarcely an exareeratiOn to say that.
including the the vast numbers attached 10 our
armies In addition TO those who stand 10 the
ranks. a million OF men are 70 come and 90 al
hi- call The campaign before US. in many Of
is features, transceud- in grandeur and magnif
cence even the expedition OF Napoleon to Nos
coz; ana notht 2 Ia the rcov,ds Of modern his
tory has equaled il since the DAYS Of the Cru
saders.
HIS success or failure. as j, appears TO us, de-
peuds on two thing-; first, does he possess that
grasp Of mind BY which he can clearly conpre
hepd the mode ia which the rebellious armies
can surely be overcome; and secondly, has he
80 much Of IA iron elk a. to carry GU, his own
plans. in biz oSn time. in his own way, regard
les Of the wishes Of the President, the dictaton
Of Congressional Committees, the advice Of the
newspapers. the intiigues Of politicians. and
the impotence Of the people II be can DO these
two things, his success will be sure and speedy
failure 10 either q them will be partial or TO.
tal failure OF the campaign.