Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-07-23
Grant and Leo Compared,

Grant and Leo Compared.
The New York World, in reviewing the
Virginia campaign. says. with . good deal of
just discrimination of the qualities of the two
marked men leading tho armies, that thus far
our army hrs shown more stradiuess, the en-.
emy more mobility. Grant has BEEN cool and
inArxiblr. Lee fertile and dashing. The
maneuvrring in Fridays battle was all on the
side of Lee. who evinced a readiness OF r.
source and an easy promptitude in the hand
ling Of his troops which reflects credit alike
on his generalship and the never failing vigor
BY which he was check. mated in all his moves.
A commander who so many times during the
day hurled heavy and concentrated mass of
troops against his foe at distant and unexpect.
ed points, with suddcnness which out
stripped the counter concentration by which
they were reprlled. and which enabled him to
dictate and compel the movements of his ad-
versary, but did not disclose the weakness of
his own line which these repeated massings
must have weakened and exposed. has dis
played an inventiveness in maneuvering and u
skill and promptness in execution which
prove him great master Of one branch of the
military nrt.
On the other hand, Gen. Grants great
quality (and it is one of the very highesD is
an unconquersbls tenacity of purpose. He is
a soldier who cannot be shaken or daunted; !;
whose imperturable coolnrss cannot be rufllrd
by the most unexpected and threatening Incl
dents. Instead Of losing poise and getting
into Autter when this or that part of his line
seems breaking and about to give way. he is
incapable Of believing its possibility. even
though it be taking place before his eyes. A
general who is made of this staunch stuff can
not easily BE- beaten. A defeat in battle is
oftrner moral than physical result; heavy
fighting tends to bring on, on one side or the
other, a moment Of wavering and discourage
mrnt; and then al: army succumbs rather to
,hess feelings than to physical imposs bility
Of prolongng the contest. If it fights on
with dasn,less steadiness, in the face Of dis
courngemrnt-aud still more if it can never
know the feeling, its superior morale may
prove an overmatch for the other side, which
may be over,aken by that sudden quailing
which is the turning point Of fortune. Gen
eral Grants dogg-d and indomitable tenacity,
and his utter incredulity to the existence of
sS t1,ok l., h.,
concerted by the most unexpected maneuvers,
nor yield. or allow bis army to yield. to sud-
den and disastrous surprise.
Lee, with his superior readiness and fertili.
ty. has never given evidence of this stubborn
and invincible persistence. He has the mo-
bility and dash Of the wave; not the 6rmness
Of the rock. His courage like the good mans
wrath. subsidies with the going down Of the
sun. 1t was SO at Antietam it was so at
Gettysburg; it was SO again last Friday after
tho great battle Of the Wilderness. In pre-
liminary engagement he is bouy"nt and hope.
fal i; but when all his forces have been br ,ught
mp and he has handled them like master
through the hours Of long day. his over
strained faculties became relaxed after so much
brilliant and fruitless endeavor; lassitude and
loss Of ardor fill the night-very likely
sleepless uight-with gloomy forebodings. and
he has no stomach for renewing the fight the
next day. The more phlematic and impur-
turabls Grant, whose insensibility to danger
has not allowed him to be wrought up'to
high pitch Of excitement, does not sink into
exhaustion when the days fighting is over.
and is ready to enter on the next days work
with mind which bates no jot Of heart or
hope." This is matter of mere temprra-
mrnt but something akin to it has been
possessed by nearly all the great command
ers. They have slept soundly on the night
before and the night after the moet moment
ous ba,tlss-a certain indication that they
possessed that strength and steadiness Of the
nervous system which does not, ~ in the mere
man Of thought and genius. wear itself out in
sef.coasumin z excitement.
y Of all the many pretty things spoken
in play BY Sidney Smith, that obrss angrl oi
Enrlish wits. none throws 80 amiablu light