New-York tribune., 1866-05-05

us. We had gained foothod on the sea Islands u
| South Carolina; lad eBeced Judgement on
the sandspt of Hattcms; we had purchased al q
heavy expense the stgecal position Roanoke Island
But fn neither of these affairs had we decidedly debratef
the encmy and from neither Of these positions had
penetrated his country much beyond the range of can
non The first decided success which let in glimpse of
sunshine lifted the load of despoDdency and exherated
the heart of the nation those brilliant operations en-
the banks Of the Tennessee and TIE Cumberland. And
when following hard upon the capture of Fo.t Henry ~
was announced that Fort Donaldson, strongly fortified W
and art, had surrendered with its $1,000 prsoners
and that large sections Of Kentucky and tennessee were
delivered om Rebel thraldom We began toask with al
the vchemence Of knding gratitude TO whom are we nt
debed for earnestness of purpose and ygor which
almost prove that martial enterprise and heros SIN are noe
obsolete entirely and that there still some hope for ouf
dropping flag And we were told that be who
had said 10 Rebel commander: will &C:
unconditional surrender Propose to move Immediately,
upon your works, was worthy beneficiary whom the
nation had reared at It's great military schools that be Won
his spurs in the earliest beiteheds OF the Mexican var
his full grade Of lieutenant in those crowded aud bloody
hours when holno del Rey sucenm6ed TO the lmpetu.
oity Of soldiers and his breve Of captain on that
day memorable in our annals when the steep and
fowning heights Of Chepultepec were carried and tie
trembling city below mplOrcd mercy from arlensts.
We were told in short that he had participated in all that
brilliant series Of engagements which carried the flag of
the Republic triumphany from the shores o. sas WI
wore ,oiI that whom thc war vas ,er disgused With
the monotony and dlencss w''a haunts the soldier IN
time of peace he had re- ned his commissions but that
at the d.t tocsn of the Rebellion he had arisen TO tho
defense OF the aeg under which he was reared and nu
turcd; that ne udd Ouclcu WV "
Illinois, and had organized the quota from hat stato
under the call Of the PRESIDENT that as Colonel Of ha
2st Illinois Volunteers he had queled the KeDehon III
North Missouri broken up Rebel encampnent at Padu-
cab, whipped JEFF Thompson, and severely chasliSed
superior force Of the enemy at Bemont-n short mat 10
was a General who knew what meant and did lot
mean II did not mean in his judgment lying in camp
and gari on drilling and dcipning and organizing fpr
ever ard ever. hut il meant moving on enemy finding
him. capturing his works and when his ranks were broken,
waiting for days and months for reenfocemenis Tor
shoes for horses for transportation but pushing on aes
him with such forces he had, hanging on his hsnks
like grim death and going from expcdlent TO exp,dent,
until the enemy utterly routed and dis
solved We were told IN snort, tIat M ne s was a
believe some seemed to believe that Roberto Lee
endowed by the saperna powers with suPerhuman adroi
ness. agility and ubquy; who did not fear, as some II
them seemed to fear, that he and the whole army %
Western Virginia could suddenly throw somersault oyer
the intervening mountains and forests into our lines, bat
knew that by pushing and hammering away with mero
human skill. forethought caution ard perseverance,, bc
mghest paladn of the Rebellion must lie out-aanked or
NJ DEMrSG here referred to the conversation between
Grant and Buell. after the battle OF Shiloh. when Grant
criticised for fighting with his back to the Tennessee
River and replied TO the question where he would havec
treated that he did not to retreat. adding, that
forced TO retreat ne anspors YOU'D % nave orsn
lie continued the battle Of Shiloh accomplished more to-
ward the eventual of the national arms than any
battle fought in the war. 1t was the erperimeHfao!
crusis that first tested the respective maDlness and
stamina Of the two belligerents 1t was the trst
budding together of people in handtohand ight;
and when The enemy etreated from thai CORY field be rel
treated with his arrogance tanned and with his dream Of
inyncbily dispeed forever. From that terrible day 10
Southerner yentured dispute the courage the pet
stance the manlness Of his adversary for there was
weeping and lamentaton in every Southern home have
already briefly adyerted to the gIest Importance to tho
national cause Of the conquest Of Vcksbug In the pro-
raced operations which eventually led to the overthrow
of that almost mpregnable stronghold what quality os
ment OF consummae commander did Geu Grant iail
TO exhibit Strategyl The conception of that enterprise
either the inspiration OF sinegcal genius or the
result of sratesica study labor and Ier-
save The winch he Nladc III tDaE
amphbioas region for the purpose Si sesnns ii pas
sage behind vieksourg the dredsins wIlen 10
ed aud without parallel in the physical ot-
saces overcome unless toe parallel is to be found III ire
memorable expedition of NcTxes 10 the Peloponnesns,
which ehanneled Mount Athos aud bdsed the helles-
pont. Conmgel Did he not push his ansPorts through
Tsltar or Chrcbourg would have been comparatively
harmless Pesstenoe Did be not again push his trans
ports ALREADY rddled by their first encounter athe
destruction which stormed upon them from the bnhs OK
Grand Gulf Forehought Every step OF that enterprise
was peaupged in bis mind and every contingency when
could possibly be foeseon provided for IN advance and
every contingency which could not be ioreseen was
After he landed he fought for 20 consecutive days and
fought five pitched battles until he hurried that great army
of the southwest within its lines and held II there nn IL
dropped into his arms. Mr.. Deering referring TO the
Chattanooga campaign read the account OF contained ID
Grants cogratuatory order 10 his corps and continued:
1t universally admitted that the first campaign on which
he entered Northumberland was grand and perfect,
requiring as it did the cooperation OF four great armies
the Army of the Potomac, the Army of the James the
Army of Western Virginia and the Army II the Cumber
land-al with different objective points, but all eontnO-
uting the general object of the canpa gn-the desuc-
ton of the chief army OF the enemy No man can con.
template without admiration that hand-to-hand tight in
the hckes OF the bloody Wilderness; that persistent and
nhexbe advance from the Rapdan TO the James against
overwhelming natural Obstacles against an intrenched
enemy perfectly acquainted with every pathway,
with every point of attack and resistance, ard
possessing those interior lines which he could
any point assailed No man can contemplate, without
the profonndes sympathy the abors the anxiees ard
the soletndes OF that po,raeted sege Al s siOse 11s
thanks TO Heaven for that crownng triumph, 70
important in its Immediate results TO the Government,
and charged with ultimate consequences so momentons
to liberty, civilization and the human Let gratis
tude unbounded, unmeasured and infinite be freely
rendered to him. and let some substantial reward be
oroaered in a slight degree commen surate with the
obligations Of rescued and dsenthralled nation think
may safely invoke the favor of the representatives Of
the people TO the humble testimonial proposed by this
bill. Let not, in this day OF our deiverance and
exaltaon paralyze all future hcroism and reatrm the
ungraeously Withholding the title Of General from the
foremost soldier of the age. To him who entered
the as Captain, aud won upon its battlefield
every successive grade, emerging from II with
the highest rank known to the service; TO him Who,
at Fort Donaldson, first lifted tine cloud which
rested on the trembling nation; him who at Vicksburd
released the Father OF Waters from his forced completely
with treason; TO him who at Chattanooga opened ths
gates Of Georgia that Sherman might sweep from At
anta to the and from savannah To the Capes to him
who successfully conducted two Of the most memorable
sieges in history to him who received The sword OF Buck,
ner of Pemberton and Of Lee TO him who received the
captuaton Of three great armies, and who dissolved the
Contedcacy at Richmondet Us not show ingratitude.
Time destroys the proudest memorials. The mpress
which have made a nation upon the human family
may all he oberaed Our proudest achievements, those
wbicn we now ,vuu,y ucvg e'efnal hose whien e"-it
in tho walls OF that historic rotanda, may
ali aop from the memory of mau; our CIVILIZATION our
bsrv M seulpured in the pedimept Of this Capitol, may
ell be engued in the black waters OF belhei VIE na
siye structure with its solid foundations IT'S
wi gs il. towering columns ts majestic dome wh ouI
nnsi our Constitution our laws and politics, may