Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-02-20
Grant.


tics,' the Springfield (Massachusetts) Re
publican aptly says Of General Grant:
Without undertaking to add anything to
The philosophy OF the world on the subject
either of civilian soldiers or military poll
clans, let three things be said in respect
to Ulysses 5. Grant:
|. He has displayed beyond cavil, a
penetration into character and pratical
wisdom in the choice OF subordInates
which no man since the great Napoleon
has possessed. From the very first, when
he was himself hardly known. he put his
eye upon Thomas as among the best men
OF the army. Yet at that time The hero of
Nashville had not as much popular repu-
tation as scores of men whose names are
almost forgotten now. When Sherman
was only known 10 the country rs Crazy
Sherman, Grant had taken him to his heat,
made him the confident of all his plans.
and selected him to do the wonderful work
he afterwards performed. When Sheridan
was Colonel of volunteer cavalry, the
same incisiye glance had marked the hero
of the Shenandoah, To the immense dis
gust CT older officers, gallant Phil was
brougl: forward, measured fer coat with
eighteen buttons, and putin command of
division of iIfahtry, thea Of the PcssSsaac
horse. and sent gGlloping Of to 10 rout
Stewards cavalry, sad killJ. Z. B.himself
at Yellow Tavern When the question
came. whom 10 send to the Valley. to
change the miserable luck that for three
years had there attended us, Hancoc was
the senior officer, far the most pretentiors,
aud at that time had the greater popular
reputation. But Grant knew better.
Sheridan, before the wax, had done more
against the Indians with squadron of
horses than Hancock did last year with
ten or fifteen thousand men. II hich went
10 the Shenandoah? Trust Gran. for that;
he picks out the right man as lightning
strikes the right tree, without stopping to
ask the way. So it was with the great and
good Mcpherson. So was it with the
brilliant. array Of younger officers who
came up in the last years of the war, when
Grant had command cf tie whole army,
New this is great iact-we nigh. almost
say. the great fact-in all administration,
civil or military. To organize and officer
the State well is no less a step towards
success than to organize and officer an
army well. 1t is not so mush what the
President does in his own person, as the
manner in which he distributes the posts of
power aud assigns the duties ofothers, that
determines the efficiency of government.
Second. Grant has invariably displayed
a greatness of soul that never yet went
with littleness of mind. Walpole hated so
to have rival that he drove every brilliant
man into opposition, and secured his own
downfall because he would not share his
glory. OF what subordinate was Grant
ever meanly jealous except General But
ler? Who has said as much as he in praise
OF Sheridan, Sherman, Nc Pnerson, Thomas
ard aieade? Rem smber how he lay With
his gallant army, baled befor the fortifica-
tions of Petersburg, in The fall of 1864,
when popular impatience in vain goaded
TO attack, when the press and the people
began 10 demand Lis dismissal, and TO
stigmatize him 'the butcher'-how, then,
when Sheridan won his great victories in
the valley, and every cap went up for Lit
tie Phil, Grant capped the whole by tele-
graphing that he had always regarded him
as among the first of living generals-how,
then, when Hood invaded Tennessee, the
Lieutenant General gaTe Thomas all the
raen he could, and all the means, and con-
tributed in every way TO the splendid
refrained from doing anything TO take the
glory from Thomas. as he might have done
by simply going on in person-how, then,
when Sherman had gone
"FrOm the csnisf sll around to the sea-"
Grant gave him brothers welcome. ''ten-
derly" covered his sad blunder at diploma
cy, and presented him to the nation as the
great strategist of the war. Now, it is
possible that such . man as that could
conduct Presidential administration like
Andrew johnson, James buchanan, or
Franklin Pierce; bat it is not probable.
No, it Is not probable. M
Third. Grant knows how TO say no! He
knows, also, now to say, nothing. Why,
the best friend of President Lincoln does
not pretend to justify many of his appoint
ments, and many of his military and civil
orders, Oh any other grounds than that the
pressure of public sentiment, of popular
feeling, of political influence at the nation
al center is so powerful, so pittiless. that
human nature cannot resist it. Who sup
poses that any one of our last six Presi.
dents wanted to do tenth part of the
abominable things he did in the way of pat
ronage? They have done it-and it has
bee0Lie one of the great facts Of our
politics-because they could not help
themselves. Even Johnson, who prides
himself on his firmness, has been hustled
around like boy in a mob. Grant can
resist. Grant can help himself He can
show scheming politician the door He
can refuse delegation of Office holders or
office-seekers. He can do as he has done
hold out against dictation, and foil In
tfigues with his simple soldierly earnest
ness, and, his silent, selfrespectful resolu-
ton. -1l