The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-02-13
GRANT.

publican aptly says OF Gen. Grant: g..
without undertaking to add any,
thing to the philosophy of the world
on tho subject either of civilian soldiers
or military politicians, let three things
be said in reference to Ulysses 8.
Grant. ~-~
"First. He has displayed, beyond
cavil, a penetration into character and
4 practical wisdom in the choice Of
subordinates which no man since the
great Napoleon has possessed. From
the very first, when he was bimscli
hardly known, no 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 reputation as scores Of
men whose names are almost forgotten
now. When Sherman was only known
to the country as Crazy Sherman,
Grant had taken him to his heart, made
him the confdaat Of all his plans, and
selected him to do the wonderful work
he afterwards performed. When Sheri.
dan was Colonel Of volunteer cavalry,
the same incisive glance had marked
the helo of the Shenandoah. To the
immense disgust Of older officers, gal-
liant Phil was brought forward, measur-
ed for coat with eighteen buttons, and
put in command Of a division of in
fantry, then Of the Pootmac horse, and
sent galloping off to rout stuart's cav
airy, and kill J. E. B. himself at
Yellow Tavern. When the question
came, whom to send to the Valley, to
change the miserable luck that for
three years had there attended US.
Hancock was the senior officer, far tho
most pretentious, and at that time had
the greater popular reputation. But
Grant knew better. Sheridan, before
the war, had done moro against the
Indians with squadron of horse than
Hancock did last year With ten or fifteen
thousand men. Which went to the
Shenandoah? Trust Grant for that ;
he picks out the right man as lightning
strikes the right tree, without stopping
to ask the way. So 1t was with the
great aad 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
of the whole army. Now, this is a
great faot-we might almost say, the
great faot-in all administration, civil
or military. To organize and officer
the State well is no less a step to sue
cess than to organize and officer an army
well. 1t is not 50 much what the Presi-
dent does in his own person, as the
manner in which no distributes the
posts Of power, and assigns the duties
Of others, that determines the efficiency
Of government.
"Second. Grant has invariably dis
played greatness of soul that never
yet went with littleness OF mind. WAL
pole hated 80 to have rival that he
drove every brilliant man into oppo.
sition, and secured his own downfall
because he would not share his glory.
Of what subordinate, except General
Butler, was Grant ever meanly jealous
Who has said as much as he in
praise Of Sheridan, Sherman, MoPher:
son, Thomas, Meade Remembe,
how he lay with his gallant army,
bafaed before the fertilization of Peters.
burg, in the fall of 1864, when popula,
impatience in vain goaded him to at.
tack, when the press and the people
began to demand his dismissal, and to
stigmatise him "the butcher'-how
then, when Sheridan won his great vic
tories in the valley, and every cap went
up for Little Phil, Grant capped thu
whole by telegraphing that he had al.
ways regarded him as among the first
Of living Generals then, wher
Hood invaded Tennessee, the Lieuten
ant General gave Thomas all the mer
he could, and all tho means, and con
tributed in every way to the splendid
success at Nashville, yet scrupulousl,
refrained from doing anything to taxi
the glory from Thomas, as he might
have done by simply going on in per
eon-how, then, when Sherman hai
gone
'tTEom tho center al round to tho ssa,"
Grant gave him brothers welcome
"tenderly" covered his sad blunder a
diplomacy, aud presented to the natior
~ the great strategist Of the war
Now, 1t is possible that such a man a
that could conduct Presidential ad
miuistration like Andrew johnson
James Buchanan or Franklin Pierce
but is it probable ? No, it is no
probable.
"Third. Grant knows how to "a,
NO! He knows, also, how to say moth
ing. Why, the best friend of Presiden
Lincoln does not pretend to justify
many Of bis appointments, and man,
Of his military and civil orders, on an,
other grounds than that The pressure o
. public sentiment, Of popular feeling, o
political influence at the national centr,
is so powerful, so pitiless, that human
nature cannot resist it. Who suppose
, that any one of our last six President