Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-06-10
Grants Fitness for the Presi-
dency.
From the Springfield Republican J

ordinates, which no man has excelled
since the great Napoleon. From the
very first, when he was himself hardly
known, he put his eye upon Thomas
as among the best men in the army.
\ ct at that time the hero of Nash
vile had not as much popular repu-
tation as scores of men whose names
are now almost forgotten. When
Sherman was only known to the coun-
try as Crazy Sherman" Grant had
taken him to his heart. made him
the confident of all his plans, and Sc
lected him to do the wonderful work
he afterward performed. When Sheri-
dan was a colonel of volunteer cavalry.
the same incisive glance had marked
the hero of theShenandoah. To the i'm
meuse disgust Of older officers. gallant
Phil. was brought forward, measured
for coat with eighteen buttons. and
put in command of a division of in
fantry, then of the Potomac horse.
and sent galloping off to rout Stew
arts cavalry and kill J. f. b. himself
at ! elbow Tavern. When the ques-
tion came, whom to send to the Val
ley, TO change the three years bad lack
which had thare attended US, Hancock
was the senior officer, far the most pre-
tentIous, ,andat that time had the great
er popular reputation. ButGrant knew
better. Sheridan, before the war,
had done more against the Indians
with a squadron of horse, than Han
cock 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 light
ming strikes the right tree, without
stopping to ask the way. So was it
with the great and good Mcpherson.
So was it with the brilliant array of
Younger officers, who come up in the
last years of the war, when Grant had
command of the whole army.
Now, this is a great fact; we might
almost say, the great fact in all ad.
mInistration, civil or military. To
organize and officer the State well, is
no less a step toward success that to
organize and officer an army we'll 1t
IS not so much what the President does
IN his own person, as the manner in
which he distributes the posts Of pow
er and assigns the duties of others.
that determines the efficiency of gov
ernment.
Second: Grant has invariably dis
played 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 op-
position, and secured his own downfall
because he would not share his glory.
Of what subordinate was Grant ever
meanlv Jealous? Who has said as much
as he in praise of Sheridan, Sherman,
Mcpherson, Thomas, Meade? Re
member how he lay with his gallant
army, baffied before the Notifications
of Petersburg, in the fall of 1864,
when popular impatience in vain goad-
ed him to attack. when the press and
the people began |, to demand his dis
missal, and to stigmatize him 1.-The
butcher, how, then, when Sheridan
won his great victory in the Valley,
and every cap went up for little Phil,
Grant capped the whole by telegraph
ing that he had alpays regarded him
dS pitC VI ttiC III - u iAN lii- gene q tS-
how. then. when Hood invaded Ten
nessee, the Lieutenant General gave
Thomas all the men he could, and all
the means, and contributed in every
way to the splendid success at Nash
vile, yet scrupulously refrained from
doing anything TO take the glory from
Thomas. as he might have done by
simply going on in person,-how,t then,
when Sherman had gone
prom the center all round to the sea"
Grant gave him a brothers welcome.
= tenGerly" covered his sad blunder at
diplomacy, and presented him to :he
nation as the great strategist of the
war. Now, Is it possible that such
man as that could conduct presiden-
tial administration like Andrew John
son, James Buchanan, or Franklin
Pierce? Certainly, 1t is not probable
Third: Grant knows how to say
no. He knows. also, how to keep has
mouth shut Why. the best friend
of President Lincoln does not pretend
to Justify many Of his appointments,
and many Of his military and civil or
0E4-. 'li dAF tt-ACA -LtAl4A LtllA Li4dt
the pressure Of public sentiment, Of
popular feeling, of political influence
a the national center. Is so powerful.
so pitiless that human nature can
not resist 1t. Who supposes that
that any one of our last SIX presidents
wanted to 90 half OF the aoominable
things he did in the way Of patronage?
They have done it-and it has become
one Of the great facts Of our politics
because they would not. or could
not, resist the pressure. Even John
son. who prides himself on his firm
ness. has been hustled around ike
bov in mob. Grant can resist
Grant can help himself He can show
schemIng politician the door He
can refuse delegation Of Office hold
ers or Office seekers. He can do as he
has done-hold out against dictatlon
and foil intrigue with his simple sol
dierlv earnestn-ss and his silent, self
respectful resolution.
The qualities We have thus indlca-
ted certainly do not I'll up the whole
sphere Of human character but they
will 90 for this once.