Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-07-04
ULYSSES s. GRANT.
BY EUGENE LAWRENCE.

entity united by terrible bond; its arm
les, flushed with victories, with the cap
ture of Sumter, the easy fall of Norfolk,
the battle of Bull Run, hung threateningly
upon the border; and the people of the
North, disheartened and divided, entered
doubtfully upon the war of freedom.
Europe opened its ports and its dock
yards to the pirates of the South, and
European statesmen declared that the
Union was forever broken. "How," they
exclaimed to the Government at Wash
ington, "can you hope to subdue coun-
try of immense extent, filled with hos
tile population, your superiors in military
and political energy and science? Which
of your beaten commanders can approach
in genius Johnston or Lee?" He who
was to confound the jealous hopes of the
English oligarchy and of the despot of
France, to dissipate forever the dull
dreams of chivalry and tyranny, was
General Grant. By a series of mighty
blows our Northern champion crushed to
atoms the vast empire of slavery, and
saved, for the countless generations of the
future, the last refuge of freedom. Born
among the people, Grant was educated at
West Point, became conspicuous in the
Mexican war, and at the opening of the
rebellion was engaged in commercial pur-
w
his country. While others faltered
and held back irresolute, his policy
was always to strike unsparing
blows at the naughty rebellion. He
seized Paducah, and terrified Kentucky
into submission. He attacked the enemy
at Belmont, and saved Missouri He
planned daring invasion of Tennessee,
and cut at Donelson that vast line of de-
fenses which had seemed to offer an i'm
penetrable barrier to the Union forces.
He pressed on, and in defiance of the
doubts and terrors of his superiors defeated
Beauregard at Shiloh, and planned the
siege of Vicksburg.
Two years had passed since the opening
of the war, and still. in the spring of
1858, the rebellion seemed unshaken in
its central strongholds. The Union
armies had fed, beaten and decimated,
behind the defenses of Washington, and
the rebel commanders promised their
soldiers the plunder of the rich cities of
the North; once more England and
France exulted over the fall of republican
ism, and the opposition press in every
Northern State urged the people to rebel
lion, or scoffed at the misfortunes of the
nation. Yet Grant, far away in the enc
my's country, never lost his grasp on
Vicksburg. At the head of thirty thou
sand soldiers, taken from the workshops
and the farms of the West, he pierced
the rich fields of mississippi, and drove
before him the best leaders of the South.
Discouraged by his superiors, decried by
his rivals, he clung to his purpose. Vicks-
burg fell on memorable Fourth of July;
the Mississippi was forever consecrated
to freedom; never again would the slave
gangs float down its mighty tide, or
chivalry and tyranny bar its pathway to
the sea, The nation at once recognized
its preserver, and Grant was placed in
command of all the armies of the West.
He, at least, knew that the vigorous in
tellects and hardy frames of the working
men of the North were more than a
match for the feeble chivalry of the de-
caying South, and under his careful disci-
pline grew up an army that was never
beaten. Yet its powers were to be tested
in achievements scarcely equaled in his
tory. A great Union army was defeated
at Chickamauga, and shut up in Chatta
nooga. The enemy looked down with
secure confidence from Missionary Ridge
and Lookout Mountain upon the starving
UniOnists. One man alone could save
the beleagured forces. Grant, enfeebled
by recent accident, threw himself into
Chattanooga. Soon his brilliant leaders
gathered around him. Hooker and Sher,
man, Thomas and Sheridan, served in his
army and on bright November day the
thick masses of the Union forces climbed
Lookout Mountain, swept in wonderful
charge up Missionary Ridge, and drove
the best soldiers of the South from theiI
almost impregnable position. Gran
next, at the call OF the nation, assumed
the command of all the national forces
and tie dreadful drama grew in epic in
hn fxrrn oI,.a afc Of fIo ,.ry
armies approached each other before the
lines of Richmond, prepared for the fina
struggle. With the same bold strategy
with which he had swept through Ten
nessee, or pierced the heart of Mississippi
Grant struck Lee a succession of blow:
such as that brilliant leader had never
felt before, crossed the James River, anC
besieged the rebel capital Months
rolled. away as he slowly sapped the de
fenses of the dying rebellion. The opposi
ton party at the North feretold disasters
Horace Greeley, discouraged and dis
mayed, essayed to negotiate peace bu
the people sustained their resolute leader
and were resolved to have no peace unit
slavery and the .Confederacy had been for
ever destroyed. At length the, contes
seen. The Confederacy persisted in tn,
flames of Richmond. Every slave wa
set free from the Potomac to the Ri,
Grande. The workingmen of Europ
and of every land rejoiced as they say
the downfall of that horrible system .
government which had been founded OF
human bondage, and which had strivel
to establish in free America the @princi
pies and the practices of Congo or Da
honey.
1t was thus successfully that Grant per
formed the high yet ever-painful duty i'm
posed upon him. He fought in the caus,
of industry, education, morals, religion
and, aided by honest statesmen and he
roic soldiers, by nation that Iavished al
its resources in the struggle for life, h,
conquered. Nor is it possible to estinat
too highly the benign effect of that vic
tory upon the general welfare of man
kind. But for the success of the Uniol
arms, Mr.. Bancroft assures us with his
toric accuracy, the unity of German,
would never have been perfected No
would the Southern States have ever beel
laid open to the spread of education an,
progressive civilization. In 1868, b
the general voice of the people, Genera
Grant was elected to the Presidential
chair. Surrounded as he was by wise ant
patriotic statesmen, he had vet befor
him a task of singular difficulty He sue
ceeded to an Administration nOtOriOuSll
corrupt. Peculation and dishonesty pre-
vailed widely in many of the department
Of government; officials were often un
trustworthy; the resources of the impov
erished nation were wasted in careless
ness or improvidence; an oppressive tax
alton weighed down the various branche
of industry, and an enormous debt threat
ened the solvency and the credit of tn
Union. The Administration at once Sc
itself to relieve the burdens of the people
A strict economy was introduced int
every department. Dishonest official
were punished and removed The mil
tary force was reduced below even th
usual peace footing, and every needles
expense was rigidly cut off During th
four years of General Grants. ..Administr
ton the taxes have been reduced by $3.50
100000, the national debt by more tina
$500, 100000; the national credit has bee