The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-06-03

important TO know his triumph as q SOL
dier, for one Is the natural complement o.
, the other. The successful soldier Is rare
I ly changed TO a successful civilian. There
, seems TO be incompatlbility between the
, two, modified by the extent to which the
one has been allowed 10 exclude the
other. One always q soldier cannot late
IN life become statesman; one always
civilian cannot late in-rliie become 0
soldier r. fgE9 ~, nnTT
In modern Europe few soldiers have
been more conspicuous than Gustavus
Adolphus and Frederick, sometimes called
the Great but we learn that both failed
ANONYMOUSLY In their domestic policy
and showed themselves as shOrtsighted in
the arts Of peace as they were sagaciouE
in the arts Of war. The judgment oil
Marlborough is painted while portraying
him as the greatest conquer of the age
hero Of hundred fights, victor of Blen.
helm and Romulus. Thesame philosoph'
ical writer describes him as o man, moi
only Of most idle and irivilous pursuits
but so miserably ignorant that his def
ciencies made him tho ridicule OF his
contemporaries; while his politics were
compounded OF selfishness and treachery.
Nor was Wellington On exception. Though
shining in the field without a rival,
and remarkable for integrity of purpose,
untlinching honesty and high moral
feeling, the conquerer Of Waterloo Is
described as, nevertheless, utterly unequal
to the complicated exigencies Of political
lie, g35rei n ESs-R R,o,ks~s q .r
Such are the examples Of history, each
with It's warning. It would be hard 10
find anything in the native endowments
or in the training Of our chieftain to make
him an illustrious exception; at least
nothing Of this kind Is recorded. Was
nature moro generous with him than with
Marlborough, or Wellington, Gustavus,
called the Great, or was his experience Of
life better preparation than thelrsP
Andyet they failed, except In war. It is
not known that our chiettan had any ex.
perience as civilian until he became Pres
ident, nor does any partisan attribute to
him that double culture which in ANTIQUE
ty made the same man soldier and states.
man. Ut has been often said that hetpok
no noteof public affair, voting but
once in his life, and then for James Blu.
chanan. After leaving West Point he
became a captain in the army, but soon
abandoned the service 10 reappear at a
later day as successful general. There
is no reason to believe that he employed
the intermediate period In any way cal.
culated to improve him as a statesman.
He was earning few hundred dollars a
year by tanning hides in Galena. BY war
he passed to the President,!and such was
his preparation to govern the great. re;
public, making it an example to mankind.
sTANToN's OPINION OF GRANT.
Something must Aalso be attributed to
individual character, and here express
no opinion OF my own. / shall allow an.
other to speak in solemn words from the
tomb. On reaching Washington at the
opening of Congress in 1860, was panied
to hear that Stanton, lately Secretary of
War, was in failing health. Full of graft.
tudc. for his Unsurpassed services, and
with sentiment OF friendship quickened
by common political sympathy, / lost no
time in seeing him, and repeated my Wis.
its till his death. toward the close OF the
same month, Ny last visit was marked
bya communication never to be forgot.
ten. AS entered his bedroom, where
found him reclining on sofa, propped:by
a pillow, he reached out his hand, already
clammy and cold, and in reply to my in.
qulry, sHow arc your" he answered,
Waiting for my furlough." Then at
Fonce, with singular 'solslnnity, he said,
II have something tosay to you" When
was seated he proceeded without one
word Of introduction, II know General
Grant better than any other.man In the
country can know him. II was my duty
to-day when saw him, and when l did
not see him, and now l tell you what
know: he can not govern this country.A
The intensity Of his manner and the posi-.
tiveness Of his judgment surprised me,
for, though l was aware that the late
Secretary Of War did not place the Presi.
dent very high in general capacity, I was
not prepared for judgment so strongly
couched. At last, after some delay, occl.
pied in meditating on his remarkable
statement, observed, "What you say Is
very broad" ut is as true as il IL
broad" he replied promptly. l added,
"You are tardy; why did you not say It
before the nomination." He answered
that he was not consulted aboutt the nom.
ination, and had no opportunity OF ex.
pressing his opinion upon it, besides being
very much occupied at the time with his
duties as Secretary Of War, and his contest
with the President. followed bysaying,
"But you took part In the Presidential
election, and made succession of speech.
es for him in Ohio and Pennsylvania. VI
spoke" said he, "but | never introduced
the name Of General Grant. l spoke for
the Republican party and the Republican
cause"
Insisting upon reelection the President
challenges inquiry and puts himself upon
the country. But event If his'pressute for
reelection did not menace the tranquility
of the country, it is important that the
personal pretentsions he, has set up should
be exposed, and that no President here
after may venture upon such ways, and
no Senator presume to defend them.
The case is clear as noon. In opening
this catalogue / select two typical In.
stances. Nepotism and gift taking, Off.
cially compensated, each absolutely indie.
feasible in the head Of the Republic, most
pernicious in example, and showing be.
yond question the surprising egotism
which changed the Presidential office in.
to q personal instrumentality not unlike
the trunk Of the elephant, for all things,
small things as well as great, from pro-
vision for relative to, pressing treaty
on a reluctant Senate, or forcing relatives
on reluctant people. Between these two
typical instances l hesitate which to place
foremost, but since the nepotism OF the
President is the ruling passion, revealing
the primary instincts Of his nature, since
1t IL maintained by him Id utter uncon.
seriousness Of It's offensive character, since
instead Of blushing Tor it, as an unhappy
mistake, he continues to uphold it, since
II has been openly defended by Senators