New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-09-26
Character and Services Of General
Gran: by HIS Enemies.

The testimony of Gen. Grants political
opponents, given when they had nothing h
gain by blasting his reputation, and under
circumstances which forbid the thought that
they were influenced by any but honest and
unseliish motives, is entitled to a respect fol
which their partisan assaults, now that they
have a motive for destroying public conf
| dence in his integrity as q man, and his
fidelity and ability rs an officer, have no claim
This disnterestcd testimony is net only val
liable in itself as q candid and truthful opin-
ion of men who are now denying him either
ability, integrity. patriotism, fidelity to duty,
| valuable services, and every claim to public
respect, but is interesting as a remarkable
instance of the power Of scll-interest and
partisan zeal in peryerting the Judgment or
| destroying the convictions Of men once con-
| sidercd honorable. AS an answer to all the
| libels these same men, with the exception Of
Mr.. Stephens, and the base crew who are
| acting with them in support Of Greeley, and
to all the infamous charges with which the
whole press abounds, we reproduce the evil
dcncc given in behalf Of General Grant only
few years ago. We viii begin with Geh.
Fram': Blair, ,Ir., the man who. engineered
Groclcy's nomination at Cincinnati, and now
his ahrst supporter. In speech he made
at i.caycnwoith, Kansas, for Seymour and
Blair in lSG2, some wise Democrat called
ont, in reply to Blair's criticism, "Grant is
a fool Mr.. Blair Immediately turned upon
him with all his animation, sharpness, and
usual cXpletivc language, said:
Sir, You are mistaken. Grant is no fool
| know him well. / knew him before he
went into the army, and when he used to
haul wood into the city Of st. Louis. met
him often in the service. l know the man.
lie is, by, the greatest man Of the age.
sherman, Sheridan, and Thomas are good
men. bat Grant is worth more than all Of
them. [Great cheering and laughter.l
"Oliver Cromwell and Napoleon Bona
parte were both great men, but, sir, tell
you that Grant is a greater man than Crom-
well and Bonaparte put together. He is not
ta!ker, but he is one of the d--cst think
ers in the world.
" les, but don't you think he will be con-
trolled by such men as Sumner, Wilson, and
Washburna?'
Controlled! Controlled. Why, by G.,
he would sweep them away like straw"
But, General, don't you think that cir
cunstances have done great deal for
Grant?"
"Why, h--ll, the fellow has made the cir
cumstances. tell you that it is no luck?
The man that can spring right up from
poverty and obscurity, and do what he has
done, Is no mere creature of circumstances.
Circumstances don't run so much in one
way"
6 am Democrat, but if General Grant
is such great man as you say he is, am a
Grant man from this out" [Cheers.l
well, If you want a despotism, vote for
him; but if you want a republican form of
government, YOU will have to vote against
him. | know that he is great man, and, by
Cd, in saying so, [ simply tell the truth
prolonged cheerng.l
The Boston Post, one Of the ablest Demo-
cratic papers in the interest of Greeley, in an
editorial article upon General Grant, April
IL, 1865, paid him the following warm
tribute:
"The military events of the last two weeks
have sealed the reputation of General Grant
as the first officer and one of the purest
patriots of the country he has defended and
restored TO union. lie has won a rcnown
rs brilliant and as enduring as that of the
immortal Father of his Country, and if any
man can merit the proud title Of "Second
Washington it is the present commander
OF the armies OF the United States. He has
manifested patience and perseverance, sa-
gaclty and confidence, united with bravery
and martial ability, equal to any General in
ancient or modern times, and while his GEN
erous appreciation would place the laurel
upon the brows of his companions, his coun-
trymen will hold his fame wreathed with the
highest glory they can bestow."
On the very same day, April II, 1868, the
New York IToyld, the leading Democratic
national organ, and now the most ferocious
of all General Grants slandcrers, and the
most subservient and reckless of all Greeley's
supporters, thus lruthfnlly aud cloqucntly
described General Grants character and
services:
Ulysses Grant the tanner, Ulysses Grant
the unsuccessful applicant for the post of
City Surveyor Of st. Louis, Ulysses Grant
the driver into that city of Eisa-two-horse
team with load of wood to sell, had within
him every manly quality which will cause the
name OF Lieutenant General Grant to live
forever in history. His career is n lesson in
practical Democracy; it is a quiet satire on
Wv iiii tiic puppy iSIll, ana inc SilillOW
aiiectation of our fashionable eXquisites, as
well as upon the swagger Of our plausible,
Slib-tongued demagogues. Not by any means
that great qualities arc inconsistent with
cultivated manners and fluent elocution !;
but that such superficial accomplishments
are no measure of worth or ability.
General Grants last brilliant campaign
sets the final seal upon his reputation 1t
stamps him as the superior Of his able an
tagonist as well as OF all the commanders
that have served with or under him in the
great'campaigns of the last year 1t is not
necessary to sacrifice any part of their WE'LL
earned regulations to his. Sherman and
Sheridan deserve all that has ever been said
in their praise; but there has never been q
| time, since Grant was made Lieutenant
General, when anybody but Sherman, on our
side, could have been classed with him.
| Since Shcman's bold march through Gcor-
gia, and the capture ofSavannah and Charles
ton, there could have been many who, in
their strong admiration of his great achieve
ment, inclined to rank him as the greater
General OF the two. That Judgment, we
take it, is now reversed by the court of final
appeal; not by dwariing the reputation of
Sherman, which suffers no just abatement,
but by the expansion into grander pro-
portions of that of Grant.
Grant stands pre-eminent among all the