The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-05-31

Uhr s!lailp Arolts.
Grant in Europe.

The Tribune, on Sunday, informed the
country that Grant lever lost a battle.
As Grant was licked at Belmont. aud again
at Shiloh, and suffered two disastrous re-
pulses IN his assaults in May. 1863, before
Elcksburg, it is seen that The Tribune
assertion ls somewhat at Variance with
the facts. Tie strategist of that sheet al
81 asserts that Grants Theory was that
a battle should always cost the enemy
uore than it cost him" and yet it is the
fact that just the reverse il the truth.
Grant was always wiling to lose three men
IN order to kill one If the enemy. basjug
his willingness upon his celebrated utter
ance that his cat S tail was the longest. 7"
Had Grant not been possessed Of more
than twice as many men as Lee. the latter
might have takenh ashing tonin place of the
former taking Richmond, 1t was four to
one that drove Lee back; and even then
Richmond would scarcely have been taken
had not Sherman commenced moving
from the south, Grant was not strate-
gist In any sense of the word. Ali he
knew OF war was to keep "hammering"
away, conscious only of the fact that in
the end superiority in numbers and in sup
plies must give success. In truth, our
late war, outside of Sherman's Atlanta
campaign, had very little strategy 10 il,
= nearly all other instances it was simply
case of give and take, in which, not game
ness, but weight, had the best of it.
AS to just how the people of Europe
will receive Grant, there is room Tor ques-
ton. Won Moltkei is credited with saying
that our war was simple the mad contact of
two armed mobs. Always excepting Sher-
man movements. that is pretty much all
there was OF it, The soldiers of Europe
will certainly look on Grant with much
curiosity as man who lost more lives
and accomplished less for the sacrihc.
than In any war known to history. They
certainly cannot have any admiration for
has military genius, for the reason that
they will not be apt to regard mere stolidi
~, mere Willingness TO lose three men to
kill one OF the enemy, as any evidence of
ability. lie will undoubtedly attract much
ate alton; but, as said, it will be rather Gu
riosiiy that anything else. Grant, as shown
by history, lacks in all the purely intellec-
tual qualities OF first class soldier. He
has no culture to recommend him ia other
respects. 1t is a very wel-known fact that
the men with whom he has associated
and intlmates. have not been men noted
either for their social, moral, or intellectual
worth. Hence Grant has not had that
which is afforded by contact
with the more refined elements, to acquire
polish. He is yet as uncouth, or nearly
so, as when he left his tannery at Galena
to take charge of an Illinois regiment A
man who has no reputation as great in
telligcnt military leader; who is lacking
in polish and social excellence, cannot ex-
pect TO attract complimentary attentions
from the people of portion of the globe
which contains the first military captains,
the nrst statesmen, and the social develop
ments of the world. Nor will Grant be
likely to receive attention as an ex-presi-
dent. In Europe, compliments, like gra-
titude, are restricted to a lively sense of
favors to come. That Grant has been pow
erful is of no account so long as, at the
present time, he is only a private citizen.
In short, it is difficult to see wherein
either MIR, Grant or this country will be
fattered or benefited by his European trip.
With reference to the dignity of the lat
ter, and possibly also OF the former, it
would perhaps have been better had he
concluded to retire to Galena, and give
Europe the so BY CHICAGO Tines.