The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-06-09
GRANT IN ENGLAND.
Somewhat EquiNOcat Praise from
the Chief Tory Organ.
London Standard, May s.)


Gen. Grant, the late president OF the
United States, has sailed for England, and
intends, we understand, to remain some
weeks in this country. Politics apart,
he Is sure of cordial reception. Tie
gentlemen OF England understand too
we'll what is due TO the dignity of their
country, and respect to sincerely the 10y
alty of foreigners toward their own, 10
bear any grndge TO the late ruler OF an
other state on account OF his part in d.
plomatic transactions not agreeable 10
England, and setting aside the
Alabama case, the general Is per-
haps entitled to expect from English
men heartler welcome than would have
been due to any OF his predecessors. We
have, il is true, had occasion more than
once to complain of the imperious Ian
puage and dscourteous tone Of his Sec
retary of state: but even Mr.. Fish has
never been guilty OF those gross aflronts
and wanton menaces which England has
endured from many American ministers,
and not least from MIR. Flsh's distin-
guished and almost immediate predeccs-
sor, Mr.. Seward. Taught By the Incl
dents of the civil war, the government OF
General Grant behaved toward foreign
powers in general. and even on
the whole toward this country with
more courtesy and much more regard
for the rules or international law than
any OF its predecessors. < The
foreign policy for which the General is
responsible has been more friendly to
European powers than that OF most OF
its predecessors: and though this may be
mainly due to circumstances over which
the government has no control, the late
president is at least entitled TO the credit
of having understood the logic OF events,
and having acted in the main, and per
haps as tar az possible. toward foreign
states as, during her own peril, America
required and obtained that they should
act toward her.
But our expected visitor is more dis
tinguished as a general than as an ad-
ministrator. II was by him that the civil
war was terminated in favor of the
North. 1t was by him that the lines of
Petersburg were forced, and it was he
who received the final surrender OF the
chief army and the best general of the
pose of Gen. Grant in those many bat
ties. which achieved for him neither
strategic success nor military tame, was
10 wear out his antagonist, and he could
afford for this object to sacrifice lives at
the rate of three TO one. What, there
fore, In mere tactical sense :,
seemed to be thoroughly bad
Teneralship. was from his
point OF distant foresight the high
est military policy, and it certainly
achieved its aim. We may feel a certain
repugnance to the cold-bloOded calcula-
ton which could deliberately recon on
the wholesale sacrifice OF lie as means
of gradually eXhaustlng victorious enc
my; but the purpose OF war is final vic
tory, and the means that most thorough.
ly achieve this is the best, and perhaps
in the end is the most merciful. More
over, ii General Grants final triumph
| in Virginia was due rather to an insert.
pulous of numbers than to strategic skill
| his earlier success in the West revealed
a very considerable degree OF general
ship, and the capture of Donnelson and
Vicksburg struck two OF the four heav
lest blows the South received during the
war. The North could have afforded t.
dispense with the victories of all it,
other chiefs rather than with those Of
General Grant.