Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1879-12-05
THE GRANT PAGEANT.


present CONCLUSIVE age, whenevery rude and
uncrystalized combination Of circumstances
bring to the surface the smallest mental cali
bre and the most british men, he doubtless
would make no distinction, for now il seems
that glory follows where
"One murder makes william,
Millions, Hero;
Numbers sanctify the crimer
Gen. Grant, the man of chance and of iron
will, the conspirator against the people'slib-
critics, the mushroom statesman, who, whilst
acting as chief executive of the nation, pros
tituted its high and sacred functions to sub
serve the baser passions of his nature, and
when in the execution and performance of
the duties incident to his office, called
around him men without ability and bank
ruptin character, who sanctioned crime and
countenanced fraud in every branch Of every
department Of the General Government
the corrupt politician and gambler in
every species Of stocks and desperate
speculation the receiver Of gifts from
house and lot down To a bull-pup,
has returned from tour Of the world,
which Is undoubtedly without precedent and
parallel. He has by the very force of cir
cumstances risen literally from the ranks
and the very gutter, to be one of the greatest
captains Of the age, and twice has the au-
gust Office of President of the United States
been bestowed upon him by the American
people.
Utterly and entirely ignorant of any Court
language, scarcely understanding his own
destitute of the common civilities which
characterize the intercourse between gentle.
men, nnrefned and unprepossessing in
manner; with none Of the qualities of a
statesman, being ignorant of the great prin.
ciples which underlie the foundation of the
Government; nothing Of diplomatist, be-
ing equally as ignorant Of all international
law with no appreciation of the beautiful
in literature, science or art, from the fact
that he is not, nor never was student, new
ertheless, 1t has been his proud privilege, fol
the past two years and a-half, to stand on an
equality with Kings and Princes from Eng
land to Japan, and he has dwarfed the gilt
tering horde by his superior fortune, if not
his more consummate talent
CHANGING at the strange and checkered
history of this "quiet man" from the time
he loitered around the watts Of the lanyard
to his arrival at the Golden City of California
seems more Of fiction than reality-reads
more like the stories ofthe arabian Nights
than sober fact Of Republican simplicity
and latter days materialism.
His return to his native land has been
marked by an extravaganza heretofore UNI
known TO any American citizen. Thousands
greeted him upon his arrival as conquerer
and almost demi-god.
"Some shout him and some hang upon his
car,
To gaze in his eyes and bless him.
Maidens wave their 'kerchiefs--
Old women weep for joy"
The millionaires Of the sunset side of the
Alleghanies twice unlocked their vaults and
spent thousands for his entertainment and
In honor Of his advent. Having feasted and
reveled in their splendid and sumptuous
the gilded equipage "blazes
across the continent, midst sun-burst of
applause" to his home at Galena. What
strange, mysterious fortune, what luck, what
high and marked distinction, what long pre-
vailing honor! 1t is, indeed, marvel, out
rivaling some Oriental dream, and it seems
to be without limit, as it is without stint.
Having arrived at his home, we might
suppose that he had grown tired of wander
ing, WORKOUT with popular applause and
popular greetings and entertainments, that
here he would rest but no, he seems TO
have lost sight Of the shining examples of
Republican simplicity as set him by WASH
ington, Adams, Jefferson, Monroe, jackson,
who after the arduous turmoils of office,
sought pleasure and rest in the shades of
domestic life. That Cincinnatus went to the
pillow from which he was twice called by his
country-that Lycurgus, who stood in the
rank Of glory far before the founders of all
the other Grecian States, wound up the
strings of Sparta which he found relaxed
with luxury, advised his people to do away
with extravagant living and sumptuous pleas
ures, and finally reduced himself from IA
King to a private person; and we find this
restless, ambitious, longing, self-willed, po-
litical tyrant and aspirant, makes but short
stay around the familiar scenes of the old
lanyard; he remained just long enough
amidst the sparkling splendors of European
Courts, banqueting with Lords and cour-
tiers to become intoxicated with desire for
a throne, and SO the pageant moves off and
on to the crowded cities, bearing the man
who, whilst in the legitimate exercise of his
official functions, trampled upon the rights
of the people by his avowed disregard for
every constitutional safeguard, and who
now In the furtherance Of another lease of
power and in the successful execution of his
selfish designs would destroy the best gov
ernment ever designed for man. and upon
its ruins erect an oligarchy--this will be but
history repeating itself, and we find an ex-
ample in Napoleon III, who fell in the dust
of Sedan.
The press throughout the country have
already announced many Of the places
which he will visit, where public receptions
will be given and every hospitality extend
ed, among the number We notice that Wash
ington city is named, so we may soon expect
to see the triumphant procession move slow
ly along Pennsylvania avenue with his I'm
perial presence--lct us suggest, that his late
Secretary of War, Gen. Belnap, (tha. piece of
injured innocenceJ be conspicuous figure
by his side to remind the mighty -one" that
he Is but mortal after oil, and that the Ro-
man who was hailed one day as the favorte
OF the gods, sat next day by the site of
Carthage (once mistress of the seas and the
most formidable rival Of Romeo a vaster
ruin than the City of Hannibal and the type
Of the mutabilty Of things.
Messrs. Trimble d Klebacker, of Balti-
more, are making arrangements to import
1000 Mcssina quail for distribution in Mary