National Republican., 1880-05-22
MISCELLANEOUS.
GRANT THE SELF-MADB MAN.
Views Of n Loyal east Tonnessean


SIR: viii you give a space in your valuable
paper to loyal east Tonnessean to express n
few thoughts upon that ineXhaustible and, at
present, most absorbing suhiect-U Ulysses s.
Grant, tho hero, the general but, more es-
pccially in this co nnection, the Sef-Alade
| Man"
| asl, this space in THE NATIONAL. RrPUB.
LIcAN, as it was the first to come over the
hills to us as " the Grant organ or the organ
of that uprising American spirit which rose
| from the unoxprcssed wish TO tile almost univor.
| sal laundering clamor for our hero TO he their
| leader in the struggle of 1850, TO carry us TO
victory rs he did in the four-year struggle
that crowned his brow with the laurel wreath
of fame. Furthermore l wish to join with
you in expressing that the delegates from Ten
| nessec can no better represent tho great loyal
masses of that state than by voting first, last
and all the time for the nomination
of U. S. Grant TO be our leader
in the impending struggle. have talked
| largely with the people of the masses of that
| state. and know tho wishes that lie most closely
| to their hearts are for tho leadership of Grant,
with perhaps Maynard for yicopresident not.
wthstanding the contrary expressions of
interested politicians. have no axe to grind,
and must speak plainly and truly Of the wants
| of my state
Your readers are aware Of the bravery and
heroism displayed by the loyal east Tennes-
scans during the late struggle. How, ut the
| beginning they were forced out of tho Union
by the vote ofthe slave-holding middleand west
Tennessee, and surrounded by rebel bayonets to
conscript and force them into the lines of the
gray" to fight against the flag which their
mothers had pointed them TO with pride and
| taught them to love. How many regiments
of our brave boys were made up by the in
dividual sacrifice of home and leaving all that
was near and dear to them TO tho
mercy of the ruthless enemy; how they
| LA f1n glra on1 .,,,tfl
pilot should appear to conduct them
by night for hundreds of miles across the
| rugged noun tains ,along rocky paths untrodden
! save by the bloOdhounds of rebel scouts hunt.
| ing them down, or intercepting every river
crossing aud mountain pass, tho blood Of the
killed and wounded minging with the water
and the pines. while on.tbeir nightly march to
| the distant lines of the blue" Your readers
may have heard all this, aud how our homes
| were robbed and devastated how every needle
box was searched "for conscripts." :" Our brave
boys pictures in blue held by sisters aud
mothers as sacred, were taken out and shot to
| pieces before their eyes. But, perhaps, your
| readers have not heard how the loyal people of
that pivotal state of the the key 10 the south
vcnerate the hero, the general, the self-made
man, U. S. Grant, and therefore l may be per-
mitted to tell you.
East Tennesseans are more like northern
people than are the people of perhaps, any other
portion of the south; therefore there is not
that class distinction there that is found
in other portions. We were taught to love
this great country in which the humblest
mi ght rise by his own genius to the highest
Office in the gift of his people, and we ad-
mired and encouraged the rising genius
everywhere; thus, my fellow-townsman,
Andrew johnson, rose from the tailor's bench
to tho chief magistracy of his country, and
though while there ho betrayed the loyal
spirit of his native east Tennessee yet we
could but admire the indomitable will and
energy that pressed him forward and YOU
will remember that while he was in the
offices strictly within the gift of our people,
he was one of tho strongest supporters of
their spirit of loyalty. His motto, when with
us, was Treason should be made odious and
traitors punished"
But let me return to that hero, that self.
made man, who we even more greatly ad-
mired or venerated and who never betrayed
our trust-U. S. Grant, man whom we
saw rise from the humblest position to that
Of the most honored private citizen of the civ
ilized world, who fifty-seven years ago
had au humble birth, from humble parents, in
an humble cottage, and in secluded part of
the country, which he was afterward to bless
We find him later following the most humble
employment, that of laboring in his fathers
'tannery," making leather from the rough
hides of animals, to clad the very feet of those
whom he was afterward TO lead. Later we see
bauing the products of his toll to whoever
would buy in the great city of st. Louis The
laudable ambition to be something nobler and
greater, we must imagine. was constantly in
4 his mind Telling the monarchs of the forest
had well fitted his strong arm for greater and
uobler Deeds in hauling down the would.be
tyrants of slavery, oppression and rebellion.
Hence, we SEQ him on the field of battle, win
ming his way up from rank to rank by his
valor bravery, heroic deeds and devotion to his
country, until we find him at the head of an
army that frequently before had met reverses,
losses and defeats, under the indolent
careless, aud criminally negligent manage
ment of Mcclellan and others. Under the
hands of Grant the forces took new i'm
petus, and the grand army of the union
swept on conquering and TO conquer, striking
for their "allars aud tn cir fires, for posterity
and their sires," until the shacllos were
struck from four millions of slaves; until the
opposing horde, like the Arabs, folded their
tents and as silently stole away, winning for
himself the worldwide fImo of being one
among the greatest generals that ever lived
His work WAS not yet done, Twice his conn
trymen elected him to the highest Office with.
in their gift, and alter long and successful
administration OF two terms, in the most try.
ing years succeeding fratricidal strife, he
retired from the presidential chair with in
creased honors and his great name uustained
by the calumnies sought to be heaped on him
Dy InOSc WHO nu'l llltu 10 utSulOy tue country.
| After two years absence from his native land
VIC welcome the noble ship Toxic bearing
him back to his native shores, to receive the
ovalious of n grateful people, and to take up
his triumphant march" across tho continent,
like "a returning hero Of old" Indeed, he Is
such. He has visited almost every cline on the
civilized globe; he has cndeared himself to, and
received tho homage of, nearly every people; ho
has been received as no other man has ever
been received, and thus he is cou-
quering hero returning. He has conquered
the prpiudices of tho common people against
our country, everywhere. The people OF these
countries begin TO say, America must bo the
greatest nation on earth, as their mere citizen
receives greater homage than kings aud mobiles
from other countries" These impressions are
deep and lasting upon the common people, and
they have neverbGen reached before. Too much
importance cannot bo attached TO this 1t has
stimulated inquiry in regard TO us,
and already its fruits arc shown
from better classes, from each of
these countries preparing to emigmte here,
In conQucring tho prejudices and capturing
the good will of people of all lands, General
| q Log pr la Il al te