The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-06-09
GENERAL THOMAS.
A HERO WHOSE FAME GROWS WITH
THE YEARS.

Indianapolis Journal: Time does much
to change popular impressions. 1t is a
great image-breaker-a very iconoclast.
Few men become popular idols who do
not live, like Wellington did, to regret
the instability and fickleness of public
| opinion. No hero was ever greeted with
such plaudits as the Iron Duke. and yet
he lived to see his mansion assailed by
furious mob. 1t stood with barricad-
ed windows for long time, reminder
of the uncertainty Of popular opinion.
But the same traits which made him
conqueror at Waterloo made him detest-
| ed as the Queens adviser. 1t needed
the fierce light which is said to beat up
on throne and all about it to reveal the
stern, unlovable traits that made him so
disliked by the porulace. The changes
of public opinion in reference to the men
we elect President are interesting. No
President has ever gone into the presi-
dency and out of it with the same aver
age reputation among the people. They
will invest him with heroic or noble
qualities, and divest him of human and
ignoble ones. Little by little fancy fades
and fact comes to the front, until after a
while the real man stands revealed with
all his earthly imperfections, his foibles
and his weaknesses, no longer hero,
possibly not even great man.
No character that has appeared in
American history has stood better test of
time than that of General Thomas. He
is one of the rare ones which seem to
grow grander and nobler as time passes.
The people were beginning to realize
this when he passed away, and now there
is growing up feeling that one of the
nnblest soldiers our country ever pro-
| duced-one really great in unselfishness,
ID modesty, in magnanimity in intellect
ual qualities and moral worth, in the
rare characteristics that make the great
commander, and the rare traits which
made him shun the mean ways of ambi-
tion-General George II. Thomos was
unappreciated, unrewarded, neglected by
his country. A writer says of him:
"His modesty kept him back in the
line of promotion for years and years,
while shallower brains and meaner souls
were boosted one after another over his
| head. 1t is no credit, on the contrary it
is disgrace, to those who were in author
ltv at that time, that at the close of the
war not single recognition was accord
ed the general who never lost battle.
He was left to slide back without a word
into his old subordinate place in the reg
ular army. When the matter was men
toned to him he only said this: L have
taken great pains to educate myself not
to feel.
And yet this man, whose experience in
life had taught him to educate himself
not to feel, was probably the greatest
military genius of the age. ''His brain
was OF the massive type, said one who
knew him, and he might have added that
his intellect was marvellous in its SYM
metry. It was not one sided, great here
and small there, but proportioned
throughout, not unlike that of Washing
ton, to whom, in physical appearance as
| well as IN mental characteristics, be is
said to have borne remarkable resembl-
ance. Intellectually, Thomas was the
superior man, and on the moral side of
his character in no way inferior.
The admirers of Gen. Thomas propos-
ed to raise large sum of money for him
IN recognition of his services. He
promptly declined, and asked that it be
given to the widows and orphans of SOL
diers. And yet he was poor. His widow
lives on moderate pension. His name
was mentioned for the presidency. Had
he lived, he would almost beyond ques-
| tlon have been forced to take that posi-
ton, yet when the matter was mentioned
to him he wrote in reply these remarkable
words:
| II will have nothing TO do with politics. am
soldier, and know my duty. As politician,
| would be lost. No, sir; not even if | were
! elected unanimously would accept it."
1t required rare qualities of head and
heart to write these words, for General
| Thomas must have known that the road
to the presidency was open before him.
A ''splendid figure in American history
is he, followed by regret and sorrow
when it is rendered that this was the
man who said, Il have taken great pains
to educate myself not to feel"