The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1884-05-31

| N. o. States,
The history Of tho American Re
public is without the record Of sucl
another remarkable career as that o
Gen, Grant, whose sudden eleyatier
from the lowest obscuFity to q position
of the most exalted character exeitet
the astonishmont Of the wOIld, With
out influence, without military pres
tige, without genius or those socia
qualities which bring man into
prominence and favor, ho fell, as il
we're, victim to the emergencies Of
the war, and the simple fact Of his
being graduate Of West Point com
mcnded him to the attention of the
government, which at that time was
sorely pressed for military command
ers. His history, from the time of his
assuming command of the Federal
armies to the surrender at Appomatox,
and after that bis two Presidential
terms, are familiar to the country.
Equally notorious are his propeusities
for "gift taking" and the accumula-
tion of wealth at the expense Of
friends, admirers and the government
itself. In fact, so Extensively ostenta-
tious was this bestowal of money,
bonds and houses, and his readiness
and willingness TO accept everything
that was offered, that it led TO the sug-
gestiye remark that Grant never earned
an honest dollar except his pay as an
army officer. And yet at the close Of
his Presidential term Of office, having
drawn 100000 from the government,
in the way of salary, his wealth was
reputed to be millions, and but for
that spirit Of ayarice which fairly con-
sumed his soul, he might have closed
the declining years Of his life in ease
and comfort, and at least without
obliquy II not with resplendent re-
noWn.
The recent failure of the firm of
Grant a Ward the development Of
the rotten condition Of it's affairs and
of the questionable character of the
business transactions has hauled down,
as suddenly as 1t WAS raised 70 that
elevated point, the name Of Gen,
Grant from the lofty pinnacle, hannt-
ing from which it has 50 long been
the admiration OF sycophants and
fanatics. II is now dragging In the
mire and filth of financial dishonor, il
not personal disgrace, and he who
once was 80 powerful, so influential
and so popular, is now 80 fallen and
impotent as none are found $50 poor
do him reyerence.' Republican pa
pers now declare he is no longer fac
tor in the presidential problem; that
in fact he has been retired and en-
tirely eliminated from the politics Of
the country; that hereafter he will be
known as plain Mr.. Grant who was
once called . great general as Mr., r.,
B. Hayes was once known as So
called President of the United States.
But is the fall Of Gen. Grant only
personal misfortunol Docs it not
affect the glory and fame Of the Re-
ppblican party, Of which he was
claimed to be the sayionri Has il not
lost in him its brightest star and most
brilliant ornamentl Will any Repub-
Iican eyer point to him now as q great
man iIfthe face of this money crash
by which $s,000,000 Of other peoples
property has been sacrificed. The
failure of their firm was not of the
usual character, because ita chief
capital consisted Of the name and
political influence of the senior part
neF-Gen, Grant,
They banked upon his reputation,
but at time least expected i came
to pass that something more substap-
tial than q mere name WAS needed 10
avert q financial catastrophe precipi-
tated BY reclslessness and bad man
sgenenf. The fact dawned pPop the
honse Of Grant q Ward when it was
too late, and the terrible consequences
are now before The copntry--the
wreck Of q once great man now an
object Of pity and c0mmiseration,
With hopes shattered and Q future
oblilcfated.
= -. NJ ID