St. Paul daily globe., 1884-12-05
PENsIONI G G.N. GRANr.

The proposition TO bestow a pen sion of S5,-
600 year upon Gen. Grant ought not TO be
received with favor. He does not deserve it.
There is nothing in his character or achieve
ments that entitle him 10 it. He has been
largely the recipient of national gratitude
because he happened TO be in at the fall Of
the rebellion. We say happened, because the
way Lad been prepared for the defeat of the
revolters, by abler organizing and disciplin-
ing Generals than himself, who preceded him
in the command of the army of the Potomac,
and whose battles especially at Antietam and
Gettysburg, weakened and prepared the re-
bellion for its final collapse.
Those bloody battles in the "Wildernessn
in rapid succession, need not have been
fought, and such an immense sacrifice of
human life incurred. Had the Fabian policy
of Washington, in the battles of the Revolu-
ton been adopted, and little more time
been permitted TO do its work, the rebellion
would have come to an end by inanition; 1t
would have fallen by its own inherent weak
ness. But Grant fastened the end by multi
plying bloody battle fields; constantly calling
on President Lincoln for relays of troops 10
fill up the ranks Of the slain. He literally
waded through an ocean of blood to clutch
the great fame of being the conqueror Of the
rebellion.
Gen. Lee in his forlorn hope displayed far
greater military skill and generalship than
did Grant, who triumphed by the sheer
weight of numbers and unlimited military re-
sources, more thanby superior military tactics
and generalship. Thousands of brave Union
soldiers were left dead on the ghastly battle
fields of the Wilderness, who might have been
alive to-day, had their commanding General
resorted to skillful, patient, military strategy,
instead of pressing the rebellion rapidly to
the wall by brute force.
The day of sycophantic praise will pass
by, is, indeed, rapidly receding. The trues
history of the rebellion and its final over
throw is yet TO be written. When the war
generation shall have passed away, when
passion and partisan heat shall have cooled.
when personal sycophancy shall have ceased,
then the stern Muse of history with her i'm
partial, iron pen, with severe, but just dis
elimination win make up the record of the
battles of the Wilderness, as of all the other
events of the civil war and commentator and
condemnation will be awarded in due meas
ure where they are due. Heroes now in OBJ
scurity will be brought to the public gaze.
while the reputation of the oyerpraised will
shrivel away into comparatively insiguif-
cant proportions.
When the rebellion closed, Grant was made
General of the Army, with large annual
a position which he might
have occupied during the whole remainder
of his natural life. Why did he leave that
positions He was beset by political cormo-
rants, and adventurers, who wished to trade
and profit, on his suddenly acquired fame,
and they fired his am bition to become Presi-
dent. They appealed to his mercenary ma
ture, the surest way to gain his acquiesci-
ence, and promised to have the presidents
salary doubled. The attempt, was made. but
failed before his first term, but was carried
through before his second term. When nom
mated for the Presidency, be had not single
attribute of scholarly attainment, or expe-
rience as a statesman, AID he has none now.
With his administration commenced the
great corruption aud decadence OF the Repub-
lican party. The appointment of his first
cabinet showed his incapicity, and excited
the derisive condemnation of all parties, and
that of the party which placed him
in power. He surrounded himself with Job
bers of the Belknap, Babcock stripe, and cor
ruptionists had his ear to the end of his
official life. His base attempt to clutch a
third term has covered him with ineffable
disgrace.
He was the willing receiver of presents, of
large and small value He gladly took what
ever was offered, gold-headed-cane. horse
or house. He retired from the Presidency
rich, by the grace of his wealthy, sycophantic |
admirers.
Greedy of gain he became the head of a
S tock-jobbing, gambling firm in New York
and be and his sons have piled up fortunes
IN day, mountain high. and rolled in fab |
ulous, estimated wealth. He knew. II he
knew anything, that the alleged gains which |
his firm were making were not legitimate
that they we're strictly the gains of gamblers.
that what they were supposed to have gained
others must have lost. He was engaged in
no productive business, which added to the
wealth. or welfare of society, but simply in
a gambling enterprise where the shrewdest
and best win, and the devil takes tie hind
most But the bubble burst, the collapse
came. Grant was stranded, bis proud. AFRO