The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-13
GEN. GRANT.
The Bill to Place the Leader of our Armies on
the Retired List.

the Retired List.
New York Herald: The Edmunds bill to place
Gen. Grant upon the retired list of the army
ought to pass without dispute In presence of
such measure the nation is for the moment on
trial BY the way it receives such proposition
and by the way its representatives deal with it
the world will judge whether its heart is up to
the level of a generous appreciation of great
services. The hatred of small, men for great
qualities, the malice and vindctveness of disap
pointed opponents will make themselves heard
in opposition, with pretended constitutional and
economical arguments; but the nation should DE
deaf to all that and should do for its great sol
der all that could possibly be asked for in his
name.
Philadelphia Times: General Sherman is re
tired on full pay for life by the laws of the land.
and General Sheridans retirement is provided
for also, without reduction of salary. Why should
Generel Grant the chief of all our chieftains,
be less favored than are his lieutenants! True,
he surrendered the right to retirement with pay
for life by accepting the presidency; but he
was called to civil trust by the sovereign
people by large majorities and he could
do no less than obey their command The
power that thus summoned him to higher trust
than involved the surrender Of life salary i'll
the army, should now restore him to equality
with his junior officers, by placing him on the
retired list 1t is not matter of national gen
crosby but matter of national justice, and the
considerable people of all parties and sections
will gladly have Congress equally honor the
country and General Grant by the unanimous
passage of the Edmunds bill
New York Times: Circumstances in which
every honest man will give him his hearty sym
pathy have involved him in misfortune and the
country will respond with profound approval to
the action of Congress in extending to him an
honorable and secure position in the army which
owes to him so much of its glory This action,
we are confident. will be taken with no less cor
dial consent by the brave men who fought against
him than by the representatives of those for and
with whom he fought.
Chicago Tribune The present is a generous
Congress, but it has no generosity or gratitude
for the man who did more than any other to
save the government whose money it is so prodi
gally squandering upon undeseryed objects! 1t
can reward the recreant, but has it no reward
for the patriotic hero9 For the credit of the
government for the sake of patriotic example,
for the encouragement of fidelity and galantry
in the army, in the name of common justice,
gratitude and decency. let Congress remove this
unseemly scandal and bury all possibility of its
repetition by placing General Grant in a situa
ton where he will be independent for the rest of
his life.
Lafayette journal: General Grant by his
vaor and his genius, won the series of victories
that eliminated in the surrender at AppomattoX.
He made possible the preservation of the Union.
His heroism, his loyalty, his talent were factors
in the conservation of the government.
dered the country make it appropriate
that he should be placed on the
retired list even if he possessed competency,
which 1t IS now probable is swept away rms
act of justice should have been done years ago.
1t would be a proof of the gratitude the Ameri
can people feel toward the great soldier, and the
love they bear him. Grant needs no monument
to perpetuate his memory. The further we get
away from the war, the grander his services will
appear.
Springfield Republican: The government of
the United States will not have long in which to
evince generosity toward General Grant, to
whom it owes much. Germany, after her great
mad prnCa mt oI1t
of her indemnity to her successful generals
that is, handsome as things go under the Prus
sian regime, which is one of austere economy.
General Grant has had from the govern
eminent nothing which he has not earned by
official service, and the country would, we doubt
not, be pleased to see Congress do the generous
thing by him, placing it in any honorable form.
His services in connection with the Mexican
treaty are alone worth it. In that case as the
great soldier of the American republic, he in
spired confidence to the simplicity and
straightforwardness of his motives which it had
been very difficult to win in the sister republic.