The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-21

faculty which is essential to all great command
ers-the faculty of mparting throughout the
rank and file of his army the samedetermination
to win with which he himself was always in
| spired.
One popularity of General Grants military
career was his constant readiness to fight. He
wished for no long periods of preparation, lost
no opportunity which promptneSs could turn to
advantage. He always accepted without cavil
or question, the position to which he might be
assigned. He never troubled the War Depart
ment with requests complaints, and when
! injustice inflicted upon him he submitted
| silently, and did a soldiers duty Few men in
any service would have acquiesced quietly as
did General Grant, when at the close of the re-
1narkable campaign beginning at Fort Henry and
| ending at Shiloh he found himself superseded
| by General Halleck and assigned to a subordi-
nate command in an army whose glory was in
separately associated with his own name. Self
control is the first requisite for him who aims to
control others. In that Indispensable form of
mental discipline General Grant exhibited per
lection.
When he was appointed Lieutenant-general
and placed in command of all the armies of the
Union, he exercised military control over a
greater number of men than has any general
since the invention of fire arms. In the cam
paigns of 1864 and 1865 the armies of the Union
contained in the aggregate not less than amllion
of men. The movements of all the vast forces
were kept in harmony by his comprehensive
mind, and in the grand consummation which in
inseparably associated with the true glory Of his
country
LINCoLN's GREATEST TRAITS
Mr.. Lincoln united frmness and greatness in
singular degree. He rarely spoke harsh word.
Ready to hear argument and always open to
conviction, he adhered tenaciously to the
illusions which he had finally reached. Alto
gether modest he had confidence in himself,
trusted to the reasoning of his own mind, be
lieved in the correctness of his own judgment,
Many of the popular conceptions concerning him
are erroneous. No man was further than he
from the easy, familiar, jocose character in
which he is often painted. While he paid little
attention to form or ceremony he was not
man with whom liberties could be taken There
was but one person in Illinois outside of his
own household who ventured to address him by
his first name. There was no one in Washing
ton who ever attempted 1t. Approaching wit
and humor he relshed good story, especially
if it illustrated truth or strengthened an argu-
ment, and he had vast fund of illustrative an
ecdote which he used with the happiest effect.
But the long list of vulgar Salacious stories
attributed to him were retaed only by those
who never enjoyed the privilege of exchanging
a word with him. His life was altogether
rious one-inspired by the noblest spirit, devot-
ed to the highest aims, Humor was but an Incl
which tinged all his years.
He presented an extraordinary combination
of mental and moral qualities. As statesman
he had the loftest ideal and 1t fell to his lot to
inaugurate measures which changed the fate of
millions of living men, of tens of millions yet to
be born. As manager of political issues, and
master of the art of presenting them, he has
had no rival in this country unless one be found
in Jefferson The complete discontinue of his
most formidable assalants in 1863, especially of
those who sought to prejudice him before the
people on account of the arrest of Nalladigham,
cannot easily be paralleled for shrewdness of
treatment and for keen appreciation of the reac
tonary influences which are certain to control
public opinion. Mr.. VanBuren stands without riv
al in the use of partisan tactics. He operatedal-
together on men, and believed in selfinterest as
the handspring of human action. Mr. Lincolns
ability was of far higher and broader charac
ter There was never the slightest lack of can
dor fairness in his methods He sought to
control mon through their reason and their
science. The only art he employed was that of
presenting his views SO convincing]y as to force
conviction on the minds of his hearers and his
readers
There has been discussion as to Mr.. Lincoln's
religious belief. He was silent as TO his
prcfcrcnce among creeds. Prejudice against any
particular denomination he did not entertain.
Allied all his life with protestant Christianity,
he thankfully awaited himself of the services
of an eminent Catholic prelate-Archbishop
Hughes. of New York-in personal mission to
England, OF great importance, at q crlSlS Wnen
the relations between the two countries were dis
turbed and threatening. Throughout the whole
period of the war he constantly directed the at
tenton of the naticn to dependence on God. 1t
may, indeed, be doubted whether he omitted
this in single state paper, In every message
to Congress- in every proclamation to the
people. he made it prominent In July,
1868 after the battle of Gettysburg, he called
upon the people to give thanks because it has
pleased Almighty God to hearken to the sup
nil III 90 DpOl1ia M
to vouchsafe signal and effective victories to the
army and navy of the United States and he
asked the people to render homage to the Di-
vine Majesty and to invoke the influence of His
Holy Spirit to subdue the anger which has pro-
dueed and so long sustained a needless and cruel
rebellion On another occasion, FeeOunting the
blessings which had come to the Union, he
said mo human counsel hath devised nor hath
any mortal hand worked out, these great
things. They are the gracious gifts of the
most high God, who, while dealing with us in
anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered
mercy" Throughout his entire official career
attended at all times with eXactng duty and
painful responsibility-he never forgot his own
dependence, or the dependence of the people
upon higher power. In his last public address,
delivered to an immense crowd assembled at the
White House on the 11th of April, to eongratu-
late him the victories of the Union, the Presi-
dent, standing as he uneonsciously was in the
very shadow of DEATH said reverently to his
hearers: I'm the midst of your joyous express
sion He from whom all blessings flow must first
be remembered"
MORTON AND COLFAX.
In the West the commanding figure among
number of distinguished executives was Oliver
P Morton of Indiana. He was Of stalwart
frame, full health, and highest physical vigor.
His energy was untiring, his will unconquerable
In the closely balanced condition of parties in
his State he had been treated to the most ag-
gressive and exacting form, so that he entered
upon his gubernatorial duties with certain ex-
perence in the control of men which was of
marked value. He possessed mind of extraor-
binary strength, and in frequent contests at the
bar and upon the stump he had thoroughly dis
ciplined his faculties. In debate he was formd-
able. It cannot be said that he exhibited strik
ing originality of thought. or that he possessed
] in q laiaga denree the ereatira rnyver But in