The Wilmingtonian., 1884-05-24

| companon-in-arms and redoubtable oppo-
nent? Nay, rather, let us do Ulysses S. Grant
the justice to recall his manly recognition of
whatwas due from one brave man to another.
| When Lee requested that his men might be
allowed to retain their horses, Grant replied
LET your men retain their horses, General;
| they will want them to do their ploughing
with" And again, while the cry for the
| impeachment of ''the traitor went up
throughout the North, Grant honorably and
nobly planted himself in the way, as one
who should saysNo, this is breach of faith;
will resign my commission if this act is
perpetrated.'' Evidently Grant felt that
while he had done his duty as soldier aud
was entitled to the respect due to brother
who had fought bravely for a bad cause. So
the resentment of his fellow-citizens to insist
on justice to the vanquished. To Grants
credit, be it said, he refused to trample ON
PROSTATE enemy.
Well gould it have been for General Grant
if he had learned also to accept modestly
and use temperatsly the other fruits of vic
tory If we could read mems hearts as a
book, we might well be tempted to believe
that Ulysses s. Grant, would be well conten-
ted to accept to-day the lot of the man who
sleeps well, after lifes. fitful fever in the lit
tie church yard at Lexington. 1t was not.
given to either Of them to crown a life of
service to their country with soldiers
DEATH One died a civilian; not full of years,
nor of honors, but mourned with the deep,
silent sympathy which the Puritans of old
accorded to their lost brethren-the Puritans
of whom it was written:-
"The intensity of their feelings on one
| subject made them Indifferent on all others.
| They had their hopes and their fears; their
joys and their sorrows, but not for the things
of this world"
When General Lee was dying, those abont
him asked if he felt better, to which he
| replied only by slight shake of the head,
and pointing his finger solemnly upwards.
| He might have been traitor, but there was
no accusation of fraud which the Recording
| Angel could bring against him before the
Eternal Judge.
| The other, Ulysses s. Grant, lives to-day
and is to be placed on the retired list as a
General in the United States Army. Had
| such an event succeeded the victory at Apo
mattox, its justice would have been undis-
puted; his country needed him no Longer, and
the pension would have been the legitimate
Z sewaiu form SERVICES. BaI'uehoiai Ufah
has already received an abundance of honor
and rewards. He has been twice Presiden
Of the United States. During his two term
of office he has accumulated wealth to al
+ extenJ no previous holder of the ofic
ever dreamed of. Every avenue of patron
a age had its price; schemes of trickery an,
. fraud were subserved, with scarcely pre-
q tense of secrecy, and the honor of th
a Presidency was bartered away as commo
q chattel, over and over again, for the holder
personal gain. Throughout the whole worl
4 the record of the Whisky Fraud, the Col
s'transaction" and the Marine Bank Swindl
!. name of General Grant. 1t will ever b
=. stamped on the pages of history that Pre-
IL ident of the United States lent his name to
q bank which on a capital of 5000, 900 accum,
"a lated liabilities of fifteen millions. E..
;s Alisfortunesl Can such term be apple
" to record like this?
n But the heart of the American people is
"a large as their country. Through all IL
ST mists of fraud, venality, corruption and ma
r. administration, they look back twenty year
Nj and say. "We will give our old soldier clea
n record,a td6uta Tasd; he has done the matte
Ia good service. Perhaps it is WELL for Life
Nv prolific of lessons showing the virtues
he forgiveness and charity; yet we may well a.
Ill in what light the American citizens of Il
I'd Twentieth Century will commit to histo
the closing years of Ulysses s. Grant al
Robert E. Lee. Ofwhich of the twain shs
er it be said 'Nothing in his life became hi
Id like the ending of it,?
sSIBLE PENSIoNER.